Folks, I wonder if my brain has changed... late last week and this weekend I blasted off about 3 times. for a total of about 5 times, but 3 recent "real trips." this week i've gone back to my normal routine 'work'. I really think my brain has changed, like a long term effect, or after effect. I really feel like my brain is totally at ease, at peace. I feel this inpenatrable tranquility in my brain. Like a shield blocking the pain of any and all stress. I even smoked almost a whole pack of NF cigs while at work (which I know is naughty), the point being, smoking that much in that amount of time, would CERTAINLY give me a headache normally... but my mind feels great and rested... I cruised thru work, nothing bothered me. I think I'm seeing this fairly objectively, a real noticable persistent sustained effect, that seems like I've been medicated with the perfect mind medication... anyone else have this effect? how long does it last? Has my brain changed?

In short yes. As you live your life your brain is constantly changing and rearranging itself in accordance with your experiences. Any profound experience will cause a profound change, if nothing else the memory would be stored and that in itself is a change. Btw you do not need entheogenic substances to cause these profound changes, I'll bet if one took a trip to tibet or some other culturaly different far off place they would never be the same.

there is evidence that DMT alters expression of some 5-HT receptors somewhere on this site is a link to the paper.

I used to have that long lasting 'everything is great' feeling. It was when I was smoking cigarettes regularly.

Try quitting them and see where that gets you; since you seem to have this 'impenetrable shield' thing that will make sure you're always feeling ok.

oh, and burnt: I think I saw the same thing you mentioned but it was talking about ayahuasca. I think there is a different after effect involved with the straight smoke.

But then again, what do I know?

Yes it's changed, but Swim wouldn't expect it to stay that way... unless you had some kind of major pyschological breakthrough. swim supposes its possible but personally finds the longterm after effects of smoked dmt to be somewhat fleeting as oppose to aya. but like burnt said, dmt raises the level of serotonin in your system... it sounds like you have a high level of serotonin. SWIM recalls being able to smoke (and enjoy) far more cigarettes when on MDMA. Most likely your serotonin level will return to normal shortly. but swim would be interested to know if it doesn't.

Dimethyl Man does have a good point. but wouldn't smoked dmt have a similar (maybe less significant) effect on 5-ht receptors as well?

thanks for all your great replies and ideas. I'm still going it seems/feeling unordinarily at ease & tranquil. But I did just arise, we'll see how 12 hrs. of my normal routine seems. I'll report...

I have found some of the calmness you mentioned, the first time I found it I was overjoyed at finding a quiet centre amongst the chaos, the more you work at it the longer it lasts, days - weeks with the ability to slow down and find it when needed like a learned skill.
You can go further still where the world slows down even more, synchronous events abound you can feel the energy of nature and listen to the trees talking. I don't know if that is a stable configuration to be in or if it just needs much more work. Everyday reality like the job could get difficult if one were to remain in a heightened state continuously.
Finding that calm centre during an aya ceremony allowed me to do a lot of healing, it was fantastic.

As Lucious said, the brain changes during the course your whole life - and afterwards as well, but you usually don't notice. Noticeable effects may be the result of a change in brain chemistry and substances like DMT may trigger the release of a load of various hormones. Try abstincence for a while if you don't like it, I'm quite sure it's just a temporary thing.

It's definately a "brain-change" .!

For me the dmt after-glow and changes it brings on in ones life were long-lasting, I couldn't let go of the feeling of how precious life is - happiness and health was all I found important after my very first dmt session which was a sub-breakthrough.

My first breakthrough confirmed my first impressions, a bizillon-fold - how simple life is without so much fear and illusion, and somehow, magically 'loaded up' with Love. This had to start somewhere in my body, and I had to assume it was in my brain!

Simple task actually ! .. I diddled with my pineal gland's biochemistry, and HT-5 receptors all over my body, and then if you let it linger, and listen to your version of the Universal Truth, it seems like reality changes... The brain changes first in some major way, and then if you 'cultivate' the feelings of what's right from what's illusion, you end up handling physical reailty way differently, as it responds to you. Calm and Happy, just like any of the Buddhas ... we're all given that, so how did we forget ? !

So to get this happening for me, I had to drop out of the rat race which took some courage, and time (2 years or so). I tried my best to assume the motto "you are what you eat, and what you throw away" - this is true for physical and non physical things we engage in. I found I had to consume good things and energy, and emit energy in life-affirming acts while stopping all the illusion and nonsense.

Give it away, all your happiness ! .. more comes up in you and then you can do it again, just give it away !

... and, not like I'm meaning to preach but, Stop smoking 'cigarettes' folks ! The original plant called T.rustica is a medicine but 'tobacco' is not so life-affirming when disguised as 'cigarettes' ...

OK, I can say the real noticable effect of brain relaxation after smoking, for me, seemed to last 4 days...

thats still pretty impressive, never experienced anything like that myself..

I think i know what you are talking about. Since i started smoking DMT (about one year ago), i have noticed some changes. I feel more calm, more relaxed, even in stressfull conditions (job). It helps me to fall asleep, which was very difficult for me before. Call me crazy, but i also think that my digestive system works better now (no more acid reflux, which i had frequently for years). Maybe there is a relation between stress and the digestive system...
And these effects seem to last for quite a while. Even after 2 weeks without smoking DMT, i can still feel this effect. After more than one month without smoking, i think i can feel the effect decreasing, but i am not sure, it is very difficult to stay objective in this matter.

Im sorry Spocks Brain, we can't help you here. Your a Vulcan. How could we humans posibly help you come to understand your logic.

I understand what you are saying here. I get this same sort of post-trip tranquility from mushrooms, but not typically from DMT. After a good mushroom session I will generally have a very serene / tranquil mental state for a day or two afterwards. I think it's one of two things (or combination of both).
1. - the trip is therapudic in it's ability to wash away your daily stresses, and see the bigger picture of life. It gives you perspective that you don't normally have, and that hangs with you for a while.
2. The substance changes the balance of your brain chemistry in such a way that you are more balanced.
Regardless - it's a great thing! Appreciate it!

Although there are many types of tryptamine receptors (5HT-serotonin ones) all over our bodies, apparently we have more HT-5 receptors in our gut, the digestive tract, than anywhere else in our bodies ... Dmt get's you all over !

If you smoke it weekly, or as often as needed, then you are never without that sense ... Be guided back to goodness every new moon, or just be 'reminded' regularly, it will work.. !