The Breakthrough Experience: DMT Hyperspace and its Liminal Aesthetics
Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12089 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca DMT |
| Keywords | Liminality Trance Aesthetics Perception Hyperspace Appeal Mood Synesthesia Epistemology Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key points | Argues that the DMT breakthrough event constitutes a private, individualized, internal, and "ritual like" liminal process, distinct from conventional passage rites, and that it involves perceived contact with entities and transmission of visual language in "hyperspace." |
Abstract
Abstract Known to produce out‐of‐body states and profound changes in sensory perception, mood, and thought, DMT (N,N‐dimethyltryptamine) is a potent short‐lasting tryptamine that has experienced growing appeal in the last decade, independent from ayahuasca, the Amazonian visionary brew in which it is an integral ingredient. Investigating user reports available online as well as a variety of other sources consulted in extended cultural research, this article focuses on the “breakthrough” event commonly associated with the DMT trance. The DMT breakthrough event coincides with significant revelatory outcomes associated with perceived contact with “entities” and the transmission of information often in the form of visual language. Examination of the breakthrough event offers insight on the liminal phenomenology of DMT and other tryptamines, a liminality that is given primary expression in reported travels in “hyperspace.” The article examines user reports of DMT “hyperspace” observing a transitional process that, unlike conventional passage rites, is private, individualized, internal, and “ritual like.” As an exploratory discussion of an under‐researched phenomenon, the article enters this virtual terrain through a discussion of the gnostic, therapeutic, and recreational modalities of DMT use, before exploring ritual‐like modes of transmission and concluding with comments on the ontological significance of the DMT trance.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on DMT, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| When the Endogenous Hallucinogenic Trace AmineN,N-Dimethyltryptamine Meets the Sigma-1 Receptor | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| A Model for the Application of Target-Controlled Intravenous Infusion for a Prolonged Immersive DMT Psychedelic Experience. | 2016 | Theoretical or methodological paper | |
| Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): a biochemical Swiss Army knife in neuroinflammation and neuroprotection? | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Dimethyltryptamine Experiments with Psychotics | 1958 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Enlightening the "Spirit Molecule": Photomodulation of the 5-HT2A Receptor by a Light-Controllable N,N-Dimethyltryptamine Derivative. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects. Journal of Psychopharmacology September 1, 2020
- The potential synergistic effects between psychedelic administration and nature contact for the improvement of mental health. Health Psychology Open July 1, 2020
- N,N‐dimethyltryptamine and Amazonian ayahuasca plant medicine Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental February 17, 2022
- An Encounter With the Other: A Thematic and Content Analysis of DMT Experiences From a Naturalistic Field Study Frontiers in Psychology December 16, 2021
- Ayahuasca: A review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports December 1, 2023
and 5 more in the library
Cites 7
- REACTIONS TO PSILOCYBJN ADMINISTERED IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease December 1, 1963
- Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond Oxford University Press eBooks June 18, 2014
- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Prevalence, user characteristics and abuse liability in a large global sample Journal of Psychopharmacology November 27, 2013
- Global Tribe: Technology, Spirituality and Psytrance Equinox Publishing Ltd. eBooks October 30, 2012
- The induction of synaesthesia with chemical agents: a systematic review Frontiers in Psychology 2013
and 2 more in the library