Neural Correlates of the DMT Experience Assessed with Multivariate EEG
November 20th, 2019Via: Nature:
N, N, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally-occurring serotonergic psychedelic capable of producing experiences that, in intensity, surpass those associated with standard doses of most orally administered psychedelics and indeed most other categories of psychoactive drugs. The subjective effects of intravenous DMT have a rapid onset and are characterized by unusually vivid visual imagery and somatic effects, which arise within seconds of the injection. At high doses, the experience rapidly progresses into a deep and profound immersion – sometimes described as a ‘breakthrough’. This experience is often characterized by a sense of entering into an entirely ‘other’ but no less ‘real’ world or dimension. It is not uncommon for people to describe encounters with sentient ‘entities’ or ‘presences’ within this perceived other world and for the experience to subsequently challenge beliefs about the nature of reality and consciousness.
Here’s the chart showing subjective experience data:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51974-4/figures/1
In my experiences with Ayahuasca, I definitely entered other realms and left my body, but I never encountered “entities” or “presences”, per se. The biggest take away for me was the truth that there is only one thing I can truly know for sure.