I always feel stupid after smoking DMT. Why?

[mnirm]

Every time I vaporize plan dmt I feel noticeably less sharp the next day or longer depending on the dose. My focus is much weaker and I feel less motivated to do things. I can also describe it as anhedonia. Can anyone explain why the hell this is? Is not worth it to me anymore to feel like this.

I wonder if I use a maoi with it like in changa if this will change it? Maybe its an increased production of MAO in my brain?

 

[UgraKarma]

How do you vaporize your DMT? How is your DMT synthesized? Are you on any medications? Do you always use at th same time of day? Do you allow yourself to chill for a while afterward, making sure not to get up and run and tell everyone what happened during the afterglow?

Definitely would need more details to aid in your diagnostics here, but in my experience this is the opposite of my own, and many other's experiences (i.e. usually walking away ready to take on the world.)

5-MeO-DMT on the other hand - can ring my bell much harder and lead to post-trance symptoms like you've described. Also wish to confirm it's NN-DMT you're vaping?

 

[mnirm]

It is nn dmt not 5 meo. I vaporize the dmt on a porous ceramic stone usually with a small torch lighter. I try and keep it just close enough to vaporize. It was extracted from mimosa and re crystallized.

I did it last when I was meditating. I only did about 10mg last night. I don't think running around after should make one feel off the next day. It almost feels like a down regulation of certain receptors.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[downwardsfromzero]

What about the other aspects of your life?

Is your nutrition good? Do you get enough sleep/exercise/relaxation? Are you happy? Do you use any other substances? Are you taking any pharmaceutical medications? What are your stress levels like? (etc.)

Why are you using DMT if it makes you feel this way?

 

[Nathanial.Dread]

A lot of people report being fried after powerful mushroom or LSD experience, and most people recommend having the day off after a big psychedelic journey, specifically because you might be less on-the-ball fulfilling other obligations.

I'll be honest, I've never heard of this with vaporized N,N-DMT. Most folks report a pretty powerful afterglow and maybe better sleep, but it's entirely possible that the same mechanism that leaves you feeling zapped after shrooms could effect you after vaping as well.

How good is your extraction method? It may be possible that there's some kind of contaminant that's getting into your bloodstream that might be responsible for the effect.

I'm not sure off the top of my head what, if any, structural changes to neurons are triggered by DMT exposure. Downregulation seems an unlikely explanation.

Blessings
~ND

 

[○]

Every time I vaporize plan dmt I feel noticeably less sharp the next day or longer depending on the dose. My focus is much weaker and I feel less motivated to do things. I can also describe it as anhedonia. Can anyone explain why the hell this is? Is not worth it to me anymore to feel like this.

I wonder if I use a maoi with it like in changa if this will change it? Maybe its an increased production of MAO in my brain?

Everyone's different in how their body/mind handles and works with these things. Im sorry it's affected you this way.

I can say for me personally, whether it's been freebase NN, mushrooms, changa, LSD, mescaline, any of these have done nothing but enhance my overall perception of life; mentally, visually, tactilely, olfactory, pretty much in every area. Life has came much easier for me in most areas.

 

[SleepyeArt]

yeah psychedelics increase my motivation like crazy. also you could just be creating that reality, never underestimate mind over matter, you could have imagined that it causes you anhedonia and then you just for-fill the prophecy

could also be your diet, garbage in garbage out u know? i usually make sure to eat healthy because its good for the mind

 

[mnirm]

I would consider myself super duper healthy. Healthy eating and healthy habits. I havent tried ayahuasca in high doses. I will try that. I will also try some changa and see if that makes a difference. I would really love to be able to accelerate spiritual progress with it but yea if I feel this way then I cant use it anymore.

 

[SynKyd]

I would consider myself super duper healthy. Healthy eating and healthy habits. I havent tried ayahuasca in high doses. I will try that. I will also try some changa and see if that makes a difference. I would really love to be able to accelerate spiritual progress with it but yea if I feel this way then I cant use it anymore.

If you're in this to "accelerate spiritual progress" I think you are bound to be disappointed; expectation is considered to be by many the cause of all strife, and I personally believe that spiritual progress is usually found when you're least expecting it.

Might be time to consider stepping back, taking a break, and understanding what you're really looking for. Then you can objectively decide if the molecule is the best avenue to follow for your goal.

Best of luck on your journey, I truly hope you find what you are seeking.

 

[Cazman043]

How have your experiences been whilst under the spell of DMT? This could be a reflection of the state thereafter?

Also, I have to agree with expectations, these tend to hinder ones "spiritual progress". If I'm to look at the very limited knowledge I have of your current paradigm, you could feel disappointed after your experience as it is not giving you a desired result. Who is the one desiring and why?

DMT gives you what you need, not what you want, and will only take you as far as you are ready, there is no acceleration, just embrace the journey, maybe?

 

[Jaffster]

Every time I vaporize plan dmt I feel noticeably less sharp the next day or longer depending on the dose. My focus is much weaker and I feel less motivated to do things. I can also describe it as anhedonia. Can anyone explain why the hell this is? Is not worth it to me anymore to feel like this.

I wonder if I use a maoi with it like in changa if this will change it? Maybe its an increased production of MAO in my brain?

Perhaps it is just the placebo effect due to some association that you have with DMT subconsciously.

One of my hyperspace buddies had some real issues when he first started to experiment with DMT, I think mainly due to the association that he had with pipe/vaporizer and 'crack-heads' as he called it. He is someone that I have noticed is incredibly affected by his surroundings, for example he connects the lighting in the room with his mood, feels uncomfortable in a brightly lit room and relaxed in a dimly lit room.

It took a long time after getting the electronic vaporizer for him to shake the association and would regularly have regrets about taking DMT on the following day.

It could be something neurological as already mentioned but I would hazard a wild guess and assume that you're over-analyzing your mental state on proceeding days after DMT.

To completely undermine my own argument, are you sure that there's no toxins or other contaminations in your DMT stash? Like solvent that hasn't evaporated thoroughly?

 

[starway6]

Its simply your subconcious speaking to you...

Many times Ive experianced this myself as i soar into dmt space im.. [atleast temporarily].. surounded with an overwhelming feeling of isolation and loss of the feeling of [the self] drifting farther and farther away of a tightly constructed personality that makes me me...
As i asend .. I often hear the words...[why are you punishing yourself?]...[are you an addict?]
I am in no way an addict.. only an explorer of the unknown..
I can only believe this is my subconscious speaking to me as i disasemble and into something as alive as a mountain..
All the words feelings and memorys that create my personality have fragmented into many thousands of disconected atoms only to later to reconect and reconstruct me into a person..or personality again as i feel refreshed and reset to continue life with a form of gained wisdom i cant explaine in normal words...
To loose the self ..[atleast for a while].. was rewarding in a strange way..
but nightly dreams are another issue...

 

[didnof]

slightly off topic, but one feeling I get when I'm starting to gain a sense of reality is that I have a very slight feeling of mourning... its not as bad as it sounds, but every time, for maybe 5 seconds or so it feels like I've got the feeling of just experiencing a death of someone close. I've never understood why, and the feeling is very short, but there every time... strange!

 

[fathomlessness]

DMT deactivates crucial areas responsible for high order reasoning and concentration but does not damage them afaik. The two main brain areas are the ventromedial prefrontal cortex as well as the anterior cingulate cortex (default mode network). It was proven via fMRI machines with people on ayahuasca and was found to have the same results with both people on psilocybin as well as buddhist monks.

I felt like you did when I first started smoking DMT too. I wanted to use it as a nootropic sort of like how people use LSD to study to enhance the way they percieve information creatively. All I got from experimenting with low doses of DMT as a nootropic was an inability to read texts coherently and more mind wandering (introspective thought) which makes sense because when the DMN is switched off mind wandering happends and the vmPFC is used with comprehending the rationality of text. I found it hard to concentrate for about an hour after the DMT wore off and felt I could study just the same.

Hope that helps.

 

[Bill Cipher]

DMT deactivates crucial areas responsible for high order reasoning and concentration but does not damage them afaik. The two main brain areas are the ventromedial prefrontal cortex as well as the anterior cingulate cortex (default mode network). It was proven via fMRI machines with people on ayahuasca and was found to have the same results with both people on psilocybin as well as buddhist monks.

Uh... What?

Could you cite your source?

 

[fathomlessness]

DMT deactivates crucial areas responsible for high order reasoning and concentration but does not damage them afaik. The two main brain areas are the ventromedial prefrontal cortex as well as the anterior cingulate cortex (default mode network). It was proven via fMRI machines with people on ayahuasca and was found to have the same results with both people on psilocybin as well as buddhist monks.

Uh... What?

Could you cite your source?

Sure:

The psychedelic state induced by ayahuasca modulates the activity and connectivity of the default mode network - PubMed

The experiences induced by psychedelics share a wide variety of subjective features, related to the complex changes in perception and cognition induced by this class of drugs. A remarkable increase in introspection is at the core of these altered states of consciousness. Self-oriented mental...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network

The experiences induced by psychedelics share a wide variety of subjective features, related to the complex changes in perception and cognition induced by this class of drugs. A remarkable increase in introspection is at the core of these altered states of consciousness. Self-oriented mental...

journals.plos.org

If you just did a simple google search you would have found many links, which I will attatch 4 u.

I would be interesting to know why this information isn't in the health and safety section, i guess it is a bit too technical. Nevertheless, this drug is switching off vital areas of cognitive function and I am not sure whether there might be any subconscious adverse effects of that. Keyword being 'subconscious' there meaning it would be hard to know or study.

Brains of Buddhist monks scanned in meditation study

The BBC's Matt Danzico reports on a US neuroscientist who is scanning the brains of Buddhist monks in the hopes of understanding the science behind tranquillity.

www.bbc.com

fMRI scans reveals how 'magic mushrooms' inflict psychedelic effect on the brain

Psychedelic mushrooms have been used for medical, ceremonial and spiritual purposes for thousands of years, due their mind-alterating properties which induce hallucinations, perception disorders or altered states of awareness. It's been found that the active ingredient responsible

www.zmescience.com

http://www.eventoexpress.com.br/bcnp/docs/Draulio%20Araujo.pdf

 

[Praxis.]

DMT deactivates crucial areas responsible for high order reasoning and concentration but does not damage them afaik. The two main brain areas are the ventromedial prefrontal cortex as well as the anterior cingulate cortex (default mode network). It was proven via fMRI machines with people on ayahuasca and was found to have the same results with both people on psilocybin as well as buddhist monks.

Uh... What?

Could you cite your source?

Sure:

The psychedelic state induced by ayahuasca modulates the activity and connectivity of the default mode network - PubMed

The experiences induced by psychedelics share a wide variety of subjective features, related to the complex changes in perception and cognition induced by this class of drugs. A remarkable increase in introspection is at the core of these altered states of consciousness. Self-oriented mental...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network

The experiences induced by psychedelics share a wide variety of subjective features, related to the complex changes in perception and cognition induced by this class of drugs. A remarkable increase in introspection is at the core of these altered states of consciousness. Self-oriented mental...

journals.plos.org

If you just did a simple google search you would have found many links, which I will attatch 4 u.

I would be interesting to know why this information isn't in the health and safety section, i guess it is a bit too technical. Nevertheless, this drug is switching off vital areas of cognitive function and I am not sure whether there might be any subconscious adverse effects of that. Keyword being 'subconscious' there meaning it would be hard to know or study.

Brains of Buddhist monks scanned in meditation study

The BBC's Matt Danzico reports on a US neuroscientist who is scanning the brains of Buddhist monks in the hopes of understanding the science behind tranquillity.

www.bbc.com

fMRI scans reveals how 'magic mushrooms' inflict psychedelic effect on the brain

Psychedelic mushrooms have been used for medical, ceremonial and spiritual purposes for thousands of years, due their mind-alterating properties which induce hallucinations, perception disorders or altered states of awareness. It's been found that the active ingredient responsible

www.zmescience.com

http://www.eventoexpress.com.br/bcnp/docs/Draulio Araujo.pdf

There's plenty of conversation about the effects that psychedelics have on the DMN throughout the forums. I don't think it's a topic that's been considered as a health/safety matter because as you said there are many other activities (such as meditation) that also reduce blood-flow to this region of the brain and afaik there's never been any kind of link between those activities and adverse health implications.

This may be a matter of semantics, but the DMN is responsible for what I would consider to actually be the opposite of concentration and high-order reasoning. It is most active when we are daydreaming, resting, or engaged in other activities in which our mind wanders freely (eg when we are spaced out).

The DMN is known to be active during non-specific mental processing: things like day- dreaming, resting, and generally 'zoning out'; and it is overly-active in people diagnosed with anxiety and depression. This being the case, then the 'hyper- awareness' that comes from taking a psychedelic may actually be the functional opposite of the dull, blunted awareness experienced when one is zoning out or daydreaming, or in chronic states of anxiety or depression. This has interesting implications when considering treatment for these disorders.

One particular part of the DMN that has shown significant decrease in activity under the influence of psilocybin is the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), which is thought to be involved with self-referential information processing and, by extension, the development of the sense of self (it is activated when a subject is thinking about themselves, but not so much when they are thinking about other people)

Taken from the pharmacology section (written by Nathanial Dread) of the zine-in-progress I and a few others have been working on.

I'm curious if the feeling of being "fried", "spent", or "dumb" after a trip might have anything to do with how psychedelics interfere with sensory gating?

...psychedelics alter a phenomenon called 'sensory gating', which is how the brain filters out information it thinks is irrelevant or redundant. Normally, your brain filters out a huge amount of information and then fills in the gaps later. However, sensory gating studies have found that when under the influence of psilocybin, sensory gating is reduced; meaning that more information is making it to the sensory processing cortices of the brain than normal. This too may contribute to the feeling of 'extra- sensory' perception that so many people report when under the influence of a psychedelic drug.

I personally usually feel great after any kind of psychedelic experience. Sometimes a low-dose of DMT will leave me feeling kind of flustered and maybe "dumb" by some standards, but it's usually in instances where smoalking DMT was likely not in my best interests.

 

[DiMoiTou]

Several ideas come to mind, such as:
- "MDMA hangover"-type of situation, due to depletion of Godknowswhat... All brains have a somewhat unique circuitry and chemistry after all, right?
- your mind is busy with / focused on the spiritual outcomes of the trip to bother with abstract boring stuff.
- the issue comes from something else that is related to your DMT ritual... like a lack of sleep, cannabis use, frustration/imbalance related to diet change, abstinence, etc.

Perhaps your body is telling you to stop, perhaps it's telling you to not bother with whatever you are trying to think about.
Anyway, if it gets your morale down, I would suggest you don't insist...