Peace! I was reading Timothy Leary's High Priest, and I came accross this.

"From "An Open Letter to Timothy Leary" by The Rt. Rev. Michael Francis Itkin:

I have recently done a great deal of research and study on this matter, and I find that neither DMT or DET are truly psychedelics, nor for that matter even true hallucinogenic agents in the general usage of those terms. Rather, both DMT and DET are deliriants, i.e., the effects they achieve are obtained by subjecting the body to a state of delirium similar to that which might accompany a fever of 105 degrees. The degree wrought to the physical center is commensurate with the physical conditions accompanying a 105-degree fever. In addition, I am sure you have observed the temporarily ruptured blood vessels in the eyes of those who have used DMT or DET with great frequency. Consider, then, what these same deliriants must do to the blood vessels throughout the intestinal tract, to the tissues of the liver, to the brain cells and, perhaps most clearly possible and defined, to the heart (particularly to the aorta). It is also, along with bufotenine, one of the ingredients in the seeds of Piptadenia peregrine, from which the Indians of Trinidad prepare an Hallucinogenic snuff they call yopo."

I understand his faulty comments about dmt's categorization since the substance was poorly understood by the scientific community at the time, but I am a bit concerned about the health risks he talks about. Although I have read in several places that dmt is physically safe, and that according to a "Dose-response study of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in humans" by Rick Strassman, "Dimethyltryptamine dose slightly elevated blood pressure, heart rate, pupil diameter, and rectal temperature, in addition to elevating blood concentrations of beta-endorphin, corticotropin, cortisol, and prolactin. Growth hormone blood levels rose equally in response to all doses of DMT, and melatonin levels were unaffected." I am still unsure if dmt causes some degree of permanent damage to the body.

Maintaining physiological integrety is very important to SWIM, as SWIM aspires to achieving psychedelic states without the use of entheogens. SWIM is worried about having any permanent damage from SWIM's few experiances (sub breakthrough) with DMT.

I would appreciate your comments!

Thanks

It does higher blood pressure. That would explain his observations. So if you already got a very high blood level or heart problems, caution is advised. I think strassman discovered this during his dmt studies.

Who the hell is Rt. Rev. Michael Francis Itkin? I would like to see some of his sources and research results, until that time I wouldn't worry too much about it. Some shamans have taken ayahuasca literally 1000's of times without permanent damage. Besides, the man is a reverand, not a scientist!

...except that this isn't about ayahuasca but dmt freebase.

Delerient my ass

I second that notion.

Delerium is quite different.

DMT is a TRUE halluncinogen.



Well I sure as hell haven't....not that I was looking for it, but my friend was smoking it quite heavily for a while.

I think he must have been confusing DMT with MJ....since they are both are kind of like acronyms and STUFF.....

Not saying there could not be a risk....just would be really surprised if there was.

The issue is pulled in a way that of course sounds provocative to a forum like this, yet imho is not completely futile. It actually has to do with a crucial point: the ontology of the Hyperspace.
Let's drop the term "hallucinogen", which can encompass anything that produces visions, and concentrate on the delirant/psychedelic dyad. To put it (very) simple, a psychedelic (ψυχή–psiké, soul and δηλοῦν–deloun, to manifest) enchances your perception and consciousness toward higher states, possibily mystical, while a delirant just produces disconnected visions, which might be mystically themed but are not substantially mystical.

I personally consider DMT a psychedelic, and of course the idea of putting it together with, say, tropanes, is ludicrous. Still, if we assume that Hyperspace is "just a vision", then defining DMT a delirant, even if benignant, does not sound that absurd. On the other side, of course, if Hyperspace has a real relation to inner or outer reality (being anything from manifestation of mind archetipes to outworldly landscapes/entities), then DMT is nothing but a psychedelic.

What century was this written in? Sounds like the middle ages. First, everyone here knows dmt is a psychedelic, not a deliriant. I have no idea why the rev talks about dmt rupturing blood vessels in the eyes. Not true at all. I don't know, maybe the rev coincidentally ruptured a blood vessel near the time of dmt use and concluded it was the dmt? Who knows, but I know the comment about dmt rupturing blood vessels is wrong, and therefore, his following speculations about dmt possibly also rupturing other cell tissue is unfounded. I have no idea why he would call dmt a diliriant, or compare the state to having a high fever. Perhaps whatever substance the rev was talking about wasn't dmt. I think many generations ago, a lot of the dmt used was synthesized, which allows much room for error in the synthesis. Maybe he took something that wasn't dmt. But then.... he says he has done a lot of research on dmt.

Anyway, I have no idea why he came to the conclusions he did about dmt not being a psychedelic. However, despite all the strange conclusions in this article, there is only one negative physical characteristic attributed to dmt, and that is that dmt ruptures eye blood vessels.; Then he speculates it might also do the same thing to the brain. So, dmt does not rupture eye blood vessels, and so the speculation of dmt rupturing anything is unfounded.

Has anyone ever had a ruptured eye blood vessel from dmt use?

To learn about the effects and side effects of dmt, one would do better to read the study done by Rick Strassman, which was much more recent, and it was a scientific study, not some informal "research" by an an unknown reverend.

From the wikipedia entry on dmt:

"Side effects

Similar to other psychedelic drugs, there are relatively few physical side effects associated with DMT acute exposure. When inhaled, its vapor has been described as "very harsh".[94] According to a "Dose-response study of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in humans" by Rick Strassman, "Dimethyltryptamine dose slightly elevated blood pressure, heart rate, pupil diameter, and rectal temperature, in addition to elevating blood concentrations of beta-endorphin, corticotropin, cortisol, and prolactin. Growth hormone blood levels rose equally in response to all doses of DMT, and melatonin levels were unaffected."[50]

Psychologically, the DMT experience can be overly-intense, potentially causing overwhelming fear and difficulty integrating experiences, if one is not mentally prepared. Furthermore, due to the intense nature of the experience, DMT is generally considered to have no addiction potential. The fear that may come as a response to the uncontrollable nature of the drug can be dealt with by mental preparation and understanding how the drug will affect the mind and body. Knowing what is coming before dosing can make the experience less fearful.[6]"

If you smoke DMT it will 'rupture the blood vessels in your eyes' and it will 'shut down your master gland'. Well thankfully it won't make your face melt off and result in your children weeping over your exploded body, oh wait, a 'doctor' (If someone is a doctor it means they are always right and never wrong, that is common knowledge) says that does happen. Thankfully no one has ever died of the 'nasty' DMT that is found in the plants that the Australian government is so rightly banning, YET!!!!

They are talking about a snuff correct? Perhaps the blood vessel thing has to do with the rout of administration?

I am going to have to completely disagree with his statement that DMT is a deliriant. I say this not only because the enlightening experiences DMT causes are no where near the ones which are reported from plants like datura or atropa bellodonna but also, they are quite chemically different.