Joe Rogan Experience #1854 - Rick Strassman

New animal research (e.g., at University of Michigan) shows the brain can produce DMT in concentrations comparable to serotonin, particularly spiking near death in the visual cortex. This raises the possibility of a native “DMT system” involved in perception, dreams, near‑death experiences, or even our baseline sense of reality.

Strassman only dosed people with prior psychedelic experience and carefully screened for psychiatric risk; even then, some volunteers had very difficult sessions. He expects wider, poorly supervised use to recreate some of the 1960s-era hospitalizations, especially in genetically or psychologically vulnerable people.

People with family histories of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia—and those in chaotic life situations or using multiple substances—appear more likely to have lasting psychotic or manic reactions. Strassman notes DMT overuse can produce grandiose, manic states where users feel they possess ultimate truth and become destabilized.

Modern research and clinical anecdotes suggest benefits for PTSD, depression, anxiety, addictions, and existential distress. However, Strassman stresses that the stronger a drug’s positive effects, the more significant its possible adverse effects—psychedelics must be handled like powerful chemotherapy, not benign supplements.

Rogan and Strassman describe entity encounters and hyper‑real geometrical realms that feel utterly external and objective. Strassman argues that, for now, the key is the information and psychological impact these states provide; whether they’re “real dimensions” or internal constructions remains experimentally unproven.