Transformative Psychopharmacology: the Case of 5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine

Since the mid-20th century, neo-shamanic rituals using psychoactive plant and animal extracts have grown popular in Europe and the USA, beginning with ayahuasca, a tea made from two Amazonian plants containing beta-carbolines (harmala alkaloids) and tryptamines. These compounds are examined through transformative psychopharmacology, which studies how psychoactive substances can help achieve healing, transformation, or a new psychological balance. Documented examples include positive effects on drug abuse, addiction, and alcoholism, though these healing aspects are often overlooked. As medicine becomes more personalized and postmodern, understanding why patients and healthy people participate in such rituals is increasingly relevant. The pharmacology, transformative effects, and adverse events of 5-MeO-DMT are presented, along with its potential place in postmodern medicine.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Since the 2nd part of last century neo-shamanic rituals using mind-altering extracts from plants or animals have become increasingly popular in Europe and the USA. The first rituals coming to the west were based on drinking a special Amazonian tea, Ayahuasca, based on 2 different plants, with active compounds belonging to the class of the beta-carbolines (harmala alkaloids) and tryptamines. The use of such compounds will be described from the perspective of the transformative psychopharmacology: that part of psychopharmacology studying the use of psychoactive compounds to achieve a new balance, a transformation or healing and sometimes even leading to a cure. Examples of curing are meanwhile well documented, for instance the positive influence on drug abuse and addiction, alcoholism. The importance of the healing aspects of these rituals however are often neglected or overlooked. For users, these are key however. As medicine becomes more and more personalized and postmodern, it will be relevant to understand why patients and healthy people decide to participate in healing rituals based on psycho-active compounds. We will present the pharmacology, the transformative psychopharmacology, the effects and adverse events of 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and its place in postmodern medicine.