Rick Strassman: Pineal Gland, DMT and Consciousness

Meditation and psychedelics elicit similar states and impact the same area of our brain.

So what is the connection?

It's our Pineal Gland.

This small pine cone shaped endocrine gland is often called "the third eye" and it may be the connection between our physical and spiritual worlds.

It also governs our pigmentation, sleep cycles, and many other hormonal functions crucial to optimal performance.

Rick Strassman, The Authority on DMT and the Pineal Gland

Our guest and guide, Rick Strassman, is a medical doctor (psychiatrist) best known for authoring the book DMT: The Spirit Molecule which has sold over 150,000 copies and was turned into a Warner Brothers documentary by the same name.

Rick has been researching the Pineal Gland and DMT for more than 20 years and he is one of the leaders in the scientific community looking to understand the connection between our physical world and the spiritual world.

The Connection Between our Pineal Gland, the Third Eye and DMT

What does this third eye have to do with optimal performance?

Well, the Pineal Gland is quite literally a third eye in lower organisms and controls seasonal mating among other things.

In human, it senses light, regulates pigmentation, production of melatonin and other hormones and may be the root of our spirituality.

And DMT?

Well DMT, the spirit molecule as it has been named, is the psychoactive compound in ayahuasca - but it is also produced naturally in our lungs and may be crucial for regular brain function.

Rick's research into the pineal gland led him to believe that DMT, not the pineal gland holds the key to understanding this connection.

Let's dive in...

Listen to the Optimal Performance Podcast on-the-go:

What you'll hear from Rick Strassman on the OPP:

Pychedelics vs meditation for altered states of consciousness
How the pineal gland senses light, controls pigmentation and biological clocks
Blue light exposure, melatonin and hormonal regulation by the pineal gland
How melatonin decreases with age and it's impact on sleep and wellbeing
The 3am trough in core temperature and spike in melatonin
How melatonin and pineal gland research led Rick to study DMT
Does flouridation reduce mankind's capacity to experience spiritual states?
DMT produced naturally in the lungs - but WHY do we produce it?
DMT is one of the few substances ACTIVELY TRANSPORTED (requires energy expenditure) into the human brain...is DMT required for normal brain function?
Rick shares findings from upcoming DMT studies
Neuroprotective properties of DMT
The DMT dump from our pineal gland in “near death experiences”
Applications of DMT and legal concerns
Exogenous DMT, ayahuasca and goals of it's use
Using psychedelics for creativity, and microdosing threshold guides for psylicibin and LSD (**Natural Stacks does not recommend recreational drug use**)
DMT users agree on experiencing an intelligent entity within the experience...what would happen if we asked that entity to solve a complex mathematical problem?
Where you can get more from Rick
Rick Strassman's Top 3 Tips to #LiveOptimal