Category: Psychedelics

According to the DEA, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has dozens of street names, including 'acid' and 'lucy'. This common slang often leads to confusion, prompting the question: Is lucy the same as acid? Both terms are indeed synonyms for the powerful hallucinogenic drug LSD.

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a compound found in numerous plants and is also produced endogenously in the human body [1.3.2, 1.3.3]. So, what is the god molecule psychedelic and why has it earned this powerful name?

Unlike other routes of administration, oral DMT is not psychoactive on its own because the body's natural enzymes, monoamine oxidases (MAOs), quickly inactivate it. To produce a psychoactive effect, oral DMT must be combined with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as in the traditional Amazonian brew ayahuasca. This combination allows the psychedelic compound to survive digestion and produce a profound, long-lasting experience.

Evidence of human use of mescaline, a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid, dates back 5,700 years [1.9.2]. The answer to 'What psychedelic comes from a cactus?' is primarily **mescaline**, which is famously found in the Peyote and San Pedro cacti [1.2.2, 1.3.3].

The sensationalized term 'dead man's trip drug' is a misleading and inaccurate nickname sometimes incorrectly associated with the potent hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. The misnomer likely stems from confusion with the historical street name 'businessman's trip,' which referred to DMT's rapid onset and brief duration.

Ayahuasca's primary psychoactive component, DMT, has a very short half-life of 10 to 20 minutes, but the brew's unique combination with MAOIs extends its effects and detection window [1.2.1]. The answer to **how long does ayahuasca stay in your system** depends on the type of test used and various individual factors.

While the acute psychoactive effects of an ayahuasca ceremony typically span 4 to 6 hours, the journey can feel timeless and its psychological impacts can resonate for weeks or months afterward. A precise answer to how many hours does ayahuasca last depends on many individual and external factors. This powerful traditional brew facilitates a complex and deeply introspective experience that unfolds in several distinct phases.

While many powerful natural psychedelics exist, research indicates that salvinorin A, the active compound in the *Salvia divinorum* plant, is the most potent natural hallucinogen by mass. Its incredibly low effective dose sets it apart from more widely known substances such as DMT and psilocybin.

For human clinical trials in 2020, researchers successfully synthesized N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) hemifumarate with a minimum purity of 99.9%, establishing a benchmark for what is the purest form of DMT. The purity of DMT, however, can vary widely depending on its source and processing methods, from unrefined botanical extracts to highly refined crystalline salts used in a controlled setting.

According to a 2020 study, 58 percent of individuals surveyed by Johns Hopkins reported a belief in a higher power after using DMT. This profound effect has been a recurring theme in conversations on the popular podcast *The Joe Rogan Experience*, where the question of what is DMT Joe Rogan discusses has introduced millions to the intense, short-acting psychedelic and its complex pharmacological profile.