A [Not So] Brief Overview of DMT

What Is DMT?

NN-Dimethyltryptamine, or DMT for short, is a short acting psychedelic entheogen that allows a person’s consciousness to encounter some of the most incredible experiences, visions, thoughts, and dimensions imaginable.

DMT is without doubt one of the most powerful, yet mysterious, psychedelics in existence, but to classify it as merely a drug would be to do it a great injustice. DMT is more of a trans-dimensional key into experiences so profound and awe-inspiring that it raises many questions regarding the nature of reality and our place within it.

DMT is naturally occurring in every human being and is also prevalent throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. It has been found in many mammals, marine animals, trees, grasses, and flowers.

DMT is closely related to serotonin, the naturally occurring neurotransmitter that psychedelics affect so widely. The pharmacology of DMT is similar to that of other well-known psychedelics. It affects receptor sites for serotonin in much the same way that LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline do. These serotonin receptors are widespread throughout the human body and can be found in blood vessels, muscle, glands, skin, and even in the gut.

What Are The Effects?

Depending on the dosage, the effects of DMT can range over a multitude of sensations; from bizarre, beautiful, and even 'impossible' visions, to literally jaw-dropping awe, as one is seemingly propelled into other dimensions of existence that human language and logic cannot even begin to describe or comprehend.

The following is an excerpt from Psychedelic Monographs and Essays, which discusses the different levels of a DMT experience:

Level I: Pre-Hallucinatory experience

This stage is characterized by an interior flowing of energy/consciousness. It may be extremely intense. It may have a positive feeling content.

Level II: Vivid, brilliantly colored, geometric visual hallucinations

Here one is observing a patterned field, basically two dimensional, although it may have a pulsating quality. One may remember having seen this before.

Transitional Phase (Level IIB?): tunnel or breakthrough experience

One may see or fly through a tunnel (a passage to the next level). A veil may part, a membrane may be rent. There is a breakthrough to another world (or perhaps even a series of breakthroughs).

Alternatively, it may also happen that the transition from Level II to Level III is abrupt, almost instantaneous, with no experience of transition.

Level III: Three- or higher-dimensional space, possible contact with entities.

This stage is characterized by the experience of being in an "objective" space, that is, a space of at least three dimensions in which objects or entities may be encountered.

Sometimes the entities appear to be intelligent and communicative beings. This stage may be extremely energetic with an experience of everything happening incomprehensibly fast. Alternatively it may be relatively coherent.

Travel is possible at Level III. One may, for example, assume [other forms and/or consciousnesses and experience the physical or emotional content of these forms/consciousnesses.] The limits of this stage, if any, are unknown. There may be transitions to further stages.

If you would like to read some firsthand experiences of DMT journeys, you can browse the Quality Experience Report section of the DMT-Nexus.

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