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DMT, or dimethyltryptamine, the visionary chemical compound found in abundance throughout the plant kingdom and in many mammals, is naturally produced inside the human body. It is most plentiful in the pineal gland, which is considered to be the potential biological locus of human consciousness and the seat of the soul. The pineal gland is known as the third eye, or the point source from which consciousness manifests itself in the human body. It is suspected that, when a persona falls asleep, DMT is released into the brain from the pineal gland to induce dream states of consciousness, and also that, when a person dies, a flood of this chemical is released, accounting for the consciousness-expanding effects of near-death experiences and for the movement of the psyche into realms beyond waking life.
The molecule itself is simple in structure and can be synthesized or extracted directly from plants. Dubbed the ‘spirit molecule’, by researcher Dr. Rick Strassman, this commonly-found compound baffles modern science because of the effects it has on human consciousness.
Although the substance is naturally occurring and apparently a necessary part of conscious life, at present it is listed by the United States Federal Government as a Schedule I controlled substance and is illegal to produce, distribute or possess. The suppression of DMT, a substance so commonly found in nature, is construed by many as a sign of an established ‘war on consciousness’. Speculation exists that visionary states reached under the effects of DMT are intentionally kept out of reach of the masses because the lasting psychological effects of the DMT experience can have a markedly culture-busting and paradigm-shifting result. Causing people to question primary cultural narratives and mainstream societal programming, psychedelic transformation with DMT is dangerous to the status quo; if too many people experience these effects, then our cultural bias towards exploitation and annihilation would be redressed.
There is growing popular interest in the psychoactive effects of this drug, especially after the work of Dr. Strassman, who clinically observed the mysterious similarities among the psychedelic visions of over 400 subjects during his legally-sanctioned exploration of this chemical in the 1990’s. Given the large number of subjects who vividly described having life-altering spiritual experiences that seemed to dissolve the ego and support the idea that all life forms are inter-connected at a common spiritual level, DMT has acquired the popular nickname ‘the spirit molecule’. Many of the individual experiences recorded in Dr. Strassman’s experiments exhibit unexplainable similarities to each other, leading to the question: Does DMT bring human consciousness into attunement with spiritual dimensions that exist in parallel to our commonly-shared material world?
The proper use of this substance has traditionally been the domain of Amazonian shaman who for thousands of years have been drinking the thick and unpleasant-tasting psychedelic brew Ayahuasca. This ancient concoction of at least two common Amazonian plants is widely accepted in South America as a tool in shamanic healing practices. It allows experienced healers to mitigate the individual suffrages of one’s psyche occurring between the physical and spiritual realms while also radically purging the body and psyche of latent negative energies.
The process of healing and cleansing through the use of Ayahuasca is legal in South America. It is also legally accessible to Americans domestically through commitment to the church of Santo Daime, which regularly serves this brew to its parishioners in ceremonies taking place in many major cities throughout the US, including New York and Washington, DC. There is also a growing popularity in tourism that brings Westerners to ceremonies with legitimate healers and shaman who are trained in the usage of Ayahuasca and where ordinary people can experience firsthand the potent and life-changing effects of this medicine.
The author and consciousness explorer Daniel Pinchbeck has helped to bring recognition of the transformational aspects of Ayahuasca and concentrated DMT, rationally advocating them as a means of reconfiguring one’s psyche so that a re-prioritization of values can occur, ultimately alleviating a dependence on cultural norms, which contribute to exacerbating world calamities. In his epic and thoughtful account of some of his harrowing journeys with psychedelics, Breaking Open the Head, Pinchbeck makes the rather compelling case that the powerful and paradigm-shifting effects of Ayahuasca have found a rightful place in our modern society as a tool for drastically recalibrating our relationship to the earth and for re-thinking our societal institutions and the purpose of our culture.
Jonathon Miller-Weisberg, enthno-botanist and conservationist, presents in his book, Rainforest Medicine, the fascinating cosmology of an Ayahuasca shaman from the Sequoia tribe in Ecuador. He makes the case that Ayahuasca is a celestial consciousness that is currently working to introduce itself to as many Westerners as possible as a means of self-preservation in the face of an overwhelming ecological assault on the Amazon, its indigenous people and traditions. In his book, Weisberger describes in colorful detail the cosmology and mythology woven into the mystique of Ayahuasca medicine, while also offering to Westerners practical and critical advice on respecting and honoring the sacred importance of this visionary experience.
The effects of DMT on human consciousness can be profound and permanent, and many vocal proponents of this experience, such as Terence McKenna or Graham Hancock, attribute profound psychological and philosophical awakenings to this experience.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of experiencing DMT may be the reintroduction of the sacred into contemporary consciousness and into ordinary life. It also has the curious side-effect of inviting mystery and inspiration that can powerfully renew daily life
