There are a few ways to use DMT. The most well-known is to drink it in the form of ayahuasca — but you can smoke or vape it too.
Vaping DMT is sometimes referred to as a “business trip”. This name comes from the implication that DMT used in this way produces a powerful but short-lived experience. The whole trip lasts just 20 to 30 minutes in total.
For comparison, LSD, ayahuasca, and magic mushrooms last anywhere from 6 to 10 hours.
So, There’s a lot of controversy around the existence of DMT vape pens. Many experts believe they could damage public opinion about psychedelics because of their potential for abuse. Others believe they offer a new, safer, and more reliable method of using DMT.
What is DMT?
DMT stands for dimethyltryptamine — it’s a powerful hallucinogenic compound found in a variety of plants and animals. Our own brains even make DMT — albeit in very small concentrations. It’s thought that DMT contributes to our ability to dream and may be involved with other aspects of conscious and unconscious thought.
This compound is aggressively psychedelic — capable of injecting you into what feels like another dimension entirely. Some people even report meeting entities (AKA machine elves) with breakthrough DMT experiences.
Users often temporarily lose their sense of self — a phenomenon referred to as “ego-death.”
For the most part, this experience is filled with nonsensical visions — that is, an experience that’s so complex, confusing, and bizarre, you won’t even be able to describe it when the trip is over — let alone make sense of it.
With that said, sprinkled in with the nonsensical geometric shapes and patterns are some deep personal insights. DMT is one of the most reliable methods of occasioning a mystical experience. This describes experiences that align with spiritual connection, profound self-actualization, or meaningful and life-changing insights.
There are two different types of DMT available in vape pen form:
- N,N,DMT — this is the type of DMT most commonly found in plants. It’s the active ingredient in the traditional Shamanic brew known as ayahuasca.
- 5-MeO-DMT — this is the form of DMT found in the venom of the Bufo alvarius toad, as well as a few species of plants and fungi.
Other forms of DMT share the same name but are considered to be distinct in terms of the effects they produce.
A good example of this is 4-AcO-DMT — similar to psilocybin and psilocin produced in magic mushrooms. The experience this compound produces is much mellower. It’s unlikely this compound will inject you into the types of interdimensional experiences produced by N, N, DMT or 5-MeO-DMT. It also lasts substantially longer (8 hours rather than 30 minutes).
There’s also 2-α-DMT, 4-MeO-DMT, 5-Bromo-DMT, α, N-DMT, and others.
What is a DMT Vape Pen?
A DMT vape pen combines either N, N, DMT, or 5-MeO-DMT with an e-liquid base. It’s then added to a standard vaporizer, just like the type you’ll find from cannabis manufacturers.
In fact, you can even use DMT vape cartridges with any standard cartridge-style vape pens. These pens are often sold with CBD, THC, or nicotine cartridges. When the tank is empty, it’s removed, and a fresh new tank is screwed into its place.
Vape pens are designed to heat the contents without burning them. The DMT and its base agent (usually e-liquid) are heated just enough to convert into a vapor which can then enter the lungs for absorption. Vape pens typically heat the active ingredients to around 400ºF (204ºC).
DMT can also be smoked, but the high heat (over 1500ºF or 900ºC) destroys a lot of the viable DMT and produces potentially harmful byproducts.
Vaping is considered safer, less harsh on the throat and lungs, and more efficient than smoking.
