Classic psychedelic
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
Central component of ayahuasca in Amazonian shamanic traditions, used for healing, spiritual guidance, and communication with spirits
At a glance
Reported effects
Legal status
Schedule I in most countries, ayahuasca legal in some religious contexts
Research
Growing research interest, limited clinical trials
Lewis-Healey E, et al. · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · 2026
EEG study of 19 people on 20 mg and 40 mg DMT: alpha power tracked experience best; a popular complexity measure tracked it worst.
What the study foundTimmermann C, et al. · Scientific Reports · 2024
In two small groups of healthy volunteers, intravenous DMT was followed by lower depression scores one to two weeks later.
What the study foundTimmermann C, et al. · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2023
EEG-fMRI in 20 healthy volunteers found intravenous DMT sharply increased whole-brain connectivity, tracking the intensity of the experience.
What the study foundDos Santos RG, et al. · Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria · 2016
Systematic review of 21 animal and human studies found early, mostly uncontrolled evidence that ayahuasca may ease anxiety and depression.
What the study foundFrecska E, et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2016
Narrative review of ayahuasca's therapeutic potential, proposing a sigma-1 receptor anti-inflammatory mechanism alongside its serotonergic effects.
What the study foundSzabo A, et al. · Frontiers in Neuroscience · 2016
Cell-culture study found DMT helped human neurons and immune cells survive severe oxygen deprivation through the sigma-1 receptor.
What the study foundThe dispatch
A brief, sent only in weeks when something changes: jurisdictions that shifted, listings added or revised, and the research worth reading. No hype, no sourcing talk.
Educational only. Not medical advice. Unsubscribe any time.