Now it is the year 2026… and DMT is unofficially known as “The Spirit Molecule” all across the globe.

The reason for this type of branding was based on the consistency of the spiritual and mystical-type experiences reported in subjects following their DMT experiences. Strassman would inject dozens of volunteers with various levels of DMT including 0.05mg/kg, 0.1mg/kg, 0.2mg/kg, and 0.4mg/kg. The purpose of the study was to simply take basic biological measurements (heart rate, blood pressure, pharmacokinetics) before, during, and after the DMT experience at various dosages. The lowest level at 0.05mg/kg was sub-psychedelic meaning that subjects had no visionary experience but instead reported euphoria. One of the subjects who had experimented with heroin previously described this lowest DMT dose as having a similar effect.

One of the most quoted lines from Strassman’s book was by a volunteer that stated, “You can be an atheist until 0.4.”

This insinuates that a person can rationalize the visionary phenomena at lower dose ingestion of DMT as being purely molecularly based stimulation. However, at the highest breakthrough dose provided in the study, the profundity, immersion, and “realer-than-real” experience can flip even the most skeptical of subjects into questioning material reality as they once understood it.

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For those that are new to DMT… it is an abbreviation for N,N-dimethyltryptamine. It is a psychedelic molecule that was discovered and synthesized in 1931 by Canadian chemist Richard Manske. However, its psychoactive properties were not discovered until 1956 by the Hungarian Chemist named Stephen Szára (Szára, 1956).

The qualities that distinctly separate DMT from other psychedelic molecules are:

A) it is an endogenous molecule meaning that it is produced naturally within humans and every mammal tested for it thus far.

B) it has a very short acting effect when injected intravenously or via inhalation lasting less than 20 minutes.

The endogenous aspect of DMT has led to much speculation regarding the molecule’s role in human physiology. For many years, it was hypothesized that the pineal gland was the source of DMT production within mammalian physiology and that possibly increased synthesis during certain experiences such as meditation, dreaming, or even near-death experiences (NDEs) led to the visionary phenomena reported. However, it wasn’t verified until the year 2013, when a study found that DMT, it’s precursors, and metabolites were measured at the pineal gland of live rats via micro-dialysis measurement (Barker S, et al., 2013).

In 2018, a review paper by chemist, Dave Nichols questioned whether the pineal gland alone could synthesize a sufficient amount of DMT to induce a visionary-type experience (Nichols, 2018). He meticulously presented his case as to why it was unlikely that the pineal gland is capable of producing levels of endogenous DMT that could induce a psychoactive effect. However, in 2019, Jon Dean would publish a study which observed that DMT was produced at levels similar to serotonin and dopamine based on sampling extracellular neural fluid via live-microdialysis of rats (Dean J, et al., 2019). Dean would also find that the 2 essential enzymes necessary to synthesize DMT from tryptophan were located widely throughout the brain rather than just the pineal gland.

The 2019 study essentially altered the perception of DMT as being solely a molecule whose levels would increase during dramatic transcendental experiences to potentially being a compound that modulates everyday waking reality.

In late 2025, a study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience that essentially replicated Jon Dean’s 2019 findings based on the observation of DMT levels in the cortex exceeding those of dopamine (Glynos N, et al., 2025). This finding has provided definitive evidence that DMT is produced at physiologically significant levels in large areas of the normal waking mammalian brain.

(Figure 7 from 2025 study)

While DMT is most well-known as inducing realer-than-real experiences when ingested at high doses or it’s spiritual-type effects when drank in an Ayahuasca ceremony, there are also basic physiological properties such as providing anti-inflammatory effects, cellular protection during hypoxia, neuroplastic properties, and the ability to simulate neurogenesis (Chaves C, et al., 2024). Many of these basic aspects of DMT have generated interest among the research community regarding potential therapeutic aspects of “The Spirit Molecule” for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (Cheng D, et al., 2024).

In addition, it is becoming more common knowledge that psychedelics including DMT provide therapeutic benefits for conditions such as addiction, depression, and anxiety (Falchi-Carvalho M, et al., 2025). The benefits of DMT in comparison to other psychedelics is the short-acting acute effects compared to other compounds while providing similar sustained benefits.

In recent times, the longevity bio-hacker Bryan Johnson publicly live-streamed his 5-MEO-DMT experience which generated significant media attention. Prior to this, in 2019, former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson would publicly praise his experiences with 5-MEO-DMT as transforming him entirely.

5-MEO-DMT is an abbreviation for 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. It is a similar but entirely different molecule and experience to that of regular DMT. However, it too has a nickname albeit lesser well-known… “The GOD molecule”. The most commonly reported experience from 5-MEO-DMT is that of a death simulation and connection to the “all”. It lasts slightly longer than regular DMT and has shown to produce powerful therapeutic effects for subjects suffering from PTSD (Ragnhildstveit A, et al., 2023).

Interestingly, 5-MEO-DMT is also produced endogenously although the discourse surrounding this fact is much less discussed in the interwebs (Barker S, 2012).

One of the leading hypothesis regarding the endogenous function of both DMT & 5-MEO-DMT is that they act as key modulators of neuroplasticity in the brain. Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to reorganize it’s structure and connections based on stimuli. Both DMT’s have been observed to induce their effects by binding to the serotonin receptors throughout the brain (although DMT has also been found to have affinity for other receptor types).

A 2023 study published in Science found that intracellular serotonin receptor binding is essential to induce a neuroplastic effect (Vargas M, et al., 2023). This is significant being that it essentially states that chemicals with lipophilic properties with serotonin receptor affinity are likely candidates to modulate neuroplasticity. Molecules with lipophilic properties (DMT/5-MEO) allow for them to dissolve in fats and lipids allowing them to easily cross the cell membrane to bind to the intracellular receptors. Molecules such as serotonin are not lipophilic but are rather hydrophilic meaning that they have a greater affinity for water. While exogenous psychedelics are well known for their neuroplastic properties that correlate to their therapeutic values, there are other modalities that have also been observed to induce neuroplastic effects such as cold-water immersion, meditation, breath work, and even hyperbaric oxygen therapy (Yankouskaya A, et al., 2023; Calderone A, et al., 2024; Yadav G, et al., 2016; Efrati S, et al., 2013).

There lies the possibility that our endogenous psychedelics provide key roles regarding the malleability of the mind and reorganization of how the brain communicates. These effects can be as subtle as breaking daily unwanted habits or they can be as dramatic as experiences reported when subjects come close to dying. One intriguing aspect that we have discussed with energy healer Albert Chen is the possibility that Qi-gong energy might induce it’s therapeutic effects on pain by prompting a distinct neuroplastic change potentially modulated by DMT upregulation.

One of the reasons for the popularization of the DMT discussion is due to celebrities and influencers publicly touting the benefits they have received from undergoing Ayahuasca ceremonies.

Ayahuasca is a shamanic brew that generally contains 2 different plants. Due to an enzyme called, monoamine oxidase (MAO), DMT is not orally active due to the MAO breaking it down in the stomach before it reaches the bloodstream. Ayahuasca combines both DMT and a plant that contains an MAO inhibitor such as harmine to prevent the breakdown of DMT allowing for it to reach the bloodstream intact, distribute the chemical to the brain, and induce it’s psychoactive effects.

Interestingly, the MAO inhibitor harmine is also produced endogenously (Cao N, et al., 2024). Some researchers are even speculating that harmine can act as a neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain (Xie Z, et la., 2025).

The evolution of human biology is quite mysterious being that these molecules… DMT, 5-MEO-DMT, & harmine are all associated with mystical-type experiences in addition to emerging research indicating a wide array of therapeutic properties from the cellular level all the way up to neural network reorganization. It would seem that it is no accident that the human body has evolved to produce these potent chemicals.

The simple question that still lingers is simply… why?

Definitive answers are hard to come by at this point in history as we are still in the process of sorting out the most basic questions regarding function, synthesis, and distribution. However, there are some intriguing research projects taking place at various universities that will help us answer both basic and more exotic type questions regarding these mysterious molecules within.

To be continued…

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