Last week a friend of mine made a connection between DMT, the substance responsible of causing hallucinations on Ayahuasca, and the very same substance allegedly being released into the brain while dreaming.
So fascinating.
« yes, man… » He said « there is a cactus in central america that produce the dream substance. true story ».
– Sascha
I’m a sucker for this kind of things. I also don’t quite like being the one spreading urban myths though, so I decided to look into it…
Dr. Rick Strassman conducted clinical studies of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) inside the human body during the 1990s and hypothesised that it is produced in the pineal gland and released during REM sleep.
The pineal gland, otherwise known by some as ‘the third eye’, is responsible for regulating our sense of time, and is found in practically every vertebrate species.
Neurobiologist Andrew Gallimore (2013) suggested that while DMT might not have a modern neural function, it may have been an ancestral neuro-modulator once secreted in psychedelic concentrations during REM sleep, a function now lost.
Sections of Banisteriopsis caapi vine are macerated and boiled alone or with leaves from any of a number of other plants, including Chacruna or Chaliponga. The resulting brew may contain the powerful psychedelic drug DMT.
The traditional making of Ayahuasca follows a ritual process that requires the user to pick the lower Chacruna leaf at sunrise then say a prayer.
« The guy didn’t have any cash. He’s one of these Satanism freaks. He offered me human blood – said it would make me higher than I’d ever been in my life »
He laughed.
« I thought he was kidding, so I told him I’d just as soon have an ounce or so of pure adrenochrome – or maybe just a fresh adrenalin gland to chew on. »
I could already feel the stuff working on me. The first wave felt like a combination of mescaline and methedrmne.
Maybe I should take a swim, I thought.
«They nailed this guy for child molesting, but he swears he didn’t do it. ‘Why should I fuck with children?’ he says; ‘They’re too small!’ »
He shrugged.
« Christ, what could I say? Even a goddamn werewolf is entitled to legal counsel… I didn’t dare turn the creep down. He might have picked up a letter-opener and gone after my pineal gland. »
« Why not? » I said.
« He could probably get Melvin Belli for that. »
I nodded, barely able to talk now. My body felt like I’d just been wired into a 220-volt socket.
« Shit, we should get us some of that stuff » I muttered finally. « Just eat a big handful and see what happens. »
« Some of what? »
« Extract of pineal. »
He stared at me.
« Sure, that’s a good idea. One whiff of that shit would turn you into something out of a goddamn medical encyclopedia! Man, your head would swell up like a watermelon, you’d probably gain about a hundred pounds in two hours… claws, bleeding warts, then you’d notice about six huge hairy tits swefling up on your back… »
He shook his head emphatically. « Man, I’ll try just about anything; but I’d never in hell touch a pineal gland. »
– Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (film)
The pineal gland produces melatonin, a serotonin derived hormone which modulates sleep patterns in both circadian and seasonal cycles.
There is no evidence that DMT is produced in the human brain.
« It seems to me like that is a myth, or at least something not yet proven to be true. […] Trying to understand where this association between dreams and DMT comes from (apart from the hallucinogenic nature of both), DMT is structurally similar to serotonin and melatonin, which are both known to play an important role in regulating sleep, so it’s reasonable to assume DMT would have an effect on sleep regulation too. Serotonin does a lot in the brain, and DMT can affect some of the same receptors in the brain as serotonin, so this leaves just enough wiggle room for my favourite game in science: wild speculation. »
Author Hunter S. Thompson mentions adrenochrome in his book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The adrenochrome scene also appears in the novel’s film adaptation. In the DVD commentary, director Terry Gilliam admits that his and Thompson’s portrayal is a fictional exaggeration.
Adrenochrome is synthesised by oxidation of adrenaline in the adrenal glands. It may create mild euphoria, but there really are no psychoactive effects documented from this drug.
The confusing arranging of information in this post is deliberately intentional.
WORD OF THE DAY [de]: Quatsch (Nonsense)