“I think of psychedelics as tools...they can be like a hammer: they can break things, or they can drive a nail and build things.”
Rick Strassman – here to open your mind, and probably blow it as well. West of The Rockies’ slogan, as y’all probably know by now, has always been, “Open Your Mind.” Every week we hope to do just that, and every now and then we even surprisingly out-do ourselves.
Rick Strassman, spiritual explorer and psychedelic pioneer. Photo courtesy of rickstrassman.com.
WoTR has been covering DMT-related topics for quite a while now, at times just in passing, other times in a little more detail. A fascinating subject, still in its early research stages, it remains a mystery to most of us. For those of you that don’t know, here’s a three-point summary: DMT (N, N-Dimethyltryptamine) is a powerful psychedelic compound, commonly leading to “other world” experiences; it has been used for spiritual and healing purposes by indigenous Amazonians for hundreds of years (in the form of ayahuasca); it is a naturally occurring compound, found in a myriad of plants and animals, including humans (yes, that stuff is floating around inside you!).
Yes, it's true, Strassman really does sign his books upon request! - WoTR's very own signed copy of ,"DMT: The Spirit Molecule."
Now, here’s where Dr. Strassman, a psychiatry and psychopharmacology expert, comes into play: he was the first person in the US to perform psychedelic drug studies on humans (that is, following the two-decade ban), detailing the effects of DMT on approximately 60 volunteers over the course of five years. His project is truly visionary, and the study provided us with some seriously thought-provoking results. Coined the "god molecule" or "spirit molecule" by Strassman, due to the experiences that users frequently report, it routinely involves apparent interaction with non-human or god-like beings. What is DMT? What is its purpose? Does it open up a doorway into another realm for us?
To find out more, you should probably read his DMT: The Spitit Molecule and, DMT and The Soul of Prophecy (both available signed, if you order straight from his website). Failing that, you absolutely need to listen to our interview with Dr. Strassman (to the right).
I’m pretty darn sure that that was enough to whet your appetite, so let us now move on to our podcast:
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