What is DMT and Why Does it Make You Trip?

N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is ahallucinogen. It is present in many plant species in South America, and can also be made in a lab. Researchers also think DMT might benaturally presentin very small amounts in the human brain.

People oftensmoke DMT to get high. However, DMT is also present inayahuasca, which people drink. DMT is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. That classification means that it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

People can have trips on DMT because of how it impacts certain brain chemicals, specifically serotonin. The drug works on areas of the brain including theprefrontal cortex, which controls perception