Dipropyltryptamine

Today the topic is a compound related to DMT, called dipropyltrytamine (DPT). It is also a psychoactive drug belonging to the tryptamine family. Naturally it does not occur but ofcourse in the labratorium it is synthesized.

Although it is chemically similiar to dimethyltryptamine, its psychoactive effects are very different. The most prominent effects are increased intensity of music, colours. A pleasant sensation of warmth and the death of the ego. While experiencing the presence of other beings as with DMT the perspective is more as an observer or a watcher opposed to DMT which the person may feel being in contact with the entitiy. The loss of the ego boundary is also reported when a person has trouble distinguishing the boundary between him/herself and other objects and reality its self. Sensory input may also become blended; this is a distinct from synaesthesia

A user may also encounter abnormal feelings experiencing them simultaneously. One may have the experience of seeing the universe from different locations in space and time. Visual hallucinations are often geometric and spiraled. Other hallucinations tend to be experienced in the peripheral vision. Not very much is known about the brotherly compound of DMT but users do report these effects when the drug is taken. If you have any experiences related to DPT please do post them and share your experiences.

Dimethyltryptamine

 So now we're going to entertain ourselves with the fascinating organic molcule: DMT, or dimethyltryptamine. (N,N-DMT)

DMT is a naturally occuring psychedelic compound of the tryptamine family. Its presence is widespread throughout the plant kingdom. It also occurs in traces (trace amine) in mammals, primarily pointing at the direction of humans. It functions as a trace amine neurotransmitter derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan, which is found in high concentrations in chocolate, oats, milk, cheese, red meat, eggs, poultry, fish, and other protein-based foods. Through the help of the enzyme INMT tryptophan is synthesized into DMT during normal metabolism. Structurally DMT is analogous to the neurotransmitter serotonin, melatonin and other psychedelic tryptamines.

When ingested orally DMT acts as a psychedelic drug but its effects depend purely on the dose and method of administration. As the bodies MAO enzymes break it down almost instantly. For this reason when ingested orally MAOI inhibitors is usually also ingested, to prolong the effect. The effects of DMT can range from mild psychedelic states to powerful out of this world experiences as reported by users and clinical trials. These experiences are often described as a total loss of connection to the conventional reality and the encounter of different dimensions. More on this subject can be found in Dr. Strassman's book: DMT the spirit molecule.

What scientists have not figured out is what mechanism causes these strange hallucinations and out of this wordly connections to these other dimensions as described by the volunteers and users of DMT.

More on this subject in future topics, If you have any experience with DMT please feel free to share it.

Trace Amines

It's been a while since my last update it has been a busy time for me but now I'm back and hopefully updates every couple of days. The subject today is trace amines, what they are, how they work and what roll they play in our body.

Trace amines are a group of amines (found in the human body) structurally related to monoamine neurotransmitters such as we all know; dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Compared to these monoamines, trace amines are present in trace concentrations. They are distributed throughout our brain and peripheral nervous tissues and break down faster than classical neurotransmitters. Trace amines may play  very significant roles in the coordination of monoamine-based synaptic physiology at high concentrations for example they have amphetamine-like effects on monoamine release, reuptake and biosynthesis of the classic neurotransmitters. At lower concentrations they possess postsynaptic effects that potentiate the effects of other neurotransmitters; particularly dopamine and serotonin.

A family of G protein couple receptors has been characterized to be responsive to trace amines. And structurally related to psychoactive drugs such as amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide and dimethyltryptamine. Like dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin the trace amines have been implicated in a variety of human disorders of affect and cognition such as depression and schizophrenia. How these endeogenic amines are related to psychoactive molecules found in nature is still a mystery scientists are trying to solve. Why do molecules in our brain found in trace amounts look so much alike structurally and chemically to psychoactive drugs found in nature?

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