The Spirit Molecule

The first time I drank [Santo Daime], I found everything I was looking for. I died and was reborn–the man who drank the Daime never returned; the one who came back was a new man.

–Alex Plolari De Alverga

Forest of Visions

Time for a little break to discuss this new element in my spiritual journey–dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. In physics, the Higgs boson particle is a theoretical particle that gives other particles their mass. It has been dubbed the "God particle" by the media because it could be the source of all matter in the Universe. Likewise, DMT has been called the "Spirit molecule" because it may be the biochemical source of the human spirit or soul.

Let's take a closer look at this mysterious chemical.

So what is dimethyltryptamine? It is both one of the world's most powerful "psychedelic" substances and one of its most ubiquitous–being found in dozens of plants throughout the world. Oh, and one more thing–it's also naturally produced in the human brain. DMT first appears in the brain on the 49^th day of fetal development and, for most of our lives, quietly resides in the pineal gland–an endocrine gland about the size of a grain of rice that sits atop our brain stem. DMT's role in the brain is not fully understood, but the most common theory is that it may have some role in sleep and dreaming. It may, however, have a much more profound role.

University of New Mexico psychopharmacology researcher, Dr. Rick Strassman, did a 5-year research study on DMT involving 60 volunteers. The results of his study are documented in the book and film, DMT: The Spirit Molecule. One of the things participants in Dr. Strassman's study consistently described were experiences virtually identical to those reported by people who have had near death experiences. After receiving an intravenous dose of DMT, participants described being surrounded by a white light and feeling as if they were being lifted up. They would also encounter visions of dead friends and relatives that seemed to be telepathically speaking to them. For many people who have had them, near death experiences are spiritually transforming. They no longer fear death and find their lives significantly more meaningful. It has long been suspected that near death experience phenomenon result from a powerful neurochemical reaction. Dr. Strassman's studies would suggest DMT is a very likely candidate for being this mystery chemical.

Now here's where some interesting coincidences begin. Throughout history, the pineal gland has been associated with human spirituality. Rene Descartes called the pineal the "seat of the soul" and believed it to be the connection between mind and body. The pineal also has a long history of being thought to be the physical location of the "third eye" found in many spiritual traditions. Generally, the "third eye" is believed to be the point of connection between individual and universal consciousness. It has been associated with enlightenment, visions, clairvoyance, and out-of-body experiences.

"Spirit molecule?" "Seat of the soul?" Could it be that DMT's natural function in the human brain is that of a biochemical catalyst linking mind and body with spirit? This contradicts all those spiritual teachers who claim the use of psychoactive substances was not a legitimate spiritual tool. In fact, it appears that many people are regularly using DMT-containing elixirs such as ayahuasca to enhance their spiritual lives.

DMT was around during the Sixties, but was not as widely used as other substances such as LSD, Psilocybin, etc. primarily because of its lack of oral activity. In order to experience the effects of DMT it had to be smoked. When smoked, DMT produces a very intense, but brief effect. The experience is reportedly SO intense that a person is pretty much rendered non-functional because of profound visual effects. It became known as the "businessman's trip" because of its short duration (10-15 minutes) as opposed to the 8-12 hours of other psychedelics (although I doubt there were very many–if any–"businessmen" who ever used it). Its traditional use in South America involves the use of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor to make it orally active. This produces a longer lasting (8-12 hours), but less intense experience.

For most of its history, ayahuasca was known only to indigenous people living deep in the Amazonian rainforest. This changed dramatically in the 1990s with renewed interest in so-called entheogens. In Brazil, two Christian–based churches that use ayahuasca as a sacrament–Santo Daime and União do Vegetal–became so popular the Brazilian government was forced to modify its drug laws to allow for the religious use of ayahuasca. Members of Santo Daime and União do Vegetal frequently give testimonials about how the use of ayahuasca has transformed their lives in positive ways. These are not drugged-out stoners, these are ordinary people who go to church on Sunday. They just happen to have found that using ayahuasca during their religious services helps them deepen their spiritual faith.

These churches have spread not only to other South American countries, but also to Europe and the United States. In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld a New Mexico State Supreme Court ruling allowing the religious use of ayahuasca by a União do Vegetal church in the United States. Chief Justice John Roberts (yes, THAT John Roberts) wrote the opinion! The basic argument was that the government could not show a "compelling interest" for not allowing the ayahuasca use, other than the fact that it contained an illegal substance. The Courts ruled that this alone was not sufficient.

But if DMT is a schedule one controlled substance, doesn't that mean it's REALLY dangerous? Well, keep in mind, that marijuana is also a schedule one substance. Both cocaine and morphine are listed as schedule two. Using the schedule of controlled substances categories as a gauge of dangerousness, this would mean cocaine and morphine are less dangerous than marijuana. How can this be? Well it's because the controlled substances act–like most drug laws–is highly politicized. Alcohol and tobacco aren't even on the list and they kill more people than all other drugs combined. Any drug can be dangerous–even deadly–if misused. There is scant evidence that DMT itself has any significant negative effects on human functioning. In fact, when used properly, it seems to have beneficial effects. That DOES NOT mean it's safe for anyone and everyone to use.

Substances like DMT–the so-called "psychedelics" or "hallucinogens"–do have very real and potentially fatal consequences if used improperly. Usually this has nothing to do with the substance itself, but the fact that the person ingesting the substance doesn't know what they're getting into and is not using it in an environment that contributes to a spiritual encounter. In traditional societies, such as those of the Amazon rainforest, these substances are not used to "party" or "get high." They are viewed as sacred and used as a spiritual or religious sacrament–not unlike wine is used in Christian communion. Using a substance such as ayahuasca for spiritual purposes has as much in common with substance abuse as using wine to symbolically drink the blood of Christ has with pounding Jaeger bombs. What people who have used these substances understand is that when a person has been properly prepared and uses the substance in a proper setting, they may act as a means of enhancing spiritual knowledge.

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS MY OPINION BASED UPON MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE ADULTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO INFORMED CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO USING A SUBSTANCE SUCH AS AYAHUASCA FOR BONA FIDE SPIRITUAL OR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES, I AM NOT ADVOCATING OR RECOMMENDING SUCH USE.

In my experience, DMT–when taken orally in the form of ayahuasca or an analog–has allowed for a much fuller and deeper understanding of the spiritual knowledge I have been studying over the past 38 years. Since my spiritual studies have primarily been in Taoism, Buddhism, and Natural Pantheism the insights I have gained took the form of concepts within these traditions. I believe that had my studies been in other spiritual traditions, my understandings would have taken a form within those traditions. In essence, it is my opinion that DMT did not impart any specific spiritual knowledge, but rather assisted me in gaining greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation for that which I already knew.

Notes

Entheogen: en–within, theo–god, gen–to create. To create god within. A name given to plant-based psychoactive substances used by traditional societies as religious sacrament.

Santo Daime means Holy Daime, "daime" being the church's name for their ayahuasca sacrament.

União do Vegetal means Union of the Vegetal, "vegetal" being the church's name for their ayahuasca sacrament.

Forest of Visions: Ayahuasca, Amazonian Spirituality, and the Santo Daime Tradition by Alex Polari De Alverga is an excellent introduction the spiritual use of ayahuasca.