FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (FMRI) SCAN OF A BRAIN SHOWS REGIONS OF INCREASED CONNECTIVITY ON DMT. CONNECTIVITY RISES FROM YELLOW TO ORANGE TO RED. PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTOPHER TIMMERMANN, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
Scientists have studied the effects of DMT, the psychoactive compound found in ayahuasca brew, on the human brain using EEG and fMRI.
The scans indicate DMT has a profound impact on the brain, especially in the areas instrumental in memory, complex decision-making, and imagination.
The study recruited 20 healthy volunteers who received a 20mg injection of DMT and a placebo on separate occasions.
- The study used electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Participants’ brain activity was recorded before, during, and after the drug took effect.
- The results showed that DMT breaks down the primary networks of the brain, causing them to become less distinct from each other.
- DMT is a short-acting tool that has favorable results in combination with psychotherapy to cure depression.
- While the scans and EEGs provide a remarkable view of the brain on DMT, scientists believe there is more to learn about DMT's impact on consciousness.
- The study's results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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- Ayahuasca has been used for at least 1,000 years and is made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Psychotria viridis leaves.
- A recent archaeological dig in Bolivia revealed traces of DMT and other psychoactive substances dating from AD900 to 1170.
