Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) - What Is It Made Of?

What Is It Made Of?

syntheticMade in a laboratory. dimethyltryptamine is a white or sometimes light brown crystalline solid, like a small, strong-smelling chunk of salt. Some people have compared its odor to mothballs. Others have said that it smells like plastic being burned. As its name suggests, its chemical composition is complicated. Once crystallized, it cannot be dissolved in water. Instead it must be dissolved either in an organic solventA term used to describe chemical compounds that contain carbon. like alcohol or in an acid.

An Inga Indian shaman in Colombia prepares a drink called yag, a hallucinogenic brew said to have healing powers. AP/Wide World Photos.
An Inga Indian shaman in Colombia prepares a drink called yagé, a hallucinogenic brew said to have healing powers. AP/Wide World Photos.

DMT occurs widely in nature, in the leaves, seeds, and roots of certain plants, and in the milky venom of toads in the genus Bufo. Its synthetic, or laboratory-made form, mimics the chemical composition of its natural form.

DMT is unique in its hallucinogenic family in two ways. First, when snorted, injected, or smoked, it acts much more quickly than LSD or psilocybin. This is because fat cells in the human body absorb LSD and psilocybin and release them more slowly to the brain. DMT is not absorbed by fat cells. The entire dose races to the brain as soon as it is taken. Second, pure DMT loses its hallucinogenic qualities if eaten. It is destroyed by monoamine oxidase in the stomach. Monoamine oxidase is a naturally occurring enzyme that detoxifies amino

The tea made from the ayahuasca plant is one of several teas of South American origin, used in religious ceremonies, known to contain DMT. Alison Wright/Corbis.
The tea made from the ayahuasca plant is one of several teas of South American origin, used in religious ceremonies, known to contain DMT. © Alison Wright/Corbis.

compounds in ingested foods. The tea preparations used in South America contain ingredients that inhibit monoamine oxidase action. That is why they can be consumed orally. Still, those who have tasted ayahuasca and other similar herbal brews find them quite foul on the tongue.