Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
DMT
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quick Facts
Abbreviation:
of Dimethyltryptamine
Related Topics:
hallucinogen
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

DMT

hallucinogen
Also known as: N,N-dimethyltryptamine, dimethyltryptamine
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

DMT, powerful, naturally occurring hallucinogenic compound structurally related to the drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). DMT blocks the action of serotonin (a transmitter of nerve impulses) in brain tissue. It is inactive when taken by mouth and produces effects only when injected, sniffed, or smoked. The hallucinatory action begins about five minutes after administration by injection and lasts for about an hour. Naturally formed DMT has been found in the body fluids of persons suffering from schizophrenia. It also has been synthesized chemically. DMT is contained in cohoba, the hallucinogenic snuff made from the seeds of Piptadenia peregrina and used by the Indians of Trinidad and the Llanos in northern South America at the time of early Spanish explorations.