Phenomenology and Content of the Inhaled N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) Experience
Qualitative analysis of 3,778 inhaled N,N‑DMT reports posted to r/DMT (2009–2018) identified consistent phenomenological themes, including common somatic effects (notably somaesthesias), vivid fractal and colourful visualisations, and frequent entity encounters (45.5%) often characterised as feminine, alien, deity or mythological figures that were predominantly benevolent or guide‑like. Respondents also described recurrent "DMT world" architectures (rooms, tunnels, higher dimensions), frequent mystical and ego‑dissolution experiences, and occasional challenging responses and statements of profundity.
Authors
- Carhart-Harris, R. L.
- Griffiths, R. R.
- Lawrence, D. W.
Published
Abstract
Abstract Background: Understanding the phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N, dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience is critical to facilitate and support ongoing research and therapeutic models targeting mental health conditions and central nervous system pathology. Methods: Qualitative analysis of all N, N-DMT experiences posted to the r/DMT Reddit community over a 10-year period from 2009-2018. Results: A total of 3778 experiences from 3305 posts were included in this study. A median dose of N, N-DMT of 40.0 mg [interquartile range (IQR), 27.5 to 50.0] and a median experience duration of 10 minutes (IQR, 5.0 to 15.0) were identified. The most common somatic effects were somaesthesias (n=1415, 37.5%) and an auditory ringing (n=583, 15.4%). Visualizations predominantly consisted of fractals, shapes, patterns (n=1231, 32.5%) and vivid colours (n=953, 25.2%). Entity encounters occurred in 45.5% (n=1719) of the experiences and involved predominantly a feminine phenotype (n=416, 24.2%); aliens (n=281, 16.3%); deities (n=238, 13.8%); creature-based entities (n=158, 9.2%, including reptilian and insectoid beings); mythological beings (n=138, 8.0%, including machine elves); and jesters (n=112, 6.5%). Entity interactions were predominantly positive (n=600, 34.9% of encounters) involving benevolent, comforting, protecting, or outwardly caring interactions. A companion-type, pedagogical, or guide-type interaction was identified 32.4% of encounters (n=557). Common typology, architectural, and structural features of the “DMT world” were descriptions of alternate or higher dimensions (n=952, 25.2%); room(s) [n=582, 15.4%, including the “waiting room” (n=105, 2.8%)], and a tunnel (n=390, 10.3%). Features of mystical and ego-dissolution experiences were common and additional rewarding aspects were reported, including familiarity and acceptance/removal of the fear of death. Challenging and difficult responses were less frequent but also documented. Statements of profundity were identified in 232 experiences (6.1%), including pronouncing the experience or an aspect of the experience as the most “beautiful” or feeling the most “beautiful” of their life (n=47, 1.2%).Conclusion: This study identified common phenomenological themes and content of naturalistic inhaled N, N-DMT experiences. Major thematic domains included (1) physical and somatic experiences; (2) content of visualizations and imagery; (3) entity encounters including entity phenotype, descriptors, attributes, disposition, and characteristics of the interaction; (4) typology, architectural features, structural characteristics, and scenery of the “DMT world”; (5) emotional responses (including positive, rewarding, difficult, and challenging); and (6) statements of profundity.
Research Summary of 'Phenomenology and Content of the Inhaled N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) Experience'
Introduction
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally occurring classic psychedelic whose psychoactive properties are mediated primarily through serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonism. Plant-based DMT has been central to indigenous Amazonian ceremonial practice for centuries, most notably through the oral preparation ayahuasca. Inhaled synthetic DMT produces an extremely rapid and intense psychedelic state lasting approximately 15 to 30 minutes, distinguished by vivid geometric visuals, the dissolution of ordinary boundaries of self and world, and — in a substantial proportion of users — encounters with seemingly autonomous entities. Despite these distinctive phenomenological features, systematic large-scale characterisation of the content of inhaled DMT experiences had not been conducted at the time of this study. This study aimed to document the phenomenological content of naturalistic inhaled DMT experiences through structured qualitative analysis of ten years of posts to the r/DMT community on Reddit, generating a comprehensive empirical taxonomy of experiential features across a large sample.
Methods
All posts to the r/DMT community page on Reddit from its inception in 2009 through to 2018 were screened for inclusion. Posts were eligible if they described a personal report of an inhaled N,N-DMT experience. Out of 30,652 posts identified and screened, 3,305 posts containing 3,778 unique inhaled DMT experiences were included. Two independent raters developed and applied a structured coding framework to tag experiential themes across multiple phenomenological domains: physical and somatic experiences, content of visualisations and imagery, changes to visual perception, entity encounters (phenotype, disposition, and characteristics of interaction), the 'DMT world' typology and architecture, emotional responses, and scores on established measures — the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), the Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI), and the God Encounter Questionnaire (GEQ). The median age of Reddit authors at the time of posting was used as a proxy for sample demographics.
Results
Somaesthetic experiences were reported in 37.5% of experiences, most frequently body vibration, buzzing, or tingling (27.2%). Geometric shapes, fractals, and patterns were the most common visual content (32.5%), with vivid, hyperintense, or novel colours reported in 25.2% of experiences. Entity encounters occurred in 45.5% of experiences; of these, archetypal feminine entities were most frequently reported (24.2%), followed by entities characterised as alien, machine, or elf-like. Positive interactions — characterised by benevolence, comfort, and love — predominated (34.9%). At least one MEQ item was endorsed in 71.4% of experiences, with experiences of amazement predominating in the positive mood subsection (71.9%) and intuitive insight in the mystical subsection (19.0%). Ego-dissolution inventory items were endorsed in 6.9% of experiences, most frequently dissolution or disintegration of self and identity. The God Encounter Questionnaire was applicable to a subset of entity-encounter experiences. A sense of familiarity with the DMT space — including feelings of 'home' or belonging — was reported in 12.8% of experiences.
Discussion
The analysis demonstrates consistent and structured phenomenological patterns across a large naturalistic sample of inhaled DMT experiences, providing empirical grounding for several features that had previously been documented only in small experimental studies or anecdotal accounts. The prevalence of entity encounters (45.5%) and their predominantly positive and benevolent character are particularly notable, as is the dissociation between the high rate of positive mood and amazement (79% reporting at least one MEQ positive mood item) and the comparatively low rate of full ego dissolution (6.9% EDI endorsement), suggesting a gradation in the depth of the psychedelic state across individual experiences. The Reddit methodology enables large-scale phenomenological mapping at the cost of self-selection bias, varying levels of experience depth and articulacy, and absence of standardised dose confirmation. Nonetheless, the consistency of key themes across thousands of independent accounts supports the validity of the identified phenomenological categories. The authors discuss their findings in relation to predictive processing models of psychedelic action and to the potential therapeutic relevance of entity encounters and mystical experience in clinical contexts.
Conclusion
Systematic qualitative analysis of 3,778 naturalistic inhaled DMT experiences reveals consistent phenomenological patterns across multiple domains, including somaesthetic experiences, geometric visuals, entity encounters characterised predominantly by positive and benevolent attributes, and mystical experiences endorsed by over 70% of reports. These findings provide an empirical foundation for theoretical accounts of the DMT experience and have implications for the design and interpretation of experimental and clinical studies of this compound.
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RESULTS
All posts to the "DMT" community page ("r/DMT") on Reddit from database inception in 2009 through to 2018 inclusive (10 years), were screened for inclusion in this study. Reddit is an online social network, news aggregator, and host of forums for communities with common interests to share, discuss, and comment on a topic. Data from Reddit has been aggregated previously to inform peer-reviewed research. The r/DMT community is a public forum for the discussion and sharing of information pertaining to DMT and is a rich community-based open-access resource, which includes individuals describing experiences with DMT use. Archived posts to the r/DMT community were accessed via Pushshift: a big-data storage project, comprehensive search engine, and real-time analytics tracker for the website Reddit. At the time of this study, Pushshift met the standards for the terms of use of the Reddit application programming interface (API). The title of all posts to the r/DMT community within the study period were manually screened and included for full post review if the post had the potential to include a self-reported N, N-DMT experience (see gure 1). All relevant posts that were identi ed after the initial title-screen underwent full independent manual review to assess candidacy for nal study inclusion. Posts were included within the nal study cohort if the post included a rsthand description of any aspect of an inhaled N, N-DMT experience. Posts were excluded based on the following criteria: (1) the route of administration was not inhaled (i.e., oral, intravenous, intramuscular, rectal, or intra-nasal); (2) the reported DMT alkaloid was not "DMT", "N, N-DMT, or "freebase DMT" (i.e., 5-MeO-DMT and 4-ACO DMT were excluded); (3) the post solely referenced or linked to an external website, video, audio le, or image; (4) the post failed to describe any experience or subjective response to N, N-DMT; (5) the post was non-English; or (6) the post was a duplicate or deleted. To note, no posts were excluded for being non-English. Non-English posts were identi ed but all contained enough information to be excluded based on alternate criteria (i.e., only included a link, image, and/or video). Therefore, zero experiences were excluded for being non-English. All plant-based accompaniments (i.e., Changa, enhanced leaf, and joints or spliffs) were included in this study. Plant-based accompaniments are largely used to improve to vaporization yield and reduce burning the crystalline N, N-DMT, although it is recognized that Changa also includes MAOI-containing plants. Multiple unique N, N-DMT experiences reported within a single post coded as independent and separate experiences. All included posts and experiences underwent independent full manual review. The following data were systematically collected for all posts: month and year of posting, Reddit author username, title, and word count. The following data were systematically collected for all experiences: age at time of experience, author gender, previous inhaled N, N-DMT use, previous psychedelic use, data pertaining to the setting of the experience, plant source used for DMT extraction, the device used for administration, the reported N, N-DMT dose and number of inhalations, the duration of experience, and concomitant psychoactive substance use. A grounded theory inductive qualitative analytic coding approach was used for all included experiences using NVivo 12 (12.6.0). Independent meaningful units (MU) were coded and organized into categorical themes. Opportunity for code review, MU development, and thematic development were afforded to four authors (DWL, RCH, CT, and RG) after the completion of the coding of 50, 300, and 1000 experiences. The following thematic categories were developed: (1) physical and somatic experiences; (2) content of visualizations and imagery; (3) entity encounters including entity phenotype, descriptors, attributes, disposition, and characteristics of the interaction; (4) typology, architectural features, structural characteristics, and scenery of the "DMT world"; (5) emotional responses (including positive, rewarding, di cult, and challenging); and (6) statements of profundity. To note, both the prevalence of MU's and thematic categories were reported as a percentage of the overall study sample to improve the transparency of the reporting of the prevalence of the MU's overall, not just as a proportion of the imposed themes. Additionally, four validated scales for documenting cardinal aspects of the psychedelic experience were completed, including the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), God Encounter Questionnaire (GEQ), and Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI). The MEQ, CEQ, and EDI were completed for all experiences while the GEQ was completed for all reported entity encounters. The presence of identi ed questionnaire items within the experiences was coded and the percentage of experiences endorsing a questionnaire item was reported. To note, the included questionnaires are validated for self-report and not for third-party assessment. However, due to the relative novelty of this eld of study and the paucity of validate scales, we felt the application of these questionnaires in this study was still appropriate to facilitate and structure the analysis of the respective features occasioned by DMT. Statements of profundity were coded and de ned as endorsements pronouncing the experience or an aspect of the experience as "the most [X] experience of my life" or "...the most [X] I have felt in my life…"; where [X] was coded as the descriptor. For statements that include multiple descriptors, the order in which the descriptor appeared within a statement was also coded. Institutional REB approval for human research protocols (protocol number 39101) was obtained for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of the data and content included within this study.
CONCLUSION
This study conducted a qualitative analysis of naturalistic inhaled N, N-DMT experiences and documented consistent phenomenological thematic patterns, particularly within the domains of (1) physical and somatic experiences; (2) content of visualizations and imagery; (3) entity encounters including entity phenotype, descriptors, attributes, disposition, and characteristics of the interaction; (4) typology, architectural features, structural characteristics, and scenery of the "DMT world"; (5) emotional responses (including positive, rewarding, di cult, and challenging); and (6) statements of profundity. The results of this study contribute to the limited descriptive information about inhaled N, N-DMT use and the entailing experience. This study identi ed a reported median dose of inhaled N, N-DMT of 40 mg and duration of experience of 10 minutes. This is consistent with a previous study conducted in a natural setting which documented an average inhaled N, N-DMT dosage of 40 mg, which induced changes in subjective and neural markers that returned to baseline after approximately 7 minutes. Additionally, the naturalistic study conducted by Michael et al. reported a similar mean dose of inhaled DMT of 54.5 mg. Somatic and physical responses to N, N-DMT administration were commonly observed in this study, most frequently the perception of somaesthesias, or kinesthetic hallucinations, and an auditory ringing sound; both of which have been previously ascribed to the DMT experience. Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et al. documented auditory hallucinations (including "telephone rings") in 2 out of 12 subjects (16.7%) who completed a high dose intravenous DMT session, which is a comparable incidence rate identi ed within this study (15.4%). Strassman et al. documented a highpitched "whining/whirring", "chattering," "crinkling" sound in approximately half of the subjects at the onset of intravenous DMT administration. The features of the N, N-DMT-induced visualizations identi ed in this study most frequently involved the description of fractals, geometric shapes, and patterns (including descriptions of kaleidoscopes, a chrysanthemum, sacred geometry, and mandalas) and vivid, brilliant, and novel colours. Previous observations of DMT-occasioned visualizations include similar descriptions. Strassman et al. reported that following intravenous administration of DMT "many subjects described kaleidoscopic geometric patterns that were not obviously representational" 16 , while Cott and Rock concluded that "colours, patterns, and lights were one of two common visual hallucinations". Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et al. observed that visual hallucinations consisting of "complex geometric patterns" occurred in all volunteers after receiving a high dose of intravenous DMT, although these phenomena were recorded in only a subset of volunteers following a low dose. Additionally, Meyer relies on "vivid, brilliantly colored, geometric visual hallucinations" as a qualifying criterium when de ning a particular "level" of DMT experience. Various theories have been proposed to explain the predictable DMT occasioned visual experiences from a neurophysiologic perspective. Entoptic phenomena, de ned as visual effects whose source is within the eye or visual system, can include grids or lattice patterns, parallel lines, dots or akes, zigzags or undulating lines, nested curves, and spirals. Entoptic phenomena featured prominently in some prehistoric art 58 and were shown to be increased after repeated Ayahuasca ingestion in naturalistic settings. The prevalent geometric-type visualizations identi ed in this study are consistent with descriptions of entoptic phenomena. Based on phenomenological studies, Bressloff and colleagues developed a mathematic model suggesting that the geometrical visual hallucinations are determined by the patterns of connection between the retina the striate cortex and the neuronal network within the striate cortex 60 . Furthermore, results from recent electroencephalography (EEG) studies and a broader understanding of the hierarchical nature of the visual system support the empirically informed hypothesis that (1) DMT reverses the inherently top-down hierarchy of visual system and (2) DMT-visions are interpretations of propagating activity up the visual hierarchy in a bottom-up manner. Dimethyltryptamine reproducibly (1) decreases top-down alpha-band oscillations in the cortical regions involved in visual-sensory processing, resulting in cortical excitation in these regions, and (2) increases bottom-up forward travelling waves from occipital to frontal regions; both of which correlate with the intensity of the DMT-induced visualizations. One of the most salient and discussed features of the DMT experience is encounters with seemingly autonomous entities, consistent with previous DMT studies. In the current study, the most frequently reported encounters involved a Feminine archetype; followed by aliens, celestial beings; and extra-terrestrials; deities, divine beings, and demi-gods; animal-based or creature-based entities (including reptilian and insectoid beings); mythological beings (including machine elves); and the jester archetype. Shanon 2 , Davis et al., and Michael et al.identi ed analogous entity phenotypes in their studies examining Ayahuasca and inhaled N, N-DMT, respectively. In the present study, communication with entities was common (75%) and comparable to rates of communication documented by Davis et al. (84%). Positive, benevolent, comforting, caring, and welcoming entity attributes and interactions were most frequently described consistent with previous reports. This study provides further recognition of a "companion-type, pedagogical, or guide-type interaction" and "medical-type" interaction. Timmermann et al. predicts that the dissolution of top-down cortical control over medial temporal lobe activity may explain the content of the DMT experience, including entity encounters. The psychedelic disruption of top-down dynamicsand examining psychedelic entity experiences from the perspective of evolutionary psychology and neurophenomenology has led to the theory that psychedelics may partially liberate innate modules facilitating the experience of entity encounters. Entity encounters cannot be dismissed as irrelevant hallucinations without substance or meaning, nor accepted as transcendent realities. Winkelman has identi ed patterns in DMT entity experiences that re ect innate operators and modules fundamental to mental processes including, but not limited to, social role inferences, agency attribution, intentionality, causality, and animacy detection. These patterns suggest that DMT is, in part, exposing innate human tendencies but further evidence is required to substantiate any ontological claims for these experiences. Pervasive and consistent themes were reported during N, N-DMT experiences included within this study and those in other studies of the DMT-state 2 . These themes may be explained by the cultural experience and background of the authors or priming of the authors prior to the experience. Another theory to account for the pervasive themes revealed by the DMT-state is that the DMT-state is in part a probe into a collective unconscious. The collective unconscious, a term introduced by Carl Jung, consists of a repository of knowledge and imagery shared by all human beings due to a common ancestral experience. It is populated with archetypes, symbols, and instincts, which greatly in uence individual unconsciousness, states of mind, and behaviours 68 . Jung, however, did not provide a clear ontological account for the archetypes and the collective unconscious. With advancements in neurophysiology and quantum physics, a theoretical approach called "biogenic structuralism" has been developed to ground Jung's archetypal psychology within a neurophysiologic and quantum framework. Particular attention has been placed on the relationship between the archetypes and "neurognosis", or the understanding of how the brain develops knowledge. It has been suggested that neurognosis and Jung's archetypes are related, both, to the structural organization of the brain during development and the pattern of total quantum neural network activity. Future approaches to study the DMT experience should attempt to understanding the ontological origin of prevalent themes from a neurophysiologic basis. basis. Similarities between near death experiences (NDE) and the psychedelic experience have been described, including transcendence of physical form, themes of death and dying, OBEs, tunnels, descriptions of bright lights, familiarity, sense of belonging, religiosity, experience with a void or unearthly realm, and interaction with presences or entities. These themes featured prominently within this study congruent with other studies describing the phenomenology and content of the DMT experience. Timmermann et al. directly investigated the relatable features of the DMT experience to NDE in a within-subject placebo-controlled study of 13 healthy volunteers. Signi cant correlations were observed between features of NDE following DMT administration compared to placebo. Moreover, a separate analysis was performed on volunteers who underwent an 'actual' NDE and demonstrated comparable NDE scores between an 'actual' NDE and the DMT state. The discovery of an endogenous mammalian source of DMTand the similarities between the DMT state and non-drug-induced states, like NDE, support the hypothesis that DMT is responsible for inducing certain non-ordinary states of consciousness. However, to date, it has yet to be established that endogenous DMT concentrations and selectivity are commensurate with levels required to induce effects seen during the exogenous DMT state. Poor recall of a DMT experience is widely reported in anecdotal sources and N, N-DMT has been described to have "a self-erasing mechanism"; however, there are limited data documenting the frequency of this occurrence. The results of this study support these reports by documenting the prevalence of reported partial experience-amnesia, full experience-amnesia, and "black outs." The amnestic mechanism of an N, N-DMT is unknown, however, may be similar to sleep dream amnesia and hypoactivation of the prefrontal cortex. Alternatively, the inherent highly unusual and overwhelming nature of the DMT experience and frequent resultant ontological shock may hinder the ability of the cortex to reconstruct the experience contributing to the reported amnestic properties of N, N-DMT. Although many features of the DMT experience identi ed in this study can be labelled as positive, the presence of negative or challenging responses to DMT inhalation were also documented and important to recognize. Approximately 30% of the DMT experiences reported a minimum of one item from the CEQ; predominantly items from the "fear" subsection, followed by "grief" and "emotional and/or physical suffering" subsections. Moreover, approximately 7% of authors reported features of ego-dissolution. Egodissolution, de ned as a compromised sense of self, can induce meaningful (i.e., a sense of unity or "oceanic boundlessness") but also negative outcomes (i.e., "dread of ego dissolution"), with potentially psychological destabilizing effects resulting from depersonalization and derealization.Overall, the negative and challenging responses to DMT ingestion should not be overlooked or underestimated. Further studies should attempt to identify individualized variables associated with a deleterious response to DMT-use. For example, this study did not capture information on the previous mental health diagnoses of the authors, which is a critical confounder to examine in future prospective studies. The methods within the con nes of this study attempted to limit the variability of the DMT product ingested within the included experiences. Only experiences reporting N, N-DMT, as de ned above, were included and experiences from other forms of DMT, including synthetic DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, were excluded. Moreover, a secondary analysis was conducted excluding experiences with reported concomitant psychoactive substance use. However, self-extraction of N, N-DMT from plant sources, such as Mimosa hostilis root bark and Acacia confusa root bark, is one of the predominant methods for obtaining N, N-DMT for naturalistic inhaled use.It should be noted that the different plant sources, in addition to variable methods of extraction, can lead to variability in the concentration of the N, N-DMT and pro le of other plant alkaloids in the consumed product, which may modulate the effects of the DMT.There are several limitations to this study. First, the naturalistic nature of not only the experience but the reporting in this study limited the ability to systematically collect data for all experience reports. This methodology allowed for the induction of novel themes and codes; however, this limits the ability to provide true incidence rates for the included variables and instead relies on rates of reported variables as a proxy for incidence. The limiting of the study population to Reddit users makes it likely nonrepresentative of DMT-users at large and may have introduced a selection bias not controlled for in the results. Moreover, previous reports on the Reddit platform may in uence the experiences and reporting of fellow Reddit users. This is evident through the recurrent invocation of speci c terminology and labels for otherwise novel phenomena (i.e., "machine elves"). Reddit users are also potentially more likely to post experiences that were interesting, meaningful, consequential, and/or positive which would bias the results of this study towards the inclusion of experiences that were more notable and/or favourable. Furthermore, this bias may be especially relevant for N, N-DMT due to the reported cases of amnesic episodes identi ed in this study and elsewhere. Adequate characterization of psychological experiences associated with N, N-DMT would require controlling for dosage and other elements that are known to in uence the experience, including the set, setting, and concurrent uses of other substances. Next, the scope of the study was limited to experiences that occurred while under the in uence of N, N-DMT and did not capture information pertaining to enduring effects (i.e., continuing or long-lasting). Enduring effects are valuable and can be positive or negative and should be systematically collected in future inhaled N, N-DMT studies. Although this study provides insight into the naturalistic inhaled DMTuse, detailed examination in a controlled settings is required to substantiate the themes and patterns identi ed here. Overall, this study contributes to the limited understanding the patterns of naturalistic inhaled N, N-DMT use and the descriptive phenomenological features of the N, N-DMT experience at-large. f Greater than one previous inhaled DMT experiences or multiple previous experiences NOS.
Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Populationhumans
- Characteristicsqualitativeobservational
- Journal
- Compound