Meditating under psychedelics increases insight and transcendence to a higher level.
- The combination of psychedelics, namely dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and the monoamine oxidase inhibitor harmine, is linked to higher levels of mystical experiences in people practicing meditation.
- These experiences correspond to a unifying consciousness, which transcends the separation between self and other, or mind and body, an emotional breakthrough during the acute effects of the substance, and greater psychological insight.
- Regarding mindfulness and compassion, no differences were observed in the DMT-harmine group compared to the placebo group.
“In recent years, meditation and psychedelics have attracted increasing scientific interest. Although the current state of evidence suggests the promising potential of psychedelics, such as psilocybin, to enhance meditative training, it remains ambiguous whether “These effects are specifically linked to psilocybin or whether other classic psychedelics might show synergistic effects with meditation practice.”wrote researchers from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) in a study published in the journal Journal of Psychopharmacology.
40 adults participated in a three-day meditation retreat
That’s why they decided to examine the effects of a combination of psychedelics, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and the monoamine oxidase inhibitor harmine, on meditative states. These two components are found in many plants around the world (such as the acacia and mimosa families) and used in the indigenous Amazonian plant medicine ayahuasca. To carry out the work, the team recruited 40 adults, including 18 women and 22 men. The volunteers participated in a three-day meditation retreat. After being randomly divided into two groups, they received either dimethyltryptamine and the monoamine oxidase inhibitor harmine or a placebo. Participants’ levels of mindfulness, compassion, insight and transcendence were assessed before, during and after the intervention, using psychometric questionnaires.
Emotions, well-being, insight: dimethyltryptamine and harmine improve meditation
The results showed that, compared to people who meditated while taking a placebo, volunteers who benefited from the combination of psychedelics had higher levels of mystical-like experiences, i.e. “non-dual consciousness”. “(unifying consciousness that transcends the separation between self and other, or mind and body), emotional breakthrough during the acute effects of the substance and greater psychological insight a day later. In contrast, mindfulness and compassion were not significantly different in the DMT-harmine group compared to the placebo group. “At the 1-month follow-up, adults who received DMT and harmine rated their experience as more personally meaningful, spiritually meaningful, and well-being-enhancing.”
In the conclusions, the authors state that this study provides new evidence supporting the idea that combining the psychedelic compound DMT with harmine has the potential to enhance meditation through an increased sense of insight and transcendence , “offering valuable insights into the intersection of psychedelics and meditative practices.”
