HaCKeRz KrOnIcKLeZ 3/HaCKeRz_KrOnIcKLeZ.iso/drugs/dmt.info

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                      PROFILES OF PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS

    [Text from a January 1977 journal article by Alexander T. Shulgin]

With this issue we are introducing a new column which will present thumbnail
sketches of the known psychedelic drugs. Rather than an attempt to review the
existing literature on each drug (some would have hundreds of references and
some perhaps two), the facts that are known concerning history, human
pharmacology and human psychopharmacology will be amalgamated into a
"profile." The drugs to be presented will be chosen randomly, rather than with
preference given to popularity, unusual potency, or current availability.
Botanical mixtures will not be considered as such, but as their known active
compnents. As there are upwards of a hundred psychedelic drugs currently
known, it is expected that these "profiles" will eventually form an extensive
reference atlas of compactly prsented drug information.

                               1. DMT

Description and properties:

 DMT, N,N-diemethyltryptamine, Nigerine, desoxybufotenine,
3-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-indole is a white, pungent-smelling, crystalline
solid with a melting point of 49-50 degrees Celsius, hydrochloride salt
hygroscopic, picrate m.p. 171-172 degrees Celsius and methiodide m.p. 215-216
degrees Celsius. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents and
aqueous acids.

History:

 DMT was first synthesized  in 1931, and demonstrated to be hallucinogenic in
1956. It has been shown to be present in many plant genera (Acacia,
Anandenanthera, Mimosa, Piptadenia, Virola) and is a major component of
several hallucinogenic snuffs (cohoba, parica, yopo). It is also present in
the intoxicating beverage "ayahuasca" made from Banisteriopsis caapi, and it
may have oral effectiveness due to the presence of several naturally occuring
inhibitors of catabolic deamination.

Human Biochemistry and Pharmacology:

 Both the parent compound tryptamine and the N-methyltransferase system which
is capable of converting it to DMT, occur in humans, but there is as yet no
evidence that DMT is formed "in vivo". DMT has nonetheless been identified in
trace amounts in the blood and urine of both normals and of schizophrenic
patients, but its origins and functions are unknown. Following intramuscular
administration, maximum blood levels of about 100 ng/ml are observed in 10
minutes, coincident with the maximum changes in electroencephalographic
responses. The plasma clearance t-1/2 [half-life] is about 15 minutes.
Elevated blood levels of indoleacetic acid (IAA) are seen during the time of
peak effects, implying its role as a metabolite. Urine levels of IAA are also
elevated and account for about 30% of the administered drug. An increase in
5-hydroxy-IAA excretion suggests the involvement of serotonin in DMT action.
Unchanged DMT is not excreted.

Human Psychopharmacology:

 DMT is inactive orally at dosages of over 1000mg. With intramuscular
injection, there is an abrupt threshold of activity shown with 30mg, and a
complete psychedelic experience results from the administration of 50-70mg
(75mg subcutaneously, 30mg by inhalation). An unusual feature of the induced
intoxication is the speed of onset and short duration. Within 5 minutes of
administration there is mydriasis [dilated pupils], tachycardia [rapid heart
beat], a measurable increase in blood pressure, and related vegetative
disturbances which usually persist througout the drug experience. In 10-15
minutes, the full intoxication is realized, generally characterized by
hallucinations with the eyes either open or closed, and extensive movement
within the visual field. There is difficulty in the expression of one's
thoughts, and in concentration on a given subject. There is usually a mood
change to the euphoric with unmotivated laughter, but instances have been
reported in which paranoid ideation has promoted anxieties and feelings of
forboding into a state of panic. The subject is largely symptom-free at 60
minutes, although some residual effects have been seen in the second hour.
With the inhalation route of administration the time scale is contracted, with
onset of effects noted in 10 seconds, a short period of full intoxication at
2-3 minute, and a complete freedom from any residual effects within 10
minutes. At higher drug levels, there are increased vegetative symptoms, and
these effectively overwhelm the psychedelic experience at dosages of 150mg
i.m.  Interactions with other drugs are rarely seen; a sensitivity has been
observed with pretreatment with methlysergide, but there is no cross-tolerance
with LSD. Repeated usage does not appear to lead to either physical or
psychological dependency.

Legal Status:

 DMT is explicitly named as a Schedule I drug in the Federal Controlled
Substances Act; registry number 7435.

=============================================================================

      -----------------------------------------
      Merck Index 11th Ed.    Ref RS51.M4  1989
      -----------------------------------------

3251. N,N-Dimethyltryptamine.
      N,N-Dimethyl-1H-indole-3-ethanamine.
      3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]indole.
      DMT.

      C12H16N2  -   mol wt 188.26; C 76.55%, H 8.57%, N 14.88%

Occurs naturally in plants with hallucinogenic properties.
Isoln from the leaves of Prestonia amazonica (Benth.)
Macbride (Haemadictyon amazonicum Spruce & Benth.),
Apocynaceae: Hockstein, Paradies, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 79,5735(1957).
Synthesis: Szara, Experimentia 12,441(1956)
using the method of Specter, Anthony J. J.Am.Chem.Soc. 76,6209(1954).
Relationship between hallucinogenic activity and electronic configuration:
Snyder, Merril, Proc.Nat.Acad.Sci. USA 54,258(1965).

                              H
                         /\   N
                        // \ / \
                       |   ||  ||
                       |   ||__||
                        \\ /     \
                         \/       CH2CH2N(CH3)2

Crystals, mp 44.6°-46.8°. pKa 8.68 (ethanol-water).
Freely sol in dil acetic and dil mineral acids.

Picrate, mp 169.5°-170°
Methiodide, mp 216°-217°

Caution: This is a controlled substance (hallucinogen) listed in the
         U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 Part 1308.11 (1985).

=============================================================================

DMT is Dimethyl Tryptamine =  N,N Dimethyl 3-amino-ethyl indole.
It is a powerful hallucinogen, the prototype of this class, and
chemically related to psiloc(yb)in and more distantly to LSD.
Dose: around 60 mg.
Method of ingestion: usually smoked (inactive orally at reasonable doses.)
   Can be combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) to make it
   orally active and increase the duration.
   Could be snuffed or or injected.
Duration of action: 2-5 minutes of peak, around half an hour of cruise.
Side effects: Stimulation and tactile hallucination during trip. No
   perceivable after-effects. No known long term side effects. May be
   some link with schizophrenia, since it has been detected in vivo.
Status: illegal in USA, Australia, most places.
History: is a component of some snuffs used by South American natives.
         also used in combination with MAOIs (harmaline etc.).
Availability: Very rarely available from dealers; rarely synthesised.
         Available from a range of natural sources.
Psychological effects: A very intense but brief trip, not really
         euphoric. Can be frightening because of the sudden onset.
     Not really a party drug, rather an interesting experience.
         More intense than LSD, but hallucinations and perceptual
     changes are of a somewhat different nature.

(these are only my opinions and recollections)


=============================================================================

There are three issues here which are a little confused:
1) strength in the sense of effective dose,
2) strength in terms of subjective intensity,
3) being a superior hallucinogen in some subjective sense.

Comparing DMT and LSD, the first is easy.
The effective dose of LSD is around 100 ug, of DMT is around 60 mg,
so in this sense, LSD is a much stronger hallucinogen.

In terms of intensity, they are difficult to compare. Part of the intensity
of DMT stems from the fact that the onset is virtually instantaneous;
one is taken from feeling normal to the peak of the trip in the space
of a few seconds, and this can be totally disorienting and frightening.
DMT does not have the euphoria of LSD, in fact it can be quite
uncomfortable. Also, the smoking of DMT is quite unpleasant compared
with eating some small object. The types of hallucinations experienced
within the peak of the DMT trip differ markedly from those in the peak
of the LSD trip. This difference is very hard to describe, although
one might contrast the dripping flowing colourful experience of LSD
with the DMT visuals in which everything becomes super sharp to the
point of being ripped into fragments, like placing a photo in a blender.
There is some colour enhancement, but it is more like lightning-bolts
of colour rather than flowing ripples of colour, and colours may
be actually entirely changed and several multiple images seen at once.
The 20-30 minute come-down of DMT is similar in experience and intensity
to a small dose of LSD, however one is likely to be too shattered by
the initial peak to worry about this much. The account Bob posted is
highly subjective and metaphorical (as is this one, I suppose) and I
doubt that many people would experience DMT in the way described there.
However, extending the duration of DMT by the use of monoamineoxidase
inhibitors (Ayahuasca,Yage,etc.) is supposed to be a very intense
experience and could give one time to become more involved in it.
It is possible to lose all contact with the senses and the world
briefly while on DMT, as it is, e.g. from a combination of nitrous
oxide and LSD. Also, psiloc(yb)in seems to have some similarity to
DMT whilst retaining similarity to LSD, in that during the psilocin
experience one can be transported into a different reality, although
one which is still definitely based sensually on this one, and
not be able to remember or understand everday reality.
Other hallucinogenic experiences, e.g. the delerium caused by
anti-cholinergics, might be still more intense than DMT in terms
of being completely removed from traditional reality, but I don't
think anyone would recommend experimenting with these dangerous
substances.

In terms of which is the superior hallucinogen, it depends on your
taste. DMT is very interesting and extremely intense, but not
necessarily pleasant. LSD has more potential for pure recreation.
Most people would probably prefer LSD as a recreational hallucinogen,
and it would be ill-advised for someone who was not very familiar
with coping with the intensity of LSD to be thrust into the
intensity of DMT. On the other hand, if you don't like DMT, you only
have to hang on for a few minutes, whereas if you don't like LSD
you have to hang on for several hours.

This is, of course, apart from the dosage, all subjective.


=========================================================================

152.94.1.10 (L`HOMBRE INVISIBLE) writes:

>INDOLE ETHYLAMINES
>------------------
>Many plants contains psychedelic tryptamines :

> Piptadenia Peregrina
> Phalaris Grundinacea
> Mimosa hostillis
> Desmanthes illioiensis
> Arundo Donax
> etc.

>The DMT/5-methoxy-DMT ... is often located in the roots of the plant

Depends on the species - some contain it in the leaves or the bark.

>My question is :
>Is it possible to smoke the plant-material directly or do you have to
>exctract
>it first ?.

I don't know as much about 5-Me-O DMT as DMT. THere is an important
difference, which is the dose. The former is effective at about
5mg-10mg from memory, the latter at 30-60mg. Thus, it is possible
to obtain sufficient 5-Me-O DMT from smoking some impure unrefined
sources (such as the poison of Bufo alvarius)..
Considering DMT as opposed to 5-Me-O DMT (which is IMHO by far
the more desirable material), and recalling that most people
find the peak of a DMT trip only to last a very few minutes
after smoking (i.e. you have to smoke it all at once, within
a few tokes, to obtain the peak) you can easily calculate the
necessary purity. Let us say, that one is capable of smoking
100mg of material in a few seconds. THis means that a DMT
containing mixture should be at least 30% pure to get sufficient
effect, and a 5-Me-O DMT mixture should be at least 5% pure.
In actual fact, it is not quite as bad as this, because if
you are using a free-base pipe, you can get away with lower
purities because the DMT is quite volatile, so initially, the
smoking process will concentrate the DMT.

Comparing this to plant matter, which might be e.g. 0.3% DMT,
and you see at once, that you would need to smoke about 10 g
in a few seconds which is unrealistic. Hence, chemical
purification is necessary.

The alternative is to take the plant source orally in
combination with the hallucinogenic monoamineoxidase
inhibitor harmaline (and related alkaloids). These
are most readily obtained from Peganum harmala
(or Banisteriopsis caapi) and serve to activate and
potentiate tryptamines, increasing intensity and
duration and giving oral activity to DMT.

> What are the effects (Like the pure stuff (DMT)) ?

A small amount gives a wierd feeling in the body and some
perceptual change. A larger amount gives strong body feelings
and heavy visual effects , somewhat similar to LSD, but
much more based around geometry, and changes of shape
perception. A very large dose is totally awesome, and
people's responses differ, from catatonia, to screaming,
to total ecstasy. Some people describe it as a religious
experience. Many people find they completely leave our
universe for the duration, which is generally up to 5
minutes, with residual effects up to half an hour.
B
>Which plant(s) are best suited ? (Highest in DMT)

There are various possibilities. Since chemical purification
is generally necessary, the plant content is not vitally
important. Most important is supply - the best species
is one which grows locally, and in the US, the best
source is probably Desmanthus illinoensis.

If you wish to receive instructions on how to chemically
purify DMT from a plant source, and more information about
the effects of DMT, mail me at:

but do not hassle the owner of this account by replying to
this address.


===========================================================================

{In article <[e-mail]>, curious@somewhere (Curious Furious) writes:
>
> Hi knowledgeable folks,
>     I have a few questions from a FOAF:
>
> 1) When smoking DMT what is the LD50 ? Can it cause a heart attack?
>
Certainly much higher than the amount beyond which one would have
no concept of what a pipe, DMT, oneself, etc. is. Also much higher
than the amount one could get into ones body by smoking before
it was metabolised. I imagine that even if one hooked oneself
to a machine which continously fed oxygen, nitrogen, and DMT
vapour it would still be hard to _physically_ overdose.
As for heart attack, I have no idea. I can imagine being
scared to death (literally).

> 2) Has anyone tried doing DMT while on MDMA ? Any complications ?

No idea. However, one of the most striking things about DMT is its
brutalness - the rush from completely baseline to another
universe in about five seconds. Starting off baseline does
little to alter the peak (which tends to override anything)
but alters the severity of the onset.
>
> 3) Has anyone tried doing DMT while on 'rooms? Any complications ?

Yup - similar to above, except moreso. It takes a large dose
for the effects of the DMT to become visible over the effects of
the trip (likewise for LSD). Also, it is harder to trip on DMT post
psilocybin or LSD, since there is some cross tolerence.

Some combinations with DMT are worthwhile. A couple of beers
beforehand bluntens and deadens a little which can be very
helpful. A good amount of heads will add to the visual
impact, and a good amount of hash will ad to the wierdness
and otherness. N2O & DMT is interesting, but the combination
is generally intense enough to cause amnesia, and lack of
any kind of regular consciousness for the period of intoxication.

>
> 4) In the book _Archaic Revival_, Terence McKenna mentions some studies
>    that found that DMT is produced heavily while in the deepest stages
>    of sleep. Anybody have a reference for that?

Interesting concept. Like much of McKenna's work, I expect that
the science to back him up is scanty, non-existant, or
occasionally wrong. Makes for a good story, though.
>
> 5) Since DMT is a naturally occurring substance in the human body,
>    if a machine was created which could extract DMT from your own
>    blood, would that machine be considered illegal?

My limited understanding of US law suggests that if humans
contain DMT then their entire weight can be counted as DMT
(since the carrier weight can be included)
Such a theoretical machine as you suggest  would be covered by
paraphernalia laws?
>
> 6) Can any MAOI be used to render DMT active orally?
>
Lamont is the expert on this, and he says yes. I am not convinced,
and I don't think there is any proper research published on
the subject. Even in the case of the traditional harmaline/DMT
interaction, the scientific data is minimal, and it is surmise
only that the DMT is orally activated by the MAOI effect
of the harmaline and not by some other effect.
I hope someone else will fill in the missing details.
>
> thank you for your time.
>
my pleasure.


=============================================================================

With respect to orally activating DMT with an MAOI,
Dennis McKenna has this to say in his '84 review article in J. Psych.
Drugs 16(4):

"The potentiation of the behavioral and pharmacological effects of
tryptamine derivatives by MAOIs has been investigated, although
the specific question of the oral potentiation of DMT and other parenterally-
active derivates has apparently not been investigated.  The effects
of DMT in human volunteers was assessed before and 3 days after treatment
with the MAOI iproniazid (Sai-Halasz 1963). Patients receiving DMT
at a reduced dose following the iproniazid treatment experienced
none of the visual illusions or disturbances of time and space perception
that typify the symptoms of the drug.  They reported only a feeling of
"strangeness."  Patients receiving a dose equivalent to that prior
to iproniazid had a two-phase response.  The first stage was similar
to the usual DMT effects, but less pronounced: illusions and hallucinations
were present but less colorful and only manifested themselves with the
eyes closed.  The second phase was characterized by a persistent feeling
of "strangeness" to which the patients often reacted negatively or
indifferently.  Based on these trials, Sai-Halasz (1963) speculated
that the reduced effects may have been due to the higher 5-HT
concentration in the brain due to MAO inhibition, thus mitigating the
5-HT blocking effects of DMT.  This speculation was also supported
by the observation that prior administration of 1-methyl-d-lysergic acid
butanolamide, a powerful serotonin antagonist, greatly exacerbated
the psychotomimetic effects of DMT (Sai-Halasz 1962)."

So, it would appear that the answer to question 6 hasn't been established.
However, some studies (mentioned above) seem to have been done demonstrating
an interaction between MAOIs and DMT.

J handled most of those questions better than I could, so I
don't have much else to add. I doubt there have been any deaths
attributable to DMT use.  Also, I don't recall endogenous DMT in humans
and Dennis doesn't mention it in his review article so it is either
recent (post 1984) knowledge or it is a misprint by the poster or
publisher and should refer to a related tryptamine.  Or maybe it's
another revalation from the self-constructing machine elves.

    --M@

=============================================================================

Newsgroups: alt.drugs
From: J
Subject: Re: DMT Ingestion Methods
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1993 14:53:35 GMT

DMT is a powerful hallucinogen. No one should take it for granted
or use it lightly.  It is also illegal, although natural sources
are uncontrolled.

In article <[e-mail]> Nathan.Bowen <[e-mail]> writes:
>    Lately, there has been an increasing interest among alt.drugs
>posters concerning DMT in its many forms.  I'm finding the many accounts
>of experiences quite intriguing, but I am still pretty thoroughly in the
>dark concerning methods of usage.  I believe I understand to a
>reasonable extent the various methods themselves, but I cannot find
>sufficient information on the benefits or drawbacks of them.  I seek
>both scientific evidence and subjective reports of the desirability of
>given methods from people who are in a position to know.
>
>    In my understanding, eating/drinking is probably the least desirable
>method, in that it requires a monoamine oxidase inhibitor to be active
>orally.

Each method of ingestion has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Oral DMT/harmaline is potentially the best method of ingestion
in terms of having a truely profound experience of useful duration.
Coming on to the experience a little more slowly gives the user
some time to adjust and to cope with and explore the altered state.
Oral DMT is probably the only viable route for most alt.drugs
readers, who can obtain the plants but who don't have the necessary
experience and equipment to sufficiently purify DMT for smoking,
and who do not have access to synthetic DMT.
Unfortunately, the liquors produced by boiling up plant DMT
sources may well make the user puke.

 Although an account of a very successful ayahuasca experience
>was recently posted that confirmed the possibility of desirable effects
>resulting from oral consumption, the prolonging effect of the
>preparation involved seems to undermine the highly-acclaimed temporariness
>of the DMT experience (hence the Businessman's Trip).
>
Well, the temporariness makes the intensity bareable when the
material is smoked. The oral experience is gentler, but just
as profound, if not moreso. Smoked DMT is so brutal, and the
effect can be so profound, that after much experience, all I
could say was that I couldn't say anything adequate about it,
and so I gave up on it.

>    The most common form of ingestion, at least among the accounts on
>the 'net, is smoking. There are inherent disadvantages to inhaling the
>gases given off by burning matter, but I don't see any way around it,
>and it seems that smoking is also the most accepted method for a
>pleasurable experience.

Don't make the mistake of calling DMT pleasurable - that may
or may not be one of its side-effects :). In fact,
apart from the physical, smoked DMT is more likely to be
dysphoric than oral DMT. A single user may have one DMT
trip which is totally orgasmic, and then another which is
totally horrific, and then another that is neither.
Smoking the chemical is particularly unpleasant to the
mouth, throat, and lungs, and some people find it an
impossible task.

  I don't see how, logically, a water bong or
>some such device could be implemented here, but I'm definitely willing
>(and eager) to be proven wrong.
>
Hot DMT vapours are somewhat soluble in water; if you are smoking
the chemical, then mostly what you are getting is its vapour, and
there is little you can do to improve the quality.

>    The other methods that have been mentioned are snuffs (a la the
>native South American rituals)

The South American snuffs contained various tryptamines. It is
well nigh impossible to get a sufficient dose of DMT from a
snuffed plant source - the concentrations just aren't high
enough. Likewise smoking a plant. The major active in the
snuffs was probably 5-MeO-DMT.

 and injection (for which I can find no
>references).

Lots of experiments in the 60's. If you have something pure
enough to inject, you might as well smoke it and save yourself
the hassle. Likewise, there is probably little advantage to
snorting the pure chemical over smoking it.


=============================================================================

Newsgroups: alt.drugs
From: [e-mail] (Pierre St. Hilaire)
Subject: Re: DMT Ingestion Methods
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 1993 14:50:39 GMT

>    The other methods that have been mentioned are snuffs (a la the
>native South American rituals) and injection (for which I can find no
>references). The snuffs have been reputed as bringing on rapid and
>powerful effects, and that seems to correspond with my knowledge of
>snuffed/injected drugs.  I do not, unfortunately, have a sufficient
>amount of information on the safety of these methods.  I do understand
>the inherent dangers of sending the material directly to your
>bloodstream, in that any impurities will follow just as easily.  Other
>than that, I am fairly in the dark.  This is where the bulk of my
>request lies.  Are these methods as efficient and desirable as they seem
>at the outset?  And, even if they aren't, how do they rank with oral use
>or smoking?  Opinions are as welcome as facts, and any reply will be
>greatly appreciated.  If I get a large enough response, I'll try to
>compile a FAQ or short informational file of some sort.
>

    My experiences and those of others point to the fact that the
subjective effects of tryptamines vary markedly with the route of
absorbtion. While smoking often results in overwhelming experiences it
is possible to have more psylocibin like effects by snorting or eating
small amounts in conjunction with P harmala seeds. It seems also that
5-MeO-DMT and DMT, whose effects differ considerably when smoked, seem
to "converge" in subjective effects when taken orally. I wonder if
other knowledgeable people on the net could substanciate that last
claim.

    Of all the psychedelics, short acting tryptamines seem to have
the most non linear dose-responses curve. Taking twice a barely active
dose will often result in an intense experience! That is the reason
why you should be very careful when taking them orally.

    I recently found a very interesting and potentially safer way
to use 5-MeO-DMT. The key is to dissolve it in distilled water and put
the solution in one of those nose spray bottles in such a way that
each inhalation will dispense about 3-4 mg (Don't screw up there!).
When taken as a nose spray the effects come on more slowly than smoked
(about 1 min. instead of a few sec.) and the effect is more spread out
in time. The nice thing is that it is possible to very accurately
control the dose, which makes the trip a lot more manageable. Taken in
that manner, the effect can be fairly similar to psilocybin, with the
advantage that it is possible to come down within half an hour. I
guess this method could be used with DMT, but you would probably have
to convert the base into a salt (for higher solubility) since you need a
10x higher concentration of DMT in the solution.

                    Pierre St Hilaire
                    MIT Media Lab

=============================================================================

From: [e-mail] (John Eichenseer)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: Re: DMT extraction
Date: 11 May 1994 13:19:35 -0500
Message-ID: <2qr7jn$[e-mail]>

>I am trying to extract DMT from Desmanthus illinoensis.

Ah, good luck, and do post your results...

>    So, what do you think?  Will this method work?  Is there any
>better way that is easier (this is pretty easy) or more efficient?

In his book Pharmacotheon, Jonathan Ott mentions experiments in which
he extracted the alkaloids via boiling water. In fact, I think he may
have just strained hot water through the finely ground material, like
making coffee. He did this in order to mix it with an MAOI (harmala
seeds) for oral ingestion. I believe he goes into much more detail in
his latest book, Ayahuasca Analogs.

Can anybody comment on the viability of this technique? It does seem
even easier than the acid-base extracion, although of course it would
not yield the smokable freebase.

Just curious,

jhno

=============================================================================

[e-mail] (Robert R Pascazio) writes:

> Has anybody heard stories about Arundo donax (aka "Giant Reed") ? It
> is rummored to contain DMT and other exciting Alkaloids.

Yes. It contains some DMT, but not very much. Someone told me the other
day that a friend of theirs that is investigating this (solicited samples
from interested parties, and used thin layer chromatography to assay the
root stocks, from what I was told) says there's "little or no DMT" in
Arundo donax rhizomes.

The paper that first found DMT and a few other indole alkaloids in Arundo
donax (Ghosal) working in India (River Reed is used in Ayurvedic
medicine) also found only trace amounts. You'd have to extract several
kilograms to get a psychoactive dose of DMT. There are also several
cardioactive glycosides and other substances that would produce annoying
side effects if a crude extract were consumed - the effect of Arundo
donax extract on heart muscle (another paper by Ghosal et. al.) gave me
the impression that crude Arundo extracts are potentially dangerous.
You'd have to resort to solvent extraction followed by column
chromatography to extract pure DMT from the roots - a process probably
requiring several liters of solvent just to produce one dose of DMT.

I'll shell to DOS here and see if I can find my notes about Arundo
donax...

ok... here's a good starting point if you want to look into this:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DMT in Arundo Donax / Giant River Reed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SMITH TA
"Tryptamines and Related Compounds in Plants"
Phytochemistry, 1977, Vol.16 pp 171-175

ABSTRACT: The occurrence of the tryptamines and related compounds in
fungi
          and higher plants is listed on a taxonomic basis. Several of
these
          amines have considerable physiological activity in higher
animals.

Gramineae:
 Arundo donax L.                  (Leaf,Flower,Rhizome)    [27-30]
   Methoxy-N-methyl-Tryptamine
   DMT
   DMT-Methohydroxide
   Bufotenine
   DMT-N-oxide
   Bufotenidine
   Dehydrobufotenine
   Gramine
   Gramine-N-oxide
   Gramine methohydroxide

[27] OREKHOV AP, NORKINA SS (1937) Zhur.Obsch.Chem. 7,673
[28] GHOSAL S, BANERJEE PK, BANERJEE SK (1970) Phytochemistry 9,429
[29] GHOSAL S, CHAUDHURI RK, DUTTA SK (1971) Phytochemistry 10,2857
[30] GHOSAL S, CHAUDHURI RK, DUTTA SK, BATTACHARYA SK (1972) Planta Med.
21,22
--------------------------------------

Tryptamines in the Graminacea:

Arundo donax - Giant River Reed
Phalaris arundinacea


_A Handbook of Alkaloids and Alkaloid Containing Plants_
Wiley Interscience, Raffauf  QK898.A4 R34 (1970)


N,N-DMT        GRAM-028A   refs:1946, 573
N,N-DMT-5-MeO  GRAM-030A
Bufotenine     GRAM-030A   refs:1945
Gramine        GRAM-016A


573 Aus J. Chem 17:1301 (1964)   [Phalaris]
416 Aus J. Chem 19:893  (1966)   [Phalaris]

1946 Dutta,SK;Ghosal,S  _Chem.Ind._  (1967)  p2046
1945 Moore,RM; Williams,JD; Chia,J  _Chem.Abst._ 68:75704v (1968)

574 Ghosal,S; Mukhergee,BB   _Chem.Ind._ (1965), 793
575 Morinato,H; Matsumoto,N  _Am.Chem._ 692 p194 (1966)

464 Legler,G; Tschesche,R  _Naturwiss_ 94 (1963)

===============================================================

REFERENCES:

_Tryptamine and related compounds in plants._      SMITH, TA.
"Phytochemistry." vol.16 pp.171-175. (1977) QK861.P45

_The Occurrence of Indolealkylamine Alkaloids in Phalaris tuberosa L. and
P. arundinacea L._ , Culvenor,Dal Bon & Smith
"Australian Journal of Chemistry" 1964, Vol.17 pp.1301-4

_Heterocyclic Compounds, Indoles, Part 2_ Houlihan, Wiley Interscience,
pg264

_Indole alkaloids in plant hallucinogens_  Schultes, Richard Evans
"Journal of Psychedelic Drugs" Jan-Mar 1976 p17

_Plants of the Gods_  Schultes & Hofmann

_Narcotic Plants_  William Emboden

_Tryptamine and Related Compounds in Plants_
Terence A. Smith. "Phytochemistry" Vol. 16 pp. 171-175

_Alkaloid Bearing Plants and Their Alkaloids_
US Dept. Agriculture Technical Bulletin No. 1234 (1961) Willaman &
Schubert

Erspamer _???? Drug Res._  1961,3,151

=============================================================================

From: [e-mail] (Rocky Frisco)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: Ayahuasca....more info ne
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 29 Jan 94 02:37:00 GMT

AA> Thank you everyone who e-mailed me information on Yaje.  If anyone
AA> else has more info, I still need it.  Please post or e-mail me.  I
AA> would especially like to hear from people who have experimented with
AA> Yaje.  Did you smoke it or did you drink it? Thanks, Ayleen
AA> [e-mail]

 I think it's usually spelled "Yage" pronounced Yah-hey.

See the books "Wizard of the Amazon" and "Rio Tigre" by the late Doctor
Bruce Lamb of Santa Fe NM. (Bruce died during the Christmas Holiday
season of 1992). These are the best resources on the subject and are
written by a fine scientist who tried Ayahuasca and found it to be of
great value.

-Rock           [e-mail]
 * RM 1.2  * Eval Day 7 * RoboMail -- The nag nag nag

=============================================================================

From: Richard Hodges <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: Ayahuasca
Date: 10 Aug 1994 00:07:04 GMT
Message-ID: <3295n8$[e-mail]>

I just returned from a trip to Brazil, where I became aware of several
contemporary movements which practice some form of ritual centered around
taking Ayahuasca. The group I contacted is called "Santo Daime" which
means, in Portugese, "Holy Give Me." What they want to be "given" is
defined as "Love, Truth, and Justice." A noble prayer, IMHO!

Anyway, it was claimed that Santo Daime has a large and growing following
in almost all countries of the world, except for the USA, where it is
prohibited.

My question is, does anyone have any knowledge of the current status,
legal and operational, of Santo Daime and other Ayahuasca rituals in the
US?

=============================================================================

From: [e-mail] (Diablo)
Newsgroups: alt.psychoactives
Subject: Re: a DMT trip
Date: 22 Apr 1994 06:45:27 GMT
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

[quoted text deleted -cak]

Here is an interesting description of DMT from the book "Cyberia" by Douglas
Rushkoff:

"For those still intent on smashing the ego into oblivion and discovering
the very edge of what it means to be sentient, DMT (dimethyltryptamine and
its cousin 5-hydroxytryptamine) is the only answer....one user described it
saying "It's like taking every LSD experience you've ever had and putting
them on the head of a pin."...It's effect is immediate--definitely within a
minute, usually within seconds--and all-encompassing.  It cannot even be
described in terms of magnitude, but makes more sense when thought of as a
true, hyperdimensional shift."
He goes on to talk about someone else's description of DMT, using much
shaman babble that I'm not interested in.  However, later, he talks about
this place in the hills behind Oakland where a bunch of college age
students live in a commune and regularly do DMT while being observed by
this 30 year old doctoral thesis candidate. He is writing his thesis on
shared states of consciousness.  Anyhow, when the writer was there, Dan
(the thesis dude) had just gotten hold of a new, synthetic and more
powerful version of DMT made by a chemist whom you meet earlier in the book
(this is all true btw).  The new stuff is called "5 Mao DMT" and apparently
is close to the strength it takes to literally fry your brain.  This stuff
sounds incredibly intense to me.  Some guy named Armand (who, incidentally,
had been taking acid every day for the past week in order to prepare for
this little ritual) takes his hits and spaces out for ten minutes, comes
back, and details that he has been gone for three days.  He says he met an
entire race of forest creatures and they needed his help.  He even made
love to one of them.

Anyhow, another guy, who has had a bad day and is looking for an awesome
trip does it and has a very BAD trip.  He freaks out and thinks that Dan is
his creator because he gave him the DMT and that he (the fucked up guy)
only exists when Dan gives him DMT.

Well, I'd be tempted to try this stuff even though I have relatively
limited experience with shrooms and acid and none at all with peyote but
I'm not sure it's such a good idea.  I'm always looking for an
all-encompassing experience but DMT sounds like it's over the edge. The
fact that it only lasts 10 minutes or so is really no comfort since I
generally have zero sense of time on hallucinogens; I could be tripping for
10 hours or ten minutes.. wouldn't matter much to me at the time, only the
"now" exists when I'm tripping.

Sorry this was so long.

--Diablo

=============================================================================

I mentioned in passing the other night that I was interested in various
things, one of which was the use of Ayahuasca, a brew made by sorcerers
living along the Amazon River in South America.

I'd like to explain some of the thing's I've learned about this and
see if you have any comments about or interest in them.

Ayahuasca is made by brewing the stems of a vine called Banisteriopsis
with parts of at least one other variety of plant. The spirit of the
banisteriopsis plant is supposed to act as a guide for the spirits of the
additive plants and potentiate thier effects. Different additive plants are
used for different purposes: soul travel, telepathy, healing, communicating
with spirits, visions, divination, or learning spirit songs (something in
which I am particularly interested - I occasionally hear music in dreams and
write it down or play it after I wake up), etc. Some of the main
additive plants are Psychotria, Justicia, and Tetrapteris. Strangely enough,
all three of these plants contain DMT. The guide plant itself contains a drug
called Harmaline.

Normally DMT is not active when taken orally - it has to be smoked (and
there are several other snuffs and smoking mixtures in jungle sorcery that do
contain only DMT). But it's been found that harmaline prevents the breakdown
of DMT by the digestive system and allows it to enter the bloodstream when
one drinks Ayahuasca. Harmaline also extends DMT's visionary effects for
up to 6 hours. So it turns out that DMT, which I had always considered to be
an exotic laboratory drug, has actually been used by sorcerers in the Amazon
for thousands of years.

In Europe and the Middle East, there are also plants which contain harmaline
and DMT: Syrian Rue and the Giant River Reed. Though there's no clear evidence
that either plant was ever used for sorcery.

Now Syrian Rue itself is quite interesting...
Seeds of Syrian Rue are made into a red dye which is used by middle
eastern carpet weavers for coloring Persian Rugs. It has been said that
the hallucinogenic properties of a brew made from these seeds may be
responsible for the legends about flying carpets. Perhaps the red dye
doubled as a beverage, and the patterns on the carpets were actually maps
into a magical world. These seeds also contain Harmaline.

The Giant River Reed is significant as well; it's considered the best
reed to use for musical instruments, and is the reed traditionally used in
the construction of Pan Pipes. And it's roots contain DMT.

Another funny thing is that toad skins (often listed as an ingredient in
European witches brews) contain a hallucinogen called bufotenine. I've
heard stories of people in Australia actually smoking the skins of roasted
Cane Toads as a psychedelic. However, I'm a bit of a vegetarian, so this
has limited appeal.

Anyway, I'll enjoy any response to this that you'd care to make.

[E-Mail ... 22-JUN-89]

=============================================================================

                                 DMT

         [Excerpt from a pharmacology textbook published in 1988]

Chemical structure and source:

 This is the prototype member of the tryptamine subclass of indole
derivatives. The structural formula is:

                         /\       (CH2)2-N(CH3)2
                        // \ ____/
                       |   ||   ||
                       |   ||   ||
                        \\ /\   /
                         \/  \N/
                              H

                   N,N-dimethyltryptamine


The drug is a constituent of many of the same South American snuffs and drinks
that contain other psychedelic indole deriviatives, it is often found in the
same plants as 5-MeO-DMT, and Indians add a substance containing it to drinks
containing harmala alkaloids. DMT is the major constituent of the bark of
Virola calophylla, mentioned above; it is also found in the seeds of
Anadenanthera peregina; in the seeds of the vine Mimosa hostilis, used in
easter Brazil to make a drink called "ajuca" or "jurema"; in the leaves of
Banisteriopsis rusbyana, which are added to the harmaline drinks derived from
other plants of the Banisteriopsis genus to make "oco-yage"; and in the leaves
of Psychotria viridis, also added to the Banisteriopsis drinks. Like
5-MeO-DMT, DMT must be combined with monoamine oxydase inhibitors to become
active orally.

Dose:

 First strong effects are felt at about 50mg, whether it is smoked or
injected. Tolerance develops only after extremely frequent use - injections
every two hours for three weeks in rats; at that dose frequency, but not
otherwise, there is also a cross-tolerance between DMT and LSD (Rosenberg et.
al. 1964; Kovacic and Domino, 1976).

Physiological effects:

 Resembles LSD, but sympathomimetic symptoms like dilated pupils, heightened
blood pressure, and increased pulse rate are more common and more intense.

Psychological Effects:

 Like LSD but often more intense. Since it is not taken by mouth, the effects
come on suddenly and can be overwhelming. The term "mind blowing" might have
been invented for this drug. The experience was described by Alan Watts as
like "being fired out of the nozzle of an atomic cannon" (Leary 1968a p.215).
Thoughts and visions crowd in at great speed; a sense of leaving or
transcending time and a feeling that objects have lost all form and dissolved
into a play of vibrations are characteristic. The effect can be like instant
transportation to another universe for a timeless sojourn.

Duration of action:

 When DMT is smoked or injected, effects begin in seconds, reach a peak in
five to twenty minutes and end after a half hour or so. This has earned it the
name "businessman's trip." The brevity of the experience make its intensity
bearable, and, for some, desirable.

 At least two synthetic drugs in which the methyl group of DMT is replaced by
a higher radical are psychedelic:

              /\       (CH2)2-N(C2H5)2     /\      (CH2)2-N(CH2CH2CH2)2
             // \ ____/                   // \ ____/
            |   ||   ||                  |   ||   ||
            |   ||   ||                  |   ||   ||
             \\ /\   /                    \\ /\   /
              \/  \N/                      \/  \N/
                   H                            H

        N,N-diethyltryptamine          N,N-dipropyltryptamine

 The drug DET is active at the same dose as DMT and the effects last slightly
longer, about one and a half to two hours. DPT is longer-acting still and has
fewer autonomic side effects. In therapeutic experiments its action continues
for one and a half to two hours at the lowest effective dose, 15 to 30mg, and
for four to six hours at doses in the range of 60 to 150mg. Both DET and DPT
are milder than DMT. The drug 6-FDET (6-fluorodiethyltryptamine) resembles DET
in its effects. All these drugs, like DMT, are inactive orally and must be
smoked or injected. Dibutyltryptamine (DBT) and higher substitutions are
inert, but other synthetic drugs related to DMT may be psychoactive.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/7-6-90

=============================================================================

Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
From: [e-mail]
Date: Thu,  9 Jun 1994 10:35:42 UTC
Subject: How to get smokable DMT from Phalaris arundinacea.

I was at our local hip bookstore this afternoon (picking up a $2 paperback of
"The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" out of curiosity) when I spotted the owner
deboxing a bunch of interesting-looking paperbacks.  Among them was something
called "Psychedelic Shamanism" by Jim DeKorne (Loompanics Unlimited).  I
grabbed a copy, intrigued by a back-cover legend which promised "Smokable DMT
from Plants (A new discovery that will revolutionize psychedelia!)"

Since this has been a big topic hereabouts, I'll summarize his findings:

The headline here is that he uses Phalaris arundinacea, a grass which resembles
most folks' front lawn.  It's very easy to grow (I grew some from seed once...
it took almost no effort and very little time) and you don't have to kill the
plant to harvest - just trim the stalks and leaves.

He's taken a Phalaris extract in an ayahuasca-type potion on several occasions,
and has given this mix to others, and if there are any other nasty chemicals
in Phalaris, they haven't caused any immediately noticable bad effects.

He says he discovered that you could make a smokable extract by accident,
after leaving an extract intended for ayahuesque use out where the alcohol
evaporated, leaving "a gummy tar" which he "on a sudden whim" decided to
smoke.  "I took one inhalation of this essence and found my mind immediately
blasted into a cerebral hurricane of rapidly pulsing white light.  Fortunately,
I already knew what a DMT flash is like, so I was not totally taken by
surprise."

His idea of extraction is this:

    * Pulverize the grass clippings
    * Add water, "enough... to make a pourable soup"
    * Acidify to pH 5 or so
    * (Optional) Simmer the acidified soup in a slow cooker overnight,
      not allowing the liquid to evaporate.  ("It may take two or three
      such operations to get all of the alkaloids into solution")
    * Strain the plant matter through cheesecloth, then through a
      paper coffee filter
    * Add 10-15% of the mass of the solution in a "defatting solvent"
      such as methylene chloride, ether, chloroform, or naptha.
    * Shake vigorously
    * The crap will go into the solvent, leaving the good stuff in
      the water.
    * Separate the water from the solvent.
    * Add a base to the aqueous solution in small increments until the
      pH gets to about 9 or 10.  This converts the alkaloids into their
      free base.
    * Extract with 10% of the mass of the solution of an organic
      solvent four times, at one 24-hour and then three weekly intervals.
      The solvent layer will take on a darker tint, usually yellowish
      or reddish-brown.  It will take almost a month to extract all of
      the alkaloids, and the solution should be shaken at least twice
      a day between extractions.
    * Evaporate the solvent off from the combined extract fractions.
      You now have the alkaloids.

He was smoking 50mg of this goo at a shot.

As a footnote, he tried similar stuff with Arundo donax and got some really
nasty reactions from whatever other crud was in the plant.  I'm gonna cross
this one off of my list.
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From: [e-mail] (John Spinnato)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs
Subject: DMT extraction from Phalaris
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 5 Oct 94 20:25:00 GMT

If anyone has a recipe for GHB, Gamma-Hydroxy-Butyric Acid, or
Sodium Gamma-Hydroxy-Butyrate, please e-mail me, or leave a
message.  I am willing to pay for a relatively easy process
which doesn't involve exotic chemicals or sophisticated
equipment.

DMT extraction from Phalaris grass:
The latest info from The Entheogen Review is that one can
avoid chemical extraction altogether, and use a wheatgrass
juicer.  Jim DeKorne is the editor of this excellent newsletter,
as well as the author of Psychedelic Shamanism.  Mr. DeKorne
warns readers to exercise caution when using extracts from
Phalaris until more is known about it.

According to a Soma Graphics report, the following info is
taken from a letter by Jim DeKorne:

"The latest scoop is that you don't even have to use chemical
extractions anymore - run several handfuls of grass through a
wheatgrass juicer (sold in most health food stores) and you'll
wind up with a glass or so of incredibly potent liquid.  One
teaspoon (with MAO inhibition, of course), is a standard dose
with strong grass.  Only two teaspoons proved very challenging
to one of my correspondents - an OD! The juice can be dried
and smoked in a bong - two tokes will usually do it."

For more information, refer to the following sources:

The Entheogen Review
P.O. Box 778
El Rito, NM. 87530
subscriptions are $20.00 for one year.

Soma Graphics
P.O. Box 19820
Sacramento, CA. 95617-3481

Acme juice extractors
70-18 71st Avenue
Glendale, NY 11385