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A [Not So] Brief Overview of DMT

By The DMT-Nexus [Reviewed, amended, and edited by David Nickles] on Thursday, 20 February 2014, hits: 32363

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A Few Possible Interpretations of the DMT Experience

Listed below are eight possible interpretations of the DMT experience which imply answers (true or false) to some or all of the questions raised above. Some of these, like the experience itself, are bizarre, but at this stage, any idea should be considered since in this matter the truth (to paraphrase J.B.S. Haldane) probably is not only stranger than we suppose, but stranger than we can suppose.

1) There are no entities at all; it's merely subjective hallucination. The DMT state may be interesting, even extremely interesting, but really, there are no independently-existing entities to be found. Such a possibility might lead us to conclude that DMT is, at its minimum, neurochemical art; some of the most beautiful, interactive, awe-inspiring art available to the human mind.

2) DMT provides access to a parallel or higher dimension, a truly alternate reality which is, in fact, inhabited by independently-existing intelligent entities forming (in the words of Terence McKenna) "an ecology of souls."

3) DMT allows awareness of processes at a cellular or even atomic level. DMT smokers are tapping into the network of cells in the brain or even into communication among molecules themselves. It might even be an awareness of quantum mechanical processes at the atomic or subatomic level.

4) DMT is, perhaps, a neurotransmitter in reptilian brains and in the older, reptilian parts of mammalian brains. Flooding the human brain with DMT causes the older reptilian parts of the brain to dominate consciousness, resulting in a state of awareness which appears totally alien (and sometimes very frightening) to the everyday monkey mind.

5) A non-human intelligent species created humans by genetic modification of existing primate stock and then retreated, leaving behind biochemical methods for contacting them. The psychedelic tryptamines are chemical keys that activate certain programs in the human brain that were placed there intentionally by this alien species.

6) The realm to which DMT provides access is the world of the dead. The entities experienced are souls or personalities of the departed, which retain some kind of life and ability to communicate. The realm of dead souls, commonly accepted by cultures and societies that do not ascribe to a materialist worldview, is now accessible using DMT.

7) The entities experienced are beings from another time that have succeeded in mastering the art of time travel, not in a way which allows materialization, but in a way which allows them to communicate with conscious beings such as ourselves.

8) The entities are probes from an extraterrestrial or an extra dimensional species, sent out to make contact with organisms such as ourselves who are able to manipulate their nervous systems in a way which allows communication to take place.

These interpretations in no way reflect the entire myriad of possibilities surrounding the DMT experience, but are intended to serve as a jumping off point for those interested in such thought experiments. These hypotheses can be expanded and are, of course, open to objections. It may be that one day we have sufficient evidence to pin down a certain hypothesis as a reasonable assumption as to “what’s really going on,” but today is not that day. It’s quite possible that such a day will never come.

The important thing to remember is that, whether or not these experiences are “real,” or entities “exist,” these experiences are available to the human consciousness. The real question is not the objective validity of these experiences, but the subjective effects of these experiences. What can we learn from these experiences? What can we do with these experiences? How can we use these experiences to catalyze change in ourselves and the world around us?

Happy Journeying and Stay Safe.