A to F
5-HT1A. A serotonin receptor subtype. 5-MeO-DMT has notably high affinity for it, and this is the leading explanation for why its effects differ so much from those of other classic psychedelics.
5-HT2A. The serotonin receptor subtype most associated with the effects of psilocybin and LSD. 5-MeO-DMT acts here too, but the balance with 5-HT1A is different.
Analogue law. Legislation that controls substances structurally similar to listed ones, so that a compound can be illegal without being named in a schedule.
Anadenanthera. A genus of South American trees whose seeds contain bufotenine and 5-MeO-DMT, used for centuries in snuffs known as yopo, vilca, and cohoba. The genuinely ancient lineage in this compound family.
Bufadienolides. Cardioactive steroid compounds present in the fresh secretion of many toads, including Incilius alvarius. Not psychoactive and not harmless.
Bufotenine. 5-HO-DMT. Present in toad secretion and produced in the body as a metabolite of 5-MeO-DMT via CYP2D6. Its contribution to the overall effect is poorly characterised.
Contraindication. A condition or circumstance under which something should not be done. Distinct from a risk factor, which changes the odds rather than the answer.
CYP2D6. A liver enzyme with substantial genetic variation between individuals. It converts 5-MeO-DMT to bufotenine, and its variability is one reason people respond so differently.
Depersonalisation. A persistent sense of detachment from oneself. Brief episodes are common after intense experiences. Weeks of it is a clinical matter.
Derealisation. A persistent sense that the world is unreal or at a distance. Same caveat as above.
Ego dissolution. The temporary loss of the ordinary sense of being a separate self. Measured in research with the Ego Dissolution Inventory.
G to O
Harmala alkaloids. Naturally occurring MAO inhibitors, including harmaline, found in ayahuasca admixtures and in Syrian rue. Combining them with 5-MeO-DMT is the most dangerous known interaction in this area.
HPPD. Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. Ongoing visual disturbance after the acute effects have ended. Rare, and more associated with other psychedelics.
Incilius alvarius. The current scientific name for the Sonoran Desert toad, still widely called Bufo alvarius.
MAO-A. Monoamine oxidase A, the enzyme that provides the main clearance route for 5-MeO-DMT. Inhibiting it removes that route.
MAOI. A monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Includes prescribed antidepressants such as phenelzine and tranylcypromine, and plant-derived harmala alkaloids.
Mebufotenin. The name used for synthetic 5-MeO-DMT in clinical and regulatory literature.
MEQ. The Mystical Experience Questionnaire, a self-report instrument used across psychedelic research to score how closely an experience matches a defined set of features.
Non-dual. A description of experience in which the division between observer and observed is absent. Used carefully in philosophy and contemplative traditions, and used very loosely elsewhere.
P to Z
Parotoid gland. The paired glands behind a toad's eyes that produce its defensive secretion.
Serotonin toxicity. Also called serotonin syndrome. A potentially life-threatening state of excess serotonergic activity, usually caused by combining serotonergic drugs. Presents with agitation, rigidity, tremor, fever, and autonomic instability.
Set and setting. A person's internal state and their physical and social environment. Both shape the experience substantially.
Spiritual bypass. Using spiritual ideas or experiences to avoid specific unresolved psychological or relational work. The most common failure mode in integration.
Schedule I. The United States controlled substance classification for compounds with no accepted medical use and high abuse potential. 5-MeO-DMT has been listed federally since 2011.
Tryptamine. The chemical family that includes serotonin, psilocybin, N,N-DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT.
Yopo. A snuff prepared from Anadenanthera peregrina seeds, used traditionally in parts of South America and the Orinoco basin.