DMT

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Science & Tech

DMT

hallucinogen

Also known as: N,N-dimethyltryptamine, dimethyltryptamine

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 • Article History

Category: Science & Tech

Abbreviation:: of Dimethyltryptamine

Related Topics:: hallucinogen

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DMT, powerful, naturally occurring hallucinogenic compound structurally related to the drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). DMT blocks the action of serotonin (a transmitter of nerve impulses) in brain tissue. It is inactive when taken by mouth and produces effects only when injected, sniffed, or smoked. The hallucinatory action begins about five minutes after administration by injection and lasts for about an hour. Naturally formed DMT has been found in the body fluids of persons suffering from schizophrenia. It also has been synthesized chemically. DMT is contained in cohoba, the hallucinogenic snuff made from the seeds of Piptadenia peregrina and used by the Indians of Trinidad and the Llanos in northern South America at the time of early Spanish explorations.