There is a common misconception that 5-MeO-DMT—and thereby our precious sacrament Bufo from the Sonoran Desert toad—is the same as DMT. People often come to register for our ceremonies unaware of the differences between these sacred molecules, so we’re sharing some info to clarify. Both DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) and 5-MeO-DMT (5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) are powerfully psychoactive tryptamines. These structurally similar organic compounds are found throughout nature in plants and animals. While more research needs to be done, both DMT and 5-MeO-DMT have been detected in trace amounts in the human body. When smoked these substances share rapid onset and brief duration of effects compared to many psychedelics. Beyond that, the compounds produce strikingly different experiences. Popular names ascribed to these entheogens shed light.
DMT is often referred to as the “Spirit Molecule” for generating surreal visionary journeys that may involve encounters with supernatural and even alien beings and worlds (the 5th Dimension). It has an ancient, deeply rooted history of shamanic use. For millennia indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin have combined two or more plants to create the powerful DMT-containing brew ayahuasca, which has long been central to these cultures’ spirituality and revered as a master plant teacher. In contrast, 5-MeO-DMT has earned the moniker the “God Molecule” for inducing a transcendent state of consciousness that is often devoid of visuals and mimics a near-death experience in which the subject-object paradigm and all sense of self vanish. Most notably Sonoran Desert toads, our beloved Mud Buddhas, produce 5-MeO in their glandular secretions. When experienced safely in a ceremonial context, our sacrament Bufo can enable an indescribable, ecstatic experience of God or oneness with the entirety of Creation (the 12th Dimension). In ancient Hinduism this is known as Nirvikalpa Samadhi, an ultimate spiritual state of ego dissolution and union with Divine Consciousness, and it has the potential for massive release of trauma that is akin to the concept of Moksha, or liberation from suffering.