5-MeO-DMT vs. DMT: Which Is Right For Me? (Updated 2024)

5-MeO-DMT vs. DMT: Which Is Right For Me? (Updated 2024)

5 MeO DMT and DMT are both powerful psychoactive substances of the tryptamine class used and studied by many, for healing and self improvement.

DMT is a compound most famously used in ayahuasca brews, inducing up to six hour trips. It can also be smoked and create a 10-15 minute trip out of this realm of reality. Studied by Rick Strassman and advocated by Terence McKenna, people are aware of the power of this spirit molecule.

5-MeO-DMT is a magical substance often referred to as the God Molecule because of its ability to bring people to a higher level of consciousness. There is often talk of ego dissolution and an increase in serotonin receptors and overall awareness.

DMT is similar in composition, though 5 MeO DMT has an added component. Even though they both have similar roots from South America, and used by South American shamans for years, the trip itself is quite different.

You might be wondering what the main differences are in 5 MeO DMT vs DMT and there are many. Below are the notable contrasts in these psychedelics so you know which to choose for your trip. 

The Makeup 

5-MeO-DMT 5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine or Bufo is found in plants and sentient beings. It is most commonly extracted from the venom of the Colorado River toad in the Sonoran Desert, and the toad venom is then dried and vapourized. This is an intense psychedelic medicine with a psychoactive effect.

DMT or DMT is N,N-Dimethyltryptamine can be found in plants and mammals.

DMT is derived from plants such as the bark of the Mimosa hostilis and Psychotria viridis. It naturally occurs in our own bodies. There are many accounts of experienced meditators having natural releases of DMT. The human body produces it and it releases when we die. This tryptamine is also powerful, but less so than Bufo.  

Though 5-MeO-DMT  and DMT have similar properties and molecular make up, the experience is quite different in intensity. Bufo is a derivative of DMT, but is 4 to 6 times stronger than DMT. 

 5-MeO-DMT for Healing through oneness

To put it simply,  5-MeO-DMT is best used for healing and higher purposes. Healing is broad, and does not include only childhood trauma or addiction, but releasing negative thought patterns and reprogramming the mind. Healing does not always need to be through suffering, many people account a mystical experience from this psychedelic substance.

According to  recent studies done by John Hopkins University, 5-MeO-DMT, is proven to substantially lower rates of depression and anxiety, and increase alignment to purpose and overall life satisfaction. Bufo alvarius is known to strengthen mental health through known clinical research done by national institutes and universities such as Maastricht University and Imperial College London.

In clinical trials and psychedelic therapy this god molecule proved to be as effective as trials with psilocybin and much more immediate in its treatment. Using plant medicines is a much more holistic approach to healing than the use of antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants that have many adverse side effects and create addictions.

Bufo is a psychoactive substance that induces mystical experiences. More and more celebrities like Hunter Biden and Mike Tyson say that the feeling of peace was unparalleled.The sonoran desert toad induces hallucinations, creating a different sense of self or no sense of self, and the melting away of time. In only a thirty minute trip, so much changes. 

Many people recount an  ego death, where the sense of self disappears and there is an overwhelming feeling of oneness. Bufo has a deeper and greater significance than DMT because it helps to understand beyond  the confines of the ego, and shatter preconceived notions of life. Our perception of life changes when we are able to go beyond our small sense of self and surrender to the psychedelic experience.

Writer and researcher John Semley accounts his experience, “Normally, my mind is a tangle of bedeviling, often self-contradicting, thoughts and feelings. On 5-MeO, I felt this tangle loosen and relent. I was able to follow my thoughts to their sources and identify the causes of complex problems. The things that mattered to me became crystalline. And the things that I obsess over, but which, ultimately, don’t matter...didn’t.”

The bufo alvarius toad gives a re-contextualization of the human experience. Imagine an experience where time did not exist. Where everything becomes energy, and love floods the system. You realize the interconnectedness of all things. Separation was an illusion, it is now much easier to build more intimate relationships. Your problems are phantoms of the past. The divine welcomes you back home. You are nestled in the breast of the beloved eternal now. 

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DMT when smoked: A departure from reality 

Similarly to Bufo, DMT increases serotonin receptors and creates new neural pathways. We then see reality in a new way, departing from the rational mind into the mystical realm beyond the third dimension. One of the pioneers of the psychedelic movement Terence McKenna said that “DMT raises all the questions in a hurry. It's so intense and so oriented toward the other and the visual and the hallucinogenic that it isn't really like a drug. It's more like an event that you ran into. You just came around a corner and there was the unspeakable.”

When smoked DMT is very visual, for many during a soft  trip there is sacred geometry and fractals bathed in a gentle light. There is the feeling that everything in life is pulsating energy. The body goes through synesthesia like seeing sound, the undulations of vibrations that surround us.  

When taking off and smoking a higher amount, many people see elvish-like entities, spiraling DNA, and other beings. From his book,DMT: The Spirit Molecule, Rick Strassman says that “DMT can allow our brains to perceive dark matter or parallel universes, realms of existence inhabited by conscious entities.” We learn what is beyond the human form.

DMT in Ayahuasca: For healing through spirit  

The most common use of DMT is in ayahuasca, which has been an ancient ritual used by shamans for thousands of years. DMT is completely different in an ayahuasca tea than when smoked. In ayahuasca ceremonies, DMT has the ability to heal trans-generational trauma and bring clear insights.

It is six hours in length, and compared to smoking which lasts around 15 minutes in length, the ayahuasca journeys are longer and more potent.  When used in ayahuasca it is longer lasting, up to six hours and quite intense on the physical body. There is commonly purging and defecation to rid the self of negative darker forces. Ayahuasca similarly to Bufo has worldwide recognition as a promising treatment for addiction, trauma, anxiety, and improving quality of life.

Ayahuasca is similar to 5 Meo DMT in that it is a quest for soul and truth. It is not an experience to be taken lightly as they are both extremely intense in their nature. From  psychedelic research done at Johns Hopkins University, 50% of participants said their medicinal plant journey was “the single most personally and spiritually significant of their lives”.  Over 90% rated the experience as amongst their top five.

When done in a safe set and setting with proper intention, this indigenous plant medicine has the power to transform lives. 

So what to choose?

Based on the hundreds of ceremonies we have seen at Behold Retreats, both 5-MeO-DMT and ayahuasca have enormous healing properties and help people substantially in personal growth. There is a release of unresolved trauma, unraveling negative belief systems, treating depression, and alignment with personal power. We step out of the ego and its limited views, and into universal truth. Bufo is a thirty minute journey into oneness, whereas ayahuasca is six hours of spiritual development. 

DMT when smoked is hallucinogenic and can be healing based on intention, but is not commonly held ritualistically and ceremoniously like Bufo or Ayahuasca.

The common thread for all of these psychedelic journeys is the soul's quest for love and liberation. In order to feel the enormity of the experience proper preparation and integration must be followed. Only do these psychedelics in a safe setting with a guide you fully trust. 

At Behold Retreats we have retreats for both Bufo and ayahuasca in idyllic natural locations with an expert guide, coaches, trained therapists, and doctors. We guide you from start to finish, and recognize that the journey goes on after the ceremony. We fully support the spiritual growth of all clients to reach higher consciousness, whether they choose 5 MeO DMT or ayahuasca.

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Still need some help choosing a retreat?

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We would be honored to guide you in choosing the best retreat for your needs. Behold Retreats coordinates expertly guided retreats with Ayahuasca, Psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo Alvarius) with highly experienced facilitators. Reach out to us to set up a complimentary discovery call and we can point you in the right direction.

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