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.

Spirit Dr. Strassman is arguably the world's foremost expert on dimethyltryptamine. But as he freely admits, there isn't much competition for that title, since Dr. Strassman's is about the only research in this area since DMT and other psychedelics were made illegal to possess about thirty years ago, in the drug hysteria of the 1970s. No one else has recently been allowed to research these extremely interesting, extremely promising molecules, although psychedelics were THE most exciting, most promising field of psychology and psychiatry for almost twenty years. Then the research funds were cut off, and suddenly everyone in research and medicine was allergic to anything related to these illegal substances. This book reports, in a delightfully clear and concise style, what Dr. Strassman and his research team discovered as they looked scientifically at one of the most interesting substances ever to grace our planet. It turns out that DMT, providing possibly the most powerful of psychedelic experiences, occurs in each of us naturally, manufactured by our bodies; there has to be a very important reason for this, and we don't really know what it is. Dr. Strassman explores, and the question points toward the great transitions of birth and death, peak life experiences, near-death experiences, bursts of spiritual growth and development, and other times when our minds might need a sudden, dramatic expansion and opening. There is even a suggestion that a sudden buildup of DMT may be responsible for alien-abduction experiences! The author's easy, personal style makes the book a delight to read, even though it is clearly a report of research and primarily a scientific document. It addresses all the questions in which I am truly interested, and even provides a couple of answers. It is very informative, and tremendously thought-provoking.

I've enjoyed reading both the paper back and the kindle version of this book quite a lot. R. Strassman's writing style brings some humorous elements to the banal theater of medical experimentation. Medicine, Religion, and Psychedelics make for some odd bedfellows at the close of the 20th century. Dr. Strassman had me laughing with (or maybe "at") him during much of the book as you can feel first his surprise and then his exhaustion at the turn of events during his case studies. One can envision him reaching for a bottle of liquor as he has to listen to another "being encounter" and then talk to his subjects as if they were real. The case studies are [of course] awe inspiring and makes one ponder "what really is happening"? Why has DMT been placed on this planet in so many plants and species? What purpose does DMT serve if it does naturally occur in our brain/bodies (as well as countless plants)? The author's attempts to connect parallel universe, interplanetary travel, and dark matter to DMT at first seem so far fetched (and perhaps dated now), it almost made me stop reading; however, after absorbing it a while, and knowing humans have used these drugs to channel the "spirit plane" for thousands of years, perhaps it's not so far fetched after all. The biggest upset was Dr. Strassman "giving up" on his psychedelic research after being delivered some blows he may have predicted after seeing the early psychedelic "pioneers" suffer similar fates in their respective communities. Highly recommended reading...

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.