The Mystery

  Biosynthesis and Extracellular Concentrations of N,Ndimethyltryptamine (DMT) in Mammalian Brain N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a psychedelic compound identified endogenously in mammals, is biosynthesized by aromatic-L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) and indolethylamine-N-methyltransferase (INMT). Whether DMT is biosynthesized in the mammalian brain is unknown. We investigated brain expression of INMT transcript in rats and humans, co-expression of INMT and AADC mRNA in rat brain and periphery, and brain concentrations of DMT in rats. INMT transcripts were identified in the cerebral cortex, pineal gland, and choroid plexus of both rats and humans via in situ hybridization. Notably, INMT mRNA was colocalized with AADC transcript in rat brain tissues, in contrast to rat peripheral tissues where there existed little overlapping expression of INMT with AADC transcripts. Additionally, extracellular concentrations of DMT in the cerebral cortex of normal behaving rats, with or without the...

In 'Dreaming Wide Awake', David takes us on a journey through the exploration of psychedelics and how modern research is showing their effectiveness in not only changing our minds but also healing us spiritually. He discusses many shamanic traditions which have used psychedelics for thousands of years to treat the ailments of those who were sick both physically and mentally. Not only does David talk about those who he has personally known and interviewed who have used psychedelics – such as the late great Terrence McKenna – and other profound influencers of the psychedelic movement, but David goes into great detail about his own experiences with these fantastic tools. I noticed very quickly that this wasn’t another book about someone else’s experiences, but a story about David’s personal life with consciousness. If psychedelics aren’t your forte, David also explores a number of dream-related topics including developing a connection between shamanism and lucid dreaming. He goes ...

The comparison of dreams with psychedelic states shows that both consciousness states share some similarities. First, they are characterized by vivid imaginary experiences which predominantly involve the visual domain. Although the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are yet unclear, there is evidence that visual experiences in these states share some features of bottom-up perception and top-down mental imagery. Second, both states activate emotional memories and affects, mostly in the direction of elevated mood states, and frequently paired with retrieval of fear memory. Imaginary exposure to fear-conditioned memory may be a crucial function in both states. Third, cognition in dreams and psychedelic states may both decrease logical and increase associative reasoning, similar with creative thinking. This may be related to deactivations in prefrontal control regions such as DLPFC. And fourth, changes in the sense of self occur in both states, leading to depersonalization, loss of self...

Dark matter is, by definition, something we cannot observe or see using normal methods since it doesn’t reflect or absorb light: it’s invisible. It exists in-between and around the things we call 'matter', undetectable by normal methods. In short, the scientific community still does not understand what exactly consciousness and experience is – this is often referred to as 'The Hard Problem of Consciousness'. Where does consciousness live in the body or brain? What’s it made from? Where does this consciousness thing (the Greeks called this the soul or psyche) go when we die? My suggestion is that consciousness is, in fact, made up of dark matter. We seem to have two invisible and mysterious substances baffling scientists – is it so ludicrous to suggest that they might be related? Physics is, in fact, already being used as a tool to try and understand consciousness. I am simply suggesting that another prong of the Physics toolbox (i.e. all the research going towards the s...

  A tentative definition: 'Lucid Dreamers' are those who are able to tap into and transduce the 'knowledge' of the universal field, stepping down those forces to energies that are recognizable within human perception and that are in phase with the natural dreaming stories of the planetary being. And finally, lucid dreamers tell those stories through 'Culture' - the arts and sciences -  perpetuating Life. Gathering, generating and holding charge: Learning to be sharable waves: Development of qualities, skills, gifts and talents: The will and courage to 'see' and 'dream' (the 'yearning'. is the waveguide). Ability to focus and hold attention Ability to generate, gather and hold charge (being generators not parasites). Freeing ourselves from fear programs and patterns. Developing intentionality: Integrity, good energetic 'hygiene', self- responsibility. Being willing to suspend beliefs about what is 'real' and 'unreal...