A new clinical trial has found that a single dose of dimethyltryptamine, more commonly known as DMT, may be enough to rapidly reduce symptoms in people suffering from severe depression. Researchers discovered that just one administration of the substance produced meaningful symptom relief within a matter of weeks, with those positive effects persisting for months afterward, as reported by Newsweek. The participants in the study had been living with depression for an average of more than ten years, making these findings particularly significant for individuals battling long-term, treatment-resistant illness. Unlike conventional antidepressants, which can take weeks to begin working, DMT appeared to deliver noticeable relief within just days of treatment.
The phase IIa clinical trial enrolled 34 adult patients with moderate to severe depression who had not responded adequately to standard therapies. Each participant received a single intravenous dose of DMT administered as a ten-minute infusion, alongside structured psychological support. A portion of the group initially received a placebo before later crossing over to receive the active compound, allowing researchers to compare outcomes more rigorously. Those who received DMT showed substantially greater reductions in depression symptoms compared to the placebo group when assessed two weeks after treatment using standardized clinical rating scales.
What made the results even more striking was their durability. Follow-up evaluations confirmed that improvements held for up to three months and in some cases extended as far as six months after the single treatment session. Researchers also noted that administering a second dose did not produce additional benefit, suggesting that one carefully guided session could be sufficient to achieve lasting therapeutic gains. A significant portion of participants reached remission, meaning their symptoms dropped to very low levels after the treatment.
The trial also found that the depth of the psychedelic experience itself appeared to matter. Participants who reported more profound subjective experiences during the infusion, such as feelings of emotional insight or a sense of unity, tended to show greater clinical improvements. This aligns with a growing body of research suggesting that the psychological journey induced by psychedelics may be an active ingredient in their therapeutic effect, rather than merely a side effect. The treatment was generally well tolerated, with most side effects being mild to moderate and short-lived, such as nausea, anxiety during the infusion, or discomfort at the injection site. No serious adverse events were recorded, and there were no concerning increases in suicidal thoughts or behavior among participants.
Researchers were encouraged by the practical advantages DMT’s short duration offers compared to other psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD. Because the experience lasts only a matter of minutes rather than hours, therapeutic sessions can be shorter and more manageable, which could potentially reduce costs and simplify how the treatment is integrated into healthcare systems. The team cautioned, however, that the study was conducted on a small sample that lacked diversity, with most participants being white. Larger trials will be necessary to confirm these findings, directly compare DMT to existing antidepressants, and better understand how psychological support during the session influences outcomes.
To provide some broader context, DMT is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in a wide variety of plants and is also present in trace amounts in the human body. It is one of the active ingredients in ayahuasca, a ceremonial brew that has been used for centuries by indigenous communities in South America for spiritual and healing purposes. DMT acts primarily on serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor, which is also the primary target of other classic psychedelics. Unlike those substances, its effects when taken in pure form are extremely rapid and intense but subside within roughly 15 to 20 minutes, which is why it has sometimes been called “the businessman’s trip.” Despite its presence in nature and the human body, DMT remains a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, meaning it is not currently approved for medical use. The growing wave of clinical research into psychedelic-assisted therapies, including studies on psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine, has led to increasing calls from the scientific community to reconsider how such substances are classified and regulated. Major depressive disorder affects an estimated 280 million people worldwide, and roughly 30 percent of those patients do not respond to currently available treatments, making new approaches urgently needed.
If this research sparks any thoughts about the future of psychedelic therapy or mental health treatment in general, feel free to share them in the comments.
