Thread: Can a DMT trip be controlled?

Originally Posted by PhilosopherStoned

nina, wish I could like your post twice for pointing out that it's not conclusive that DMT is in the human brain. I didn't know Rick Strassman had issues with new-agers too.

Here's a statement from Rick Strassman that I particularly like...

Originally Posted by Rick Strassman

Addendum by Rick Strassman

"I did my best in the DMT book to differentiate between what is known, and what I was conjecturing about (based upon what is known), regarding certain aspects of DMT dynamics. However, it's amazing how ineffective my efforts seem to have been. So many people write me, or write elsewhere, about DMT, and the pineal, assuming that the things I conjecture about are true. When I was writing the book, I thought I was clear enough, and repeating myself would have gotten tedious.

"We don't know whether DMT is made in the pineal. I muster a lot of circumstantial evidence supporting a reason to look long and hard at the pineal, but we do not yet know. There are data suggesting urinary DMT rises in psychotic patients when their psychosis is worse. However, we don't know whether DMT rises during dreams, meditation, near-death, death, birth or any other endogenous altered state. To the extent those states resemble those brought on by giving DMT, it certainly makes one wonder if endogenous DMT might be involved, and if it were, it would explain a lot. But we don't know yet. Even if the pineal weren't involved, that would have little overall effect on my theories regarding a role for DMT in endogenous altered states, because we do know that the gene involved in DMT synthesis is present in many organs, particularly lung. If the pineal made DMT, it would tie up a lot of loose ends regarding this enigmatic little organ. But people seem to live pretty normals lives without a pineal gland; for example, when it has had to be removed because of a tumor.

"In both these regards--the pineal-DMT connection, and endogenous DMT dynamics--we ought to know a lot more within the next several years due to the efforts of a research group being led by Steven Barker at Louisiana State University. He, with his grad student Ethan McIlhenny, are developing a new super-assay for DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, bufotenine, and metabolites. This assay will be capable of detecting those compounds much more sensitively than previous generations of assays. They're looking at endogenous levels in awake sober normals, to assess baseline values of these compounds. We should have some data from those samples within a year. They also will be looking at pineal tissue. Once we have some baseline data in normal humans in normal waking consciousness, comparisons can be made between those levels and levels in endogenous altered states, like dreams, near-death, and so on."

Also despite my thinking that it would be extremely difficult/impossible to control, I will still test this idea the next time I do dmt, I happen to have quite a lot of it still, but am having trouble finding the motivation to do any...but testing your idea gives me a new goal at least, so I'll give it a shot and let you know how it works out. People DO need to do more research regarding DMT, Strassman has shown us this at the very least, hopefully they will.

Originally Posted by PhilosopherStoned

I wouldn't even think about possibly trying controlling it until you get the full experience.

I know, I wanted to build up my LDing and psychedelic knowledge and at least get a few good experiences before working on that, I figured it would be years down the road before I had the opportunity.

Originally Posted by nina

Also despite my thinking that it would be extremely difficult/impossible to control, I will still test this idea the next time I do dmt, I happen to have quite a lot of it still, but am having trouble finding the motivation to do any...but testing your idea gives me a new goal at least, so I'll give it a shot and let you know how it works out. People DO need to do more research regarding DMT, Strassman has shown us this at the very least, hopefully they will.

Thanks for the quote, I remember reading it in another thread but I want anyone who sees this one to be aware of that fact as well. I've read that it's all just conjecture but it dawned on me that maybe the control aspect might be something for researchers or others to look into in order to find some answers about it.

I'm starting to think that my idea was just too wishful, but I'd be really interested if you did test this and let me know how it goes