First of all: this site is a real deal. When I stumbled across DMT while seeing 'The spirit molecule' on Netflix, I was amazed. I'm 37 now,live in Europe, have a scientific background and already tried a couple of drugs. Hallucinogens we're new to me since I never had a good opportunity to try it (and maybe never pushed on having one). To be honest I maybe was a little afraid of as well. When I heard talking the scientists about their trip experiences in that documentary, I was caught between amazement and the slight feeling, that these persons are maniacs. To be honest: a DMT trip experience sounds exactly like that to someone, who tends to think in flowcharts too often and never tried hallucinogens. When I found out, that the extraction is pretty simple and everything available legal the scientist in me woke up. I researched until I was convinced, that I knew everything important about DMT and then extracted my first batch. Since there's no market in Europe this was the only way to get my hands on that stuff. From then on I had about 15 breakthroughs and I'm still experimenting on how to amplify the experience by set, setting and intentions while working on old behavior patterns that affect my life in a negative way. Thanks to this site I found access to one of the most life changing experiences ever due to the more or less scientific approach to hallucinogens.
I try my best to give a share of my pretty new experiences here...

Hi Expander, welcome to the forum!

I'm curious, would you say that the experiences have helped you see flaws (such as blind arrogance) in western science?

Excellent question. I personally think yes. I was shocked by the fact, that there's so little research available for a molecule with a potency like DMT. My approach to spice was less spiritual but more scientific. I previously did some research on lucid dreaming to learn more about my subconscious and had some success with that. But DMT is like the fast track to do this. In my limited experience of the last ten weeks (~10 breakthroughs) I came to the following conclusion:
The trip to the other side helped me to tear down walls in my head and showed me that I'm more or less fine with my inner self even without body, thoughts, intentions and everything around, but also is a crazy rollercoaster ride that is very enjoyable since I have to and can let everything go (which is usually non of my strengths). Deep conclusions seem to appear when I'm just getting aware of my body again and my conscious and subconscious seem to be connected and active both at the same time equally.
To not put tons of money and time in a research for a molecule that can expand a mind like that is totally unreasonable and irresponsible in terms of science. The potential to help people is enormous in my opinion.
Western science (especially when it comes to pharmacology) still follows one simple rule:
A healed patient is a lost customer 😉

Thanks for the perspective. In my experiences with these natural substances I have come to see flaws in science. I'm talking about built-in flaws in the philosophy of science, beyond the external business pressures to make money and subsequent preference to fund management of diseases instead of cures to maximize profits.

One example is assuming useful simplifications represent the truth while in reality they are a necessary flaw in our approach due to our limited intellectual capacity or knowledge at the time. Once upon a time doctors would measure nutrition in artificial food formulations by levels of vitamins, protein, etc (what we could measure). While this makes sense when comparing two artificial food formulas while working in a simplified lab environment (where 100% of the food components are know), it should be understood that this is a simplification. So saying formula A is more nutritious than formula B makes sense. Issue occurred when extending this analysis to complex nature - breast milk was added to this analysis. Lets say breast milk fell in between A and B in terms of measured nutrition. Doctors at this point arrogantly assumed that their simplified measurements could be used to claim that formula A was superior to breast milk and recommended mothers to not give breast milk. Today we know a little more and how wrong/incomplete/arrogant that approach was.

In my experience I was not aware of this after my scientific training and before psychedelics. I thought anything outside science was flawed while the philosophy of science was a path to absolute truth, but that box of presumptions and arrogance was obliterated. Not an easy thing to accept after spending half my lifetime as a disciple of science, but coming to terms with this has helped me grow in my opinion.

I'm with you on this topic. Science requires measurable outcomes, but this is as you said not always beneficial. Especially in terms of psychedelics the effects are very subjective and therefore hard to compare. To just refuse those effects out of lack of understanding or comparability is arrogant - indeed.
I still believe in science when it comes to practical simplification or usability, but I also miss an openminded approach to areas, that are hard to define like the main topic of this forum. At least the people here are researching and experimenting 😉

Agreed