Neural and subjective effects of inhaled DMT in natural settings

Inhaled DMT, a short-acting psychedelic found in plants and animals, was studied in 35 experienced participants in natural settings using wireless EEG and questionnaires. DMT reduced alpha brain waves (8-12 Hz) across the scalp while increasing delta (1-4 Hz) and gamma (30-40 Hz) waves. Increases in gamma power correlated with reports of mystical-type experiences. DMT also altered global synchrony and metastability in gamma and alpha bands and increased signal complexity. These findings align with prior psychedelic research and suggest EEG markers for mystical experiences in natural contexts, underscoring the value of studying these compounds in real-world settings.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Background N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a short acting psychedelic tryptamine found naturally in many plants and animals. Few studies to date addressed the neural and psychological effects of DMT alone, either administered intravenously or inhaled in freebase form, and none conducted in natural settings. Aims Our primary aim was to study the acute effects of inhaled DMT in natural settings, focusing on questions tuned to the advantages of conducting field research, including the effects of contextual factors (i.e. “set” and “setting”), the possibility of studying a comparatively large number of subjects, and the relaxed mental state of participants consuming DMT in familiar and comfortable settings. Methods We combined state-of-the-art wireless electroencephalography (EEG) with psychometric questionnaires to study the neural and subjective effects of naturalistic DMT use in 35 healthy and experienced participants. Results We observed that DMT significantly decreased the power of alpha (8-12 Hz) oscillations throughout all scalp locations, while simultaneously increasing power of delta (1-4 Hz) and gamma (30-40 Hz) oscillations. Gamma power increases correlated with subjective reports indicative of mystical-type experiences. DMT also increased/decreased global synchrony and metastability in the gamma/alpha band, and resulted in widespread increases in signal complexity. Conclusions Our results are consistent with previous studies of psychedelic action in the human brain, while at the same time suggesting potential EEG markers of mystical-type experiences in natural settings, thus highlighting the importance of investigating these compounds in the contexts where they are naturally consumed.