Pharmacology
DMT is a 5-HT2A agonist with additional affinity for sigma-1 and trace amine receptors. Taken orally it is degraded by monoamine oxidase, which is why ayahuasca combines it with MAO-inhibiting plants.
Tryptamine · Short-acting psychedelic
DMT
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, a rapid and intensely immersive psychedelic found in numerous plants and used orally in ayahuasca brews.
History & context
DMT-containing preparations have centuries of documented use across the Amazon basin. Laboratory study in humans resumed in the 1990s with Rick Strassman's work at the University of New Mexico.
Research landscape
Current research explores extended intravenous infusion models, neuroimaging of the DMT state, and possible antidepressant effects.
Risks
Cardiovascular stimulation, acute psychological overwhelm, and — when combined with MAO inhibitors — serious interactions with certain medications, particularly serotonergic antidepressants.
Educational reference only. Nothing here is medical advice or a recommendation to use any substance.
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