When you smoke DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) or take ayahuasca, you’re going to be seeing some things. We’ll be discussing those things you’ll be seeing.

When you take DMT, you're in for a trip. Taking DMT is going to give you some complex and trippy visual hallucinations. While everyone's DMT experience is going to be different, there are common visuals that many DMT users have all reported.

This article is going to explain what DMT visuals are and will describe what are some of the DMT induced visual hallucinations you can expect.

Quick Summary 

DMT visuals are powerful hallucinations that can be either pleasant or terrifying. Both good and bad DMT visuals are almost always very vivid which makes it feel as though you’ve been transported into a different universe when you’re on a DMT trip. DMT trips last for a relatively short time but there may be some lingering after-effects of going on a DMT trip.

What’s DMT and how does it work?

DMT is a popular and potent hallucinogen. DMT is short for N, N-Dimethyltryptamine and is present in a number of different plant species that can be found in South America but there’s also man-made DMT available.

DMT impacts certain brain chemicals which will cause you to go on a DMT trip. The substance affects your serotonin (the “happiness chemical”) and your prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain that controls perception). 

You can smoke or inject DMT to get high and experience a DMT trip. However, many people opt to drink ayahuasca to go on a DMT trip and experience DMT visuals instead. Ayahuasca is a tea made of plant species that contain DMT and is usually drunk in a ritualistic way. 

What are DMT Visuals?

DMT visuals are the powerful visual hallucinations that DMT users experience when they’re high and on a DMT trip. The hallucinations you experience are so potent that a lot of DMT users describe it as being sent into a different universe and so complex that your hallucinations blend into reality while on a trip.

You usually can expect to start having these DMT induced hallucinations within seconds after taking DMT if you smoke or inject your DMT. Taking DMT by drinking ayahuasca takes longer but you can usually expect it to kick in after about 45 minutes.

Common DMT Visuals

DMT visuals often manifest themselves in the form of detailed, surreal alternate realities or universes. This alternate reality will be populated with likewise, surreal and other-worldly creatures. Whether it’s the surroundings, the creatures you see or the objects you think you’re interacting with, the DMT visuals you’ll experience will be wild.

What really makes DMT visuals stand out in comparison to other hallucinogen induced visuals is the level of complexity and intricacy of the hallucinations experienced. This can either be a good or bad thing depending on the types of visuals you experience when you’re on a DMT trip.

Good DMT Visuals

Most of the time, DMT users report having pleasant DMT induced hallucinations. These DMT visuals are usually calming and soothing but can also be funny. 

Common good DMT visuals are:

• Calm but surreal alternate universes.
• Clowns, jesters and other circus themed visuals.
• Theme park themed visuals like ferris wheels and merry-go-rounds. 
• Friendly spirits and other-worldly beings communicating with you. 
• Intricate and detailed colour patterns similar to stained glass or the inside of a kaleidoscope.

An interesting thing to note about DMT visuals is how common continuity is with them. It’s common for DMT users to continue in the same sequence of DMT hallucinations right where they left off from their last DMT trip. While this is possible when taking other forms of psychedelics or hallucinogens, it’s notable how much more common it is when taking DMT.

Bad DMT Visuals

One of the biggest downsides of taking DMT is the risk you have of experiencing bad DMT visuals. A bad DMT trip puts you into scary alternate realities that like a good DMT trip, are detailed and intricate. A DMT trip with bad DMT visuals is akin to a really bad nightmare. 

Common bad DMT visuals are: 

• Being detached from your body.
• Being attacked or possessed by spirits or otherworldly beings. 
• Being eaten by animals like crocodiles or dinosaurs. 
• Being stuck in the vacuum of outer space. 
• Reality contorting and distorting into a mass of threatening faces. 
• Being transported to an alien world where the aliens and world are not at all hospitable. 

What makes a bad DMT trip so scary is how vivid the DMT visuals are. It’s like a very realistic, intricate and terrifying nightmare. Bad DMT visuals are usually as detailed, in-depth and intricate as good DMT visuals which is exactly as bad as that sounds.  

After-effects of DMT trips and DMT visuals

DMT visuals wear off quickly compared to other psychedelics but some DMT visuals might linger as an after-effect after your DMT trip ends. 

Some of the common after-effects of DMT trips and experiencing DMT visuals are:

• Feeling like the lights are too bright
• In addition, some people with mental health problems have experienced psychosis and hallucinations after using DMT that can last for weeks.  
• Thinking your surroundings are moving like waves or are jerking like they’re being shaken.
• Having altered or deeper perception of your surroundings than normal. 
• Thinking all the lights you see are brighter than usual. 

While rare, people with a history of mental health problems have been noted to be susceptible to psychosis and random bouts of hallucinations for days to weeks after going on a DMT trip. This usually happens after they experience a bad trip and bad DMT visuals.

What are Machine Elves or DMT Elves?

Machine elves, according to Terence Mckenna, are entities that one encounters when they consume DMT: 

‘You pass through a membrane of some sort, and you’re in a place. You’re pushed through, and you see the tykes, as I call them. The self-transforming machine elves that are singing in a hyperdimensional language. They surround you and say, “Welcome, we’re so glad to see you.”’

Whats compelling about Terence’s description of these elves is that other people have seen them, in fact it's very common for people report these encounters. 

Terence described them as being “hyperdimensional”, having amusing personalities and offering inconceivable knowledge to those brave enough to face these "entheogenic" beings.

Though many accounts vary, one thing is certain: there is something special about machine elves that has captured the fascination of experienced psychonauts throughout the world. While some dismiss their existence altogether, it doesn't seem like they will be disappearing anytime soon from the collective consciousness.

AI Generated DMT Visuals

Do androids dream of electric machine elves? Turns out they do. Computers have got pretty good at generating DMT visuals over the last few years...

FAQs 

• What is DMT? 

DMT is a hallucinogenic drug. It’s a Schedule 1 controlled substance in America. 

• When will your DMT trip start?

DMT trips can start right away if you smoke it or inject it. 

• How long will your DMT trip last?

Your DMT trip can last up to 45 minutes.

• What visuals can you expect after taking DMT? 

Many DMT users report visuals that take the form of a complex alternate universe or reality.

• Are there any after effects of taking DMT? 

There might be some visual effects that last briefly after your trip is over.

Final Thoughts 

Having a good DMT trip and experiencing good DMT visuals can be a pleasant, even life changing experience. Having a bad DMT trip can be an absolute nightmare of an experience. Either way, you’re going to experience some of the most vivid, detailed and intricate hallucinations you’ve ever experienced. 

If you plan on taking DMT in the future, please do it safely by making sure you don’t take it alone and by making sure you’re in a safe environment when you take it.