DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences

DMT: The Spirit Molecule is a remarkable book, made all the more remarkable that it was first published in 2001, well before this current "psychedelic renaissance" reached the popularity it currently has. In that popularity's excess focus on Johns Hopkins and MAPS, Strassman does not get the credit he deserves. When he conducted the multi-year study this book elaborates, no one else in the entire country was conducting above-ground psychedelic research in direct relationship with an academic institution and the Federal government. That had not happened since around 1970. Strassman's tenacity, commitment, and willingness to find new pathways opened the door, and without his work, that door could still be closed. And then there's the research itself. The sections about the research subjects' subjective experiences with DMT were among the most fascinating chapters I've ever read. It is remarkable to hear their wild testimonies, and Strassman does an excellent job maintaining his integrity and his scientific stance as a researcher. A gripping inner conflict emerges -- does he reduce the subjects' experiences to a scientific explanation, or does he take a bold leap into listening to their reports of "beings" and "other realms" as if they are real, as the subjects so adamantly expressed? Some negative reviews claim that Strassman spends too much time explaining all that he had to go through to get the research going. I have a very different perspective on this. I found the section engaging and also important, because when Strassman published it in 2001, he was providing a road map for other researchers to follow in his tracks and re-establish psychedelic research in U.S. universities. As an important piece of psychedelic history, it's so valuable to have his detailed account for reference, and the sheer amount of challenges he overcame serves as a good lesson about the importance of follow-through on a vision, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Lastly, what makes this book so impactful is that Strassman is a grounded realist. He does not get swept up into overly-blissful psychedelic enthusiasm and make extreme claims. He does not cut out information gained from the study that show the real dangers of psychedelics. In a time when over-glorification of psychedelics consistently misguides a curious and suffering public, Strassman's balanced perspective offers another roadmap for how to look at these amazing compounds and maintain a stance of neutrality and curiosity, rather than zealotous religious fervor. If you are looking for a book to confirm your already-existing beliefs that psychedelics are a panacea or magic pill, this is not the book for you. Or maybe it is, because it can help balance that out with a healthy dose of realism. I hope that people continue to read and reference this book, and I hope that more people acknowledge it as the groundbreaking work that it is. We are lucky to have Rick Strassman.

...as Dr. Strassman arrives at some very different conclusions from the ideas he expresses before and during the trial process...and i whole-heartedly agree with his arrival at the idea that the DMT experience may not be something that we can easily describe or quantify with human communication. MY conclusions: 1) DMT is not a toy, and 2) there may be a reason that the body strictly controls the production of DMT...as it may be a substance that is produced only when we are "in extremis." my disclaimers: 1) although i am not a scientologist, i do not subscribe to the fields of psychiatry & psychology...and the ever-expanding Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). these fields essentially dictate: if you don't see and react to the physical world in the same way i do, then you are crazy...and i can lock you up in a mental facility. the myriad variations of personality & consciousness of human beings are not quantifiable or completely describable, except on an individual basis...and perhaps not even then. [edit 15aug2017] i mention my opinion on the "psych" field only because Strassman seemed to feel it necessary to put the experiences of the research subjects into the 'correct' description check-boxes of human behavior required by the DSM and therapeutic technique. there were a few times when i read what Strassman quoted the patient as saying about a DMT experience, and when i read his summation of that experience, it didn't seem to be AT ALL what the patient described...sometimes in the patient's intent and sometimes in the patient's description of an experience. it isn't until the Conclusion section that Strassman begins to realize that he might have done better to simply provide a source of mostly silent comfort to the patient, while recording the patient's report of the experience...WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO LEAD THE PATIENT INTO THE REQUIRED SOCIETAL EXPLANATIONS. the other truly disturbing example of this behavior is the "recovered memory" industry, which seems to push, push, push to get the societally desired response from the patient...in order to reinforce the societal backstory currently in play. in the 1980s, it was determined by the psych industry that we were all co-dependent, which is what i said to my Ph.D psychologist sister after reading an article she gave me. "Well, B___, this seems like a mandate for job creation for the psych industry...but not much more than that," and we haven't really communicated much since then. to sum up: in my opinion, the psych industry is determined to convince the world that they have all the answers to all the world's mental and behavior problems...but DMT transcends all those answers because it is an ineffable experience, and, therefore, incapable of being expressed to others in any meaningful way. the psych industry doesn't like what it can't categorize and/or quantize.

The reviews on this book alone are outstanding, read some of them. My favorite pages were the last two 344-345 where is mostly just some random person's letter post the DMT experience. Still got the chills writing this. Sums up the entire book perfectly, well done. I wish there were more word-for-word encounters in this book. Encounters (folks interacting with non-human beings while high on dmt) becomes generalized and trivial in the book--so common it seems it became not imoprtant to transcribe alot of them. You get alot of "From my notes..." instead of recorded transcriptions from people undergoing the study. Will read again. Will recommend. Well writen. Worth the money. 5 stars.

This is the first time I have left a review for a book i have read. I literally cannot put in to words how fascinating this book is! I was worried I might not understand a lot of it with it being written by a scientist and thought the scientific jargon would be to much for me but the Author wrote this so well it was really clear and easy to understand. I cannot stop thinking about this book and talking about it with family and friends! I don’t think I have been as interested in anything as much as this subject and now I’m exited to read more on alien abductions and much More that was discussed in this book.

It's a great book if you are into the history of psychedelic research or scientific experiments and protocols. The book is interesting because the author describes his first-person experience, doubts and thinkering as a researcher, in experimenting and analyzing such out-of-the-ordinary phenomenon. The book does not provide updated information on DMT, and a big part of it contains hypothetical thinking, (without enough evidence).

Great

Impressive book. It covers all aspects of Strassman's research and was very interesting, unfortunately, there are no real answers as to what a DMT experience actually is - I was led to believe, by others, that this book had the answers. You are given a lot of info and anecdotes, and Strassman's theories, but you need to come to your own conclusions (just like most other things in life). Still, I learned a lot and found it an enjoyable read (except the last couple of chapters which are a bit depressing). Strassman writes in an open, honest, and down-to-Earth way that makes it easy to read even when he's talking about convoluted scientific challenges, dealing with the FDA/DEA, or the "spiritual journeys" of his subjects. An important book for anyone interested in hallucinogens (or planning official research on psychedelics) or curious about what "near-death experiences" actually are.

It opened my mind into many related questions of humanity. There are not certain answers but it gave me certain questions , new ideas and better understanding of how different are drugs and how we classified them as one when they are all different. A new pathway to look forward better psychological support. I won’t say how good or bad the book was, It is what this scientific has to offer and I’m glad he dedicated his life for future generations to keep understanding our own evolution , our own propose , our position in the universe.