What is DMT?

Ever since the vocal presence of Terence McKenna and over 20 years worth of his work with psychedelic compounds, including the extraordinary research of Dr Rick Strassman on near-death and mystical experiences, published in his book: DMT – The Spirit Molecule, there has been an influx of people stepping outside their comfort zone and trying psychedelic compounds in an attempt to gain insights that help them understand more about life and answer fundamental questions relating to existence and reality.

One such compound is and alkaloid called N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which in its own right has some very unique properties. DMT is a rather simple molecule and builds on a core compound called tryptamine (similar to serotonin and melatonin), it is considered the most powerful psychedelic known to man by Terence McKenna (well beyond psilocybin or MDMA) and what sets it apart from all other psychedelic compounds is that it exists naturally within the human brain, including most plants and mammals according to Dr Rick Strassman. Additionally, there is no conclusive evidence detailing where it is produced within the human brain, although research suggests the pineal gland is responsible. There is also little research to indicate the circumstances that lead to DMT production within the human brain, but theories exist describing its use within the dream state and when we are born and possibly when we die. Ongoing research into DMT will help further unlock the mysteries that surround this chemical compound (https://www.cottonwoodresearch.org/).

DMT may also have some influence in the formation of connections between synapses within the brain (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDYctenkgJo), and the focus of meditation to achieve enlightenment may likely be directly linked to DMT. After all, DMT is just a catalyst to something more profound that cannot yet be defined or explained.

DMT in is extracted form, resembles a crystal formation that is pale in colour. The chemical compound is very stable and can quite easily be extracted from a variety of plant materials.

DMT in its raw form is mostly smoked through vaporizing the crystals, but it can also be dissolved and injected or capsulated and ingested.

Due to the legal issues associated with extracting, possessing and selling DMT, no further information will be provided. The focus of information will be constrained to plant materials that contain DMT. 

It is common knowledge though research conducted by Dr Rick Strassman and others, while DMT  exists within the human brain, it also exists with a large number of plant species and animals. There has been quite a bit of research conducted on a variety of plants in order to identify the percentage of DMT they contain.

These investigations are partly due to the use of specific plant species found within the Amazon rainforest that are used as part of Shamanic rituals for thousands of years. These rituals are based on drinking a brew made from plant material that contains primarily DMT and another chemical compound called monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), while also containing a large number of other unknown chemical compounds. You can read more about MAO's in other articles.

The Shamanic rituals are often commonly referred to as an Ayahuasca journey, where the name Ayahuasca is the name given to the brew that is ingested.

One of the core plants that contain DMT which is used within Ayahuasca is called Mimosa Hostilis and is known to contain large quantities of DMT within the inner root bark. This material is often referred to as MHRB - "Mimosa Hostilis Root Bark".

MHRB is relatively easy to obtain and prepare for a DMT journey and as it also contains a large percentage of DMT, therefore it will be the focus for most of the articles.