Wim Hof Method
There’s been much speculation pertaining to the Wim Hof Method (WHM) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an endogenous hallucinogen produced by the human body. This is due to the fact that many practitioners of WHM report having hallucinatory/visionary experiences especially when partaking in the breathing exercises for extended periods of time (over 30 consecutive minutes). It’s a reasonable hypothesis based on there being no other endogenous hallucinogens currently identified (other than DMT related compounds 5-MEO-DMT & Bufotenin).
In the past, much of the discussion surrounding endogenous DMT has been in regards to the pineal gland. This gland is a small endocrine organ located in the middle of the mammalian brain. It was found to secrete DMT in a 2013 rat study published in the journal Biomedical Chromatography. Being that the internal physiology of rats, humans, and many mammalian counterparts are extremely similar, it is believed that the pineal gland of humans also secretes DMT. In addition to secreting DMT, the pineal gland was also found to contain the enzyme necessary (Indolethylamine N-Methyltransferase (INMT)) to convert tryptamine to DMT. This enzyme (INMT) is also found throughout the lungs which provided the foundation for the hypothesis that the lungs were a major source of DMT.
However, a ground-breaking study out of the Borjigin Lab at the University of Michigan was published showcasing that INMT is found throughout the cerebral cortex, the choroid plexus, and the pineal gland of rats and humans. The study was titled, 'Biosynthesis and Extracellular Concentrations of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Mammalian Brain'. In addition to the data indicating that DMT is produced throughout the brain, it was also found that extracellular levels of DMT in the brain were comparable to serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in live rats. This is an important finding based on the question of whether physiological relevant levels of DMT can be produced in the brain.
At this point, the question is not whether WHM produces DMT. It seems clear based on the data that DMT is always produced throughout the brain. The real question is whether WHM increases the level of DMT in the brain correlating with the subsequent visionary effects. The difficulties in testing this scientifically are due to the invasive methods of extracting cerebral fluid via micro-dialysis. You’re essentially sticking needles in the brain to take fluid samples. While this can be undertaken in rats, unless humans develop a communication method to teach rats WHM, it would be difficult to extract comparable data to human subjects. Other methods of generating data such as taking blood samples are also challenging being that blood levels are not entirely indicative of levels found in the brain. For example, the chemical oxytocin, known as the 'love hormone' exudes levels in the brain that are 100,000 percent greater than the amount found circulating in the blood. This makes it fairly difficult to extrapolate in-depth meaning from blood samples when attempting to understand what is taking place in the brain.
Nevertheless, based on the recent finding that the enzymes needed to produce DMT are found throughout the pineal gland, choroid plexus, and cerebral cortex, it seems realistic that DMT plays a key role in modulating everyday perception. The particular finding of the choroid plexus involvement is especially intriguing being that this part of the brain is primarily responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This fluid is found throughout the brain and spinal cord. A 2017 study in The Journal of Neuroscience observed that breathing controls the circulation of CSF throughout the brain. While there’s much focus in the field of neuroscience regarding cerebral blood flow (CBF) and it’s correlation with brain activity, CSF has also been found to be a distribution medium of neuroactive substances influencing brain states.
From the many discussions regarding DMT and WHM throughout the internet, its seems as though it is a very polarizing topic. People who have experienced visionary states from prolonged WHM are confident in stating that DMT is being upregulated following the process. Others claim that because WHM does not induce precisely the same experience as a breakthrough dose of exogenous DMT that there is no correlation. One thing I must remind both parties about is in regards to the DMT study carried out by Dr. Rick Strassman in the 1990’s. He injected volunteers with 4 levels of DMT (0.05 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg, 0.2 mg/kg, 0.4 mg/kg) with the two lowest levels being sub-psychedelic meaning that there were no visionary experiences. Instead, the volunteers experienced deep euphoria following the low doses. This indicates that DMT can possibly be upregulated within the human body without inducing a full-blown mystical experience. Euphoria is an emotion that is widely reported following extended WHM utilization.
In conclusion, I believe that WHM definitely upregulates endogenous DMT (and likely 5-MEO-DMT as well) based on its effect on mood, emotion, neuroplasticity, site of synthesis, as well as inducing some profound visionary states. This doesn’t preclude many other endogenously produced chemicals from being upregulated as well. For whatever reason, the topic of DMT stirs up much emotion based discussion. However, when looking at the facts surrounding the latest research regarding not only DMT but the various properties of cerebrospinal fluid, there seems to be enough data supporting the WHM-DMT connection. This is especially in light of many mainstream theories and industries built upon much weaker data points.
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