Welcome to the Psychedelic Blog. I write about the Impact of Psychedelics on Grieving, Relationships, Culture & Death. This week, I dive into the results of a new study on DMT entity encounters. The findings are both fascinating & deeply unsettling.
“There is a world beyond ours, a world that is far away, nearby and invisible” - Maria Sabina
A Brief History of Entity Encounters Under Psychedelics
Across time & culture, people have consistently reported encounters with non-human intelligences—beings, entities, spirits, gods, ancestors—while under the influence of Psychedelics. These experiences, often described with reverence or awe, span from ancient rituals to modern-day clinical trials. The recurring nature of these reports suggests that entity encounters are not fringe anomalies, but rather central features of the Psychedelic experience.
1. Ancient Egypt: Psychedelics in Ritual Practice
Recent archaeological discoveries have shed new light on the role of Psychedelics in ancient Egyptian magic. The ingredients included Peganum harmala (Syrian rue), known for inducing dreamlike visions, and Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea (Egyptian lotus), a mild sedative causing euphoria. Additional components such as honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, grapes, and traces of bodily fluids were also identified, suggesting the beverage may have been used in fertility-related rituals or to induce visionary states.
These findings provide tangible evidence supporting longstanding hypotheses that ancient Egyptian priests & healers employed Psychoactive brews in religious ceremonies. The use of such substances facilitated altered states of consciousness, enabling practitioners to commune with deities or seek divine guidance. This aligns with the "Myth of the Solar Eye," wherein the deity Bes administers a drug-laced drink to the goddess Hathor to pacify her bloodlust, symbolizing the use of such concoctions to achieve harmony & spiritual insight.
2. Indigenous Traditions: Ayahuasca & Sacred Mushrooms
Indigenous cultures in the Amazon Basin and Mesoamerica have long incorporated Psychoactive plants into their spiritual & healing practices, facilitating profound encounters with spiritual entities & ancestral forces.
Ayahuasca in Amazonian Traditions
Ayahuasca, often termed the "vine of the soul," is a sacred brew traditionally used by indigenous tribes across the Amazon rainforest. Comprising the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and leaves containing N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), such as Psychotria viridis, this concoction induces altered states of consciousness. Within these visionary experiences, shamans—revered as healers & spiritual guides—report interactions with spirit beings, animal guides like the anaconda & jaguar, and ancestral intelligences. These entities are perceived not as hallucinations but as authentic encounters offering healing, guidance, and profound knowledge. The Shipibo-Konibo people of Peru are among the earliest practitioners of Ayahuasca ceremonies, with their connection to the brew and its rituals dating back centuries, perhaps a millennium.
Sacred Mushrooms in Mazatec Culture
In the mountainous regions of Oaxaca, Mexico, the Mazatec people have long revered Psilocybin mushrooms, affectionately termed "Los Niños Santos" (the holy children). These sacred fungi play a central role in their ceremonial practices, facilitating communication with deities, ancestors, and natural spirits. During nocturnal ceremonies, known as veladas, participants ingest the mushrooms to receive visions and messages, often interpreted as insights or prophecies. The mushrooms are believed to possess "sen majao" (spirit), consciousness, and will, serving as intermediaries between the physical & spiritual realms. Renowned Mazatec healer María Sabina introduced these practices to the broader world, emphasizing the mushrooms' role in healing & divination.
3. Western Encounters: Machine Elves & Modern Mysticism
The mid-20th century marked a significant shift in Western perceptions of Psychedelics, particularly with the emergence of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) as a subject of scientific & philosophical intrigue. Unlike other Psychedelics, DMT is renowned for inducing brief yet intensely vivid experiences, often characterized by encounters with enigmatic entities. These beings, frequently described as "machine elves," jesters, fractal insects, or hyper-intelligent alien-like forms, appear to possess autonomy, distinct personalities, and convey profound teachings or messages.
Early Research & Observations
In the 1950s, Hungarian psychiatrist Stephen Szára conducted pioneering studies on DMT, administering the compound to volunteers and documenting their experiences. Participants reported visions of "strange creatures" and rooms "filled with spirits," suggesting early recognition of entity encounters associated with DMT use. These initial observations laid the groundwork for subsequent explorations into the nature of these experiences.
Terence McKenna and the "Machine Elves"
Ethnobotanist & philosopher Terence McKenna played a pivotal role in popularizing the concept of "machine elves." Drawing from personal DMT experiences, McKenna described encounters with "self-transforming machine elves" that communicated in a hyperdimensional language. He recounted being "pushed through" into a space where these entities would greet him with messages like, "Welcome, we're so glad to see you." McKenna's vivid accounts captivated the Psychedelic community and sparked widespread curiosity about the nature of these entities.
Dr. Rick Strassman's Contributions
In the 1990s, psychiatrist Dr. Rick Strassman conducted groundbreaking research at the University of New Mexico, administering approximately 400 doses of DMT to nearly 60 volunteers. His studies revealed that more than half of the participants reported profound encounters with nonhuman beings during their sessions. These experiences often included visions, voices, and feelings of disembodied consciousness, leading Strassman to refer to DMT as the "Spirit Molecule." He noted that these encounters bore striking similarities to classical descriptions of mystical or religious experiences.
Contemporary Perspectives & Debates
The consistency of entity encounters among DMT users has sparked diverse interpretations within the scientific & philosophical communities. Some researchers propose that these experiences are hallucinations generated by the brain's pattern-recognition processes, attributing the vivid imagery to the mind's attempt to make sense of chaotic sensory input. Conversely, others suggest that DMT may facilitate access to alternate dimensions or realities, positing that the entities encountered could be autonomous beings existing beyond our conventional understanding. This debate continues to fuel discussions about the nature of consciousness and the potential for Psychedelics to unveil hidden aspects of reality.
“Psychedelic entities are autonomous fragments of psychic energy that have temporarily escaped the controlling power of the ego” - Terence McKenna
The Study: Patterns Across Experiences
This recent study, published in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2025), is the most granular attempt to date to map the relationship between entities & environments encountered during DMT experiences. Drawing from 150 narrative reports, the researcher analyzed the kinds of beings reported, their behaviors, and the specific environments in which they appeared.
This wasn’t a study about whether entities are “real.” It was about how often they show up, what they look like, and where they seem to live.
Entity Types & Behaviors
The study sorted entities by appearance (e.g., Humanoids, Elves, Gods, Light Beings, Machines) and by behavior (e.g., Teachers, Caretakers, Divine Beings, Playful Children, Surgeons). Notably:
Humanoids were the most commonly reported, appearing in 45% of reports—most often in "simple rooms" or "geometric/fractal spaces."
Elves & Goblins—long associated with DMT lore—were less frequent (~12%), often tied to surreal or industrial settings like "manufacturing plants," "machines," and "caves."
Teachers & Guides appeared in nearly a quarter of all reports, often showing up in vast cosmic or hyperdimensional spaces.
Doctors & Surgeons showed up in “operating rooms,” performing procedures—an eerie but recurring theme in DMT trips.
Environments as Psychedelic Biomes
Rather than treating “hyperspace” as one catch-all realm, the study proposed a bold metaphor: DMT environments as biomes—unique ecosystems where specific entities tend to dwell.
Pyramids were associated with mythical & divine beings
Fractal spaces were hotbeds for disembodied & geometric entities
Classrooms, gardens, tunnels, and domes appeared repeatedly, often tied to teaching or transformational experiences
What’s radical here is the consistency of these patterns across independent reports. This suggests that DMT may reliably generate certain types of cognitive architectures—what the author calls "complex and unusual environments"—that in turn host specific categories of entities.
Beyond the Psychodynamic Model
The study also challenges traditional interpretations. If these were mere hallucinations or Freudian projections, you'd expect more personal or culturally specific content. Instead, the environments are often alien, non-referential, and bizarrely intricate—hyperdimensional cities, geometric tunnels, living machines.
The paper argues that psychodynamic models fall short, as do metaphors of dream logic. Instead, the author entertains the idea of DMT creating a "neural virtual reality"—a constructed internal world generated by the brain’s model-building machinery under altered input conditions.
A Predictive Model of Entity Encounters
Perhaps the most ambitious idea in the paper is the call to build predictive models of Psychedelic states, using AI & network mapping. The researcher envisions a kind of “neural cartography” where certain experiences can be anticipated based on dosage, environment, or psychological readiness—offering real potential for clinical, spiritual, and creative applications.
SIDEBAR: Entity Ecology in the DMT Realm
Based on this 2025 study of 150 DMT experience reports:
Researchers suggest these patterns may form the basis for a predictive model of entity contact—a kind of neural map for navigating DMT space.
Quote:
“Subjects didn’t experience these encounters as though watching a movie—but viscerally, as if they were really there. As real as life—or more real than real.”
Closing Thoughts: Is the Spiritual Realm Morally Ambivalent?
When I first began exploring the idea that Psychedelics might serve as a portal to another realm, I was met with plenty of criticism (which I welcome). But after reading this study, I feel a sense of vindication. While we still don’t know what exactly is happening—or who we’re seeing in the DMT state—this research adds weight to the idea that there’s more going on than random hallucination or neurological noise.
One of the most profound—and frankly unsettling—takeaways from DMT studies: is the spiritual realm we enter on substances like DMT morally ambivalent?
Here’s why I ask:
According to this data, 2% of participants reported seeing “the devil.” Not a metaphor, not a symbol—the devil. Another 6% saw a demon. That’s not exactly comforting.
Now let’s take a look at the emotional responses reported during DMT trips:
Fear shows up nearly half the time. Add in sadness & distrust, and you’ve got a quarter of the remaining experiences. That means a significant portion of people are having encounters that are deeply disturbing.
Sure, there are plenty of explanations for why that might be. But if this realm were purely one of bliss & love—as I myself have been lucky enough to experience—wouldn’t we see that reflected in the data?
And here’s the point: data matters more than any single story. The emerging picture is complex. And it raises a deeply important question: What exactly are we stepping into when we break through?
Coming Soon: Psychedelic Exposé
Next month, I’m launching a new monthly series for paid subscribers called Psychedelic Exposé. Each issue will take a deep, honest look at the lesser-known sides of this space, including:
Unreported deaths & adverse reactions
Whether the spiritual realm is a safe place to enter
Cases of people getting “stuck” in Psychedelic realities
My aim is simple: to make sure people journey with awareness—not fear, but respect.
To be clear, I’m not talking about MDMA or microdosing Mushrooms. I believe we’re allowed to have fun in this life. But as more & more people engage with powerful tools like Ayahuasca & DMT, it’s critical we bring more light to the shadows.
More knowledge is always a good thing.
I hope you’ll consider joining me on this deeper exploration.
Cheers,
AW
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This aligns completely with the Filter Theory of Consciousness, something that I feel increasingly confident is an accurate view of how we experience “reality”.
I feel like there’s a lot of overlap here between psychedelic experiences and alien abduction experiences. Setting aside for a moment that most accounts of abduction are acquired through hypnotic regression which introduces a host of problems, I can’t help but notice the similarities. I think rushing to either conclusion, that it’s all just made up nonsense, or that it’s some sort of objective reality separate from ourselves does these topics a disservice. Based on what we’re beginning to understand about the brain, my guess would be that it’s a mix, we’re experiencing a real phenomenon in some way, but it’s so far outside the realm of our normal experience that the brain kicks into overdrive to fill in the gaps in what we’re seeing, which would explain why the root experience is very similar but what people are seeing is highly subjective. There’s likely some event happening, but I highly doubt it is, in fact, anything like how it appears to us. I’m always guarded about trying to make any assertions on these subjects, but that’s roughly what my perspective is at the moment.