
Naturally-occurring 5-MeO-DMT: a review of plants, animals and fungi.
ABSTRACT
5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a naturally-occurring, short-lasting psychedelic tryptamine that is currently undergoing clinical trials for various mental health conditions. It has been reported in many plants, several fungi, one amphibian, rodents and endogenously in human body fluids. Archaeological evidence shows 5-MeO-DMT-containing plant use in South America as long as 4500 years BP. Several of these plants (particularly Anadenanthera and Virola spp.) are still of ethnobotanical significance today. The talk aims at critically reviewing the data on all living organisms known to contain 5-MeO-DMT, summarising current knowledge about biology, ethnopharmacological significance and conservation status for each species.
BIOGRAPHY
Anna is interested in nature conservation, ethnobotany, neuroscience and psychiatry, interweaving these diverse paths through psychedelic science. Deep love for nature motivated Anya to study biology at the University of Edinburgh, while a quest to understand altered states of consciousness prompted her to complete PhD in psychiatry at Cambridge. Anna worked at the forefront of psychedelic science, starting in 2015 as a science officer for the Beckley Foundation. She then decided to pursue her passion for nature, researching peyote ecology and conservation at Imperial College London. Anna is a board member of the Chacruna Institute and a research scientist working on 5-MeO-DMT clinical trials in collaboration with King's College London and Beckley Psytech.