DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences Kindle Edition

...as Dr. Strassman arrives at some very different conclusions from the ideas he expresses before and during the trial process...and i whole-heartedly agree with his arrival at the idea that the DMT experience may not be something that we can easily describe or quantify with human communication.MY conclusions: 1) DMT is not a toy, and 2) there may be a reason that the body strictly controls the production of DMT...as it may be a substance that is produced only when we are "in extremis."my disclaimers:1) although i am not a scientologist, i do not subscribe to the fields of psychiatry & psychology...and the ever-expanding Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). these fields essentially dictate: if you don't see and react to the physical world in the same way i do, then you are crazy...and i can lock you up in a mental facility.the myriad variations of personality & consciousness of human beings are not quantifiable or completely describable, except on an individual basis...and perhaps not even then.[edit 15aug2017] i mention my opinion on the "psych" field only because Strassman seemed to feel it necessary to put the experiences of the research subjects into the 'correct' description check-boxes of human behavior required by the DSM and therapeutic technique. there were a few times when i read what Strassman quoted the patient as saying about a DMT experience, and when i read his summation of that experience, it didn't seem to be AT ALL what the patient described...sometimes in the patient's intent and sometimes in the patient's description of an experience.it isn't until the Conclusion section that Strassman begins to realize that he might have done better to simply provide a source of mostly silent comfort to the patient, while recording the patient's report of the experience...WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO LEAD THE PATIENT INTO THE REQUIRED SOCIETAL EXPLANATIONS.the other truly disturbing example of this behavior is the "recovered memory" industry, which seems to push, push, push to get the societally desired response from the patient...in order to reinforce the societal backstory currently in play.in the 1980s, it was determined by the psych industry that we were all co-dependent, which is what i said to my Ph.D psychologist sister after reading an article she gave me. "Well, B___, this seems like a mandate for job creation for the psych industry...but not much more than that," and we haven't really communicated much since then.to sum up: in my opinion, the psych industry is determined to convince the world that they have all the answers to all the world's mental and behavior problems...but DMT transcends all those answers because it is an ineffable experience, and, therefore, incapable of being expressed to others in any meaningful way. the psych industry doesn't like what it can't categorize and/or quantize. 2) i do not believe that the brain is the electro-chemical producer of "consciousness" or "soul." i believe that consciousness is the very fabric of the universe..and our souls are a part of that consciousness.as one of my philosophy professors put it (in the 1980s): God (or, the universe) is Thinking...thinking about thinking. (thank you, Robert Helbling.)i believe that the brain IS the administration building for the body...in other words, a set of civil servants responding to the requests for materials from individual cells or groups of cells in the body.3) i believe that the brain functions as a FILTER to keep the rest of the universe OUT of our current existence in this dimension of existence...ONLY TO KEEP US FOCUSED ON THE TASK(S) AT HAND IN THE HERE AND NOW.by taking DMT, we are asking to take a peek at things that we have great difficulty understanding in our present state. if we take DMT (or shrooms) without the right intent, then we are wasting our time and money...and confusing & scaring ourselves with visions of things that are beyond our ability to comprehend at the moment.psychedelics are an absolute miracle, and they must be given the respect they deserve.LONG LIVE THE PINEAL GLAND!

Rich Stassman's account of his ground-breaking research program with the psychedelic drug DMT is more than a scientific chronicle. His tale of the rigors of such an extraordinary undertaking, from the years he spent gaining permission for the study, getting access to the drug, and carrying out the experiments with human subjects, is suspenseful to the end.DMT or di-methyl-trptamine is produced by many organisms and is found abundantly in plants and animal tissue. In humans it is believed that it is produced in the tiny pineal gland, which is situated deep within the brain. Its location in the brain corresponds with Eastern Ayurvedic traditions of the highest "chakra". In reptiles, the pineal is a light sensitive organ, and though this function has been lost in humans, it has been referred to as the "third eye". Descartes called it the "seat of the soul", and in modern times it has been a focal point of consciousness research.Though the academic purpose for the research at the University of New Mexico from 1990 to 1995 was to find the purpose and function of "endogenous" (produced in the body) DMT, as well as its relationship to psychosis, it was Strassman's emersion in the teaching of Buddhism that was his inspiration throughout. Ironically, the findings of his research undermined many of his beliefs and left him alienated from the Buddhist community.Many of his research subjects were experienced psychedelic users, but they were unprepared for the intensity of DMT. One volunteer described his acute ten minute voyage into another dimension as being hit by a "nuclear cannon." While LSD allows the user a self-guided trip, the DMT experience has its own agenda, stripping the subject of any goals, expectations, and ego. As Stassman said, "DMT as the true spirit molecule, gave the volunteers the trip they needed, rather than the trip they wanted."But it wasn't only the volunteers of the experiments that were shocked. Strassman was completely unprepared for his subjects' reports of contact with alien beings, reptiles, and other strange entities. In other cases, they described out-of-body experiences, going through tunnels of light, and meeting relatives, spirits, and angels. Strassman soon realized that these reports were very similar to the modern cultural phenomena of alien abductions and near death experiences (NDE)--neither of which were familiar to him prior to his research project.He theorized that these two phenomena might be caused by excess releases of endogenous DMT from the pineal gland under conditons of stess, such as child birth or severe trauma, causing an NDE. Similarly, a close cousin of DMT, namely melatonin and perhaps DMT itself, is released during the nighttime hours. This, Strassman thought, could give rise to the alien abduction experience, which most often happens in the early morning hours.Near death experiences have often been used to support religious teachings. Perhaps the reverse should be considered. Religion was invented to explain the strange phenomena experienced due to an excess release of DMT in the body.Because of the intense reality of the DMT experience, and the volunteers' rejection of psychological, or biological explanations for their journey, Strassman was forced to consider an even more intriguing explanation. Perhaps, DMT does not cause hallucinogenic experiences, but rather, allows our brain to sense different forms of existing reality. The information we receive from the world is limited by our five senses. It is possible that DMT allows us to sense other dimensions and other realities.In the end the rigors and stresses of the study took a huge toll on Strassman costing him his job and alienation from the Buddhist communtiy. Even though many of the monks, had entered the monistary as a result of the influence of LSD use, their rise to elected power left them unable to support Strassman's research. AS Strassman stated, "Holiness won out over truth."Rich Strassman's writing style makes this book extremely readable, and the DMT subjects' reports and anecdotal stories make the book difficult to put down. This book warrants a "5 star" rating. I highly recommend DMT the Spirit Molecule.This review by David Kreiter, Author of "Quantum Reality: A New Philosophical Perspective."