Imperial College London
Portrait Picture

Dr Christopher Timmermann

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Brain Sciences

Research Fellow
 
 
 
//

Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 7994c.timmermann-slater15 CV

 
 
//

Location

 

Burlington DanesHammersmith Campus

//

Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Timmermann:2018:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424,
author = {Timmermann, C and Timmermann, Slater C and Roseman, L and Williams, L and Erritzoe, D and Martial, C and Cassol, H and Laureys, S and Nutt, D and Carhart-Harris, R},
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},
title = {DMT models the near-death experience},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424},
volume = {9},
year = {2018}
}
Download

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Near-death experiences (NDEs) are complex subjective experiences, which have been previously associated with the psychedelic experience and more specifically with the experience induced by the potent serotonergic, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Potential similarities between both subjective states have been noted previously, including the subjective feeling of transcending one’s body and entering an alternative realm, perceiving and communicating with sentient ‘entities’ and themes related to death and dying. In this within-subjects placebo-controled study we aimed to test the similarities between the DMT state and NDEs, by administering DMT and placebo to 13 healthy participants, who then completed a validated and widely used measure of NDEs. Results revealed significant increases in phenomenological features associated with the NDE, following DMT administration compared to placebo. Also, we found significant relationships between the NDE scores and DMT-induced ego-dissolution and mystical-type experiences, as well as a significant association between NDE scores and baseline trait ‘absorption’ and delusional ideation measured at baseline. Furthermore, we found a significant overlap in nearly all of the NDE phenomenological features when comparing DMT-induced NDEs with a matched group of ‘actual’ NDE experiencers. These results reveal a striking similarity between these states that warrants further investigation.
AU  - Timmermann,C
AU  - Timmermann,Slater C
AU  - Roseman,L
AU  - Williams,L
AU  - Erritzoe,D
AU  - Martial,C
AU  - Cassol,H
AU  - Laureys,S
AU  - Nutt,D
AU  - Carhart-Harris,R
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424
PY  - 2018///
SN  - 1664-1078
TI  - DMT models the near-death experience
T2  - Frontiers in Psychology
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/62920
VL  - 9
ER  -
Download