'Mystical' DMT compound found in normal brains

[S.O.T.T]: In the past few years, thrill-seekers from Hollywood, Silicon Valley and beyond have been travelling to South America to take part in so-called Ayahuasca retreats. Their goal: to partake in a brewed concoction made from a vine plant Banisteriopsis caapi, traditionally used by indigenous people for sacred religious ceremonies. Drinkers of Ayahuasca experience short-term hallucinogenic episodes many describe as life-changing.

The active ingredient responsible for these psychedelic visions is a molecule called dimethyltryptamine (DMT). For the first time, a team led by Michigan Medicine has discovered the widespread presence of naturally-occurring DMT in the mammalian brain. The finding is the first step toward studying DMT-- and figuring out its role -- within the brains of humans.

"DMT is not just in plants, but also can be detected in mammals," says Jimo Borjigin, Ph.D., of the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. Her interest in DMT came about accidentally. Before studying the psychedelic, her research focused on melatonin production in the pineal gland.

In the seventeenth century, the philosopher Rene Descartes claimed that the pineal gland, a small pinecone-shaped organ located deep in the center of the brain, was the seat of the soul. Since its discovery, the pineal gland, known by some as the third eye, has been shrouded in mystery. Scientists now know it controls the production of melatonin, playing an important role in modulating circadian rhythms, or the body's internal clock. However, an online search for notes to include in a course she was teaching opened Borjigin's eyes to a thriving community still convinced of the pineal gland's mystical power...read more>>>...

DMT Research to Ask if Spirit Molecule Can Extend Life Beyond Clinical Death

Commonly referred to as ‘the spirit molecule,’ the chemical compound dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is known for its mysterious role in connecting human consciousness with the physical body, and for the strong visionary effects it has when ingested.

DMT is being closely examined by researchers in many fields from around the world, but acclaimed psychologist Dr. Ede Frecska, Chairman of Psychiatry at the University of Debrecen in Hungary, is pushing the envelope, aiming to demonstrate that DMT can extend the life of consciousness beyond clinical death for a longer duration of time than is currently possible...read more>>>...

DMT Being Used To Prolong Life After Clinical Death

Collective Evolution: A team of Hungarian researchers are studying DMT’s unique ability to protect brain cells under high stress situations, such as during clinical death. Dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, is one of man’s biggest conundrums.

Once smoked, DMT elicits an out-of-body experience so extraordinary that afterwards many are never the same. Unimaginable visions of complex geometrical patterns, contact with extra-dimensional beings, and ego-death are among the most commonly described facets of the DMT experience. But beyond these fantastical visions there exist many more pressing questions about DMT, or the “spirit molecule,” as it is often referred to. For one, DMT is ever abundant in nature. It is potentially found in all living things, a theory which recently gained credence after it was discovered in the pineal gland of rats.

This naturally occurring, endogenous abundance of DMT is indeed mind-boggling to many. I mean, think about it – the most powerful psychedelic known to man is produced within the bodies of all living things. What purpose does it serve? But perhaps even more fascinating is exactly how and when our body releases and uses DMT. Dr. Rick Strassman, the scientist known for his pioneering research into the physiological and mystical properties of the DMT experience, proposed that DMT is released during high-stress situations, such as during a near-death experience or during birth.

Why would our body release a potent psychedelic during these types of events? How would understanding these endogenous processes aid us in our quest for knowledge? The answer to theses questions are still largely unknown, but many scientists and researchers remain hungry to find them....read more>>>...