VFTB 059: Dr. Rick Strassman — DMT: The Spirit Molecule

THE PORTAL to the spirit world may be inside your head.  Author and professor of psychiatry Dr. Rick Strassman makes the case in his book DMT: The Spirit Molecule that a substance found in plants and the human body may be the key to unlocking that portal.

In 1990, Dr. Strassman began the first new US government approved and funded clinical research with psychedelic drugs in over twenty years. His work with N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, raises more questions than it answered. And as Dr. Strassman admits, quite a few people — from enthusiasts of the drug culture to practitioners of traditional religions — will be disturbed by his analysis.

Most of all, brain researchers may object to the idea that DMT affects the brain’s ability to receive information rather than generating perceptions — especially when those perceptions are of realms inhabited by conscious entities.

Watch for The Spirit Molecule, a documentary about Dr. Strassman’s research, coming in October.

We’re proud to be a part of the Revelations Radio Network, a group of like-minded Christian podcasters.

Click the arrow on the player below to listen now, or right-click (control-click if you have a Mac) the “download” link to save the mp3 file to your hard drive.

Play

22 Comments


  1. quote:
    “THE PORTAL to the spirit world may be inside your head.” end quote…
    I don’t agree with him..It’s just another drug taking thing!Open your mind to any drug and you are not responsible for what you will see or experience.
    I’ll just bet they were waiting to be known…..those demonic entities….and then towards the end….He nearly blew my socks off by what he then said!

    1. Author

      That’s the thing–he doesn’t say that taking DMT to access this realm is a good thing, although he does advocate further research. As a Christian, I have to side with the Lord, whose command regarding contact with the spirit realm is pretty clear: “Don’t do it.”

  2. Shaman: one acting as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds; practices sorcery for healing or divination.

    Notice sorcery listed as a vice:

    “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Ga 5:19-21)

    From this greek term φαρμακεία pharmakeía; gen. pharmakeías, fem. noun from phármakon (n.f.), a drug, which in the Gr. writers is used both for a curative or medicinal drug, and also as a poisonous one. Pharmakeía means the occult, sorcery, witchcraft, illicit pharmaceuticals, trance, magical incantation with drugs (Gal. 5:20; Rev. 9:21; 18:23; Sept.: Ex. 7:22; Is. 47:9, 12).

    The Complete Word Study Dictionary : New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000, c1992, c1993), G5331.

  3. Even if there are other conclusions someone can come to, I worry that many will conclude that this is proof that the Bible was not inspired by God, but will chock up the spiritual experiences in the Bible to too much DMT in the brain… never stopping to consider evidence to the contrary… such as hundreds of fulfilled prophecies.

    1. Author

      People who reach that conclusion are predisposed to disbelieve the Bible anyway. Note that Dr. Strassman’s conclusion is that DMT affects the brain’s ability to receive information — in other words, its ability to see into other dimensions.

      The key difference, as Cris Putnam rightly notes, is that the prophets of old were allowed to see into the spirit realm by God. Dr. Strassman and other modern shamans want to violate God’s prohibition on contacting the spirits ourselves.

  4. Being fifty-something, a child of the 60s and 70s, wayward in my ways, I have too much experience in this realm. No, I’ve never taken DMT. Just mushrooms, pot, and LSD. It has been 35 years since taking such chemicals – the last 10 years as a believer. Today, I must be very careful, as I have a low tolerance to being motive in the spiritual realm. My understanding is that you learn techniques by taking drugs, things that can be used when no drugs are present. I am easily transported to alternate realities when listening to certain music (60-70 rock as an example). The world can turn paisley when weak and downtrodden. As a new believer at 48, I called it the wallpaper of heaven. Today I think differently. I seek the Lord to deliver me from sensuous and enticing spirits. In many ways though, this has become a powerful tool of discernment. When I sense intoxication when listening or reading something, it means something is wrong with the material.

    On the interview directly. I didn’t sense the Holy Spirit with this man. He also admitted as much by claiming Buddhism. His stammering towards the end was indicative of a foundation of sand. As Derek walked around the edge of believing Christians participating in these studies, I now realize I am as close as you will get to such, as true believing Christians would not submit to this willingly.

    Truly enjoy your ministry Derek!

  5. I too felt like some of the others here that this is a dangerous area for Christians to enter. I too experimented with these compounds when I was young. Messing with this kind of thing seem’s more of a New Age concept to me than a Christian thing to be involved with. I did find the interview interesting but potentially dangerous to those that are unschooled in the dangers of the occult and esoteric teachings. Maliki Martin called this realm “the middle plateau” and spoke of the inherent dangers. imo it is not a place for Christian’s to find or experience God. I Which there had been an hour of open lines so callers could call in and bring up some of the points others have stated here. Sharon and Derick I love you guys and PID and VFB and support your ministry wholeheartedly. I just felt this was more of a topic for George Nory and Art Bell than PID or VFB.

    1. Author

      Carbaugh: I appreciate your comments, and looking back, I should have been more clear that, as you say, this is dangerous territory. Dr. Strassman continues to support further research with DMT, which essentially makes him a shaman or a medium, someone who facilitates contact with the spirit world. God is very clear that this is forbidden, and I should have been just as clear about that during the interview.

  6. Boy are Christians the wrong crowd to be talking about consciousness-expanding with. These people here all interpret religion as an exercise in consciousness-limiting. It’s too bad really.

    1. Author

      Not at all. We just recognize the difference between freeing our minds and having them ripped out of our heads by something that wants to destroy us.

  7. Moses himself said that “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord put His spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29).

  8. timbo: Moses stammered too:)


  9. Great interviewer, great interviewee, well done both. As someone who comes more from the science and psychonaut side, this definitely inspires me to take a second look at the old holy books.

  10. It is clear to me that no one on this thread has done DMT. But of course not! You’re all christians! Christians don’t want to expand their mind and become more spiritually free, because their god dosn’t want them too! You guys need to go buy some DMT, smoke it, and then see what you think about Jesus Christ.

  11. We have a Jewish doctor into Buddhism giving mind altering drugs to wiccans, pagans, buddhists and NO committed Christians or Jews. What would one expect the results to be? This is nothing more than misguided “new age” types doing more misguided new age experimentation.

    Do illicit drugs open people up to the demonic world? Yes. We already know that. (Sorcery is forbidden.) There are sins one can commit completely sober that can open one up to demonic activity as well. Whether one takes DMT and sees a serpent or one
    indulges in pornography and ends up in the grips of horrible sexual perversity the results are the same: destruction of the person, estrangement from God and alot of unnecessary suffering.

    The good doctor said the UVD is a Christian church. No, it isn’t, and the good Dr would most likely not know what a real Christian or a real Christian church is. Perhaps Derek might have contested a bit so as not to give any listeners the impression that real Christians approve of drug taking.

    There is nothing new under the sun. Jesus said we are either with Him of against Him.
    There is no in between.

  12. I’d like to add:

    The Dr has a book, a movie, a website and does interviews. He’s making a name for himself by peddling a very serious product and we Christians are giving him audience.

    What business is this of ours? Are we helping him make his fortune and helping him encourage people to try DMT?

    If you think about it, the Bible mentions idolatry/occult lots of times, and false gods, but it NEVER gives clear instructions such than any part of the Bible could be a practical manual on how to practice the occult. Why? Because knowing the source of such things is satan and that such things are a work of the flesh is sufficient. No prophets or apostles explained the details of pagan worship. Why does the Church feel its within our domain to do so?
    “Inordinate affection” comes to mind. “What did we profit from those things we are now ashamed of?” (Romans 6:21)

    If this is the cutting edge — I say: Gimme that old time religion.

  13. orrrrr. perhaps the good Dr is just discovering what Luke 17:21 knew…the kingdom of God is within you. My compliments to the interviewer for a great interview. Dr. Strassman seems to get tired and the ahhs and ums take over but the interviewer was very patient and interested in what Dr. Strassman had to reveal. And to those who are soo adamant that Christians dont do drugs…ummm what do you call wine? And lessee what was that herb that went into the oil which annoints the “annoited one”…kaneh bosm? Also as to the point Dr. Strassman makes on Old Testament illumination due to things like DMT…. may I remind you what was sacred to Moses. The Ark of the Covenant was made from Acacia wood and Gold. Acacia wood is rife with DMT. Burning bush perhaps? as Bennie Shanon posits…This does not mean they took “drugs” and are “bad”, but perhaps these God-given substances which exist naturally within the body and naturally in plants are there by the grace of God to allow us individually to develop a relationship with God within ourselves without the intervention of priests and tv evangelists. Just a thought. Once again, my cudos to Derek.

  14. DMT and psychedelics are the crack cocaine of the psychedelic drug culture….monoatomic gold is the heroin of that same culture. DMT is released in quantity into your brain when you are near death because it is there to transition you from this realm, this dimension to the next. If your brain has been over stimulated by recreationally using psychedelics, then when the time comes and you need it, it won’t be there. Serotonin and melatonin are naturally produced in our brain and when we over use these highly crystalline chemicals by ingesting large amounts of concentrated ‘feel good’ elements, we will get stuck in purgatory, in between dimensions where the Bible says is worse than Hell. I would agree insomuch as I have had a real near death experience and I have been there. I saw the white door and my brother called me back and told me I have ‘ unfinished business’
    That place between life and death, where recreational psyche3delic drug abusers will end up, is worse than HELL, trust me don’t go there. Stop the stupidity. You don ‘t get something for nothing in this life. Expand your mind and contract your heart. you only have a certain amount of energy. That energy is binary feminine ,masculine, yin yang alpha omega…DMT N,N,- Nitrogen… alpha Lucifer satan the devil all negative……..monoatomic gold is omega feminine positive…like I said cocaine and heroin… cocaine is concentrated negative energy potential, highly crystalline element, monoatomic gold and ORMUS is it’s polar opposite. you have been warned


Leave a Reply to DL Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.