DMT 101 - Interactive Course

Let's learn about

DMT

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine

AKA The Spirit Molecule, Dimitri, Businessman's Trip

Tap to enter, or swipe to begin

What is it?

DMT is a

naturally occurring psychedelic

Found in hundreds of plants and animals - and in trace amounts in the human body. It belongs to the tryptamine family (the same class as psilocybin and serotonin) and acts mainly on the brain's serotonin receptors.

Comes as a crystalline powder, or brewed into ayahuascaTaken vaporized, or drunk as ayahuasca - which adds an MAOI and changes the interaction risks

1931Made

1956Active

1971Banned

1990Studied

TodayResearch

What does the
research show?

Tap each card to flip and reveal a finding

Tap to flip

Activates sigma-1 receptors - possibly aiding neuroprotection and inflammation control

Tap to flip

A 2026 Imperial College trial found a single dose eased depression for up to 6 months

Tap to flip

Users consistently report vivid encounters with autonomous "entities"

Tap to flip

The body makes its own DMT - though its role is still a mystery

Flip all 4 to continue

How it unfolds

Tap through the journey

Before

Set & setting

Be seated or lying down with a sober sitter close - onset is almost instant.

Intensity

Immersion

Body load

Tap through to the end to continue

Quick check

You're about to smoke DMT for the first time. Onset is seconds. What matters most?

Harm reduction

Tap each to check it off

✓

Have a trusted, sober trip sitter present - with inhalation, incapacitation is almost immediate

✓

Be seated or lying down before you inhale - DMT causes instant loss of motor control

✓

For ayahuasca, do an honest medication and health review first - MAOI interactions can be serious or fatal

✓

Set and setting still matter, even for a 15-minute journey

✓

Don't re-dose in the same session without enough time between - and test your supply

Check all 5 to continue

What are the risks?

Extremely rapid, overwhelming onset - especially smoked - with little time to prepare

Intense ego dissolution, fear, or confusion, especially without preparation

Raised heart rate and blood pressure

Falls and injury from sudden loss of coordination - be seated before you inhale

Interactions: SSRIs can blunt effects; MAOIs (in ayahuasca) risk serious reactions with meds and foods

Tap to reveal the next risk

DMT is short-acting but not gentle. Rare but real psychological distress can persist - especially with a personal or family history of psychosis or mood disorders.

Where it stands

One of the most studied - and least understood - psychedelics

ISchedule I - the U.S. banned DMT in 1971, alongside most classic psychedelics

1990Rick Strassman ran the first U.S. human DMT study in decades

2026an Imperial College trial reported lasting relief from depression

DMT is illegal to possess in most places. A few ayahuasca churches hold religious-use exemptions in the U.S., but the compound itself stays Schedule I.

Myth or fact?

You made it ✦

Go back anytime to revisit. Knowing how DMT really works keeps you and the people around you safer.

Finish →

Course complete

You finished DMT 101. Knowing more keeps you and your people safer.

Sources

erowid.org · psychonautwiki.org · maps.org
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · imperial.ac.uk

Portal is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and this is harm-reduction education central to our mission - not medical or legal advice, and never an endorsement to use any drug. We do not encourage or promote using any substance. DMT is a powerful psychedelic, illegal in most places, and non-medical use carries real risks. In an emergency, call 911. Need support during or after a journey? The Fireside Project psychedelic peer-support line: 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433), free and confidential.

‹ All courses

›