American researchers have discovered the natural presence of DMT in the brain, a hallucinogenic molecule best known in South America.
A lover of thrills, you may have already heard of Ayahuasca, a “potion” with hallucinogenic effects, traditionally prepared by the indigenous populations of South America. People who have participated in “Ayahuasca retreats” believe that the drink and the hallucinations caused have changed their lives.
According to a new study by American researchers, you don’t have to go that far to find the ingredient responsible for the psychedelic effects of Ayahuasca. Thus, scientists from michigan medicine discovered the widespread presence of a molecule called dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the brains of mammals. This work is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The pineal gland, producer of hallucinogenic substance?
Jimo Borjigin, lead author of the study, didn’t work on DMT at all initially, but on the pineal gland. The latter, still shrouded in mystery, controls the production of melatonin in the brain or plays a role in the body’s internal clock. In a documentary from the 90s, Rick Strassmann, a doctor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, hypothesizes that the pineal gland could also manufacture and secrete DMT.
“I thought to myself, ‘wait, I’ve been working on the pineal gland for years and I’ve never heard of this'”, says Jimo Borjigin. She then contacted Strassmann to offer to work with her on the subject. The two researchers published a first study in 2013, which confirms the presence of DMT in the brain of the rat, and that by the pineal gland.
Other parts of the brain involved in making DMT
To go further, Jimo Borjigin decides to research where and how DMT is synthesized. To do this, one of his graduate students, Jon Dean, sets up an experiment using a process called “in situ hybridization”, which can locate a precise ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequence. “Thanks to this technique, we have found brain neurons equipped with two enzymes necessary for the production of DMT”, announces Jimo Borjigin.
And these weren’t just in the pineal gland, but also in the neocortex and hippocampus, important in higher brain functions like learning and memory.
Results to deepen
Another finding: DMT levels increased in some rats in cardiac arrest. Gold, a British study published last year showed how the DMT molecule simulated the near-death experience. This is why Ayahuasca consumers often report the sensation of transcending their body and entering “another world”.
Despite these leads, the role of DMT in the brain remains unknown. “All we’re saying is that we’ve discovered the neurons that make this chemical in the brain at levels similar to other neurotransmitters.”
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