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Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

nature.com

11–20 of 206 posts

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#11
post #7

Title is inaccurate, this study used intravenous DMT, as opposed to Ayahuasca which is a oral concoction of DMT and an MAOI. Interesting nonetheless.

Agreed that it's interesting nonetheless. I've been "joking" with my friends that I want to take a trip to Costa Rica to do Ayahuasca with them. The "story" of how Ayahuasca came to be is quite fascinating: Ayahuasca, the drink, is actually comprised of two plant-based ingredients. One of the ingredients supplies the "DMT" portion, but the effects would last a very short time (something like 20 seconds to a couple mi…

Actually the DMT containing plant is completely inactive orally without a MAOI. You wouldn’t get any effect short-term or otherwise.

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#12
> The present study’s findings significantly advance our understanding of the brain basis of one of the most unusual and intense altered states of consciousness known – previously likened to dreaming...

This study does not "find that DMT produces a dream-like state"; that was already well established. This study identifies the subtle brain activity that differentiates the hallucinations from dreaming.

> This experience is often characterized by a sense of entering into an entirely ‘other’ ... 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.

These effects are what makes this drug so interesting and differentiates it from most hallucinogens and dreaming. It doesn't just leave you with strange memories you know are nonsense. It creates experiences that feel real and invokes thoughts that cause you to question your understanding of reality.

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#13
post #7

Title is inaccurate, this study used intravenous DMT, as opposed to Ayahuasca which is a oral concoction of DMT and an MAOI. Interesting nonetheless.

Agreed that it's interesting nonetheless. I've been "joking" with my friends that I want to take a trip to Costa Rica to do Ayahuasca with them. The "story" of how Ayahuasca came to be is quite fascinating: Ayahuasca, the drink, is actually comprised of two plant-based ingredients. One of the ingredients supplies the "DMT" portion, but the effects would last a very short time (something like 20 seconds to a couple mi…

I heard an alternative is "yopo" where they blow it up each others nose via a straw and I don't think that needs an MAOI.

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#14
post #7

Title is inaccurate, this study used intravenous DMT, as opposed to Ayahuasca which is a oral concoction of DMT and an MAOI. Interesting nonetheless.

Agreed that it's interesting nonetheless. I've been "joking" with my friends that I want to take a trip to Costa Rica to do Ayahuasca with them. The "story" of how Ayahuasca came to be is quite fascinating: Ayahuasca, the drink, is actually comprised of two plant-based ingredients. One of the ingredients supplies the "DMT" portion, but the effects would last a very short time (something like 20 seconds to a couple mi…

Many, though not all, participants and shamans report the presence of an intelligence that is distinct from their own.

That's been my experience with it. For me, the literalness of "plant spirit" is accepted reality. In the circles I hang out with, we don't put the term, plant spirit, in air quotes.

Generally, the two plants that are combined are the Ayahuasca vine, which contains the various MAOI, and Chacruna, which contains DMT. Many plants yield DMT, though only some plants yield a sufficient concentration to be useable.

From an experiential point of view, the plant material of Ayahuasca and Chacruna are the material body. They each have a specific intelligence that is sentient, and conscious, and responsive to the ikaros (the song sung in ceremony).

It does imply that, it should be possible to contact the intelligence named Ayahuasca by ingesting the vine alone, or without ingestion. After all, what is contacting the plant spirit (plant consciousness) is your own spirit (consciousness). That has happened with me as well.

To followup: Marijuana, the plant material, should also house a plant spirit, with its own intelligence, knowledge base, and purpose. Likely, also responsive to songs that are related to it. And indeed, that has also been my experience with it too. I call that spirit by the Sanskrit name, Ganja, and tried it with the Sanskrit mantra.

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#15
post #7

Title is inaccurate, this study used intravenous DMT, as opposed to Ayahuasca which is a oral concoction of DMT and an MAOI. Interesting nonetheless.

Agreed that it's interesting nonetheless. I've been "joking" with my friends that I want to take a trip to Costa Rica to do Ayahuasca with them. The "story" of how Ayahuasca came to be is quite fascinating: Ayahuasca, the drink, is actually comprised of two plant-based ingredients. One of the ingredients supplies the "DMT" portion, but the effects would last a very short time (something like 20 seconds to a couple mi…

This lecture from Dr. Peterson was pretty fascinating and succinct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gol5sPM073k

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#16
V-Sauce did an episode of Mindfield on the Ayahuasca experience. I was really surprised he went through the whole thing and documented it quite thoroughly (except I suppose the embarrassing bits)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3lWVLuc6CE&vl=en

It clearly frightened him to some extent, but in the end he did learn something of himself that hadn't occurred to him before.

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#17
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed that it's interesting nonetheless. I've been "joking" with my friends that I want to take a trip to Costa Rica to do Ayahuasca with them. The "story" of how Ayahuasca came to be is quite fascinating: Ayahuasca, the drink, is actually comprised of two plant-based ingredients. One of the ingredients supplies the "DMT" portion, but the effects would last a very short time (something like 20 seconds to a couple mi…

Many, though not all, participants and shamans report the presence of an intelligence that is distinct from their own. That's been my experience with it. For me, the literalness of "plant spirit" is accepted reality. In the circles I hang out with, we don't put the term, plant spirit, in air quotes. Generally, the two plants that are combined are the Ayahuasca vine, which contains the various MAOI, and Chacruna, whic…

I haven't done Ayahuasca or DMT but in my experiences with hallucinogens I occasionally meet a Neanderthal who is quite skilled in walking me through my trip while on Psilocybin Mushrooms.

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#19
post #5
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like a stretch as but when we inquire if mind is local or not it gets quite blurry...

“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists.” -Nikola Tesla

Brilliant man, but he also believed in the luminiferous aether.

Re: Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG

#20
post #7

Title is inaccurate, this study used intravenous DMT, as opposed to Ayahuasca which is a oral concoction of DMT and an MAOI. Interesting nonetheless.

Agreed that it's interesting nonetheless. I've been "joking" with my friends that I want to take a trip to Costa Rica to do Ayahuasca with them. The "story" of how Ayahuasca came to be is quite fascinating: Ayahuasca, the drink, is actually comprised of two plant-based ingredients. One of the ingredients supplies the "DMT" portion, but the effects would last a very short time (something like 20 seconds to a couple mi…

As I heard it, Ayahuasca traditionally refers to the MAOI portion specifically. The MAOI will increase the activity of nearly any psychotropic drug and has some minor effects on it own, so it makes sense that the MAOI came first, and then adding other things things to it followed.

Fun fact: the ayahuasca alkaloids glow brightly under black light. I've never done ayahuasca, but I tried making some fluorescent body paint via crushed syrian rue seed "tea". It was extremely effective: glows very bright, soaks into the skin a bit so it stays for a couple days before fading, and is completely invisible under normal light. Kinda fun - could potentially cause minor psychotropic effects if you paint a large surface area, but I didn't notice any.

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