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Sun Gods and Giant Praying Mantis - The Science of DMT and Ayahuasca by Dr. David Luke

After a nearly 60-year hiatus, more research is being conducted into psychedelics than ever before. I attended a talk held by Dr. David Luke, associate professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich and self-proclaimed "psychedelic Indiana Jones," to learn about the history and effects of Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and Ayahuasca.

DMT vs Ayahuasca:

Ayahuasca was a ceremonial drink brewed by Indigenous and South-American tribes using various herbs, it was believed to establish a connection to higher beings and is one of the oldest recorded methods of DMT consumption.

Pure DMT however, is a substance that naturally occurs in plants, animals and even the human brain; the only way to experience its psychedelic properties is to smoke it.

Whereas Ayahuasca is described as a 4-8 hour slow-burning psychedelic 'trip', Dr. Luke described the pure DMT experience as "10 hours of every drug you've ever read about crammed into 30 minutes, it's like being punched by God."

The Effects of DMT:

Every trip is intimate and individual, however, there are several recurring themes that Dr. Luke has observed in his patients:

- 80% described "intense geometric patterns, shapes and dimensions collapsing in on themselves."

- 25% reported seeing elves, goblins, or "a crazy little village of cheeky boys."

- 70 to 75% reported making contact with "otherworldly, abstract beings made of light" or speaking with who they believe to be God.

But the most bizarre and yet one of the most common recurring images was "a race of giant, emotionless praying mantis, observing and harvesting human emotions." 

Over the course of his captivating and hilarious talk, Dr. Luke also explained the early DMT studies of the 60's and how the psychedelic properties of DMT surface in people with sensory conditions such as blindness and aphantasia. 

Although studies are fresh and ongoing, Dr. David Luke seemed excited and hopeful for the future psychedelics like DMT and Ayahuasca had in the medical and psychological industries, believing they may one day be as commonly prescribed as antibiotics.

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