Could the human capacity for mystical experience to be a matter of biochemistry?
this question Rick Strassman sat apart in his research. And not only the results of his studies can now be found in the book "DMT The molecule of consciousness". Starting with the first concern of the author of psychoactive substances, the nerve anfolgenden paperwork with internal university committees, DEA and FDA, to the detailed description of the test series to the evaluations and conclusions Strassman tells in detail of each step of his amazing venture.
In the years of investigations (1990-1995) he was a clinical psychiatrist at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. After 20 years of research ban, he can set it to five years can do to volunteer experiments with DMT. DMT (Dimethhyltryptamin) is one of the lesser-known psychedelic substance that occurs naturally in various plants and animals. As such, one of the active DMT of ayahuasca, which use South American shamans for their vision trips. And it occurs as an endogenous substance in the human body. Structurally it is a simple molecule that has similarity with the serotonin and melatonin.
One of the theses Rhinestone Mans, considered it to be closer with the help of the studies was that endogenous DMT is produced in the pineal gland and the people in the most extreme situations of his experience (the moment of birth or death) is available . Also, a combination of schizophrenia and abnormal DMT budget he supposed. First it was
however, to find volunteers, appropriate facilities and a test set could design to make reliable statements about the effectiveness of the substance. Once these conditions were in place, Strassman examined the relationship between dose and effect, exploring the possible development of tolerance and researched experimentally in the question of exactly what serotonin receptors DMT develops its effectiveness. And in connection with the above-mentioned question, let Strassman the experience of his subjects to describe in detail. These reports make for a biochemical introduction and description of the course through the offices of the main part of the book.
And indeed: many of the subjects experienced mystical states in which repealed time, space and ego-boundary were. Most of them described these experiences for years to come as the most important in their lives. But totally unexpected encounters a problem along. It has been repeatedly reported contacts with beings from other planes, most of which bore the character of what report people who believed themselves abducted by aliens. So is there a relationship between endogenous DMT and abduction experiences? A foot on the quantum theory of parallel universes adoption is one of perhaps the most important results of these investigations. The experience was described as Nahtodeserlebnisse experienced by the subjects, mainly at higher doses of DMT, which is administered intravenously in all cases was injected.
was with the various descriptions of it, however difficult to draw conclusions to operate without further study. The material was Strassman difficult to structure content and the biochemical results were far more complex must be designed to get more concrete form than presumptions endogenous DMT. But there are proposals for future trials, there is at least become clear that in a broader resumption of research on psychoactive substances a lot of data should be collected in order to get reliable results.
1995, Strassman then his psychedelic research after a few setbacks. This led him to question again the purpose in such isolated studies, since none of his volunteers, in relation to the deep mystical experience, a re-orientation took place in his life. A mono-causal relationship between mystical, drug-induced experience and changes in life circumstances do not exist. This is just one of the major points of frustration Buddhists Strassman, who had believed in idealistic view that such experiences change people profoundly. In the context of spiritual discipline, the matter would probably otherwise, the author.
With Rhinestone's courageous investigations to answer some questions, others left open and raised a host of new. The research with DMT, the consciousness molecule could therefore be continued.
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