N,N-DMT (Dimethyltryptamine)
Powerful, short-acting psychedelic tryptamine found in many plants and animals. Produces intense visual and psychological effects.
Important information
This information is for educational purposes only. Always research thoroughly, test your substances, understand legal implications, and consult healthcare professionals. Never use substances alone or in unsafe environments.
Dosage information
N,N-DMT · Vaporized · non-clinical reference ranges
Tier labels reproduce reported amount and intensity terminology; they do not indicate safety or a recommendation.
| Tier | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 10 to 20 milligrams | |
| Common | 20 to 40 milligrams | |
| Strong | 40 to 60 milligrams | |
| Breakthrough | Reported lower bound: 60 milligrams; no upper bound is established. |
Dosage ranges are reference values from published literature, not recommendations. Potency varies by source, body weight, and individual sensitivity — harm-reduction practice starts well below the ranges listed.
Limitations: Figures are transcribed from a reference compilation, not measured in a controlled study; the potency of any given material is unknown until tested.
Evidence: Review or reference work
Before any number: set, setting, purity, dose · LD50 · microdosing
On this page: known interactions · harm reduction
Duration
Vaporized: 5-15 minutes total | Oral with MAOI: 2-6 hours
Vaporized: 5-15 minutes active. Extremely rapid onset.
Oral with MAOI (ayahuasca): 2-6 hours. Requires MAOI to be active orally.
Known interactions
Caution N,N-DMT + MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly)
DMT is commonly consumed with MAOIs in ayahuasca preparations. MDMA combined with MAOIs is life-threatening. Ensure MAOI has fully cleared before MDMA use.
Risks: Serotonin syndrome (potentially fatal) · Hyperthermia · Seizures · Hypertensive crisis
Mechanism: MAO inhibition prevents serotonin breakdown; MDMA floods serotonin. Combined = serotonin syndrome.
What reduces the risk
- If using ayahuasca, wait at least 2 weeks before MDMA
- Never combine MDMA with any MAOI
- Know if your DMT preparation contains MAOIs
Sources: TripSit Interaction Chart · PsychonautWiki: MDMA Interactions · Gillman PK. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, opioid analgesics and serotonin toxicity. Br J Anaesth. 2005
Absence of a listed interaction never implies safety. Check any combination in the app's 23×23 interaction matrix.
Harm reduction
- Comfortable, safe location
- Sitter highly recommended
- Sitting or lying position
- Test substance
- Start with lower dose
- Mental preparation
Risks & side effects
- Overwhelming intensity
- Psychological distress
- Cardiovascular strain
- Dangerous with MAOIs
- HPPD (rare)
Effects
- Breakthrough experiences
- Entity encounters
- Geometric visual patterns
- Time dissolution
- Profound insights
- Spiritual experiences
Legal status
Schedule I in most countries. Naturally occurring in many plants.
Pharmacology
5-HT2A receptor agonist. Naturally occurs in human body. Broken down by MAO.
Therapeutic research
- Rick Strassman's pioneering study: First FDA-approved psychedelic research in a generation (1990–1995)
- Imperial College London: DMT neuroimaging studies revealing brain dynamics during altered states (Timmermann et al., 2019)
- Ayahuasca research: Antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression (Palhano-Fontes et al., 2019)
- Small Pharma (now Cybin): Phase 2a trial of DMT-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder
- Research into DMT's role as an endogenous compound — found naturally in human cerebrospinal fluid
- Studies on near-death-like experiences induced by DMT (Imperial College, 2018)
Clinical studies 20
Human brain effects of DMT assessed via EEG-fMRI
Timmermann et al. 2023 PNAS study using combined EEG-fMRI to map DMT's effects on brain activity in 20 healthy volunteers. First study to capture DMT's neural signature with this methodology.
DMT alters cortical travelling waves
Alamia et al. 2020 eLife study showing DMT alters direction and magnitude of oscillatory travelling waves in visual cortex during eyes-closed states.
A Model for Target-Controlled Intravenous Infusion for Prolonged DMT Experience
Gallimore & Strassman 2016 paper proposing methodology for extended-state DMT research using anesthesiology infusion techniques. Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology.
The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization
Frecska, Bokor, Winkelman 2016 Frontiers in Pharmacology. Comprehensive review of ayahuasca's potential therapeutic applications including depression, addiction, and autoimmune disorders. Discusses sigma-1 receptor mechanisms.
Effects of DMT on Mental Health Outcomes
Explores the impact of DMT on mental health, analyzing datasets from prospective studies.
Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity
Ly, Olson et al. 2018 Cell Reports landmark paper showing DMT promotes dendritic arbor complexity, spinogenesis, and synaptogenesis comparable to ketamine. Foundational neuroplasticity evidence.
Barker 2018 Frontiers in Neuroscience comprehensive review of endogenous DMT research. Examines DMT biosynthesis in humans, its presence in brain tissue, and potential physiological roles.
Palhano-Fontes et al. 2018 Psychological Medicine first RCT of ayahuasca for depression. Showed significant antidepressant effects within 1-7 days in treatment-resistant patients.
Harmine produces antidepressant-like effects via restoration of astrocytic functions
Liu et al. 2017 study on harmine (MAO inhibitor in ayahuasca). Shows harmine has antidepressant effects by restoring astrocyte function, independent of DMT. Published in Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry.
N,N-dimethyltryptamine and the pineal gland: Separating fact from myth
Nichols 2017 critical review examining claims about pineal DMT. Concludes endogenous DMT concentrations are far too low to produce psychoactive effects. Important for scientific accuracy. Published in J Psychopharmacology.
Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled DMT
Davis, Griffiths et al. 2020 Johns Hopkins survey (N=2,561). Majority reported entity encounters during DMT experiences. 58% met criteria for 'mystical experience'. Published in J Psychopharmacology.
Cameron, Olson et al. 2019 ACS Chemical Neuroscience. First study showing chronic microdosing with DMT produces positive mood and anxiety effects in rodents. Important for microdosing research.
Zeifman et al. 2020 Psychopharmacology. Single-dose ayahuasca produced rapid and sustained reductions in suicidal ideation in treatment-resistant depression patients.
Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG
Timmermann et al. 2019 Scientific Reports. EEG study revealing DMT increases oscillatory power at lower frequencies and increases signal diversity, correlating with subjective intensity.
Psychological and physiological effects of extended DMT
Luan, Rosas et al. 2023 PsyArXiv Preprint. First study using continuous IV infusion to maintain extended DMT state. Documented psychological and physiological effects over 30+ minutes.
Ayahuasca for the Treatment of Depression
Palhano-Fontes et al. 2021 Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences. Review of ayahuasca clinical trials for depression, including RCT evidence and neurobiological mechanisms.
Eliasen et al. 2025 Brain Research. Study showing DMT and ibogaine produce distinct membrane effects via 5-HT2A receptor binding in transfected cells.
Aicher et al. 2024 Frontiers in Psychiatry. Controlled trial testing ayahuasca-inspired DMT+harmine formulation in healthy volunteers for safety and acute effects.
Ayahuasca: pharmacology, safety, and therapeutic effects
dos Santos, Hallak 2025 CNS Spectrums. Comprehensive review of ayahuasca/DMT pharmacology, safety profile, toxicity data, and therapeutic applications.
Paley 2021 Protein Biosynthesis Interference in Disease. Chapter on DMT toxicity, psychoactive effects, and analytical methods for quantifying tryptamines.
Sources 2
- Classic hallucinogens and mystical experiences: phenomenology and neural correlates. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, 36, pp. 393-430 (2018) doi:10.1007/7854_2017_474
- Erowid DMT Vault
History & culture
DMT has been used for millennia in South American shamanic traditions, primarily as ayahuasca — a brew combining DMT-containing plants (Psychotria viridis or Mimosa hostilis) with MAO-inhibiting Banisteriopsis caapi vine. Archaeological evidence from a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle found in Bolivia contained DMT, harmine, and cocaine residues. The compound was first synthesized by Canadian chemist Richard Manske in 1931, but its psychoactive properties weren't recognized until Hungarian chemist Stephen Szára self-administered it in 1956. Rick Strassman's groundbreaking DEA-approved study at the University of New Mexico (1990–1995) earned DMT the nickname 'The Spirit Molecule.'
Natural origins
DMT occurs widely in nature — found in hundreds of plant species across families including Fabaceae, Acanthaceae, and Rubiaceae. Key sources include Psychotria viridis (chacruna, used in ayahuasca), Mimosa tenuiflora (jurema, Brazilian traditional use), and Anadenanthera peregrina (yopo snuff). DMT is also endogenous to mammals, including humans — it has been detected in human blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid, though its physiological role remains debated. The Bufo alvarius toad contains 5-MeO-DMT (not N,N-DMT).
Molecular family: Tryptamines
Tryptamines are a class of indole-based compounds derived from tryptophan, an amino acid. This family includes some of the most powerful and well-studied psychedelics. The indole nucleus is conserved across all members, with variations in alkyl side chains and ring substitutions determining pharmacological effects. Tryptamines are found naturally in plants and fungi, with psilocybin being the most famous. Key characteristics: - Based on indole (benzene fused with pyrrole) - Often possess dimethylamino side chains - Range from mild (5-MeO-DMT) to extremely potent (DMT) - Found in nature: psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, certain toads - Tend toward serotonergic mechanisms Members demonstrate remarkable diversity in intensity and duration despite similar core structure. Their indole foundation provides stability while allowing nature to create compounds spanning from gentle to overwhelming in effect.
Structurally related to Serotonin (5-HT)
External resources
Explore the 3D structure of N,N-DMT in Molecule Studio — in the iOS app