Consciousness Frontiers: The Pioneering Research of Strassman & Shulgin

Pioneering Researchers of Consciousness

Dr. Rick Strassman

Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine who conducted the first legally approved clinical research on DMT in the United States after a 20-year hiatus in psychedelic research.

Born 1952 in Los Angeles, California

Dr. Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin

Medicinal chemist, biochemist, pharmacologist, and psychopharmacologist who synthesized and bioassayed over 200 psychoactive compounds, becoming known as the "Godfather of Psychedelics."

June 17, 1925 - June 2, 2014

"There are no ordinary moments. There is always something going on, if you pay careful enough attention."

— Alexander Shulgin

"The potential of the human mind is unlimited. The best technology for exploring the mind is the mind itself."

— Rick Strassman

Rick Strassman's DMT Research: The Spirit Molecule

The Groundbreaking Study (1990-1994)

In 1990, Dr. Rick Strassman began the first FDA-approved and government-funded clinical research with psychedelic substances in over two decades at the University of New Mexico. His research specifically focused on N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful naturally-occurring psychedelic compound found in many plants and animals, including humans.

With proper approvals from the FDA, DEA, and institutional review boards, Dr. Strassman administered approximately 400 doses of DMT to 60 volunteers in a controlled hospital setting. This groundbreaking research marked the return of scientific inquiry into psychedelics after decades of prohibition, providing a scientific framework for understanding these profound experiences.

Participants received varying doses of DMT intravenously, and their physiological responses (blood pressure, heart rate, pupil dilation, body temperature) were carefully monitored while detailed accounts of their subjective experiences were recorded and analyzed.

Study Highlights

✓ First legal psychedelic research in the US in over 20 years
✓ 60 volunteers participated in controlled, clinical setting
✓ 400 doses of DMT administered intravenously
✓ Careful monitoring of physiological responses
✓ Detailed documentation of subjective experiences
✓ Research conducted at University of New Mexico
✓ Published results in numerous peer-reviewed journals

"I was drawn to DMT because it was the most intriguing of the psychedelics. It's found naturally in many plants, animals, even humans... I wondered where it took us, and why."

— Dr. Rick Strassman

Key Findings from Strassman's Research

Consistent Experience Patterns

Despite each volunteer's unique background, DMT experiences showed remarkable consistency. The onset was rapid (within seconds), with peak effects occurring within 2 minutes, and significant diminishing by 20-30 minutes. The intensity correlated directly with dosage levels.

Entity Encounters

Over half the volunteers reported encounters with apparently autonomous beings or entities during their DMT experiences. These entities were often described as "elves," "aliens," "guides," or "helpers" who seemed intelligent and interactive. Many participants described these encounters as more real than ordinary reality.

Alternate Dimensions

Participants consistently reported entering what felt like alternate dimensions or realities completely separate from our consensus reality. These spaces often had their own internally consistent physics, geometry, and logic that defied ordinary explanation.

Spiritual and Mystical Elements

Many volunteers described their DMT experiences in spiritual or religious terms. The experiences often included elements typical of mystical experiences: feelings of unity, transcendence of time and space, ineffability, paradoxicality, and a noetic quality (sense of gaining direct knowledge).

Near-Death Parallels

Strassman noted striking similarities between the experiences reported by DMT volunteers and accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs). Both commonly feature tunnels of light, encounters with beings, life reviews, and feelings of peace and transcendence.

The Pineal Gland Connection

Strassman hypothesized that the pineal gland—traditionally associated with the "third eye" or "seat of the soul" in various spiritual traditions—might naturally produce DMT, particularly during birth, death, and deep meditative or mystical states. While this hypothesis remains controversial, it connects ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience.

The "Spirit Molecule" Concept

Dr. Strassman coined the term "Spirit Molecule" to describe DMT because of its unique ability to reliably induce experiences that have profound spiritual and existential significance. The term captures the molecule's apparent capacity to facilitate experiences that:

✧ Transcend Ordinary Reality

Participants consistently reported experiencing dimensions that seemed to exist beyond our consensus reality, yet felt entirely real and often "more real than real."

✧ Connect to Something Greater

Many volunteers described feelings of connecting to something vast, intelligent, and benevolent beyond ordinary understanding—experiences often associated with deep religious or spiritual practices.

✧ Transform Personal Identity

DMT experiences frequently challenged volunteers' understanding of themselves and reality, often resulting in profound, lasting shifts in perspective and values.

✧ Bridge Science and Spirituality

The study suggested that psychedelic compounds might provide a scientific approach to understanding mystical or spiritual states that have been reported across cultures throughout human history.

Entity Encounters: The Machine Elves Phenomenon

One of the most fascinating aspects of Strassman's research was the consistent reporting of encounters with seemingly autonomous beings or entities during DMT experiences. Over half of the study participants described meeting intelligent, non-human presences that appeared to exist independently in the DMT space.

These entities have been described in various ways: as "machine elves" (a term popularized by ethnobotanist Terence McKenna), "self-transforming jeweled objects," "helpers," "guides," or beings of light. Despite the varied descriptions, the reports share common elements:

The entities appear to be conscious and autonomous
They often communicate telepathically
Many perform complex activities, sometimes described as "teaching" or "showing"
The encounter feels profoundly real and significant

The consistency of these reports across different individuals—many without prior knowledge of such phenomena—raises fascinating questions about consciousness, perception, and the nature of reality itself.

Exploration of the DMT entity phenomenon

Recent Developments and Current Understanding

Since Strassman's pioneering work, research on DMT has expanded significantly. His research has been instrumental in the current renaissance of psychedelic research. Recent developments include:

Brain Imaging Studies

Advanced neuroimaging techniques have allowed researchers to observe brain activity during DMT experiences, showing unique patterns that may help explain the phenomenology of DMT states.

Therapeutic Applications

Researchers are exploring DMT's potential therapeutic applications for conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction, following the broader trend in psychedelic medicine.

Extended-State DMT

New research is exploring methods to extend the typically brief DMT experience to allow for more sustained therapeutic engagement and scientific study.

Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin: The Godfather of Psychedelics

The Chemical Explorer

Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin (June 17, 1925 - June 2, 2014) was a biochemist and pharmacologist who devoted his life to understanding the relationship between molecular structure and consciousness. After earning his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, Shulgin worked briefly for Dow Chemical Company, where he first experienced the profound effects of mescaline in 1960.

This transformative experience led Shulgin to shift his focus to psychedelic chemistry. With a DEA Schedule I research license, he established a small laboratory at his home in Lafayette, California, where he synthesized and explored hundreds of psychoactive compounds over several decades.

What made Shulgin's work unique was his methodology: after carefully synthesizing new compounds, he and a small group of trusted colleagues would systematically test them on themselves, meticulously documenting dosages, effects, and experiences. This practice of self-experimentation, while controversial, allowed for detailed phenomenological reports that complemented the chemical analysis.

Shulgin's Scientific Contributions

✓ Synthesized and bioassayed over 200 psychoactive compounds
✓ Developed systematic structure-activity relationship studies
✓ Created the "Shulgin Rating Scale" for measuring altered states
✓ Published detailed synthesis methods and safety information
✓ Reintroduced MDMA to psychotherapeutic practice in the 1970s
✓ Published over 20 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals
✓ Documented the first human experiences with many novel compounds

"I understood that our entire universe is contained in the mind and the spirit. We may choose not to find access to it, we may even deny its existence, but it is indeed there inside us, and there are chemicals that can catalyze its availability."

— Alexander Shulgin

PiHKAL & TiHKAL: Chemical Love Stories

PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story (1991)

Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved

TiHKAL: The Continuation (1997)

Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved

Commemorative Edition (2021)

Combined 30th Anniversary Edition

PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story

Published in 1991, PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved) is a remarkable two-part book. The first half is written as a semi-autobiographical novel, telling the love story of "Shura" and "Alice" (Alexander and Ann Shulgin). This personal narrative provides context for the scientific work that follows.

The second half contains detailed synthesis instructions, dosage information, duration, and qualitative comments for 179 phenethylamine derivatives, including compounds like mescaline, DOM, and the 2C family of psychedelics. This section established Shulgin as a meticulous scientist, documenting each compound with chemical precision.

The publication of PiHKAL was controversial, as it provided precise chemical synthesis information previously unavailable to the public. However, Shulgin maintained that knowledge itself should not be restricted, emphasizing personal responsibility and safety.

TiHKAL: The Continuation

Following the same format as PiHKAL, TiHKAL (Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved) was published in 1997. It continues the personal narrative of Sasha and Ann Shulgin while focusing on a different chemical family—tryptamines—which includes naturally occurring compounds like DMT (the focus of Strassman's research), psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT.

The technical section documents 55 tryptamine compounds, providing the same rigorous information about synthesis, dosage, and effects. This work expanded scientific understanding of how small changes in molecular structure can dramatically alter consciousness.

Together, these books represent one of the most comprehensive documentations of psychedelic compounds ever published, combining rigorous chemistry with phenomenological reports and philosophical reflections on consciousness.

The Shulgin Rating Scale

One of Shulgin's important contributions was the development of a standardized scale for measuring and communicating the intensity of psychoactive experiences. This scale allowed for more precise documentation and comparison of different compounds and experiences.

The Scale: Levels 1-3

(-) : No effects
(±) : Threshold effects, barely perceptible
(+) : Definite effects, but mild
(++) : Distinct effects, clearly psychedelic
(+++) : Strong effects, powerful experience

The Scale: Level 4 & Beyond

(++++) : Overwhelming effects, peak experience
Shulgin rarely assigned a ++++ rating, reserving it for experiences of extraordinary significance and transformation.
This scale has been widely adopted by researchers and the psychedelic community as a standard for communicating intensity.

MDMA and Therapeutic Applications

Though Shulgin did not discover MDMA (it was first synthesized by Merck in 1912), he played a crucial role in its introduction to psychotherapy. After re-synthesizing MDMA in 1976, Shulgin was impressed by its unique properties—producing empathy, openness, and emotional clarity without the strong visual effects typical of other psychedelics.

Recognizing its therapeutic potential, he introduced it to psychotherapist Leo Zeff, who came out of retirement to train other therapists in its use. Before MDMA was criminalized in 1985, hundreds of therapists around the United States used it as an adjunct to psychotherapy, treating thousands of clients.

Today, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of PTSD, building on the foundation that Shulgin helped establish decades earlier. The FDA has designated it as a "breakthrough therapy," indicating its potential significance in addressing this challenging condition.

Ann and Sasha Shulgin discussing psychedelics and therapy

Scientific Legacy and Continued Influence

Methodology

Shulgin pioneered a systematic approach to studying structure-activity relationships in psychoactive compounds, meticulously documenting the relationship between chemical structure and subjective effects.

Chemical Innovations

His development of novel synthesis routes and chemical modifications expanded our understanding of neurochemistry and the structural requirements for psychedelic activity.

Research Revival

Shulgin's careful documentation preserved knowledge that might otherwise have been lost during the decades when psychedelic research was largely prohibited, providing a foundation for the current renaissance.

The Alexander Shulgin Research Institute continues his work, preserving his notes, chemicals, and legacy while supporting future research into these compounds and their relationship to consciousness.

Integration: Consciousness, Science, and Spirituality

Connecting Research Approaches

Complementary Research Paths

While Strassman and Shulgin took different approaches to psychedelic research, their work is remarkably complementary. Strassman's clinical administration of DMT in controlled settings provided detailed observations of a single compound across multiple subjects. Shulgin's systematic exploration of structural variations across hundreds of compounds revealed how subtle molecular changes affect consciousness.

Together, these research traditions offer a more complete picture than either could alone—Strassman's depth complements Shulgin's breadth. Both researchers combined rigorous scientific methodology with a profound respect for the subjective dimensions of psychedelic experiences.

Their dual legacy has helped establish psychedelic research as a legitimate scientific field while acknowledging its unique challenges in bridging objective measures with subjective experience—a tension at the heart of consciousness studies.

Bridging Science and Spirituality

Both researchers recognized that psychedelic experiences often involve elements traditionally associated with spiritual or mystical states: feelings of unity, transcendence of time and space, encounters with seemingly autonomous entities, and noetic quality (the sense of gaining direct knowledge).

Rather than dismissing these experiences, both Strassman and Shulgin took them seriously as objects of study, documenting them carefully and considering their implications. This approach represents a bridge between scientific materialism and spiritual inquiry—suggesting that altered states of consciousness might provide valuable data about the nature of mind and reality.

Their work challenges us to expand scientific methods to include rigorous examination of subjective experience, while bringing empirical rigor to domains often relegated to religion or spirituality alone.

The Observer Effect

Quantum Physics: The act of observation affects the behavior of particles at the quantum level.

Psychedelic Research: Both Strassman and Shulgin's work demonstrates how consciousness itself is both the instrument and object of study in psychedelic research—the observer becoming the observed.

This parallel suggests profound questions about the relationship between mind and matter, highlighting how consciousness might play a more fundamental role in reality than classical science has acknowledged.

Non-Locality and Interconnection

Quantum Physics: Entangled particles remain connected regardless of distance, suggesting a fundamental unity in the universe.

Psychedelic Experience: Reports from both researchers' work frequently include experiences of profound interconnection, unity consciousness, and transcendence of ordinary boundaries of self.

These experiences of interconnection may reflect deeper truths about reality that align with quantum physics' demonstration of non-locality and entanglement at fundamental levels.

Multiple Dimensions of Reality

Theoretical Physics: Proposes the possibility of dimensions beyond the four we commonly experience (three spatial dimensions plus time).

DMT Research: Strassman's volunteers consistently reported accessing what seemed to be alternate dimensions with their own internal logic and consistency.

While speculative, this parallel invites consideration of whether psychedelic states might allow experiential access to aspects of reality normally beyond our perceptual capacities.

The Modern Psychedelic Renaissance

The pioneering work of Strassman and Shulgin has helped catalyze what many call the "Psychedelic Renaissance"—a revival of scientific research into psychedelic compounds after decades of prohibition. Current developments include:

Clinical Research

FDA-approved trials of MDMA for PTSD
Psilocybin studies for depression and end-of-life anxiety
Ketamine therapy for treatment-resistant depression
New DMT research building on Strassman's foundation

Institutional Support

Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic Research
Imperial College London Centre for Psychedelic Research
MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies)
UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics

This new wave of research builds directly on the foundations laid by Strassman and Shulgin, combining rigorous scientific methodology with respect for the subjective dimensions of psychedelic experiences. Modern researchers benefit from technologies not available to these pioneers—including advanced brain imaging techniques—while continuing to explore the fundamental questions they raised about consciousness, perception, and reality.

As this research progresses, it increasingly suggests that psychedelics may offer not just therapeutic tools but windows into the nature of consciousness itself—potentially bridging scientific and contemplative approaches to understanding the mind.

"We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are."

— Anaïs Nin (often quoted by Ann Shulgin)

Educational Resources

Essential Documentaries

DMT: The Spirit Molecule (2010)

Based on Dr. Rick Strassman's groundbreaking research, this documentary explores the profound effects of DMT and its implications for understanding consciousness. Features interviews with Strassman and several of his study participants.

Dirty Pictures (2010)

This documentary provides an intimate portrait of Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin and his wife Ann, exploring their life, work, and contributions to psychopharmacology and consciousness research.

Key Interviews and Lectures

Alexander Shulgin's "Why I Do What I Do" Speech

Exploring DMT with Rick Strassman

Ann and Sasha Shulgin on Psychedelics

Academic References

Strassman, R. J., Qualls, C. R., Uhlenhuth, E. H., & Kellner, R. (1994). Dose-response study of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in humans: II. Subjective effects and preliminary results of a new rating scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 51(2), 98-108.

Strassman, R. J. (1996). Human psychopharmacology of N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Behavioural Brain Research, 73(1-2), 121-124.

Strassman, R. J. (2001). DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences. Park Street Press.

Shulgin, A. T., & Nichols, D. E. (1978). Characterization of three new psychotomimetics. In R. C. Stillman & R. E. Willette (Eds.), The Psychopharmacology of Hallucinogens (pp. 74-83). Pergamon Press.

Shulgin, A., & Shulgin, A. (1991). PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story. Transform Press.

Shulgin, A., & Shulgin, A. (1997). TiHKAL: The Continuation. Transform Press.

Davis, A. K., Clifton, J. M., Weaver, E. G., Hurwitz, E. S., Johnson, M. W., & Griffiths, R. R. (2020). Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 34(9), 1008–1020.

Timmermann, C., Roseman, L., Williams, L., Erritzoe, D., Martial, C., Cassol, H., Stringstrøm, S., Charquero-Ballester, M., Feilding, A., Tuckey, C., Carhart-Harris, R., & Nutt, D. (2018). DMT Models the Near-Death Experience. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1424.

Consciousness Frontiers