This naturalistic EEG study (n=29) examines the effects of inhaled synthetic 5-MeO-DMT (12mg) on brain activity in healthy individuals. It finds that 5-MeO-DMT radically reorganises low-frequency neural activity flows, making them incoherent, heterogeneous, and nonrecurring. It also causes broadband activity to exhibit slower, more stable, low-dimensional behaviour with increased energy barriers to rapid global shifts.
Abstract of Complex slow waves in the human brain under 5-MeO-DMT
“5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a psychedelic drug known for its uniquely profound effects on consciousness; however, it remains unknown how it affects the brain. We collected electroencephalography (EEG) data of 29 healthy individuals before and after inhaling a high dose (12-mg) of vaporized synthetic 5-MeO-DMT. We replicate results from rodents showing amplified low-frequency oscillations but extend these findings by characterizing the complex organization of spatiotemporal fields of neural activity. We find that 5-MeO-DMT radically reorganizes low-frequency flows, causing them to become heterogeneous, viscous, and nonrecurring and to cease their travel forward and backward across the cortex. Further, we find a consequence of this reorganization in broadband activity, which exhibits more stable low-dimensional behavior with increased energy barriers for rapid global shifts. These findings provide a detailed empirical account of how 5-MeO-DMT sculpts human brain dynamics, revealing a set of atypical cortical slow-wave behaviors with significant implications for neuroscientific models of serotonergic psychedelics.“
Authors: George Blackburne, Rosalind G. McAlpine, Marco Fabus, Alberto Liardi, Sunjeev K. Kamboj, Pedro A. M. Mediano & Jeremy I. Skipper
Summary of Complex slow waves in the human brain under 5-MeO-DMT
5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a potent psychedelic drug known for its profound effects on subjective experience. Despite its involvement in clinical trials for various mental health conditions, little is known about how it alters large-scale brain activity in humans. The drug is known to reliably eradicate the perception of time, space, and self, making it a unique tool for investigating neural processes related to alterations in subjective experience.
5-MeO-DMT is often referred to as the ‘God Molecule’ due to its powerful effects. When inhaled, it induces a rapid progression into what users describe as ‘another dimension’, where sensation becomes detached from consensus reality. Unlike DMT, the 5-MeO-DMT experience generally lacks the visually intricate geometric spaces and entities. Instead, it produces a state where even basic structures of subjective experience such as time, space, and self are felt to be abolished.
Previous research in rodents has shown that 5-MeO-DMT significantly augments low-frequency rhythms (<4Hz) in the brain. This effect is intriguing because amplified low-frequency oscillations are typically associated with states of reduced consciousness, such as slow-wave sleep or general anaesthesia. However, under 5-MeO-DMT, this occurs while the subject remains awake and aware, challenging the conventional understanding of the relationship between low-frequency brain activity and conscious states.
Find this paper
Complex slow waves in the human brain under 5-MeO-DMT
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116040
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Cite this paper (APA)
Blackburne, G., McAlpine, R. G., Fabus, M., Liardi, A., Kamboj, S. K., Mediano, P. A., & Skipper, J. I. (2025). Complex slow waves in the human brain under 5-MeO-DMT. Cell Reports, 44(8).
Study details
Compounds studied
5-MeO-DMT
Topics studied
Healthy Subjects
Neuroscience
Study characteristics
Original
Open-Label
Bio/Neuro
Participants
29
Humans
Compound Details
The psychedelics given at which dose and how many times
5-MeO-DMT 12 mg | 1x