Eine neue Studie zeigt, wie DMT die kritische Dynamik von Gehirnwellen verändert und dadurch mit der Auflösung des Selbst zusammenhängt

A study of 27 healthy adults found that intravenous DMT shifted brain activity away from its usual near-critical state toward more random, less structured dynamics. EEG recordings showed reduced long-range temporal correlations across theta, alpha, and beta frequencies, while alpha and beta activity moved into a subcritical regime associated with inhibitory dominance. The greater the departure from criticality in alpha and theta waves, the more intensely participants reported dissolution of their usual sense of self. The findings support aspects of the entropic brain hypothesis but distinguish increased unpredictability from higher complexity: under this analysis, DMT reduced the rich temporal structure of normal waking cognition. Similar shifts have been observed in anesthesia and deep meditation, although the study cannot establish that they represent the same state. Because scalp EEG mainly captures slower oscillations, faster activity may behave differently and could help explain vivid imagery and emotional intensity. Further research is needed to connect moment-to-moment brain dynamics with specific psychedelic experiences.