DMT: The Hidden ‘Spirit Molecule’ Within Your Body

DMT, or dimethyltryptamine, has intrigued researchers and psychedelic enthusiasts for its profound effects on consciousness. Known for inducing otherworldly visions, from “machine elves” to mystical figures, some scientists now propose that DMT may play a key role in extraordinary experiences like vivid dreams, near-death encounters and spiritual awakenings. 

DMT: A Naturally Occurring Substance In Humans

DMT is a naturally occurring compound found in plants, animals and humans. First identified in humans in the 1950s, it gained attention in the 1990s through Rick Strassman‘s research, where he coined the term ‘the spirit molecule’ in his 2000 book. Strassman proposed that DMT could induce spiritual experiences and might be produced by the pineal gland. While found in the pineal gland of rats, in humans, DMT is only detectable in urine, blood and cerebrospinal fluid, making it difficult to study.

Strassman’s theory, as Double Blind reports, proposed that DMT could be responsible for the vivid visions and transcendental experiences often associated with both near-death encounters and extreme psychological states. “When Strassman called DMT ‘the spirit molecule,’ he meant it rather literally: Its function in the brain, he argued, is simply to elicit psychological states that we call spiritual,”