Hi Bo,

Nice script. Could do with a few tweaks, but good draft

As the others said, we've been working on a harm reduction video which aims to flip bad trips whilst on it. If it goes well, I've thought there's plenty of scope for Nexians to contribute to future videos. I've thought that psychedelic-specific videos could be useful, but they need to be strictly unbiased (my 'old school' journo training wouldn't have it any other way) and totally focused on harm reduction.

If I could recommend anything here, I'd suggest holding your horses on developing this video by yourself, and instead develop it along with our community here. Granted, that'd mean you have to spend a little time getting to know us and becoming a full member, but I think it'll be a stronger project if you choose to work with us

Aside from the wealth of talents we have collectively, there is also the combined knowledge base that can be applied to making sure that the information that goes in is rigorously checked and focused on providing healthy insights into the drug, and not drug propaganda.

Shanghigher and HumbleTraveler thank you both. I'm more than happy to develop it along with the Nexus community. Just so you know what we have on the production side of things; we've got Full HD Video and audio facilities, all the lighting and our own green screens. I'm an audio engineer and one of my friends helping with it all runs a 3D arts studio.
Anyway please get back to me with suggestions for tweaks an we can get this thing rolling! X

hi Bo,

your script seems to going along the right lines but is there any way that dosage and ROA can be included?

I think its all well and good dispelling myths like the pineal production and dream creation stuff but ultimately it doesnt really matter if people believe these things, what does matter is uninformed first timers loading up 500mg and going nuts and trying to chew there tongues off(i have seen this happen).

That's a very good point, I was thinking though maybe doing a second video dedicated to dosage, then we could cover LSD, mushrooms and a few other thing too. Maybe video 2 could be a "set, setting and dosages". I'm not sure though whatever people think will be most affective way to tackle it. I'm happy to put some more detail on dosage in. I'll get started on the second draft this eve when a bit more feedback has come in. X

multiple vids on different topics seems like a good idea, several small vids are gonna be easier going than 1 long one for alot of people.

the thing with a dosage video is that i think it may start to feel like promoting drug taking.

Im not sure if thats just my take on it, what do others think?

That's some fantastic resources you have at your disposal, there! One thing that is worth thinking about, however, is lending your face (or your friend's) to any such project. I find it pretty unlikely that DMT will ever be legalised in our lifetime, and definitely could act as a blackmark against you should the video go viral and you get recognised. It's something I debated myself when thinking about our harm reduction video, and ultimately decided there's other ways to skin the cat. Preserving your anonymity is crucial when it comes to talking drugs online - the last thing you want it is to get red flagged. I'd also suggest editing the link to your friend's site out for the very same reasons.

What 3rdI said is also relevant. I'm not sure if we could get away with it (or should attempt it), but perhaps a 'hands-only' video demonstrating techniques for smoking spice, along with dosage and how to weigh it out could go down very well (obviously using a legal substance in lieu of spice). While the effects, the headspace, the purpose, the structure, and the history of DMT are all worth discussion, harm reduction 101 starts with making sure people don't shoot their own brains out to begin with.

I read a very touching story recently about a mother in Oxford who lost her 15-year old daughter to MDMA a year ago. The daughter did research into MDMA before taking it, and concluded that a purer MDMA would reduce the risk of taking the drug, but the research she did obviously didn't extend to dosage and purity. She ended up secured 91% pure MDMA (apparently street MDMA is around 50%), and gobbled down .5g for her first dose. Two hours later, she died of cardiac arrest. The mother is now campaigning for the legalisation and regulation of drugs, and fully blames the war on drugs as what killed her daughter, but this really does underscore the importance of knowing your dose.

Ahh, you guys already got into this while I was typing!

I'm also thinking other videos following our harm reduction video along similar lines to yourself. Multiple small videos which link to each other is the way to go.

And 3rdI, I get the point about dosage videos seen as encouraging drug use. But then, people will have likely already made the decision to pursue the drug before they look for the information about it, and we might as well contribute safe, reliable information if we can.

its not the users i was thinking about, it was The Man.

The videos could be seen as promoting use once you start telling people what to do and showing them how to do it. Even though i think that dosage is by far the most important piece of info it feels like it would be the trickiest one to get around.

If this is going on Youtube i dont think it will last 5 minutes if this kind of info is contained. All i can think is that the "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" crew will be all over it.

this is a difficult task indeed

I guess start the video with a preface about why it is being provided, and if the mumsnet warriors target it, then let them have their say (or disable comments on the video )

I would just like to remind folks that the Nexus has been opposed to videos depicting extracting/smoking pretty much since its inception. I don't believe anything has changed recently. Dispelling DMT myths is one thing, creating instructional videos is another. I see no reason for them to become enmeshed here.

Please take a look at the OHT if you're going to go the harm-reduction route (the link in my signature should bring you to a download page). I have lots of info on the most important techniques of harm reduction / responsible use in there and we could make the videos under the same moto. If we go along the same lines this project could be a sister project to the OHT and become part of the entheogenic university or Nexian site... what do you think? I think it would be great to see some professional looking videos with our logo out there.

Talking about dose and ROA I think is a difficult subject. I would definitely not show a video of someone smoking though, that's just sketchy. There's lots of ways to be educational without actively promoting and facilitating use.

I definitely think the whole guy/girl sitting in their bedroom explaining stuff isn't the way to go. The entire video could be narrated without ever showing the narrator, but instead relevant videos, pictures, graphs and animations.

I think this is an excellent idea

Yeah, I was thinking this is where we could go with the video project should we deliver the first video successfully.

As for dosage and use videos, obviously it needs to be approached with tact, but could be done professionally and deliver something useful if done right.

Just to reiterate, usage videos do not have a place here. Professional or not. This is a point that is really not up for debate. There are several threads that give the rationale behind this and present rather lengthy discussions as to the reasons why not.

Additionally, I would second everything that Enoon said.

Isn't "DMT: the spirit molecule", "Awakening the divine within", "Manifesting the mind" and all the other available movies about it enough??

God, I absolutely hate the DMT: The Spirit Molecule documentary. The book, on the other hand, is amazing.

No, I don't really think they are. For the reasons outlined by Enoon and Dreamer, I think that a short video like the one Bo proposes for distribution on YouTube is actually a really good idea. The people who are watching YouTube videos as a source of information are an audience that could really use this. Not to overgeneralize, but that demographic has a very high risk of consuming poor information without applying adequate critical thinking.

I think it would be great to counteract that with a video like this. I also like the idea of releasing it in conjunction with the Nexian ("psychedelic information you can trust).

I agree with Snozzleberry in regards to usage videos though. Providing information on safe dosing so that people aren't overdosing themselves is one thing... but I see a lot less harm reduction potential and a lot more risky exposure in videos that demonstrate the act of smoking/vaporizing.

Regarding the draft, it looks like it strikes a good tone. I don't care for the phrase "psychedelic entheogen" since the entheogenicity of a substance depends on context, and the term was coined to avoid the pejorative connotation of "psychedelic". But the language around these drugs is a complex subject, one that I'm still grappling with.

I think the section on the myths could use some rewriting to reflect the nuance of the research and the speculative claims. I don't have the references in front of me and have a very busy couple weeks ahead of me, so maybe others can chime in here?

I was thinking more about a presentation of various tools used and mock ups of substances rather than actually going ahead and smoking it or anything like that, but I get where people are coming from. I don't want to stir up a pot that's already been well churned in the past!

Aye I think really we should steer clear of dosage for this video at least, I think as soon as we even recommend dosage we're entering into a high level of liability confusion.
I agree with the sat in the bedroom thing isn't the way to go, but I would rather put a face to it. I think a DMT information video that could easily be misconstrued from the off set, would benefit from a face. I'd find find myself questioning the credibility of the creators if I couldn't see the presenter. I think it provides a chance to diminish the taboo. By having a presenter we have the opportunity to show that someone who you wouldn't bat and eye at in every day life (Not a tinfoil hatter or a follower of David Icke) can have legitimate intrigue with regards to these topics. The only way we're ever going to be able to have any kind of discourse about this, is if we show people there is a safe and respectful way to discuss drug use. I'd like people to be able to hold me directly accountable for any point of contention. Then it can't turn into a screaming match for viewers. Plus we've got the means to produce this to a professional standard, so it's not going to come off as one dudes lone crusade. Then if it gets the backing of the nexus it gives it even more legitimacy.


Oh and I'll defiantly take a look at the OHT.





Yes please can we stay on track. Would people have a read and post some options for edits so we can bat some ideas about?

Here's the script so far;

"NN-Dimethyltryptamine or DMT for short is a psychedelic entheogen, it's a chemical substance used in religious,
shamanic and spiritual practices all around the world. It's part of the tryptamine family of monoamine alkaloids and It's one of the most powerful yet mysterious psychedelics in existence.

DMT resembles the basic structure of neurotransmitters such as Serotonin also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine and when ingested it's capable crossing the human blood-brain-barrier allowing it to dramatically affect human consciousness.

The pharmacology of DMT is similar to that of other well-known psychedelics. It affects the receptor sites for serotonin in much the same way that LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline do. Serotonin receptors are widespread throughout the body and can be found in blood vessels, muscle, glands, skin and your brain.

Some would say to classify DMT as just a drug would be doing it a great injustice, as DMT seems to invoke a boundary dissolving experience so profound that it raises many questions regarding the nature of reality and our place within it.
It is important to realize at this point, that the experiences one has on DMT may be very difficult for some to integrate. It's very common practice, that persons seeking a DMT experience, will spend a year or more doing research in preparation before even coming into contact with the physical substance.
Changes in dose and method of administration can drastically affect DMT's subjective effects and these can range from short-lived, milder psychedelic states, to powerful immersive experiences. It's because of the intensity of these experiences that an element of danger is starkly present for the inexperienced user. If you find yourself in a state where you can no-longer perceive your body, how do you make sure your body remains safe? This is the first step of many that must be taken to assure the safe use of any psychedelic compound.

In 1931 Canadian chemist Richard Helmuth Fredrick Manske (1901–1977) was first to synthesize DMT in a lab and
its discovery as a natural product is generally credited to Brazilian chemist and microbiologist Oswaldo Gonçalves de Lima (1908–1989)
In 1946, Gonçalves de Lima isolated an alkaloid he named nigerine from the root bark of Mimosa hostilis.
However it was later shown in a case review by Jonathan Ott that formula for nigerine as determined by Gonçalves de Lima could only match a partial or impure form of DMT.
It wasn't untill 1959, when Gonçalves de Lima provided American chemists a sample of Mimosa hostilis roots, that DMT was unequivocally identified in this plant material.

From 1955 DMT has been found in at least fifty plant species belonging to ten
different families, and in at least four animal species, including one gorgonian (Gorgonians are closely related to coral) and three mammalian species (Humans included).

At this point its a nice chance to debunk the pineal gland claim that is a fairly rampant meme these days.
Presently (when this video was published) there is no evidence to support the claim that DMT is produced in the pineal or the brain. This is a speculation by Dr Rick Strassman (of spirit molecule fame) due to his own interests in the pineal gland. So far in humans, the key enzymes necessary for DMT synthesis have not been found in the brain, so it seems more likely that it's produced elsewhere in the body. Some recent research has shown that these enzymes
are present in the pineal gland of primates, although nothing is really proven yet, so we must avoid stating speculation as fact before the data comes in.
The equally as rife is the connection of DMT and dreams, and the idea that DMT is released when we die, both are also speculation with no real evidence to back them up. One thing we do know is true, is that DMT is produced in the human body, we're just not sure where. It's present at all times but only in trace amounts and the reason for this is still unknown."


Ta folks. X

Id certainly agree that any type of instruction on how to dose and smoke it just asking for trouble. Information and history is one thing. But instructions on how to weigh and how to administer is a red flag for sure.

Dosage is very dependent on method of administering, ie it takes very little with a GVG whereas a bong would need quite a good deal more, then you get into why and how, etc, and even after all of that, each person is different. So talking about dose in a video is just outside the boundary of necessity.

If someone really wants to find it, they can stumble over here or erowid or wherever else.

Videoing that stuff just seems like a very bad idea.