Dr. Rick Strassman via spiritplants.org IRC
26 05 2007
recorded by pkeffect
recoded by Glandmaster
| Diss | welcome Rick |
| Rick | welcome |
| pkeffect | Let me give you a formal intro Dr. Strassman… |
| Rick | ok |
| pkeffect | Then we have a queue setup for people to ask questions after you are done. |
| pkeffect | Spiritplants.Org would like to welcome everyone for coming to our second guest chat with Dr. Rick J. Strassman. He is the man who jump-started the current push to begin clinical research into psychedelics with human test subjects. Author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule and over 30 peer reviewed articles. His work extends far beyond the scopes of psychedelics alone. His homepage is at: http://www.rickstrassman.com/ There you will find his Biography, links to peer reviewed papers and other information. |
| pkeffect | We would like to thank Dr. Strassman for agreeing to come back for another installment. Thanks also goes out to Kemptom who contacted him. Now without further ado, Dr. Rick Strassman! |
| pkeffect | You can add whatever you like Dr. Strassman |
| pkeffect | the floor is yours |
| Rick | Greetings. Any questions or comments? |
| pkeffect | haha |
| pkeffect | i guess we should open this up then |
| pkeffect | fred, you have the first question. |
| RcHaCk | hey |
| RcHaCk | where all these people come from |
| fred | Hi, thankyou for being here. As you can tell by the name of the chatroom we are mostly plant entheogen enthusiasts, and I’m curious as to how you feel about synthetic psychadelics vs. naturally occuring ones? | nagu-AL | hi all |
| Rick | That’s a tough one to start with! Sort of the Sasha Shulgin Terence McKenna discussion. | ackza | does rick know anything about neurofeedback |
| fred | sorry |
| Diss | Everyone, please let Dr. Strassman, and the person who is in line, ask and answer questions please |
| Rick | I think there are more subtle nuances with the plant materials–because a) there are so many other constituents in plants than just the primary active ingredient. Also the plants tends to have a lot longer history of use, and thus there is a field, I believe, established by the cumulative experiences of everyone who takes the plant. |
| pkeffect | We will voice you when you questions come up…sorry about this but its a huge chat tonight. ;) |
| Rick | That’s okay. I’ll just stay on track with my answer, and see what’s on the screen thereafter. If you could hold the questions until I’ve answered the preceding one, that would make it easier. |
| Crevy | What is the purpose of DMT in the brain? Why do we have it naturally in the first place? |
| Rick | I think we need something in the brain that does what seems to happen to us at various times in our lives. Like silicon in computer chips, DMT is the best material for the purpose of seemingly providing access to free-standing non-corporeal realms. On the other hand, since we are all making DMT all of the time, it may also mediate our perception of everyday reality. |
| pkeffect | Do you have a follow up question Crevy ? |
| Crevy | Good answer :) No follow up question. |
| kemp | Thank you Crevy |
| ]3six5[ | Dr. Strassman; in your opinion, do you think dmt is the chemical that colors your dreams? or could there be some other neural mechanism that does this? |
| Rick | Jace Callaway wrote an article in Medical Hypotheses several years ago suggesting that the pineal gland makes a beta-carboline MAO inhibitor, called pinoline. This pinoline then allows endogenous DMT to more powerfully exert its effects. He suggested this was a “mechanism of dreams.” There clearly are other psychedelic compounds made in the brain besides DMT, and these might color dreams, too. Such as 5-methoxy-DMT, end |
| ]3six5[ | ah, ok |
| ]3six5[ | next q.. |
| ]3six5[ | do you think is possible that the plants that produce dmt have some sort of dream consciousness / dream body or some presence in the realms of dream consciousness? |
| Rick | I think plants are conscious, and this may relate to the fact that so many plants contain DMT. Maybe those plants that contain DMT and our bodies that contain DMT, might experience a unique resonance. |
| Rick | I do think DMT and related compounds show higher levels during dreams; also other non-corporeal states. |
| ]3six5[ | wow, next question; |
| ]3six5[ | do you know of any exercises that can strengthen the pineal gland or activate the pineal gland? |
| TiK | I was wondering if you could please comment on the similarity in phenomonology between DMT and high concentrations of Salvinorin A, despite such radically different pharmacology. Particularly the aspect of sentient beings who are expecting the tripper, which you have emphasized, seems to be a very common trend. |
| TiK | How does Salvinorin then fit in to your theories of the endogenous nature of the psychedlelic experience, or of other realms visited by multiple different trippers? I guess basically how you would say the two are the same and different with reference to your research? Thank you kindly. |
| Rick | The only thing I’ve heard of is the practice of long-term exposure to darkness. There are cave-retreats being offered which theoretically stimulate pineal growth, similar to what occurs in other mammals. If the pineal makes DMT and related compounds; then a bigger pineal might make more. |
| ]3six5[ | thank you doctor |
| TiK | Oops |
| TiK | sorry jumped the gun |
| ]3six5[ | i was out of line tik, s’all right |
| kemp | No problem |
| Rick | I’m a little baffled by salvinorin. It isn’t an amine, like all other psychedelics. And certainly, the tryptamine and salvinorin realms appear rather similar. |
| TiK | Would you think that it is possuble the same places are being visited on DMT and Salvia? |
| Rick | I don’t think so–there are enough differences between the 2 states to make me think they’re different. But, they do seem to have more similarities than differences. What is your sense of how they compare? |
| TiK | Mainly the apect of other sentient beings, the sense of foreboding approaching a trip |
| TiK | And mainly in that ther just are not as many other drugs that give you a full dissociative expereince |
| Rick | I don’t think so–there are enough differences between the 2 states to make me think they’re different. But, they do seem to have more similarities than differences. What is your sense of how they compare? |
| TiK | Mainly the apect of other sentient beings, the sense of foreboding approaching a trip |
| TiK | And mainly in that ther just are not as many other drugs that give you a full dissociative expereince |
| Rick | The foreboding may relate to the speed and loss of control. The sentient beings are similar. |
| TiK | It is strange they are sosimilar in effect when how they work is so astoundingly diferent |
| Rick | TPCP and ketamine are dissociative. |
| TiK | Ah yes, I guess you are right that a lot could have to do with the speed they come on with |
| TiK | And the intensity. |
| ObOdAoUr | Hello Dr. Strassman, nice to meet you, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the possible use of dmt in treatment of ocd/anxiety disorders? On another note… My second question is what role do you think DMT and other such substances played in the ancient mystery relions/cults such as the eleusinian mysteries etc. ? |
| Rick | DMT, at least smoked, is so short acting, that one can’t do much work with it in therapy. With ayahuasca, though, you see more of a mushroom type trip, and psilocybin has been found useful in obsessive-compulsive disorder. I just co-wrote a paper describing the low levels of anxiety in ayahuasca users. |
| Rick | Your 2nd question–a lot has been written on the Eleusian mysteries and ergot alkaloids found in the drink served in those rites. Ruck and Hofmann and some one else wrote a book about this. |
| Rick | Re: OCD–the fact that one session of psilocybin helps so much makes me think its as much a psychological effect as a pharmacological one. |
| ObOdAoUr | thank you :) |
| pinky | Hello Dr. Strassman! In your book you mention that Danny Freedman, a man described by you as “the most powerful individual in American psychiatry at the time”, refused any help with your study if it were officially examining anything other than the various pharmacological effects of DMT on the body. |
| pinky | Yet later in your book you make clear that you go into great detail in observing and recording the psychological and emotional responses of the subjects in the study. |
| pinky | So my question is: did you in fact make it appear as if your study was officially only examining strictly the pharmacological activity of DMT in the lengthy process of weaving through the labyrinth to get your process approved by the DEA, FDA, and the sources of your funding? |
| kemp | pinky lays on the pressure |
| Rick | Well, I needed to write protocols that provided a way for me to give the drug. The most objective variables are biological and pharmacological ones. At the same time, we developed new and relatively sophisticated rating scale to asess psychological effects. Of course I was interested in what I thought would be very interesting reports of effects. And, I describe earlier in the book my deeper motivations. |
| pkeffect | to make this a bit easier rick, when you are done answering, give an “end” |
| pkeffect | ;) |
| Rick | okay |
| pkeffect | thank you |
| Rick | end |
| pkeffect | hehe |
| kemp | and, if you’ld like to take a break soon for 5 or 10 minutes we can do that |
| enkiavatar | Hello Doctor. I have two questions of which the first has two parts: 1. what is your take on the significance of animal use of psychedelic plants as documented, for example, by Giorgio Samorini & Robert Montgomery in “Animals and Psycheledics”? 2. what do you think, if any, is the role of psychedelic plant use in human evolution? |
| Rick | Animals share several aspects of the soul with us. That is, the mineral, vegetable, and animal layers of the soul. Some humans find psychedelic plant effects desirable for the perceptual, emotional ,etc., effects. To the extent animals experience sentience, though the aegis of the soul, similarly, they will find psychedelic effects desirable. END |
| Rick | Oh, the 2nd question. |
| enkiavatar | And last question: Do You Think think that the DMT experience can be simulated w/o chemicals via an apparatus similar to the “god helmet” used in the work of dr. Persinger? |
| Rick | I think we’re co-evolving with plants. Perhaps the surge in interest in DMT and ayahuasca involves plants attempting to strengthen their conscious connections with us in order to slow the rate of environment damage. |
| Rick | end. |
| enkiavatar | And last question: Do You Think think that the DMT experience can be simulated w/o chemicals via an apparatus similar to the “god helmet” used in the work of dr. Persinger? |
| Rick | I am not too familiar with Persinger’s work, and don’t know how close his subjects’ experience match ones of our volunteers. However, it’s certainly conceivable that EMF fields could stimulate substantial DMT release once all the relevant parameters were understood. END |
| Puppy | begin |
| kemp | need help Puppy? |
| Puppy | yes |
| kemp | Dr. Strassman….in your experience…ayahuasca vs. pharmahuasca vs. homemade brew vs. pure DMT in clinical setting…just your observations as to differeces or similarities. I have had neither. We are all looking for the SPIRIT!!! |
| kemp | there ya go |
| kemp | puppy can you clarify your question? |
| Rick | I don’t know much about pharmahuasca effects. But, DMT and ayahuasca certainly are of the same ilk. Ayahuasca is much more amenable to deep psychological and physical work than smoked DMT. Smoked DMT certainly is a unique experience, even more so is IV. I think homebrewed vs jungle brew relates to the ambience–the field of the preparation. Also, the tricks of the trade learned by folks who have been brewing it a certa |
| Rick | OK |
| Puppy | If this is okay to ask, Rick, have you had DMT experience or say a trip at Wasiwaska with Dr. Luna? end |
| Rick | I’ve taken ayahausca in Brazil. And otherwise, I don’t refer to activities that are illegal! end |
| deloun | Hello Dr. Strassman. Do you think that DMT gives acces to another reality that actually exists? Do you think DMT is here for a spiritual reason, if so, why? |
| Rick | I’m okay with watching the conversation, and returning to answers in 5 minutes. Let me answer deloun’s question and then I’ll sit back for awhile. You tell me when to re-enter. |
| kemp | sounds great Rick |
| Rick | I think DMT provides access to another reality. But, that’s so hard to prove. I met Benny Shanon this weekend, an Israeli psychologist who’s take ayahuasca hundreds of times. He believes the experiences are the results of man’s creative faculties, not proof for the existence of alternative realities. Marko Rodriguez just published a paper on testing for the reality of entities, in The Journal Of Scientific Exploration. |
| Rick | I think *something* has to occur biologically when we our conscious is so highly altered as in a “spiritual” state. DMT just happens to be how it was all put together. end. |
| kemp | ok, lets take that break now |
| kemp | thank you Dr. Strassman |
| kemp | “By the way, we have a drawing at the end of the chat for three signed editions of Dr. Strassman’s book “DMT: The Spirit Molecule” - if you want to enter, just send a message to “senz” stating you would like to enter the drawing. |
| —Intermission #1— | —Edited for content not related to the chat— |
| pkeffect | Ok, we are going to moderate the channel again and start the questions back up. If you want to chat while this is going on please visit #ayahuasca.. /join #ayahuasca … you can still pm an OP to be added to the queue |
| pkeffect | Rick we are ready whenever you are sir. |
| Rick | I’m ready. This is a funny and smart group. I enjoyed listening in. end. |
| pkeffect | ok you are up November, and if you need another break Rick let us know. |
| pkeffect | ok you are up November, and if you need another break Rick let us know. |
| November | am i on? |
| November | ok |
| November | hi there everbody |
| November | here it comes |
| November | Hi Dr. Strassman. A quick question. I’m a bit concerned about the health-issue of “smoking” DMT. How bad is inhaled DMT for your health (throat and lungs i.p.)? Can you point me towards any resarch? I havnt’t been able to read your book, so I’m sorry if you have to repeat yourself. |
| Rick | DMT smoking is pretty disgusting. However, I know someone who smoked a 1/4 oz of DMT in 6 months when a young man, and he’s now 70, skis in the Sierras, very active professionally. I don’t know of any published research about smoked DMT. end. |
| November | no further questions mister |
| Pescador | Hello, MR. Strassman. I would like to start with a couple questions about the “psychedelic research network”. First I would like to ask if the person “Bob” of whom you write about in your book on the page ~290 is John Halpern. You say in the book that he liked to take drugs with the volunteers etc. Now after the big Halperngate that happened last year (and still going on) I was just curious about this. His age would match etc (po |
| atreyu | please keep in mind that we do not want to violate anyones privacy |
| atreyu | or incriminate them |
| atreyu | so please plan your questions accordingly. |
| Rick | Well, most definitely, “Bob” was *not* John Halpern. end. |
| Pescador | I have still 2 questions ok, sorry |
| Pescador | I have still 2 questions ok, sorry |
| Pescador | Have you had any “serious” contacts or has the book raised any eyebrows in the scientific world? |
| Rick | The scientific community has been pretty low-key in their reaction to my book. What do you mean by “serious contacts”? end |
| Rick | The “new science” community on the other hand has been very receptive. end |
| Pescador | well i thought if somebody would have been really interested in the hypothesis etc. and wanted to take them a bit |
| Pescador | There was already some questions about salvia. I read on MAPS site that you did some small scale ug work with salvia divinorum and meditation. The last update was from 2005 or so, I think. Do you have any new news about this? Did you try it double blind, on what dosage etc. |
| Rick | Oh, I see. It’s a very quiet field, even now. I still am looking for a young psychiatrist who can do a lot of the legwork next time around. end. |
| kemp | thank you Pescador |
| Rick | I helped with getting the rating scale in order for the salvia-meditation study in Victoria British Columbia Canada. I don’t know how far that study progressed, and lost touch with the fellow who initiated it. end. |
| do-0v0v | Hello Doctor. Are you doing some LSD research nowadays? |
| Rick | We had the drug and permission to start an LSD study. The constraints of the hospital setting were too great for long-acting drugs, which we discovered to be the case in our preliminary psilocybin research. LSD would have been really asking for trouble with the cramped environment. end. |
| Rick | i recently read in some news magazine that the us army is exploring the use of LSD for treating |
| senz | the many iraq-veterans that have post traumatic stress disorder. do you think this will make research |
| senz | with psychedelics easier in general? and do you know of any new research projects that are going on? |
| senz | Hello Doctor. Are you doing some LSD research nowadays? |
| senz | or was that news item just a hoax? |
| pkeffect | sure Rick, after this question go for it. |
| Rick | I’ve not heard of LSD being used for PTSD in Iraq war veterans. It’s a good idea, but they would need a good solid psychedelic psychotherapist involved. Any research will spur more research, so I’m all for whomever has the desire to study these drugs more carefully for human benefit. www.maps.org and www.heffter.org have lists of current research. |
| senz | ah ok, well i meant not that its actually used yet. |
| senz | more that the army is thinking about it because the ptsd-issue is rather big now. |
| Rick | I started a non-profit here in New Mexico and our first project is the development of an ultra-sensitive assay for DMT and related compounds, so we can measure levels in people in all sorts of state–e.g., dreams, childbirth, and the like. That way, we can look deeper into the role of DMT and also not need to begin with all the permits necessary to administer drugs to people. end. |
| pkeffect | anything else you would like to add here Rick before some more questions? |
| Rick | I dropped out of the field, at least ostensibly, in 1995. The next year, my long-standing Buddhist community censured me for my writings about psychedelics and spirituality. A couple years later I stumbled on a book about Jewish approaches to reality. This spurred a return to my Jewish roots and a deep study of Hebrew scripture and commentary. |
| Rick | By so doing, I’ve developed a more solid sense of that spiritual nature of the psychedelic experience. Particularly with respect to what might be called the prophetic state of consciousness. |
| pkeffect | ready for another round? |
| Rick | Thus, I am resuming research, but with a slightly deeper perspective. In addition to the DMT assay study, I’m very interested in seeing if ayahuasca can help drug dependent people. I work in an Hispanic community in New Mexico with a high rate of drug abuse. I think ayahuasca would be an excellent and culturally-sensitive treatment. |
| Rick | Both of these projects I hope will be funded through the new foundation. end. |
| Rick | Ready |
| kemp | By the way, we have a drawing at the end of the chat for three signed editions of Dr. Strassman’s book “DMT: The Spirit Molecule” - if you want to enter, just send a message to “senz” stating you would like to enter the drawing. |
| ackza | By the way, we have a drawing at the end of the chat for three signed editions of Dr. Strassman’s book “DMT: The Spirit Molecule” - if you want to enter, just send a message to “senz” stating you would like to enter the drawing. |
| ackza | neurofeedback |
| Rick | I think it’s possible to experience high dose DMT effects without smoking DMT; that is, through endogenous production. There are not as yet definite data demonstrating DMT production by pineal–I marshall lots of circumstantial evidence in the book, but no hard data. There are other sites of DMT production, for sure, including the brain. So my theories don’t all hinge on the pineal! |
| Rick | I think DMT may be involved REM sleep. We need a good way to measure DMT, and that’s why we’re developing the new assay. I don’t know about mg released. |
| Diss | Please have your questions ready to cut and paste beforehand! |
| Rick | We did some EEG work with DMT, but it was never published. It was presented at a poster session for graduate students at a college in Washington State. end. |
| divstah | So what do you think about the plant known as Salvia divinorum, and do you think it’s a worthwhile plant to conduct clinical research on, and if so, in what fields ? |
| Rick | Salvia is very interesting. We ought to learn more about it, and clinical research makes sense if the proper safeguards are in place. I guess the first line of research is to characterize its effects thoroughly–like we did with DMT. Biological, psychological effects. Tolerance would be interesting to examine, too. Then, figure out how its effects might be used therapeutically. end. |
| Diss | again, folks, due to time constraints, please have your questions ready to cut and paste beforehand, if at all possible |
| adrug | Dr. Strassman, I’d like to know what inspired you to enter this field of study. Did you have personal experiences with psychedelics in your youth that led you to the the career you’ve chosen? I’m not asking specifics, I’m just curious as to what peaked your interest in studying these substances. |
| adrug | I would also like to thank you for your work with melatonin. It has helped me out on many sleepless occassions. |
| adrug | heh |
| Rick | The melatonin work was fascinating. |
| Rick | I always have been interested in how the mind works. And my own subjective experiences have been, at times, extraordinary. So, I wanted to learn more this. I nearly became a Zen novice monk–but it seemed that working in the larger reality was preferable. Put off my own enlightenment, as it were. end. |
| Chris | Dr. Strassman. A relatively straight foreword question compared to some of those you have been fielding so far tonight. Have you been in contact with the producers of Coast to Coast AM to reschedule an appearance since your last visit was ended prematurely? If so, do you know if you’ll be joined by George Noory or Art Bell? |
| Chris | Secondly, where do you stand concerning the neurological perspective that spiritual and psychedelic experience may simply be the excessive stimulation of two antagonistic parts of the brain at the same time. For example, Andrew Newberg and Eugene d’Aquili argued in “Brain Science and the Biology of Belief” that spiritual experiences of the closeness to God can be explained by the malfunctioning of the orientation association area th |
| Chris | at normally controls the you/not-you dichotomy or that Persinger showed that NDE can be brought about by temporal lobe seizures or even electrical stimulation. |
| Rick | I’ve not been contacted by Coast to Coast for another appearance. |
| Rick | Regarding “neurotheology.” It seems that *something* needs to be happening in the brain when “spiritual” experiences are occurring. Next, however, is the issue of cause-and-effect. This gets beyond complicated. But, I’m willing to linger on the issue a little, now. end. |
| fpmx | Greetings from Brazil Dr. Strassman, What were your experiences and conclusions with magic mushrooms and their main psychoactive compounds psilocin, psilocybin ? |
| Rick | We did not get far with the psilocybin work. One of our volunteers ran out of the hospital as she was peaking; and that convinced me that we needed another environment. Our plans were to characterize psilocybin effects in the same manner in which we did for DMT: biological and psychological effects. Once we got some experience giving psilocybin, I had hoped to perform some other studies with it–psychological, pharmacolo |
| pkeffect | need to tap enter a bit more often Rick, so you don’t get cut-off |
| Rick | okay |
| Clickeyu | taps the mic… |
| Clickeyu | Rick, for my thesis Im writing a review of mdma research in human subjects. Im wondering about the difficulties youve had performing scientific experiments on human subjects with psychadelics. I know its generally very hard and studies where for instance mdma is administered to human subjects, such as those by Vollenweider, MAPS etc, have been widely criticized by certain people (Ricaurte etc). How do you think the opportunities of do |
| Clickeyu | and the last part |
| Clickeyu | How do you think the opportunities of doing psychadelic research on human subjects will develop in the future, looking at aspects such as study approval, peer review climate, etc. |
| Rick | I wrote a paper describing the permit process, and this helped others get their research off the ground. Getting permission to do the studies is different than running the experiments and writing them up. There are general and specific criticisms level at specific psychedelic research studies. I’m happy to correspond more with you through e-mail, so let the hosts know you’d like my email address. |
| Clickeyu | thank you |
| Rick | I think if research is well-designed, and the investigators are well-qualified, there are not that many obstacles to getting permission. Funding is more difficut. end |
| fennucci | How do you think we came about being able to produce DMT in our brain, & why. Obviously we have eyes to see and a nose to smell, but why do you think we’ve developed the ability to produce something so powerful. end~ |
| Rick | Many plants produce DMT; all mammals do, too. It seems like a relatively common channel through which sentiency is produced. Meaning, that DMT is the most suitable chemical to service that purpose. Like silicon is the best material for computer chips. We are all producing DMT all the time–so its role in everyday consciousness is probably crucial, too, not just in highly altered states. end. |
| azure | Rick…Earlier, in discussing the contribution of your Jewish heritage to your renewed interest in psychedelic research, you observed ‘I’ve developed a more solid sense of that spiritual nature of the psychedelic experience. Particularly with respect to what might be called the prophetic state of consciousness.’ |
| azure | I’m a pre-med biochem student at UNM who has intermittently had some interest in eventually doing psychedelic research, but have alot of doubts about how useful these materials–working at the level of the spirit–are in the hands of a psychologist/psychiatrist: is this ’spiritual nature’/'prophetic state’ in fact, something that can be understood through the scientific method, and if so…how? |
| Rick | I think we can characterize what is the state of “prophecy,” either induced by drugs or endogenously. But, more importantly, we need to understand how to channel its power for the highest good. And this requires investigation into much more than just the drugs and their effects. For example, what sort of moral, ethical, interpersonal behaviors naturally flow from that state. |
| Rick | I think we may have to come up with a new hybrid |
| azure | would this understanding have any sort of practical application in the practice of medicine? |
| Rick | That hybrid is of science and religion. Science is too narrow, and religion is too hegemonistic and wedded to the content of certain dogmas. But, we can use the best of both worlds, I think. Sort of a clinical spiritual research. end. |
| Rick | re: practical applications. |
| azure | last question, thank you |
| kemp | Would you like to take another break Dr. Strassman and continue with a few more questions in a while if you are still up for it? |
| Rick | I think certainly we can turn some of those effects towards therapeutic end points. |
| Rick | end |
| Rick | Sure, we can take a break like the 1st one. Then after the next round, I’ll need to attend to personal matters. end. |
| kemp | great! |
| kemp | thank you again |
| —Intermission #2— | —Edited for content not related to the chat— |
| kemp | By the way, we have a drawing at the end of the chat for three signed editions of Dr. Strassman’s book “DMT: The Spirit Molecule” - if you want to enter, just send a message to “senz” stating you would like to enter the drawing. He won’t be responding to the PM’s, but you will be entered in the drawing. |
| Rick | I’m here. |
| Rick | Ready. |
| Rick | It’s hard to keep track, but I can chime in, if it’s okay with the moderators. |
| atreyu | rick - Please! feel free |
| Johnpdx | if you dont have respect and a connection with salvia, it will just be a weird trip. you can find balance and harmony in it when you use it correctly. |
| pkeffect | Rick, I know you have things to do. If it is ok with you, I would like to take down some questions we might not get to and email them to you. Maybe whenever you have time you can reply so I can ammend them to the log from this chat ? |
| Rick | Salvia is not DMT, although it certainly is more available. The qualitative effects are different, although similar. I don’t hear the same kind of stories re: salvia I do with DMT. Salvia seems to have a more menacing vibe. end. |
| DeLude | Hi Dr Strassman, a single and broad question coming from a psychology student in Bulgaria: |
| DeLude | What is your view of future developed consiousness altering mechanisms through less intrusive, more controllably and possibly more easily applicable methods (than currently used chemical and electrical neuro-stimulation methods)… |
| DeLude | in the context of research, self-application for reacreation, healing, self-improvement, etc. |
| Rick | My Zen practice…Well, I don’t associate with the Zen community I had for over 20 years. I learned a lot from them. But, it ultimately didn’t satisfy by Western Jewish bones. The issue of God specifically. And how to live one’s life in the everyday world. end. |
| Rick | Taking down questions and e-mailing them to me is fine. People can e-mail me through my site, too. rickstrassman.com |
| pkeffect | Thanks. |
| psych | Hi Dr., really nice to have you here.. |
| psych | Do you think one can reach same (spiritual, as you said) state of consciouss we have while ‘journeying’ without drugs ? 2) As a brazilian, I would like to know if you did any other work/research/study during your visit down here? |
| Rick | Neurostimulation…It’s possible to active endogenous DMT production, I’m sure. It’s just that right now to get a big amount in your brain, it’s easiest to administer it. |
| Rick | I didn’t do any research in Brazil when I was there in 1996. I was attending a conference in Manaus. I love Brazil. |
| psych | ok thanks :) |
| dimethyl | Hi Dr. Strassman, I’d like to thank you for taking time to communicate with the community, and say that it’s an honour to be able to chat with you. |
| dimethyl | I’ve recently read information about the discovery of the Trace amine-associated receptors, and of alpha-Endopsychosin, an endogenous ligand for the PCP receptor. Finding that phenylethylamine and amphetamine (and possibly pheromone) chemicals modulate the trace amine receptors (which cascades into other receptor systems), and that there are indeed endogenous possibly dissociative chemical(s), do you have any comments on the possible implications of these chemicals and receptor areas, and their links to states of ‘mystical & psychic experiences’ and mental disorders/illness? |
| dimethyl | Do you think the discovery of new receptor areas and endogenous ligand compounds will almost entirely re-arrange the way these states, disorders, and chemical receptions/interactions are thought about in the very near future? Also, any speculation on other possible new receptor dimethyl> areas and their relation to interesting psychoactive compounds? |
| Rick | The trace amine receptor has blown a bit of fresh air into the field of psychedelic studies. |
| Rick | It’s only a matter of time before people are talking about psychedelic consciousness in the same way in which we nowadays talk about the unconscious, psychological mechanisms, like denial. Freudian slips, the meaning of dreams, etc. |
| Rick | That is, it will be common knowledge and so true for most people that the arena of discussion of these states will extend into ordinary conversations. |
| Rick | At least, that’s my optimistic stance. end. |
| nagu-AL | Hi Doc, i like how you ended your book…”And then i opened my eyes”. Great stuff… |
| Rick | I think I’ll sign off in 9 minutes. end. |
| nagu-AL | Anyway, could you speculate on long-term tolerance of parenterally (ie smoked) use of DMT? It has been noted by people who have smoked it over 100 times that they don’t really get much out of it anymore… |
| nagu-AL | This kind of long-term tolerance doesn’t seem to develop with ayahuasca. The general feeling seems to be that there simply is no more work for them to do in that space, |
| nagu-AL | and that’s why not much happens when they smoke it these days… |
| nagu-AL | But is there a possible scenario that this could be a bio-chemical phenomenon , in that the way the DMT is introduced to the system in ayahuasca (via MAO inhibition) prevents this tolerance from developing? |
| nagu-AL | What could be the role of melatonin in all of this? |
| Rick | I haven’t heard of long-term tolerance to smoked DMT. In fact, my friend who’s smoked so much DMT found it continually effective. |
| Rick | I agree that ayahuasca with its other constituents, might prevent long-term tolerance (if indeed this is an issue with pure DMT). |
| Rick | I don’t know how melatonin would fit into this scenario. I suppose we’d need to look at melatonin in response to ayahuasca. DMT didn’t stimulate melatonin secretion in our studies. end. |
| Dosage_San | Hello Strassman. I’d like to know your opinion on the role of DMT (or psychedelics in general) as a trigger for self-improvement. Be it awakened desire for spiritual growth or healthier lifestyle… Even if there is no contact with subject during the journey, after few days you come to realise the issues you have to work with. What’s the underlying process? What is happening in the “background” that our conscious mind don’t see/realise (and put to form as ideas)?. Spiritual guidance seems cheap/easy answer to this. |
| Dosage_San | Thanks for being here. Suvi says hi! |
| Rick | The Zen monks I spoke with, in my (and their) 20’s, all seemed to agree that LSD provided them with the first view of truly expanded awareness. For them, the next step was to work on it in smaller more manageable parses–everyday life, and meditation, and ritual. Huston Smith likes to point out that psychedelic experiences are not the same as a psychedelic life. |
| Rick | I’m not sure how this works. Certainly, people have new insights on psychedelics, psychologicaly that is. However, we may open ourselves up to “spiritual” issues that work behind the scenes. |
| Rick | And then there are the biological effects that might take time to settle in. end. |
| pkeffect | Ok people, its time for goodbyes, if you want your questions asked to Rick to be answered later just PM me. |
| pkeffect | I’d like to personally thank Dr. Strassman and Kemp for making this happen. Also a thanks to all of you for being here and being respectful of our guest. |
| pkeffect | I’d like to personally thank Dr. Strassman and Kemp for making this happen. Also a thanks to all of you for being here and being respectful of our guest. |
| cenacle_ | thank you doctor!!!! |
| pkeffect | Thanks Rick |
| nagu-AL | :) |
| ]3six5[ | dr: whats your favorite color? who’s your favorite musical artist? and; who is your favorite visual artist? |
| Maitreya | thnx :) |
| davidvennik | DANKE SCHOEN! |
| Obsidian | thanks Rick |
| ohm | Thank you Dr Strassman!!!!!!!! much love @ you :D |
| ObOdAoUr | thanks alot |
| kemp | Well, I really want to thank you Dr. Strassman for coming by again to our little chat. You really bring in a great crowd everytime you show up! |
| sHR00m | thank you dr strassman |
| ObOdAoUr | come by and chat sometime! |
| ObOdAoUr | very insightful |
| ]3six5[ | and thank you again Dr. |
| Diss | Thank you Dr. Strassman, very much |
| Ignitrance | thanks Dr. rick |
| Basidia | ahh, I was next to ask a question. Eh, thanks Dr. for your time. :) |
| p_q | goddamn did not have time to aask, but thank you rick |
| p_q | :( |
| Rick | I like blue. I like Shpongle and Bach; and I like Alex Grey and Anderson Debernardi and Pablo Amaringo. |
| ]3six5[ | <3 <3 <# |
| Obsidian | hey I was gonna ask that |
| ]3six5[ | awesome RICK!! |
| Puppy | YIPPEE! |
| Maitreya | you can email him |
| Obsidian | shpongle? |
| cenacle_ | sphongle! |
| cenacle_ | whoot |
| pkeffect | stick around for the book give-aways |
| Rick | Signing off for now. Feel free to contact me through my site. |