Dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, can be found in many plants and animal species, but its effects are said to be as rare and powerful as the divine. When ingested, this molecule can induce a profound psychedelic experience filled with mystical hallucinations and fleeting surges of euphoria. From its use in ancient rituals to its modern day scientific applications, DMT: A Lost History traces its long and complicated journey.
Many users of DMT – both in ancient times and in present day – report of its power to transform the landscape and to bring them closer than ever before to the face of God. The film’s focus is on its probable use many centuries ago, and how those instances helped to shape the world we all live in today.
The filmmaker traces the use of DMT back to ancient Egypt, and enforces his findings with the presence of the Eye of Rah in their hieroglyphics, which is similar in form to the pineal gland, an area of the brain that is responsible for meditation and dreams. Also linked to the notion of meditation are the practices in ancient India. Evidence from that region suggests that the compound was a popular ingredient for a particularly potent transcendental brew. Meanwhile, medicine men in pre-Christian Greece might have used the compound for medicinal purposes.
The origins of Christianity and Judaism are also linked to psychedelic concoctions like DMT in the film. Did it contribute to the image of the burning bush as reported by Moses? Did early baptisms bring about a near death experience that mirrored the cosmic effects of the compound?
Insights from more recent history tie DMT to the time of America’s founding fathers and the construction of the Constitution.
The film examines a series of symbols that are present throughout ancient communications and art work, passages of the Bible, and long-deserted rituals and customs to build its compelling case.
Featuring informal but well informed narration and appealingly trippy animations, DMT: A Lost History shows how the most progressive and consequential ideas throughout world history might have been the result of this majestic psychedelic substance.