A fresh of the press paper on 5-MeO-DMT I thought may be of interest to some.

Study:

Uthaug, M.V., Lancelotta, R., van Oorsouw, K., Kuypers, K.P.C., Mason, N., Rak, J., Sulakova, A., Jurok, R., Maryska, M., Kuchar, M., Palanicek, T., Riba, J. & Ramaekers, J.G. (2019) A single inhalation of vapor from dried toad secretion containing 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in a naturalistic setting is related to sustained enhancement of satisfaction with life, mindfulness-related capacities, and a decrement of psychopathological symptoms. Psychopharmacology, 1-14.

Full open access paper can be read and downloaded from here:

https://link.springer.co...nKeyC0uO-cInhZgCn-K1Mb0

good stuff, have yet to smoke the toad ooz but I'm sure one day I will lol

I think this is an interesting idea for research but this study definitely lacked necessary control groups and doesn't come off as very objective to me.

For example, the researchers concluded that 5-MeO is associated with sustained benefits after a 4 week period, yet out of 75 total participants only 24 actually completed the assessment they're using as evidence for their findings. And again, out of 75 participants only 15 reported having no previous experience with 5-MeO, and the large majority of participants had previous experience with psychedelics in general.




Table 1 lists the reasons participants chose to participate, and in my opinion quite a few of the responses indicate bias towards reporting a positive experience. Some examples:






There's also a number of red flags surrounding the competency of the facilitators/researchers and potential conflict of interest.





That last one was the final nail in the coffin for me. Sorry I hate to be that guy, but we have more eyes on us now than ever and I think it's important to present our arguments as objectively and legitimately as possible.

Yeh this study worth what its worth, but for me too. one single Looooong inhalation in natural setting give me long lasting benefits, like physical energy and uplifted mood. I think, not sure, but think it fight off some antibiotic resistant bacteria too.. cause I did first big dose 100mg dried toad secretion and had a staph who was keep coming back to eat me alive. And I set as intentions to definitely get rid of this dangerous infection.
It never returned after the Toad.
In the secretions of amphibians, we know there are peptides that acts as powerful antibiotics.
Like in Kambo too.

Anyway, I haven't felt as good after one single inhalation of pure 5 MeO DMT.. maybve the added substance to the secretion are more responsible for that ?
LIke pislocybin synthetic VS psilocybe mushrooms. the major substance is often why you are drawn to experience it.. but the more subtle molecule have their medicianl benefits I believe.

How bout a "well, duh!"?

Hey Praxis,

Great analysis of the study's flaws. I admit I hadn't read it in depth when I shared it here and you of course make some very valid points regarding methodological issues. I've asked one of the study's authors to comment these. You raise some valid points, I don't think this study is trying to be a rigorous double blind placebo type affair, but an observational one (which all 5-MeO studies have been so far) in a naturalistic setting. But the issues you raise are valid.

I guess Bufo extract is more accessible than pure synthetic 5-MeO-DMT, but on ecological and ethical grounds, I worry that some people will read this and go after the toads (which have their problems as it is due to overharvesting) rather than seek out the pure synthetic molecule.

I suspect though, that despite the methodological flaws, that the beneficial effects observed are linked to the 5-MeO-DMT...the increases in life satisfaction, mindfulness and lower depression and anxiety rates post experience (and the strength of positive effects correlating with degree of ego dissolution experience) is in strong resonance with much more rigorous research conducted with psilocybin.

It is interesting to note that at the culmination of Strassman's pioneering DMT research, he noted little evidence of long-term therapeutic gains or benefits (this could have been partly study setting dependent however). One of the reasons for the differences in the perceived long-term effects between N,N-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT I think is tied to 5-MeO's much greater consistency and power when it comes to imparting experiences of ego dissolution than DMT...the strength of ego-dissolution has been correlated with degree of positive long term benefits and therapeutic gains post psychedelic experience in numerous studies.



Well this might be obvious to us, but that's preaching to the choir. Generating scientific evidence is an important means of getting information out there to the non converted.

For sure! I don't doubt for a minute the benefits they observed in the participants who completed the questionnaire are legitimate. I don't personally have experience with 5-MeO myself but if the general effects of other psychedelics are anything to go off I'm sure even a single puff can do a whole lot of good for someone.

I don't mean to be a stickler and I can appreciate the work that went into this, but I can also imagine a skeptic reading a paper like this and dismissing it entirely because of the methodology. A lot of folks already don't take psychedelic research seriously, so the impetus is on us to make sure our arguments are air-tight.



This is interesting, and part of the reason I'd like to try 5-MeO. I have had incredible experiences with N,N-DMT but it's not always consistent in its effects, and I feel like it hasn't had the same kind of deep long-term impact on my life as other psychedelics.

not sure about each impact of each things, but yeh wild taods are stressed by pollution, by road trafiick which kills ten of thousand every year, and to either worng harvesting practice or over harvesting ( some toad are collected and milked somewhere else and then free very far away where they don't know and might possibly never have the time to feel a safe space before being killedf again from road traffick or polluted rivers... killer number one of toads are still pollution and road and this even if noone was milking any toad.
but yeh, people should go after synthetic 5 meo dmt before. also we got to find a tek to extract some from some source.