Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Subjective effects and patterns of use among Australian recreational users
This survey study (n=121) found that smoking was the most common way of using DMT (98% vs 30% in ayahuasca) amongst Australian users. A general interest in psychedelics and DMT specifically were the main reasons for using it.
Authors
- Cakic, V.
- Potkonyak, J.
- Marshall, A.
Published
Abstract
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is an endogenous hallucinogen with traditional use as a sacrament in the orally active preparation of ayahuasca. Although the religious use of ayahuasca has been examined extensively, very little is known about the recreational use of DMT. In this study, Australian participants (n = 121) reporting at least one-lifetime use of DMT completed an online questionnaire recording patterns of use, subjective effects, and attitudes towards their DMT use. Smoking DMT was by far the most common route of administration (98.3%) with a comparatively smaller proportion reporting the use of ayahuasca (30.6%). The reasons for first trying DMT were out of a general interest in hallucinogenic drugs (46.6%) or curiosity about DMT's effects (41.7%), while almost one-third (31.1%) cited possible psychotherapeutic benefits of the drug. An increase in psychospiritual insight was the most commonly reported positive effect of both smoked DMT (75.5%) and ayahuasca (46.7%), a finding that is consistent with other studies examining the ritualised use of ayahuasca in a religious context. Although previous studies of DMT use have examined ayahuasca use exclusively, the present study demonstrates the ubiquity of smoking as the most prevalent route of administration among recreational DMT users.
Research Summary of 'Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Subjective effects and patterns of use among Australian recreational users'
Introduction
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a naturally occurring hallucinogen chemically related to serotonin and psilocybin that acts primarily as a serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist and also interacts with TAAR1 and the sigma-1 receptor. While its ritualised oral use in ayahuasca preparations has been studied in religious contexts and is reported to produce psychologically meaningful experiences, the recreational use of smokeable DMT in Western countries has been little examined despite increasing interest fueled by internet resources and subcultural scenes. Cakic and colleagues designed an exploratory study to characterise recreational DMT users in Australia. The investigators aimed to document user demographics, patterns of use (including routes of administration), subjective positive and negative effects, motivations for use, perceived risks and harm-reduction practices, and the broader drug-use profile of respondents. Given the paucity of prior research on smoked DMT outside ceremonial contexts, the study sought to fill that gap by surveying people with at least one lifetime episode of DMT use.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compounds
- Topics
- APA Citation
Cakic, V., Potkonyak, J., & Marshall, A. (2010). Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Subjective effects and patterns of use among Australian recreational users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 111(1-2), 30-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.03.015
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