Here are some key points about DMT. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.

• DMT has been used as a drug for thousands of years.
• The use of the drug as part of the shamanic ritual is common in South America.
• Side effects include powerful hallucinations.
• Due to the nature of the drug, DMT is known as the “spirit molecule.”

History of DMT

The use of DMT can be traced back hundreds of years and is often associated with religious practices or rituals. The drug is the active ingredient in ayahuasca, a traditional South American brewed tea.

DMT is used illicitly for its psychoactive, hallucinogenic effects. “Spiritual insight” is one of the most commonly reported positive side effects of the drug.

The vast majority of new DMT users are already experienced with using psychedelic drugs, and as is the case with other illegal hallucinogens, users often obtain the drug through the Internet.

Research from the Global Drug Survey carried out in 2016 reported 2.24 percent of people used DMT in the last 12 months. It was among the least used drugs overall, with only kratom and modafinil used less.

Side Effects of DMT

The main effect of DMT is psychological, with intense visual and auditory hallucinations, euphoria, and an altered sense of space, body, and time.

Many users describe profound, life-changing experiences such as visiting other worlds, talking with alien entities known as “DMT elves” or “machine elves,” and total shifts in the perception of identity and reality.

When smoked, DMT produces brief yet intense visual and auditory hallucinations that have been described by users as an alternate reality, otherworldly, or a near-death experience.

In comparison to other psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, ketamine, and magic mushrooms, recreational users of DMT consider it to have the lowest side effect profile.

Possible side effects of DMT include:

• increased heart rate
• increased blood pressure
• chest pain or tightness
• agitation
• dilated pupils
• rapid rhythmic movements of the eye
• dizziness

When taken orally, DMT can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Depending on the individual user, the DMT experience can range from intensely exciting to overwhelmingly frightening. The experience can be so powerful that users may have difficulty processing and integrating the “trip” into their real life.

Mental side effects may linger for many days or weeks after the ingestion of the drug.

DMT is structurally related to the neurotransmitter serotonin and, because of this, a condition called serotonin syndrome is a potentially lethal health risk associated with its use. Individuals taking antidepressants are at the highest risk for this complication.

Serotonin syndrome occurs when the body accumulates an excessive amount of serotonin. The condition is often caused by taking a combination of different drugs.

Too much serotonin in the body can lead to a range of symptoms, such as:

• agitation
• confusion
• high blood pressure
• loss of muscle coordination
• a headache

At higher doses, DMT can cause seizures, respiratory arrest, and coma.

DMT could have serious adverse consequences for users with pre-existing psychological problems or mental illness, such as schizophrenia.