I know some people here use DMT and meditation together, especially as a way to integrate and prepare for trips, but recently I’ve been feeling they are different paths, depending what one is searching for obviously. I believe that no matter how I phrase it, what I am searching for is always ultimately the same thing. When I began my journey with DMT I wanted to explore consciousness, my perception of reality and possibly even as a tool to give me a glimpse of what enlightenment may be. Something pulled me towards DMT just as something pulled me towards meditation, I can’t explain what but I‘m sure many of you will know what I mean.

Since I have started meditating the goal is still the same but with a more spiritual aspect and emphasis on enlightenment and Self realisation. I have taken to meditating well and already know that it is going to be part of my life now, but the dilemma I have found myself in is in part because of the small realisations I have already had, the small progress and improvements I have noticed. It feels like gradual work, slowly peeling away the layers bit by bit until eventually bigger realisations will occur. It’s making me feel like a DMT breakthrough experience would just tear through all those layers without doing any of the work and learning and potentially hinder what I have started. I know some mystic texts refer to this, eg St Teresa warns of “the harm that ensues when the spirit attempts to aspire to unusual and supernatural experiences before they are bestowed upon by it the Lord.” Now I don’t know about supernatural but I think we can all agree on unusual.

Is this valid, or is the experience something else entirely which will be an aid to my meditation or is the DMT experience just another distraction from life and the spiritual path. It is probably also worth mentioning that I have considered the possibility that I am simply not getting the call at the moment.

What I’m ultimately trying to raise is then, as methods of consciousness exploration are they compatible or are they two separate journeys?

Woody

You're analogy with the 'layers' aspect is leaning in the right way. I suppose it may depend on the path you wish to take further. DMT may or may not push you past many layers that you are working through with meditation. Many of times it can burst through more than you can count. Other times it may end up sort of easing beyond some familiar borders (granted, DMT generally has a quite 'unusual' aspect). However I am far from thinking the two (DMT and meditation) are incompatible. The word integration comes up often and I feel it applies here.

Depending on dosage, DMT can aide either. For me, lower dosages invite a lovely calm and meditation-driven mindset that eases back to normalcy. Building up with meditation, study, determination (will) can push even lower physical dosages to higher realms of understanding oneself. Whereas higher dosages may push so far beyond what you had expected in your meditation & studies that the realm is wholly foreign to you and integration is a path of piecing that puzzle back together.

In other words, while it may feel like bursting through can hinder some learning and growth, the opposite may also hold true as after an experience you may have all sorts of ideas in your pot to play or use in recipes of thought as you wish... grand realizations, small tag-along thoughts, sudden wonder.. all have a place to fit in your mind along with your expectations of experience and growth. With that said, I think an understanding of meditation and the mind can be of utmost importance when undertaking a DMT experience.

To answer your ultimate question, though I believe I did above, yes they are compatible. Be sure, be grounded, be open, and when it happens just be. You can take from it what you will, critical thought is welcomed (when back) in our human selves.That's it from me.
Oh, and what a trip