Meditation

Dr. Strassman’s studies investigated the effects of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful entheogen, or psychedelic, that he theorizes is produced by the human brain in the pineal gland. DMT is found naturally in various natural sources, and is closely related to human neurotransmitters such as serotonin and melatonin, which helped create the basis of this theory. During the project’s five years, he administered approximately 400 doses of DMT to 60 human volunteers. This research took place at the University of New Mexico’s School of Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he was tenured Associate Professor of Psychiatry. Dr. Strassman has conjectured that when a person is approaching death, the pineal gland releases DMT, accounting for much of the imagery reported by survivors of near-death experiences. He wrote about the research program in his book DMT: The Spirit Molecule, and a documentary movie based on this book is currently in production. Dr. Strassman has also conducted similar research using psilocybin, a psychedelic alkaloid found in hallucinogenic mushrooms.