Note: we do not encourage you to take DMT or any other drugs. This information is presented in the interest of harm reduction and education, to promote the safety and mental health of those who are already committed to using the drug. For more information, please see the disclaimer on the Psychedelic Frontier.

Hello friends. So you’ve decided it’s time to embark on a great adventure. Maybe some colorful friends turned you onto DMT. Or maybe you heard Joe Rogan mention it on his podcast. Welcome one, welcome all, and let us get down to the business of properly preparing for your ceremony and getting the most out of it. Because let’s be honest, “DMT: The Spirit Molecule” and those late nights watching YouTube videos have not taught you what you need to know. It’s time to evolve our thinking.

DMT is one of the most intense, rewarding, and otherworldly experiences you can have.

We embark on this journey not just for pretty colors or as a beautiful distraction from our life, and especially not so we can brag about it to our friends later on. Whether you know it or not, this is about connecting to your deeper self and becoming aware of what it is to live a spiritual life. It doesn’t mean that you have to live that life, but this experience can awaken you to aspects of reality that were previously hidden. Once you’ve experienced this kind of DMT trip, you may not be able to go back to living the way you were before (in a good way, trust me).

Don’t be scared though. Whether you are trying it for the first time or looking to evolve your technique, following a few guidelines can help ensure that your experience is positive and therapeutic. The DMT experience is a blessing, one that has only increased my sense of peace, personal integrity, and capacity for love. It is also one of the most intense, rewarding, and otherworldly experiences you can have.

I hope you have an amazing experience and come to the same profound realizations that I did: We are special. We are loved. And we are all connected, my brothers and sisters. Your story is my story, and Life is our story. That is the truth I experienced firsthand while on DMT. Cliché? Yes. It is cliché for a reason. During a DMT peak experience, it couldn’t be clearer: Love is all there is.

5 Necessary Steps To Prepare Yourself

These five tips come from many missteps, mistakes, and research, and they really do help. Several of my friends, who had already smoked DMT in recreational settings, agreed to join me for full ceremonies. Afterwards they told me that it felt the first time they had really experienced DMT. It makes that much of a difference! You do not have to do everything in this list, and your practice by no means has to be “perfect” — whatever that means. Your practice merely has to be personal and genuine.

1) Technique is the doorway to mastery

Make changa, use the sandwich method in a bong, or get a glass Vapor Genie. (Some people smoke DMT out of a freebase pipe, or a contraption called “The Machine.” But these can be tricky to operate, especially for first-timers.) My recommendation is the Vapor Genie. If you want the strongest experience on the planet, then why are you trying to save a hundred bucks on an important piece of equipment? Don’t half-ass it; invest in having a truly transformational and mind-blowing experience. Dedicate yourself to doing it the right way. Homemade smokers generally pale in comparison to a Vapor Genie.

Note: HighExistence has absolutely no business relationship with Vapor Genie, and we do not make money on referrals. We recommend the Glass Vapor Genie simply because it is the best tool for vaporizing DMT.

You have a small window of time to get the active ingredient into your body, because you lose motor control quickly and your brain builds up a rapid tolerance. DMT is a precious molecule, and is easy to accidentally burn or waste, so having a foolproof method is crucial. If you’re just starting out, or have had problems with other methods, get the glass Vapor Genie. Believe me, this is worth it. Nothing is more frustrating than hearing about how amazing the experience is and then sitting alone thinking, shit, did I do it right? Did I waste my supply?

If you breathe deeply and hold it in, one good hit provides a breakthrough experience.

You should build up slowly so that you are comfortable with your doses. Start with no more than 15mg. When you know what you are doing you can try for more, building up 5-10 mg at a time until you reach 60-70mg. It’s much easier to tell if you’re “vaping” correctly with low doses, because you must do it properly in order to feel anything. At higher doses you will still feel effects even if you make mistakes, so start small until the technique becomes second-nature. In addition to learning how to vape efficiently, you will understand what to expect from different dosage levels.

Don’t rush this one, friends. You will get more out of it in the long run if you pace yourself, saving your supply until you are ready for the big one. You will know if you are vaping correctly based upon the intensity of the feelings you experience and the amount of white smoke produced. Thick white smoke should completely fill the pipe and create a cloud when you exhale. Many say that the smoke is harsh and “plasticky,” but as a former cigarette smoker I did not find it that difficult to handle.

Use a torch lighter. Hold it over the bowl but do not apply it directly to the ceramic filter. Inhale slowly and gently to pull the heat into the pipe, until you see white smoke forming in the chamber. When the chamber is opaque with thick smoke, take your mouth off the pipe and exhale completely in preparation for the big hit. This is an important step that many people forget. In order to get as much concentrated DMT as possible in your first hit, you have to empty your lungs first.

Now inhale deeply, taking in as much as possible while keeping the lighter on. Hold for at least 15 seconds, then repeat for a second and, if possible, a third hit. Extra hits are not really necessary; if you breathe deeply and hold it in, one good hit provides a strong breakthrough experience. Set your pipe on a table or have a friend take it, because you will not have motor control very shortly.

More detailed vaping techniques can be found on DMT-nexus, Tryptamine Palace, and elsewhere. This article focuses on more subtle components of the practice — aspects that are often overlooked, yet incredibly important for having positive, beneficial sessions. This is a tricky molecule and getting it just right can be difficult. Get the proper tools and do some additional research before you start.

2) Weed the garden of your mind

You want a completely open and clean consciousness. Trust me, it will pay dividends later when you are blasted to the center of the universe to confront the omni-self.

Before you start you must clean out the clutter in your mind. This is all about proper set and setting. We’ve all heard the term before, but let’s expand our understanding of it. We begin at the start of the day of the ceremony. All day long, eat food that you feel good about putting in your body. For me this means a plant-based diet with plenty of water, but if that is not for you then eat whatever you consider healthy. We prime ourselves for hyperspace by making good decisions all day long. This high level of awareness will naturally extend into the trip. Combine your ceremony days with detox days, they pair together like peas and carrots.

Treat it like a game and ask yourself: what is the healthiest day I can have today? Go hiking, meditate, call your father and tell him you love him, call your grandma and ask her for a story she has never shared before, she would really love that. Or do completely different things—just be sure to break up your routine. Do something new, something you know is good for yourself or someone else.

This is called living your day with intention. Set the intention to complete any chores that are overdue or stressing you out. Clean your apartment so that it recharges and relaxes you to be there, as opposed to just reminding you of all the things you haven’t done lately. You want a completely open and clean consciousness. Trust me, it will pay dividends later when you are blasted to the center of the universe to confront the omni-self.

Make sure you are properly hydrated; if you are not, your body will definitely let you know during the ceremony. The sensation of thirst is just one more string connecting your consciousness to your body. We want to remove all such strings and distractions so that the consciousness can leave the body easily.

Art from “Spirit Leaves the Body” by Duane Michals

3) Create your sacred space

You should perform this ceremony alone, or with one other friend who will take it seriously. Doing it by yourself is best, especially at first. There are very subtle shifts in your mental state when you are with friends. With others present, you want to share your experiences, trying to express them in language they can relate to. But language, self-consciousness, and social thinking will ground you in this reality. You cannot slip as deeply into a relaxed state of Being when others are around.

Communication in the DMT headspace is not done with words, but with feelings, imagery, and symbolism.

The experience you are about to have is too fast and intense to put into words and share with another person. Lord knows I have tried countless times and I’m not saying you shouldn’t try, but for the actual experience you should be alone. You can record or write down your feelings and share them the next day. At the very least, if you are with one other person, have them leave the room and close the door after they take the pipe from you. Consider this: communication in the DMT headspace is not done with words, but with feelings, imagery, and symbolism. It is a much higher bandwidth of communication and if you learn how to listen, it can say infinitely more than words can. Words cannot be used to fully describe the experience you are about to have, so be willing to let go of them. Words will only anchor you.

Pick the place where you will smoke. I recommend in your own bed with the door closed, but choose someplace quiet and comfortable. Turn the lights down low, and burn some candles or incense if you enjoy them. The whole point of a sacred space is to make it pleasing and comfortable to you. Pictures of loved ones, pleasant scents, soothing lighting, comfortable seating, and whatever else puts you at ease. Wear your favorite socks. Make this a special occasion and it becomes one.

Laugh to yourself, appreciating the fact that you cleaned your apartment to take the strongest psychedelic on the planet.

Start off with some relaxing instrumental music. (Do not play music when you smoke; just maintain a reverent silence. The music is to get you relaxed beforehand.) Some of my favorites are Johan Johannson, Philip Glass, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and Andy Mckee. Music with lyrics will activate your verbal brain, triggering memories and concepts that distract you from your meditative mood. So stick to instrumentals — right now we want to become intensely aware of the present moment and what it truly feels like to inhabit our own body.

Become aware of what the quality of your mind feels like. Take deep breaths with belly breathing. Relax everything. Try to hear every single note of the music, let it wash over you and become you. Do some light stretching and hydrate with a cup of your favorite herbal tea. When you stretch, don’t rush for completion; really get into the moment. Send your awareness to your muscles. What does it feel like to stretch them? Don’t strain but allow the movement to center your awareness within your body, surroundings, and your feelings. The mind will wander to future and past as it always does. It’s okay, it gets better with training. Gently bring yourself back to the moment, sans judgment. Laugh to yourself, appreciating the fact that you cleaned your apartment to take the strongest psychedelic on the planet. Sweet irony is your friend here; just keep marching forward in a joyous and curious state. Remember you are doing this ceremony for you, to put yourself in relaxed and happy mood.

Some experiences aren’t meant to be explained. (Album art by the band Mascara)

4) Cultivate loose positive energy

Cultivate joy and gratitude—this could be one of the most inspirational moments of your life coming up! Your mood and general mental state has everything to do with how the experience will go. Taking care of chores, cleaning, eating well, and hydrating all help, but you can still take it to another level.

Look around your house or apartment and feel gratitude for all the things you have. Realise how lucky you truly are. We tend to focus on negative things, overlooking ju

st how much is going right in our lives. It is easy to take our modern lifestyles for granted. We get into metal death machines that weigh over a ton, flying down the highway at 80 miles an hour while drinking coffee and talking to a friend on the other side of the planet with our cellphone. And this bores us because it happens every day!

Get some perspective and realize that if you are in a position to try DMT, you are most likely one of the top 5% luckiest human beings on the planet. It is difficult to be upset or anxious when you are in a state of gratitude, and that imprint is left upon your emotions and mind for some time. Be genuine. Bonus points if you share what you are grateful for with another person on the day of your ceremony.

I said loose positive energy here because I also want you to contemplate the idea of letting go. We get so obsessed with the pursuit of money, status, power, looks, sex, and everything else in our lives. I am not saying that these pursuits are wrong, but if you bank all your happiness and satisfaction on money or status, then your whole world comes crumbling down when you don’t have them. Why let anything hold your happiness hostage? Let go of what you think you need, at least for this ceremony. Let go of the eternal list of things that you “must” do. Be okay with just sitting quietly, relaxing here in the present moment. There is time to get back to work later, but right now we are cultivating a loose and relaxed mindset of unconditional positivity.

Set your intentions

Why are you doing this?

I often ask for healing because I have stomach issues. I focus on how I love life and want to learn how to deepen my appreciation for it. What do you hope to learn or experience? Do not go in with a party mindset — this is critical. Tell yourself that you are ready to learn and grow. Recognize that you are genuinely interested in exploring alternative sides of yourself and of reality. You are a true adventurer! Know that you have a good reason for doing this. You have been preparing all day for it!

But you also must be open and flexible, because this experience is unlike any other you have ever had. Often the best intention is to have no intention at all — to set no limits or constraints on the experience, and let it flow in any direction spontaneously.

In DMT space you can have a direct connection with normally unconscious parts of yourself, and they may tell you things you don’t want to hear. I was told to stop stealing petty things, stop eating factory-farmed meat, and stop smoking pot, among other suggestions. I didn’t take them seriously at first and did NOT want to change, but that ended up being a huge mistake. My resistance was a roadblock for further evolution, both personally and with my DMT exploration.

Be ready to hear anything! The more open you are, the smoother the whole process goes. Show up and just pay attention to the visions and messages, without any judgment of “this is scary” or “this is freakishly weird” or “OMG I am totally amazeballs right now.” Be flexible; it will all be okay in the end so be at peace. Pre-flight anxiety is normal even for experienced users. Don’t aggravate your anxiety by getting even more anxious about it – just accept it. Breathe and release it as best you can. Keep in mind that I broke all the rules here. No one is saying you have to be perfect, but the trick is to evolve your practice over time. These guidelines will help you achieve truly spiritual, earth-shattering experiences. The more you put into it, the more you get.