what does dmt look like

DMT is a white crystalline powder derived from certain plants found in Mexico, South America, and parts of Asia, such as Psychotria viridis. It is present in cohoba, a hallucinogenic drug derived from the seeds of Piptadenia peregrina.

People typically consume it in the following ways:

• vaporized or smoked in a pipe
• orally in brews like ayahuasca
• snorted or injected on rare occasions

The chemical root structure of DMT is similar to the anti-migraine drug sumatriptan, and it acts as a non-selective agonist at most or all of the serotonin receptors, particularly at the serotonin 5-HT2a receptor.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has a large effect on the majority of our brain cells.

There is some evidenceTrusted Source that the body also produces DMT endogenously. This means the body makes DMT, likely in the pineal gland of the brain.

A typical smoked dose of DMT is 40 to 50 milligrams (mg)Trusted Source but may be as much as 100 mg. The drug begins working almost instantly. The effects peak and plateau for 2 to 5 minutes and gradually drop off with the duration of effect totaling up to 30 minutes.

When consumed as a brew in the form of ayahuasca, the dose is between 0.6—0.85 mg for every kilogram of liquid. Effects begin within 60 minutes, peak after 90 minutes, and disappear in approximately 4 hours.