Strongest Psychedelic Known to Man Now Being Used in Clinical Trials
The world’s first regulated clinical trial of DMT clears the way for Earth’s most powerful psychoactive drug to join the psychedelic therapy revolution.
DMT, or N, N-Dimethyltryptamine, is a highly potent hallucinogen that naturally occurs in many plant species, including in one of the plant ingredients of ayahuasca. It can also be synthetically produced in a laboratory.
DMT is known for inducing intense metaphysical trips, which are reportedly similar to near-death experiences. Having been used underground in the west for decades, it is now attracting the interest of pharmaceutical companies and scientists looking to investigate its potential mental health benefits.
Jay Waxenberg is the director of the DMTx program at the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness. Based in Boulder, CO, it was one of the first centers to offer legal psychedelic therapy in the U.S.
“DMT is actually the most powerful psychedelic on Earth that we’re aware of, and what makes it special and different from other psychedelics is that it’s endogenous, which means it’s produced within our own bodies. It’s also produced in nearly every ecosystem on Earth — it’s everywhere, it’s all around us – which is also kind of leading to what is really unique about it, the extent of a DMT experience, it’s at most 20 minutes,” Waxenberg said.
While there is a wide range of phenomena experienced during a DMT trip, there are some fascinating common hallmarks.
“This alternate reality experience, or this experience that people will call ‘realer than real.’ It’s a reality similar to our own, but completely different,” Waxenberg said. “Some of the elements within that would be the entity encounters, which is very common for people; intense geometric, hyperbolic shapes; and out-of-body, traveling to the center of the universe; ego-dissolution, ego death; these are really common experiences under it.”
While advocates have been reporting profound healing benefits for decades, there have not been any clinical studies on DMT due to its status as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, until now.
Canadian pharmaceutical company small pharma recently completed the first clinical trial of DMT-assisted therapy. The trial was Phase 1, meaning it established the safety and feasibility of studying the psychedelic in this way.
Small pharma is now moving into Phase 2 trials involving patients with Major Depressive Disorder. Practitioners like Waxenberg have high hopes that the studies will bear out DMT’s great potential for addressing psychological issues.
“If somebody has an ego death, or somebody leaves their body, there’s this feeling of expansiveness that comes with that; a feeling of not feeling trapped in your life. So, if you’re in depression, or anxiety, or thought-loop patterns, or anything like this, often that’s the benefit — to break yourself out of those cycles, to break yourself out of those loops or thought patterns. In the dying process, people who are getting terminal diagnoses, that’s where the most benefit can come because it’s an instantaneous removal of the ego and out of your body to go into that space; experiences that take them right into what they believe the afterlife process will be or what they believe the death process will be — and really watching that be nourishing and supportive of, ‘Ok, this is maybe something I can actually go toward,’” Waxenberg said.
“Also, it’s going to have really big benefits toward treatment-resistant depression. Like ketamine, it’s this out-of-body experience that alone can help reset the nervous system, reset what your baseline is of happiness or wellness, it can get totally reset just like that.”
Many in the psychedelic therapy world will be watching closely for the results of the coming DMT-assisted therapy trials.
“My hope is to just keep opening the door wider and wider, as we bring more and more people into the space, more and more people into the conversation to see what these substances can do. And really within this meta-crisis, we find ourselves in culturally, I think DMT is an answer to a lot of those questions; how can we really see a different angle to the problems that we face?”
What is DMT and why is it called "the God molecule"
DMT is a natural substance present in various plants and also in the human body, known for its powerful ability to induce expanded states of consciousness. Its effect has been compared to profound mystical experiences, which has earned it the nickname “the God molecule.”
In this article, we explore what is DMT, how it acts in the body, and why it is associated with the spiritual.
Table of Contents
- What is DMT and how does it act in the human body?
- The link between DMT and the pineal gland
- Link Placeholder
- Effects of DMT on perception and consciousness
- What are the ways DMT is consumed?
- Ayahuasca and DMT: an ancestral connection
- Is it possible to activate DMT naturally?
What is DMT and how does it act in the human body?
DMT, or dimethyltryptamine, is a naturally occurring psychedelic substance with a unique capacity: to facilitate access to non-ordinary realities and expanded states of consciousness. It is found in small amounts in some plants, animals, and also in the human brain. At a chemical level, it belongs to the tryptamine family, and its structure is very similar to serotonin, which explains its deep interaction with the nervous system.
When activated—either naturally or induced—DMT generates highly intense experiences that completely transform the perception of time, the body, and space. If consumed orally, it needs to be combined with enzymatic inhibitors (such as those present in ayahuasca) so that the body does not rapidly degrade it. Once active, it interacts with specific receptors in the brain, opening the door to experiences that many people describe as deeply spiritual and revealing.
What is most fascinating is that the human body produces DMT naturally. Although science is still exploring all its mechanisms, we know that this molecule may be involved in key processes such as dreams, deep meditative states, and near-death experiences. Everything suggests that DMT is a biological tool that allows us to connect with broader dimensions of consciousness.
The link between DMT and the pineal gland
The pineal gland, located at the center of the brain, has been considered since ancient times as a special organ, associated with spiritual perception and inner awakening. Ancestral traditions from different cultures have called it “the third eye” and have linked it to intuitive and transcendental abilities.
Various studies suggest that this gland could be the main source of endogenous DMT in the human body. Although research is ongoing, the presence of the necessary enzymes to synthesize DMT has already been identified in the pineal gland of mammals. This possibility reinforces what many spiritual traditions already intuited: that within the body itself there are natural mechanisms to access expanded realities.
Understanding this connection opens new perspectives on the biology of spirituality. If the pineal gland truly acts as a center for DMT release at key moments—such as birth, deep sleep, mystical ecstasy, or death—we may be facing one of the most valuable keys to understanding our innate capacity for transcendence.
DMT as a spiritual molecule or “the God molecule”
DMT has been called “the God molecule” because many of the experiences it induces coincide with ancient descriptions of mystical states. Those who have experienced it speak of a dissolution of the ego, encounters with entities of higher wisdom, and a profound sense of unity with the universe. This molecule seems to activate, within seconds, gateways that for many only open after years of meditation or intense spiritual practices.
Beyond the anecdotal, the similarities between personal experiences and traditional spiritual accounts are too consistent to be ignored. In cultures around the world, states induced by plants containing DMT have been used for ceremonial, healing, and visionary purposes. Everything indicates that this substance connects human beings with a dimension of consciousness that goes beyond the individual and the rational.
In the series Divine Science, available on Gaia, an entire episode is dedicated to exploring this phenomenon. The chapter DMT: Portals of Perception delves into how this molecule can open new possibilities for conscious evolution, access to other planes, and the understanding of our purpose in the cosmos. Through expert testimony and real experiences, the transformative potential of DMT as a tool for spiritual expansion is revealed.
Effects of DMT on perception and consciousness
The effects of DMT are intense and deeply transformative, even in small doses. At a perceptual level, it modifies the way time, space, personal identity, and connection with the environment are experienced. Below is a summary of some of the most commonly reported effects:
- Ego dissolution: The sense of personal identity temporarily fades. The individual experiences a consciousness without limits or separation.
- Perception of unity: Everything appears to be connected within a coherent network. There is a feeling of merging with the universe, nature, or a higher intelligence.
- Encounters with entities: Many users report having interacted with non-human beings. These presences are often perceived as guides or benevolent intelligences.
- Intensified geometry and light: The visions include vivid geometric patterns and intense colors. The environment becomes dynamic, bright, and charged with energy.
- Access to higher planes: There is a sense of having traveled to other dimensions. In those spaces, information is received that transcends ordinary logic.
What are the ways DMT is consumed?
DMT can be administered in various ways, and each method directly influences the duration, intensity, and nature of the experience. Below are the most common methods of consumption:
- Inhaled or vaporized: This is the fastest and most direct method. It produces an almost instantaneous effect that lasts between 5 and 15 minutes, with an abrupt onset and a highly visual and immersive experience.
- Smoked: Similar to vaporization, but using a pipe or mixed with dried herbs. Pulmonary absorption is rapid and generates an intense, short-lived experience.
- Injected (intramuscular or intravenous): Used mainly in scientific research contexts. It allows precise control of the dose and produces a brief but controlled experience.
- Oral (with MAOIs): It requires combining DMT with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as those found in ayahuasca. This combination allows DMT to become active through the digestive system, prolonging the effects for several hours.
- Insufflated (through the nose): Less common, but used in some traditional preparations such as yopo. It produces rapid effects, although less intense than those of direct inhalation.
Each route of administration opens a different type of perceptual portal, and choosing one over another depends on the context, intention, and level of preparation of the participant.
Ayahuasca and DMT: an ancestral connection
Ayahuasca is a sacred preparation used by Amazonian indigenous cultures since ancient times to access spiritual planes, heal trauma, and receive inner guidance. It combines two plants: Psychotria viridis, which contains DMT, and Banisteriopsis caapi, which provides the natural inhibitors necessary for DMT to be active orally and extend its effects for several hours.
Beyond its composition, ayahuasca is a medicine of consciousness, traditionally administered in ceremonies carefully guided by shamans. These rituals are not merely supportive: they are an energetic and spiritual container that facilitates the process of opening, transformation, and revelation. In this context, DMT is not experienced as an isolated molecule, but as a plant spirit with its own wisdom.
In recent decades, ayahuasca has reached communities around the world seeking profound experiences of inner expansion. When its spiritual dimension is respected and it is integrated with awareness, this medicine offers one of the most powerful and transformative accesses to the spiritual potential of DMT.
Is it possible to activate DMT naturally?
The human body produces DMT endogenously, and although the mechanism is not yet fully understood, there are practices that can promote its release. States such as deep sleep, intense meditation, fasting, and conscious breathing have been linked to neurological changes that could activate the production of this molecule. These techniques have been used for centuries by spiritual traditions seeking to access more subtle planes of reality.
One of the most well-known methods is holotropic breathing, a technique developed by psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, which uses specific breathing patterns to induce altered states of consciousness. It has also been observed that practices such as ecstatic dance, prolonged exposure to darkness, and ceremonial sound can trigger visions or intuitions similar to those generated by DMT. These experiences, although more subtle, can have an equally profound impact.
Activating DMT naturally is not only possible, but it can be part of a conscious and sustained spiritual path. Unlike the external use of psychedelics, these internal pathways require time, practice, and openness, but they offer genuine access to states of expansion that arise from within.
