DMT is a psychedelic that induces hallucinations, and scientists and journalists often link its consumption to near-death experiences. Recently, researchers from the UK—Pascal Michael, David Luke, and Oliver Robinson—compared the stories of those who have tried DMT with the accounts of coma survivors.
The authors acknowledge many commonalities. People under the influence of DMT felt the approach of death and the absence of a physical body, saw deceased relatives and spiritual beings, or flew through a tunnel toward the light (this popular scenario of near-death experiences was also used by lucid dreamers in a REMspace experiment).
But there are also important differences. Although the main themes (like the tunnel or out-of-body experience) coincide, there are discrepancies in the details. The DMT experience is often more chaotic, unique, and intense, and it includes more unearthly scenarios unrelated to the culture in which the person grew up. The authors conclude that the DMT experience isn’t a near-death experience but an imitation of one. DMT can cause similar sensations but nothing more.
Have you ever taken DMT and/or had a near-death experience? If so, share your impressions.
The article was published in February 2025 in Frontiers in Psychology.
Drugs and plants may have side effects and should only be used in consultation with a doctor. This article does not call for independent experiments.
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