Psience Quest

Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N -dimethyltryptamine

Alan Kooi Davis, et al.

Quote:Experiences of having an encounter with seemingly autonomous entities are sometimes reported after inhaling N,N-dimethyltryptamine.

Aim

The study characterized the subjective phenomena, interpretation, and persisting changes that people attribute to N,N-dimethyltryptamine-occasioned entity encounter experiences.

Methods

Two thousand, five hundred and sixty-one individuals (mean age 32 years; 77% male) completed an online survey about their single most memorable entity encounter after taking N,N-dimethyltryptamine.

Results

Respondents reported the primary senses involved in the encounter were visual and extrasensory (e.g. telepathic). The most common descriptive labels for the entity were being, guide, spirit, alien, and helper. Although 41% of respondents reported fear during the encounter, the most prominent emotions both in the respondent and attributed to the entity were love, kindness, and joy. Most respondents endorsed that the entity had the attributes of being conscious, intelligent, and benevolent, existed in some real but different dimension of reality, and continued to exist after the encounter. Respondents endorsed receiving a message (69%) or a prediction about the future (19%) from the experience. More than half of those who identified as atheist before the experience no longer identified as atheist afterwards. The experiences were rated as among the most meaningful, spiritual, and psychologically insightful lifetime experiences, with persisting positive changes in life satisfaction, purpose, and meaning attributed to the experiences.

Conclusion

N,N-dimethyltryptamine-occasioned entity encounter experiences have many similarities to non-drug entity encounter experiences such as those described in religious, alien abduction, and near-death contexts. Aspects of the experience and its interpretation produced profound and enduring ontological changes in worldview.

Wow, pretty impressive results.

The study has led to a Newsweek article:
Taking DMT Can Lead to Experiences Similar to Those Reported by People Who Claim to Have Been Abducted by Aliens, Study Shows

(2020-05-27, 02:28 AM)Ninshub Wrote: [ -> ]The study has led to a Newsweek article:
Taking DMT Can Lead to Experiences Similar to Those Reported by People Who Claim to Have Been Abducted by Aliens, Study Shows

At least they're not jumping to any conclusions with this study: 

Quote:As DMT is present in the brains of mammals, including humans, it is thought to play a part in "non-ordinary states of consciousness," from common states like dreaming, to psychosis, spiritual experiences, and encounters with "non-human intelligence," like aliens and UFOs, the authors said. But there's not enough evidence that it's present in high enough levels for this to be confirmed, they explained.

I'm glad they've pointed this out, especially since the DMT hypothesis for NDEs has been practically debunked several times by several people. Additionally, I find it hard to believe this explanation applies to shared experiences where those involved all experience virtually the same thing, but that's just me.

It still won't suprise me if some skeptics out there start claiming this proves that 'all of these experiences are probably just products of DMT in the brain'. Isn't DMT only released in the brain during certain conditions as well, and when it is, only in tiny quantities? I'm not denying that it's been found in trace quantities in humans, but I'm pretty sure Nicholls criticisms still stand on why the DMT hypothesis does not work.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the criticisms of the DMT hypothesis made here also still stand: 
http://www.skeptiko-forum.com/threads/th...ost-131046

Yeah they do. My interest in the study is just the strong impact that the results report as an experience in itself, and the shared commonalities in the experience of the respondents. Of course that doesn't say anything about NDEs or even brain=mind.

(2020-05-27, 03:23 PM)Ninshub Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah they do. My interest in the study is just the strong impact that the results report as an experience in itself, and the shared commonalities in the experience of the respondents. Of course that doesn't say anything about NDEs or even brain=mind.

Oh yes, of course. Just me being my suspicious and pessimistic self towards how the vocal majority of cynical skeptics may respond to this study elsewhere *cough*Reddit*cough*. 

Perhaps this study could, alternatively, show that DMT may be more than just some mere drug?

(2020-05-27, 04:31 PM)OmniVersalNexus Wrote: [ -> ]Perhaps this study could, alternatively, show that DMT may be more than just some mere drug?

Like the elixir of life or the alchemist's philosopher's stone (random examples)? Actually, I'm not sure exactly what you mean, could you elaborate, please.

You've kind of got the jist of it already Typoz. DMT just seems too unique to be just another drug. It seems reductionist to me, especially after reading this study, to treat it as such.

(2020-05-28, 04:48 PM)manjit Wrote: [ -> ]Hi OmniVersalNexus! Hmmm....your nom de plume and your comments in this thread have got me thinking you may be a secret undercover agent sent to spy on us by that mischievous DMT-Nexus forum?   

Never heard of it lol. It's the username I had when I was on Reddit. My account on there is still up but I refuse to return to that horrid place again. This is the only forum I feel comfortable being in, since the vast majority I've seen, especially on topics like Psi, the supernatural and spirituality, are full of cynical keyboard warriors and pseudo-intellectual bullies. 

Personally, I recognise that DMT of course produces similar experiences, but there are still differences and flaws in comparisons that sometimes go unmentioned. Suggesting that DMT may be more than just a drug in itself will probably be met with contempt by many mainstream scientists.