Mindscape Collective is now The Consciousness Library. Same library, new name. You may need to sign in again. About the change
Skip to content

DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine)

A short-acting psychedelic studied for its acute effects on perception and its therapeutic potential.

State of the evidence

Synthesized

Synthesized from 25 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below

Found by searching the library for DMT, dimethyltryptamine, 5-MeO-DMT, then ranked by relevance.

DMT is a fast-acting serotonergic psychedelic that produces intense, short-lived altered states of consciousness characterized by ego dissolution, mystical-type experiences, and subjective features resembling near-death experiences. Neuroimaging studies show DMT reduces alpha/beta oscillatory power, increases signal diversity, and globally reorganizes brain functional connectivity. Evidence from small, mostly open-label trials suggests potential antidepressant and anxiolytic effects lasting days to months, but the overall evidence base remains limited by small samples, lack of blinding, and early-stage designs.

Evidence by study

Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.

What the directions mean
Supports:
the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
Opposes:
it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
No effect:
no significant difference either way.
Mixed:
effects in both directions within the same study.
Unclear:
the abstract does not report a direction.
The Hallucinogen N,N -Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) Is an Endogenous Sigma-1 Receptor Regulator 2009
Supports

DMT binds sigma-1 receptors and inhibits sodium channels; DMT-induced hypermobility in mice is sigma-1 dependent.

experimental (animal + cell)

Dose-Response Study of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in Humans 1994
Supports

IV DMT produced rapid, dose-dependent hallucinogenic effects peaking at 90-120 seconds and resolving by 30 minutes.

RCT (within-subject, double-blind) Sample size: 12

Neural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEG. 2019
Supports

DMT reduced alpha/beta power and increased signal diversity in EEG; delta/theta activity correlated with peak visual experience.

RCT (within-subject, placebo-controlled) Sample size: 13

Correlation between the potency of hallucinogens in the mouse head-twitch response assay and their behavioral and subjective effects in other species. 2020
Supports

DMT potency in mouse head-twitch response strongly correlates with human hallucinogenic potency (r=0.94), supporting 5-HT2A mediation.

experimental (animal + correlational)

Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT 2019
Supports

DMT-occasioned God encounters were phenomenologically similar to non-drug experiences, often described as encounters with 'Ultimate Reality' and meeting criteria for complete mystical experience.

observational (survey) Sample size: 606

Risk assessment of ritual use of oral dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmala alkaloids 2006
Mixed

Ayahuasca has a safety margin comparable to codeine; acute psychological risks include transient psychotic episodes, but no evidence of sustained abuse potential.

review

DMT Models the Near-Death Experience 2018
Supports

DMT produced significant increases in near-death experience phenomenology compared to placebo, with striking similarity to actual NDEs.

RCT (within-subject, placebo-controlled) Sample size: 13

Human brain effects of DMT assessed via EEG-fMRI. 2023
Supports

DMT increased global functional connectivity, network disintegration, and compressed the principal cortical gradient; effects correlated with 5-HT2A receptor distribution.

RCT (within-subject, placebo-controlled) Sample size: 20

A single inhalation of vapor from dried toad secretion containing 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in a naturalistic setting is related to sustained enhancement of satisfaction with life, mindfulness-related capacities, and a decrement of psychopathological symptoms. 2019
Supports

A single inhalation of 5-MeO-DMT vapor was associated with sustained enhancement of life satisfaction and mindfulness, and reduction of psychopathological symptoms.

observational (naturalistic)

Psychological Effects of (S)-Ketamine and N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): A Double-Blind, Cross-Over Study in Healthy Volunteers 2005
Mixed

DMT and (S)-ketamine produced similar global intensity, but DMT induced stronger positive symptoms (thought disorder, inappropriate affect) while ketamine induced stronger negative symptoms.

RCT (double-blind, cross-over) Sample size: 9

Psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine modulate innate and adaptive inflammatory responses through the sigma-1 receptor of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells. 2014
Supports

DMT and 5-MeO-DMT inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoted anti-inflammatory IL-10 via sigma-1 receptor in human dendritic cells.

experimental (in vitro)

Inhibitory effect of chlorpromazine on the syndrome of hyperactivity produced by l‐tryptophan or 5‐methoxy‐N,N‐dimethyltryptamine in rats treated with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor 1971
Supports

5-MeO-DMT produced hyperactivity in rats that was inhibited by chlorpromazine, suggesting serotonin receptor mediation.

experimental (animal)

N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an Endogenous Hallucinogen: Past, Present, and Future Research to Determine Its Role and Function 2018
Unclear

DMT is an endogenous compound with biosynthesis in brain and periphery; its natural physiological role remains unresolved and distinct from effects of exogenous administration.

review

Psychedelic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine: metabolism, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, and pharmacological actions. 2010
Unclear

5-MeO-DMT is metabolized by MAO-A and CYP2D6; co-administration with MAO inhibitors (e.g., harmaline) increases exposure and risk of serotonin toxicity.

review

Making "bad trips" good: How users of psychedelics narratively transform challenging trips into valuable experiences. 2021
Mixed

Bad trips are common but often narratively transformed into valuable, life-altering experiences through storytelling and integration.

qualitative Sample size: 50

Therapeutic properties of ayahuasca component N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in a pre-clinical model of Parkinson's disease. 2026
Supports

DMT reduced neuroinflammation and preserved neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway, with behavioral improvements in a Parkinson's model.

experimental (animal)

Combined DMT-harmine formulation reduces negative self-referential emotions during social self-evaluation: a randomized placebo-controlled trial in healthy volunteers. 2026
Supports

Combined harmine+DMT significantly reduced embarrassment during self-evaluation compared to placebo, with no significant effect of harmine alone.

RCT (double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over) Sample size: 28

Advancing Next-Generation Psychedelic Therapeutics through Selective 5-HT2A Activation, Precision Aerosol Delivery, and Optimized 5-MeO-DMT Treatment Paradigms 2026
Unclear

Patent applications describe selective 5-HT2A activators, aerosol delivery, and structured 5-MeO-DMT regimens for depression, indicating a trend toward scalable psychedelic therapeutics.

theoretical/patent review

ProliferativeEffects of the Psychedelic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine(DMT) in Human Neural Stem Cells 2026
Supports

24-hour DMT exposure increased human neural stem cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner and upregulated BDNF expression.

experimental (in vitro)

Proliferative Effects of the Psychedelic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Human Neural Stem Cells. 2026
Supports

DMT increased proliferation and BDNF expression in human neural stem cells at concentrations consistent with plasticity effects.

experimental (in vitro)

Beyond symptom reduction: DMT improves anxiety, life satisfaction, and quality of life in healthy volunteers and patients with depression 2026
Supports

Inhaled DMT reduced state anxiety up to 1 day and increased life satisfaction up to 14 days in healthy volunteers; patients showed improved quality of life up to 12 months.

open-label trial Sample size: 41

DMT and Microtubule Coherence Selection: A Testable Model of Informational Throttling in Time Perception 2026
Unclear

A theoretical model proposes DMT alters time perception by modulating microtubule vibrational coherence via 5-HT2A and sigma-1 receptors.

theoretical

N,N-dimethyltryptamine elicits antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in helpless mice: a comparative study with S-ketamine. 2026
Supports

DMT (10 mg/kg) produced rapid and long-lasting antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in helpless mice, comparable to S-ketamine, with effects lasting up to 8 days.

experimental (animal)

DMT und Ayahuasca / DMT and Ayahuasca 2026
Unclear

A transdisciplinary review covering DMT and ayahuasca across eight disciplines, noting unique features: oral inactivity without MAO-I, ultra-short duration, endogenous occurrence, and legal status.

review

Registered Clinical Trials of Ayahuasca and DMT: A Scoping Review. 2026
Unclear

The DMT/ayahuasca trial landscape is dominated by early-phase, academically sponsored studies with conservative eligibility criteria and a focus on safety and subjective effects.

scoping review

Points of agreement

  • DMT produces rapid, intense, short-lived altered states with consistent EEG and fMRI signatures (reduced alpha/beta, increased signal diversity, global connectivity changes).
  • DMT acts primarily via 5-HT2A receptors, with additional sigma-1 receptor binding contributing to neuroimmunomodulatory and neuroplastic effects.
  • Preclinical studies consistently show DMT has antidepressant and anxiolytic potential in animal models, with effects lasting days.
  • Human studies report sustained improvements in well-being, life satisfaction, and reduced anxiety after DMT administration, though most are open-label.

Conflicts

  • One study found DMT and (S)-ketamine produce different symptom profiles (positive vs. negative schizophrenia-like symptoms), suggesting distinct models of psychosis.
  • The natural physiological role of endogenous DMT remains unclear and may differ from effects of exogenous administration.
  • Qualitative data show bad trips are common but often reframed as valuable, while clinical trials emphasize safety and positive outcomes.

Gaps

  • Lack of large, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with adequate blinding for therapeutic outcomes.
  • Durability of antidepressant/anxiolytic effects beyond 12 months is only assessed in one small open-label study.
  • Dose-response relationships and optimal administration routes (IV, inhaled, oral with MAO-I) are not systematically compared.
  • Effects in diverse populations (e.g., women, older adults, comorbid conditions) are largely unstudied.
  • Mechanistic link between acute subjective effects and long-term therapeutic changes is not established.
Browse these studies in the library
How we analyze this

This synthesis reads the 15 most-cited and 10 most recent studies whose primary subject is DMT, up to 25 in all. The most-cited set anchors the established evidence, and the recent set surfaces work that is too new to have gathered citations yet.

A study qualifies only when DMT or a known alias appears in its title or keywords, so broad reviews that mention it only in passing are left out. Each study is read from its abstract, strongest evidence first, and the summary reports the direction of the results along with any conflicts and gaps.

Ask your own question in the Research Synthesis Tool

Latest monthly recap: June 2026 →

1,494 articles · 495 from the last two years · 3,330,373 participants across 411 studies reporting sample size

Common study designs

review 290 systematic review 61 experimental study 202 observational cohort 56 theoretical or philosophical paper 92

Research

Synthesize the evidence → Search all →

Therapeutic properties of ayahuasca component N,N-Dimethyltryptamine in a pre-clinical model of Parkinson's disease.

Experimental Neurology September 1, 2026 Javier Calleja‐conde, Víctor Echeverry‐alzate, Marina Sanz-Sancristóbal et al.

In a preclinical model of Parkinson's disease, the compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the main psychoactive ingredient in ayahuasca, reduced neuroinflammation and preserved neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Treated animals also showed improvements in behavior. These results suggest DMT may have disease-modifying potential for Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by loss of dopaminergic neurons and chronic inflammation, for which current treatments only relieve symptoms.

DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2026.115822 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Dimethyltryptamine Neurodegeneration Neuroinflammation Parkinson +1

Combined DMT-harmine formulation reduces negative self-referential emotions during social self-evaluation: a randomized placebo-controlled trial in healthy volunteers.

Psychopharmacology July 14, 2026 Helena Aicher, Joëlle Dornbierer, Luzia Caflisch et al.

A combination of harmine and DMT, the active ingredients in ayahuasca, reduces feelings of embarrassment and shame in healthy men. In a randomized trial with 28 participants, those who received the combination reported significantly less embarrassment when listening to recordings of their own singing compared to those who received a placebo. The treatment also lowered overall shame scores. Harmine alone did not produce these effects. The findings suggest that this compound may help treat psychiatric disorders where negative self-focused emotions play a key role.

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-026-07118-4 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Embarrassment Hallucinogens Harmine N,N-Dimethyltryptamine +3

ProliferativeEffects of the Psychedelic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine(DMT) in Human Neural Stem Cells

Figshare July 10, 2026 José Alexandre Salerno, Elizabeth R. Dominguez, Karina Karmirian et al.

A brief 24-hour exposure to the serotonergic psychedelic DMT increases proliferation of human neural stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. The effect was concentration-dependent, with half-maximal effect at 59.7 nM. DMT treatment also altered trophic gene expression, decreasing neurotrophin-3 while increasing nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and intracellular BDNF protein. After DMT was removed, the primed stem cells formed larger neurospheres, with progenitor and early neuronal marker composition matching controls by day 10. These findings demonstrate that brief DMT exposure engages proliferative and neurotrophin-associated responses in human neural stem cells at concentrations consistent with those reported for DMT-induced plasticity in other systems.

DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6c00209.s001 (opens in new tab) Neurogenesis Serotonergic Neuroplasticity Neural stem cell +13

Advancing Next-Generation Psychedelic Therapeutics through Selective 5-HT2A Activation, Precision Aerosol Delivery, and Optimized 5-MeO-DMT Treatment Paradigms

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters July 10, 2026 Anna C. Renner, Robert B. Kargbo

The psychedelic therapeutics field is moving beyond classical hallucinogens to integrated treatment platforms that combine optimized pharmacology, drug delivery, and clinical implementation. Recent patent applications describe selective 5-HT2A receptor activators, precision aerosol delivery technologies for psychedelic compounds, and structured 5-MeO-DMT treatment regimens for depression. These innovations represent a convergence toward scalable, safer, and clinically practical neuropsychiatric therapies that may reshape the future of serotonergic medicine.

DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.6c00364 (opens in new tab) Aerosol Precision medicine Computer science Nanotechnology

Proliferative Effects of the Psychedelic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Human Neural Stem Cells.

ACS Chemical Neuroscience July 9, 2026 José Alexandre Salerno, Elizabeth R. Dominguez, Karina Karmirian et al.

Brief exposure to the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) increases proliferation of human neural stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. A 24-hour DMT treatment boosted cell division in a concentration-dependent way, with half-maximal effect at 59.7 nM, and raised levels of G1 cell-cycle regulators. DMT also altered expression of trophic genes, decreasing neurotrophin-3 while increasing nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and intracellular BDNF protein. After DMT was removed, treated stem cells formed larger neurospheres, with progenitor and early neuron markers matching controls by day 10. The findings indicate DMT can engage proliferative and neurotrophin-related responses in human neural stem cells at concentrations linked to plasticity in other systems.

DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6c00209 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Bdnf N,N-Dimethyltryptamine DMT Cell cycle Neurosphere

Beyond symptom reduction: DMT improves anxiety, life satisfaction, and quality of life in healthy volunteers and patients with depression

Journal of Psychopharmacology July 8, 2026 Raynara Bolcont, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Handersson Barros et al.

Inhaled DMT, combined with psychological support, is associated with reduced state anxiety up to one day after administration in both healthy individuals and patients with treatment-resistant depression. Healthy volunteers reported increased life satisfaction up to 14 days. Patients showed increased life satisfaction after 12 months and sustained improvements in quality of life over that period, including physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment, as well as inner peace and hope and optimism. The study is limited by an open-label design, lack of placebo control, and modest sample size.

DOI: 10.1177/02698811261465005 (opens in new tab) Anxiety Life satisfaction Depression economics Optimism +10

DMT and Microtubule Coherence Selection: A Testable Model of Informational Throttling in Time Perception

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 2, 2026 Eugene Catrambone

A unified framework links psychedelic neuropharmacology, microtubule biophysics, and spacetime information theory. It proposes that DMT alters subjective time by modulating microtubule vibrational coherence through 5-HT2A and sigma-1 receptor pathways. A coherence parameter Q scales an informational awareness tensor that couples to a scalar clock field, slowing it and producing time dilation and timelessness. The model integrates biophysical, computational, and field-theoretic levels, generating falsifiable predictions across scales: shifts in microtubule spectra under DMT, entropy and traveling-wave changes in EEG/MEG, and behavioral timing distortions. It expands the connection to the Orch-OR tradition and introduces a mathematical treatment of microtubule coherence within the scalar-clock framework, with status tags marking claims as established, hypothesis, or speculative.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21128959 (opens in new tab) Spacetime Microtubule Time perception Scalar mathematics +6

Reconstituting a two-step pathway for N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) biosynthesis in bacteria

Metabolic Engineering Communications July 1, 2026 Lucas Henrique Junges, Flávia Lada Degaut Pontes, Francisco J. Teles Mota et al.

A two-step bacterial pathway converting L-tryptophan to the psychoactive alkaloid N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) was reconstructed in Escherichia coli. The pathway combined a tryptophan decarboxylase from Ruminococcus gnavus and a methyltransferase from the cane toad Rhinella marina. Methionine supplementation increased DMT levels 2.8-fold, indicating that methylation capacity is a key constraint. In shake-flask cultures, a co-expression strain produced 103 mg/L DMT after 48 hours in complex medium. Using a tryptophan-enriched supernatant from Corynebacterium glutamicum enabled de novo DMT formation at 16 mg/L in defined medium. The findings identify methyltransferase capacity as a target for yield improvements.

DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2026.e00286 (opens in new tab) Tryptamine Corynebacterium glutamicum Tryptophan Escherichia coli +15

N,N-dimethyltryptamine elicits antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in helpless mice: a comparative study with S-ketamine.

Neuropharmacology July 1, 2026 Anne Nathalia De Sousa-Silva, Clarissa de Almeida Moura, Carina Ioná De Oliveira Torres et al. 1 citation

In helpless mice, the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) produced rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects comparable to the fast-acting antidepressant S-ketamine. DMT at 10 mg/kg reversed escape deficits and reduced immobility in several behavioral tests, with effects lasting up to 8 days, whereas S-ketamine's effects lasted up to 30 hours. DMT also showed anxiolytic-like effects, reversing stress-induced hypolocomotion and increasing open-arm exploration, while S-ketamine did not. Neither drug altered behavior in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. These findings suggest DMT has transdiagnostic therapeutic potential for stress-related disorders.

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2026.110947 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Anxiety Depression Animal models Mouse +2

Registered Clinical Trials of Ayahuasca and DMT: A Scoping Review.

Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics July 1, 2026 Tijana Stojanovic, Kent W Nilsson, Robert Fredriksson et al.

The clinical trial landscape for ayahuasca and DMT expanded rapidly after 2020-2021, dominated by early-stage development. Most trials are phase I, primarily sponsored by academic or hospital institutions, and focus on DMT-only administration. Eligibility criteria are conservative, enrolling medically and psychiatrically healthy adults with extensive cardiovascular and psychiatric exclusions. Primary outcomes prioritize acute safety, physiological monitoring, and characterization of subjective altered-states, while disorder-specific symptom endpoints are less common. Publications from depression-focused trials provide preliminary evidence of potential clinical effects, but the field remains constrained by a limited number of indication-specific programs beyond depression.

DOI: 10.1002/cpt.70311 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab)

Clinical trials

All DMT trials →