The Spirit Molecule
Dimethyltryptamine or DMT is a substance found all over the globe, in trees, in shrubs, in grass, and in your body. Alexander Shulgin, world renowned biochemist is quoted asking “...but the important question is, what isn’t DMT in?”. Its described well by Dr. Rick Strassman, the only scientist given permission to study it in the last 40 years as; “The Spirit Molecule”. Many believe this substance, which flows through every human’s veins may be a link between the mundane world and spiritual world.
DMT use, albeit nothing like the pure substance that is used today has been traced back to 8th century Chili in snuff concoctions derived from plant matter. The western world was introduced to it by indigenous peoples of the Amazon
Rainforest in the 1500's in the form Ayahuasca Ayahuasca is a diverse brew integrally containing plant matter with Dimethyltryptamine and a monoamine oxidase or inhibitor (MAOI). Roman Catholic missionaries received it from indigenous peoples and quickly claimed their entheogen (drug used for religious purposes) was demonic. Since then DMT use has integrated with various religions groups around the world. In 1971 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made DMT a schedule I drug, meaning it is thought to possess no medicinal use. In 2006 a Supreme Court president was set on entheogens, specifically this allowed an American religious group based on furthering human development use DMT. In the 1950's, Before psychedelic drug research became taboo Stephen Szara, a Hungarian scientist first explored DMT. His study concluded DMT's presence in the human body and its possibility for responsibility of human psychosis. It was and is also thought that it may play a roll in human psychosis. It was and is thought there is a correlation between DMT, the Pineal gland.
Nearly 40 years later, in 1990 the FDA granted Rick Strassman permission to study DMT. The FDA very rarely allows studies on Schedule I drugs. The only major study on DMT took place at the University of New Mexico's School of Medicine in Albuquerque. Over the course of 5 years he studied 50 people who consumed over 400 doses of DMT.
His 5 years of research yields inconclusive, but interesting correlations between near-death experiences and
DMT. Those who have experienced near-death experiences abdu and DMT experiences similarily describe their visions. These visions may include seeing complex multi-colored patterns, a light at the end of a tunnel, and strange beings. Users consistently describe feelings of being transported into another dimension and the irrelevance of current time and space. I can not stress enough the fact that time and time again did users experience a feeling of divinity, presence of God, and feelings of interconnectedness with the universe.
With a closed mind it isn't hard to dismiss these drug induced hallucinations and move on. However, this “drug” is a product of God. Found in nature nearly everywhere and in everyone. Healthy living organisms work like incredibly complex machines, things don't become a part of life for no reason.
If anything Dimethyltryptamine is a reminder of what little we do know about the universe. Its ability to shatter preconceptions on what reality is while reminding us of sciences limitations is inspiring. Hopefully in the future irrational stigmas surrounding religion and drugs will be lifted allowing scientists the freedom to tap further into human consciousness so maybe one day we will be able to answer questions as ambitious as “what is the meaning of life?” or “Why are we here?”.
DMT use, albeit nothing like the pure substance that is used today has been traced back to 8th century Chili in snuff concoctions derived from plant matter. The western world was introduced to it by indigenous peoples of the Amazon
Rainforest in the 1500's in the form Ayahuasca Ayahuasca is a diverse brew integrally containing plant matter with Dimethyltryptamine and a monoamine oxidase or inhibitor (MAOI). Roman Catholic missionaries received it from indigenous peoples and quickly claimed their entheogen (drug used for religious purposes) was demonic. Since then DMT use has integrated with various religions groups around the world. In 1971 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made DMT a schedule I drug, meaning it is thought to possess no medicinal use. In 2006 a Supreme Court president was set on entheogens, specifically this allowed an American religious group based on furthering human development use DMT. In the 1950's, Before psychedelic drug research became taboo Stephen Szara, a Hungarian scientist first explored DMT. His study concluded DMT's presence in the human body and its possibility for responsibility of human psychosis. It was and is also thought that it may play a roll in human psychosis. It was and is thought there is a correlation between DMT, the Pineal gland.
Nearly 40 years later, in 1990 the FDA granted Rick Strassman permission to study DMT. The FDA very rarely allows studies on Schedule I drugs. The only major study on DMT took place at the University of New Mexico's School of Medicine in Albuquerque. Over the course of 5 years he studied 50 people who consumed over 400 doses of DMT.
His 5 years of research yields inconclusive, but interesting correlations between near-death experiences and
DMT. Those who have experienced near-death experiences abdu and DMT experiences similarily describe their visions. These visions may include seeing complex multi-colored patterns, a light at the end of a tunnel, and strange beings. Users consistently describe feelings of being transported into another dimension and the irrelevance of current time and space. I can not stress enough the fact that time and time again did users experience a feeling of divinity, presence of God, and feelings of interconnectedness with the universe.
With a closed mind it isn't hard to dismiss these drug induced hallucinations and move on. However, this “drug” is a product of God. Found in nature nearly everywhere and in everyone. Healthy living organisms work like incredibly complex machines, things don't become a part of life for no reason.
If anything Dimethyltryptamine is a reminder of what little we do know about the universe. Its ability to shatter preconceptions on what reality is while reminding us of sciences limitations is inspiring. Hopefully in the future irrational stigmas surrounding religion and drugs will be lifted allowing scientists the freedom to tap further into human consciousness so maybe one day we will be able to answer questions as ambitious as “what is the meaning of life?” or “Why are we here?”.