What does DMT stand for?
Dimethyltryptamine (businessman’s LSD)
What kind of chemical is DMT and where is it naturally found?
it is an alkaloid in the tryptamine family found in tree bark (mimosa hostilis)
What is DMT structurally similar to and what does this imply?
- similar to serotonin
- implies similar transport and enzymatic functions (important to understanding activation)
What is DMT functionally similar to and what does this imply?
- similar to psilocybin
- implies a similar mechanism of action (s.o.a) (important to understanding effects)
What is structure-activity relationship?
- relationship between a chemical’s structure and biological activity
- modification allows for changes in effectiveness or potency
What aspects are endemic to human body/function?
1) present in other animals
2) tryptamines are naturally synthesized into serotonin
3) synthesis in cancerous human cells observed in laboratory settings
4) facilitation of immune response on endemic receptors
What is the general function of DMT?
- agonist
- tryptamine: serotonin norepinephrine dopamine releasing agent
What neurotransmitter, soa, and effect occurs in stage 1 of DMT?
- dopamine (sigma 1)
- insula
- auditory hallucinations
What neurotransmitter, soa, and effect occurs in stage 2 of DMT?
- dopamine (sigma 1)
- amygdala
- “waiting room”: animated suspension (physical fear response and psychological startle response)
What neurotransmitter, soa, and effect occurs in stage 3 of DMT?
- serotonin (5-HT 2A and 5-HT 2C)
- prefrontal cortex
- “DMT Hyperspace”: Machine elves
How is DMT taken?
- inhalation, injection
- ingestion
What is the problem with ingesting DMT and how do people get around that?
- MAO deactivates DMT in liver
- ingest MAO inhibitor (Ayahuasca)
What does ayahuasca result in?
- longer highs
- similar experience to psilocybin (more intense)
- la purga
- no dietary restrictions
Does DMT cause tolerance?
- acute debated
- LSD cross tolerance with DMT (take LSD then DMT, don’t feel DMT)
Does DMT result in dependence?
- no observable physical
- psychological in question
What are the two therapeutic uses of DMT?
1) The Hoasca project
2) Insight-oriented psychotherapy
What is the Hoasca project?
- compared/matched up 40 ayahausca-sect adolescence to controls
- measured different mental disorders
- ayahuasca 7x lower incidence
What is insight-oriented psychotherapy?
- behavioural/cognitive restructuring
- PTSD, phobia, anxiety (rationalization, cognitive restructuring)
- Depression, addiction (insight)
What biological features of DMT allows it to be therapeutic?
- Frontal lobe (perception/reasoning), insula (emotions/cognitions), amygdala (affect, negative)
- brings forth traumatic experience
- elicits multiplicity of perspectives/perceptions
- hyperactivation allows for hebbia synapses
