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> DMT is an endogenous neurotransmitter produced by the pineal gland Has this actually been proven? I’ve heard it repeated often but never seen any evidence t

> DMT is an endogenous neurotransmitter produced by the pineal gland Has this actually been proven? I’ve heard it repeated often but never seen any evidence to back it up.

hosh 9y ago
Rick Strassman, MD wrote about it in his book back when he was conducting research on the effects of DMT. I could not find a paper that did a targeted study, but did find this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048497/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048497/
- filoeleven 9y ago
  Strassman is certainly more trustworthy than McKenna =) I should have been more targeted in my question. I was wondering more about the pineal gland as the source of production than if endogenous DMT exists. According to the link below, they have Rick on their podcast saying that DMT is produced by the lungs and then transported to the brain, maybe stored in the pineal gland? I’m gonna have to give this a listen. https://www.naturalstacks.com/blogs/news/rick-strassman-pineal-gland-dmt-and-consciousness https://www.naturalstacks.com/blogs/news/rick-strassman-pine...
  - hosh 9y ago
    Cool! I did a search on "DMT produced in lungs" and found this one: http://q4lt.com/qa-with-dr-steven-barker http://q4lt.com/qa-with-dr-steven-barker "Dr. Barker: The only studies conducted on lung tissue were not specific to lung anatomy. My comments were based on an assumption that, if DMT is primarily produced in the lung (where, at that time, the highest enzyme activity had been described) and DMT played any role in schizophrenia, it would, thus, be considered a lung disease. However, I think DMT may primarily be synthesized in the lung during specific physiological states; controlled breathing, such as occurs in many meditative practices, extreme physical exertion, hyperventilation, near-death changes in respiration rates, hypoxia, etc. DMT synthesized in the lung would go directly to the brain, by-passing the metabolic destruction that would occur from liver metabolism. There is some evidence that DMT is neuroprotective and may play a role in neuronal survival in extreme physiological states (either intentional of unintentional) that also alter lung function. Similarly, DMT can have a dissociative quality (OBE) that is also protective in extreme events (trauma, etc.). While DMT produced in the lung may have many other “normal” biochemical functions, it may be one of the hormones that responds to extreme stress (physical and mental) and the role of the lung in such events is well understood."
    - filoeleven 9y ago
      Good find! That would provide a mechanism to support the mind-altering claims of holotropic breath work, which I have never tried but understand to be a close cousin of hyperventilation.

> DMT is an endogenous neurotransmitter produced by the pineal gland Has this actually been proven? I’ve heard it repeated often but never seen any evidence to back it up.

hosh 9y ago

Rick Strassman, MD wrote about it in his book back when he was conducting research on the effects of DMT. I could not find a paper that did a targeted study, but did find this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048497/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048497/

filoeleven 9y ago
Strassman is certainly more trustworthy than McKenna =) I should have been more targeted in my question. I was wondering more about the pineal gland as the source of production than if endogenous DMT exists. According to the link below, they have Rick on their podcast saying that DMT is produced by the lungs and then transported to the brain, maybe stored in the pineal gland? I’m gonna have to give this a listen. https://www.naturalstacks.com/blogs/news/rick-strassman-pineal-gland-dmt-and-consciousness https://www.naturalstacks.com/blogs/news/rick-strassman-pine...
- hosh 9y ago
  Cool! I did a search on "DMT produced in lungs" and found this one: http://q4lt.com/qa-with-dr-steven-barker http://q4lt.com/qa-with-dr-steven-barker "Dr. Barker: The only studies conducted on lung tissue were not specific to lung anatomy. My comments were based on an assumption that, if DMT is primarily produced in the lung (where, at that time, the highest enzyme activity had been described) and DMT played any role in schizophrenia, it would, thus, be considered a lung disease. However, I think DMT may primarily be synthesized in the lung during specific physiological states; controlled breathing, such as occurs in many meditative practices, extreme physical exertion, hyperventilation, near-death changes in respiration rates, hypoxia, etc. DMT synthesized in the lung would go directly to the brain, by-passing the metabolic destruction that would occur from liver metabolism. There is some evidence that DMT is neuroprotective and may play a role in neuronal survival in extreme physiological states (either intentional of unintentional) that also alter lung function. Similarly, DMT can have a dissociative quality (OBE) that is also protective in extreme events (trauma, etc.). While DMT produced in the lung may have many other “normal” biochemical functions, it may be one of the hormones that responds to extreme stress (physical and mental) and the role of the lung in such events is well understood."
  - filoeleven 9y ago
    Good find! That would provide a mechanism to support the mind-altering claims of holotropic breath work, which I have never tried but understand to be a close cousin of hyperventilation.