Multiverse & Purpose of DMT?

[Ben Tarm]

I’ve been exploring DMT for a few years now and had many beautiful experiences, but last weekend’s trip was on a completely different level. I feel like I might have uncovered what DMT could be doing when we die, and I’d love to share this concept with other experienced psychonauts to see if anyone else has experienced something similar.

The Experience:

1. The Hit and the Feeling of Death
   As the DMT hit, I genuinely felt as though I was dead. This aligns with the idea that a large amount of DMT is released when we die. In my mind, it makes sense—if we’re mimicking a chemical reaction that happens naturally during death, the brain might interpret it as us being dead.
2. The Void and Acceptance
   For about 5-6 minutes, I existed in a state of nothingness—dead—and it was strangely okay. There was nothing I could do about it, and I felt an odd sense of acceptance.
3. Returning and Multiversal Jumps
   When I started regaining a sense of self, things got weird. I tried to come back, but it felt like I was jumping into slightly different multiverses—parallel "corridors" of existence that branch off at every moment in time. Since we can only perceive time from our own perspective, this concept felt profound and real during the trip.
4. The Loops and Shifting Realities
   I found myself looping through slightly different versions of reality. For instance, one moment my cat was in the room, but when I fully came back, the door had been closed the entire time. While DMT often creates the illusion of “realness,” this felt like something entirely different. I truly believed I was moving between these corridors of existence as I returned.
5. The Theory
   My theory is that DMT acts as a gateway to different “corridors” of existence. At birth, the release of DMT might anchor us into this reality. When we die, it could facilitate our transition into another corridor. This trip has left me thinking deeply about time—how little we truly understand it and how much our perspective shapes our experience of it.

Reflections on Death and Time:

This trip, like many others focused on death, left me feeling more comfortable with the idea of dying. It also opened up questions about why I focus on death so much during these trips. I wonder if it’s because I haven’t yet experienced the loss of someone extremely close to me, like a parent. I’ve noticed that my friends who’ve had those losses don’t tend to focus on death in their trips—they’ve already processed it in this reality.

Final Thoughts:

I realise this might sound out there to some, but I wanted to document my thoughts before this reality convinces me it was all in my mind. I’m still processing everything and would love to hear if others have had similar experiences, particularly regarding the idea of DMT facilitating multiversal travel, even if only briefly. It’s also left me fascinated by the nature of time and its potential connection to these experiences.

 

[Tripolation]

Hey Ben Tarm,

HA! I guarantee that no one around here will think that sounds out there at all. You are in the right place to explore your theories no matter how far out it seems. I have been known to throw around my own wild theories from time to time that are completely unrealistic but make me laugh as least, the absurdity. Your theory seems completely realistic.

I could see reality working exactly as you describe. I have had the same kind of experiences and feelings after a strong DMT trip. If DMT can mimic death in some sense, we can practice dying, to let go. I have struggled with it and other times melt right into letting go immediately. I found it interesting too see where my mind was at when I did struggle with that death feelings, not wanting to let go. Those experiences showed me what in this life I love the most.

I highly recommend you read the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead.' if you have not already. I think it is great tool as you reflect on death and psychedelic ego death. Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert wrote a book called 'The Psychedelic Experience: Based off of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.' which is also worth a read.

I think your theory is as good as any. I have ideas about how reality works and they do run along the same lines as what you stated. I think we live in a multi-verse with multi-dimensions. Time is an illusion. We are all part of one thing. That thing is infinite, we leave that thing and are born, we forget and in the end of our lives we return to that thing and remember everything once again. But I don't know... just makes my head spin like a frisbee.

Gotta mention Terence Mckenna here. He said "Life must be a preparation for the transition to another dimension."

I like the sound of that. Graduate to another dimension.

Take er easy!
T

 

[Voidmatrix]

One flaw unfortunately. Strassman, was the one who popularized the idea that DMT is released at birth, during dreaming, and at death. However, and this was shown in his original phrasing as well as in at least one subsequent interview several years after the fact, it was speculation. There's no evidence for it. And it's an extremely hard thing to test for, not taking into count how to morally test something like that. The other thing is, there are a lot of ways to die, some of them instantaneous, and no matter what, if we're talking about the physical molecule DMT and it's phamacodymics and kinetics, then some time needs to elapse for it to be signaled to do anything.

However, I encourage to keep going with the overall idea, as I also hold strong associations and connections of death relative to DMT.

One love

 

[CommonConduit]

Thanks for sharing @Ben Tarm!

Just thought of adding one note. The nondual tradition points us to the notion that there may not be a separate self to begin with.

Taking that as a basis of understanding, there isn’t really any-one that does the dying.

 

[Ben Tarm]

Thanks so much everyone - I really had no idea if I was going to get any response, but those messages really mean a lot to me so thanks for your time and kind words:

@Tripolation thanks so much for your feedback and recommendations - I will definitley look into the Tibetan Book of the Dead - I have heard about it before but like all things maybe now was the right time for me to actually read it, and understand how it relates to my expereince. Nice to hear someone who has a similar idea around reality and time. Maybe we can connect more around this theme in the future, be great to bounce ideas around with someone else experienced with pyschadelics and DMT.

@Voidmatrix I understand what you say around the lack of evidence, and the fact that Stassman's words were taken more literally than they should have been without proper scientific evidence to back them up, but especially after my experience I do believe there is a strong link there. I'm slightly surprised and a little saddened that more definitive research hasn't yet been conducted to either prove or disprove the link between DMT and life, death and dreams... Hopefully in the future more work will be carried out, but in a similar way to people with intense religious experiences I am content in what I "know" took place, and that is enough for me

@CommonConduit This is very true. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong and need to go back to the beginning... Is so hard to observe things truly objectively. if we really let go of our idea of self then we would have ne fear of dying, but then would we be motivated to achieve anything?... Makes me think of the holy people that appear to have achieved "enlightenment" realising that they can just simply sit and meditate - but then is that a fulfilling existence? What should we be aiming for while we are here?

Again more questions than answers, but I suppose this is the beauty of this kind of work and inner exploration - continuing to ask these questions so we continue to stay curious and find the wonder in our lives each and every day

 

[CommonConduit]

@CommonConduit This is very true. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong and need to go back to the beginning... Is so hard to observe things truly objectively. if we really let go of our idea of self then we would have ne fear of dying, but then would we be motivated to achieve anything?... Makes me think of the holy people that appear to have achieved "enlightenment" realising that they can just simply sit and meditate - but then is that a fulfilling existence? What should we be aiming for while we are here?

Haven’t been on a DMT trip yet, so I wouldn’t want to claim that I speak from experience. I have however been experiencing some degrees of - what I’d call - ego death. This ‘selfless’ perspective has felt like … reaching home? As if I’m carrying out something, without there being a supposedly separate ‘I’ to speak of.

You wonder about what is there to achieve? To my feeling, there is still a doing, without there necessarily being a doer. This is more of an effortless (but perhaps not entirely painless) .. emanation?

“… for most of us most of the time, there’s a coherent self and this self is obviously who we are.
Until we start noticing the cracks in that egg of self.
Until we break out of a shell that never was.”

Egg

Separation was done to you.

open.substack.com

 

[Transform]

[eggo-death? I really shouldn't be posting while hungry…]

 

[Tripolation]

Follow up: I found the following video on youtube and thought that it explains the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' very well. Do we enter the bardos when we do psychedelics? It is certainly interesting to think about.

 

[Voidmatrix]

Follow up: I found the following video on youtube and thought that it explains the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' very well. Do we enter the bardos when we do psychedelics? It is certainly interesting to think about.

If I'm not mistaken, I think there's a story of a Tibetan monk who smoalked DMT and compared it to the bardos.

One love

 

[The_Embalmer]

[eggo-death? I really shouldn't be posting while hungry…]

 

[dreamer042]

One flaw unfortunately. Strassman, was the one who popularized the idea that DMT is released at birth, during dreaming, and at death. However, and this was shown in his original phrasing as well as in at least one subsequent interview several years after the fact, it was speculation. There's no evidence for it. And it's an extremely hard thing to test for, not taking into count how to morally test something like that. The other thing is, there are a lot of ways to die, some of them instantaneous, and no matter what, if we're talking about the physical molecule DMT and it's phamacodymics and kinetics, then some time needs to elapse for it to be signaled to do anything.

However, I encourage to keep going with the overall idea, as I also hold strong associations and connections of death relative to DMT.

One love

They were able to confirm DMT spikes when inducing a heart attack in rats.

Biosynthesis and Extracellular Concentrations of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Mammalian Brain - Scientific Reports

If I'm not mistaken, I think there's a story of a Tibetan monk who smoalked DMT and compared it to the bardos.

One love

From Terence Mckenna's Rap: Dancing Into the Third Millennium at Starwood Festival XIV July 23, 1994

I took DMT to a lama of great accomplishment—not one of the grab-ass can of Budweiser welded to the good right hand lamas, but a real lama. This guy was over 90 when he smoked DMT and, since, his wheel has turned. And he said to me, “It’s the lesser lights.” He said, “You can’t go further into the bardo and return.”

 

[Voidmatrix]

They were able to confirm DMT spikes when inducing a heart attack in rats.

Biosynthesis and Extracellular Concentrations of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Mammalian Brain - Scientific Reports

Cool! And thank you. Now, we may perhaps be able to say it happens during heart attacks, so a particular kind of death.

Poor rats.

So, does that mean for some of us the experience of dying from a heart attack will be eerily familiar?

One love

 

[Sakkadelic]

Hey Ben Tarm,

Interestingly, I've had a very similar trip on Salvia Divinorum but in reverse order.

It started with the realization that the current reality I am in was all just a dream and I woke up in my village in my home country next to my grandparents house. I was surrounded by friends/spirits and I was telling them "OMG, you must be laughing so hard at me for thinking that dream was reality" and then I felt ecstatic that I can just turn around, walk a bit and get to my house to see my family and hug them. but right after thinking that, I woke up in another reality, something more alien and not personal, and I had that same exact feeling of omg it was all just a dream I am so dumb. very much like the alien hitting a bong meme. this happened a few more times and I don't remember what those other realities were like. until finally I was a dude in the US called Nathan and I died! I was surrounded by friends and my spirit started slowly rising up as my body fell down, I was watching from above as the sounds started getting quieter and the lights dimmer until I was in empty space. I was pretty convinced that I died and that this is how death is like, and like you I felt it's quite okay to be here just floating in empty space until I get offered another reentry. after that I started coming back to reality and it was hard to accept that I am stuck in this reality and I cannot just turn around and hug my family.

another trip that I am reminded of is when I took a syrian rue brew with a mystery acacia (very reckless!) and I had a sleep paralysis/out of body experience where I literally could hear myself behind me breathing (at first I thought it was a wild boar but I was paralyzed and couldn't turn around to check). my reflection on that was that when we die our brain will try very hard to retrace all steps from the very beginning (life flashing before our eyes) in an attempt to carry on and keep living only to realize that it is too late and that our soul has already departed leaving the body still breathing behind.

I wonder if it’s because I haven’t yet experienced the loss of someone extremely close to me

same for me as well, I do think this plays a role. and I like to believe that I am ok with death, and rationally I am, but I had trips where I think I died and completely freak out.

 

[Transform]

Ah - so was this the inspiration for the title of @SalviaDroid's piece, "Lego my ego"? (Now that sakkadelic has brought salvia into it, too.)

 

[Tripolation]

Ah - so was this the inspiration for the title of @SalviaDroid's piece, "Lego my ego"? (Now that sakkadelic has brought salvia into it, too.)

That picture is pretty wild man! The zipper is a great!

 

[Ben Tarm]

Follow up: I found the following video on youtube and thought that it explains the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' very well. Do we enter the bardos when we do psychedelics? It is certainly interesting to think about.

Oooooh thanks man - have already started watching, loving it - will finish it this weekend - much appreciated

 

[Ben Tarm]

They were able to confirm DMT spikes when inducing a heart attack in rats.

Biosynthesis and Extracellular Concentrations of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Mammalian Brain - Scientific Reports



From Terence Mckenna's Rap: Dancing Into the Third Millennium at Starwood Festival XIV July 23, 1994

"The story you're referring to involves ethnobotanist Terence McKenna, who recounted administering DMT (dimethyltryptamine) to a Tibetan lama. After the experience, the lama reportedly commented, "This is the lesser lights, the lesser lights of the Bardo. You cannot go further into the Bardo and return." This suggests that the lama perceived the DMT-induced state as akin to the initial stages of the bardo—the transitional states between death and rebirth described in Tibetan Buddhism—but noted that deeper exploration would preclude return to the living state."

 

[Ben Tarm]

Hey Ben Tarm,

Interestingly, I've had a very similar trip on Salvia Divinorum but in reverse order.

It started with the realization that the current reality I am in was all just a dream and I woke up in my village in my home country next to my grandparents house. I was surrounded by friends/spirits and I was telling them "OMG, you must be laughing so hard at me for thinking that dream was reality" and then I felt ecstatic that I can just turn around, walk a bit and get to my house to see my family and hug them. but right after thinking that, I woke up in another reality, something more alien and not personal, and I had that same exact feeling of omg it was all just a dream I am so dumb. very much like the alien hitting a bong meme. this happened a few more times and I don't remember what those other realities were like. until finally I was a dude in the US called Nathan and I died! I was surrounded by friends and my spirit started slowly rising up as my body fell down, I was watching from above as the sounds started getting quieter and the lights dimmer until I was in empty space. I was pretty convinced that I died and that this is how death is like, and like you I felt it's quite okay to be here just floating in empty space until I get offered another reentry. after that I started coming back to reality and it was hard to accept that I am stuck in this reality and I cannot just turn around and hug my family.

another trip that I am reminded of is when I took a syrian rue brew with a mystery acacia (very reckless!) and I had a sleep paralysis/out of body experience where I literally could hear myself behind me breathing (at first I thought it was a wild boar but I was paralyzed and couldn't turn around to check). my reflection on that was that when we die our brain will try very hard to retrace all steps from the very beginning (life flashing before our eyes) in an attempt to carry on and keep living only to realize that it is too late and that our soul has already departed leaving the body still breathing behind.


same for me as well, I do think this plays a role. and I like to believe that I am ok with death, and rationally I am, but I had trips where I think I died and completely freak out.

This is so wild man thanks for sharing! I have never tried Salvia but from the stories I have heard I wouldn't want to...

 

[Ben Tarm]

Rewatched Inception last night and this scene at the end reminded me so much of coming out of that trip I had to make a meme