DMT Models the Near-Death Experience

Abstract

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are complex subjective experiences, which have been previously associated with the psychedelic experience and more specifically with the experience induced by the potent serotonergic, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Potential similarities between both subjective states have been noted previously, including the subjective feeling of transcending one’s body and entering an alternative realm, perceiving and communicating with sentient ‘entities’ and themes related to death and dying. In this within-subjects placebo-controled study we aimed to test the similarities between the DMT state and NDEs, by administering DMT and placebo to 13 healthy participants, who then completed a validated and widely used measure of NDEs. Results revealed significant increases in phenomenological features associated with the NDE, following DMT administration compared to placebo. Also, we found significant relationships between the NDE scores and DMT-induced ego-dissolution and mystical-type experiences, as well as a significant association between NDE scores and baseline trait ‘absorption’ and delusional ideation measured at baseline. Furthermore, we found a significant overlap in nearly all of the NDE phenomenological features when comparing DMT-induced NDEs with a matched group of ‘actual’ NDE experiencers. These results reveal a striking similarity between these states that warrants further investigation.

Neural correlates of the DMT experience as assessed via multivariate EEG

“…The present study's findings significantly advance our understanding of the brain basis of one of the most unusual and intense altered states of consciousness known -a state that has previously been likened to the near-death experience 47 . These findings therefore tell us something important about the neuronal underpinnings of normal consciousness itself -as we can observe what is lost and gained when it transitions in an extreme way -but without the loss of content or awareness.…”

“…These findings therefore tell us something important about the neuronal underpinnings of normal consciousness itself -as we can observe what is lost and gained when it transitions in an extreme way -but without the loss of content or awareness. These results may also inform on the nature of analogous states such as dreaming 35,48 and the experience of dying 47 -and in so doing, advance our appreciation of mind-brain relationships in the broadest range of contexts.…”

Neurochemical models of near-death experiences: A large-scale study based on the semantic similarity of written reports

“…The first descriptions of NDEs included a set of phenomenological features that were subsequently refined, ordered and quantified by numerical scales (Moody, 1975, Ring, 1982, Greyson, 1983. These features include some of the following: leaving the body boundaries (either towards a different space or dimension, or to observe the body from a third-person perspective, including phenomena such as autoscopy and out-of-body experiences [OBEs]), feelings of peace and bliss, traveling through a tunnel or void towards a light, sensing the presence of an irreversible threshold, review of past life events, and communicating with sentient and autonomous entities (Moody, 1975, Owens, Cook, & Stevenson, 1990, Greyson, 1993, Kelly, 2001, Greyson, 2008, Katz, Saadon-Grosman, & Arzy, 2017, Moore & Greyson, 2017, Cassol et al, 2018. While some authors proposed a certain preferred temporal ordering for these events, recent research failed to detect prototypical sequences in a large sample of NDEs (Martial et al, 2017).…”

“…These experiences raise questions about the extent to which the proximity to death is involved in the appearance of a subjective NDE phenomenology. In addition, many researchers have independently noticed the phenomenological overlap between NDEs and the experiences induced by serotonergic and dissociative psychedelics (Jansen, 1997a(Jansen, ,1997b(Jansen, , 1989(Jansen, , 1990Strassman, 2001;Timmermann et al, 2018). Thus, it has been hypothesized that the long-standing association between these psychoactive compounds and the experience of "dying" could be based on their capacity to emulate NDEs.…”

“…The authors found sufficient commonalities to conclude that ketamine can reproduce at least some aspects of NDE phenomenology. Recently, Timmermann and colleagues performed a within-subjects placebo-controlled study with 13 participants to test the phenomenological similarities between the DMT state and NDEs (Timmermann et al, 2018). They found significant differences vs. placebo using numerical scales designed to quantify NDE (Greyson, 1983).…”