Disclaimer: I am not promoting illegal drug use. I do not condone the use of this guide where DMT extraction is illegal. I do not condone the use of DMT outside of a legal or traditional context. This guide is for harm reduction purposes.
DMT is known as ‘The Spirit Molecule’ – and for good reason. DMT is one of the most powerful psychedelics on the planet, naturally occurring in many species of plants, and is thought to be released in tiny amounts in mammal brains. Although the issue is controversial, it’s also possible that the release of natural DMT is a factor in out-of-body experiences or spiritual states.
DMT is a molecule that mimics the neurotransmitter serotonin, much like the other classic psychedelics LSD and psilocybin. DMT’s psychological effects are mostly due to its binding to the 5-HT2A receptor, which is found mostly in areas of the brain associated with high-level cognition: self-awareness, emotions and introspection.
When smoked or injected intravenously, DMT causes a very rapid, very intense psychedelic experience which lasts a few minutes. Users report the feeling of being ripped from their bodies, and thrown through space at incredible speeds. DMT produces intense visual and auditory hallucinations of otherworldly landscapes, hidden dimensions and god-like beings. It often produces deep introspection in its users, allowing the revisitation of past memories and providing a fresh perspective on life.
DMT can also be ingested in the form of the ancient psychedelic brew ayahuasca, which is drunk in traditional healing ceremonies throughout South America. This experience is significantly different from that of smoked or injected DMT, lasting several hours rather than several minutes, and often causing vomiting and diarrhea. Despite the relatively unpleasant sounding experience, ayahuasca has been associated with a variety of therapeutic benefits, including the treatment of depression.
Here, I want to provide you with a detailed guide on how to procure DMT-containing plants, and how to extract this powerful psychedelic compound for personal use.
Where to get DMT-containing plants
DMT is illegal worldwide, but the legality of DMT-containing plants varies. In many places, it’s possible to order DMT-containing plants online.
This guide for DMT extraction is specific for the bark of the Mimosa hostilis root, as this is the most commonly purchased DMT-containing plant. It usually comes as a course powder, shown here:
Mimosa hostilis root bark can be bought online from various vendors, but may not be able to be shipped to your country if there are restrictions on DMT-containing plants:
- This site ships M. hostilis to the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and some other countries.
- If you live in the UK or elsewhere, you can find M. hostilis here.
Although this guide is specific for M. hostilis, the extraction should work with any DMT-containing organic material – you just need to make sure you adjust the quantity of starting material depending on how much DMT is present in the species of plant you’re using.
Another popular DMT-containing plant is Psychotria viridis, which is used in traditional ayahuasca brews. It is also known as Chacruna to indigenous peoples.
If you are patient, you can grow your own DMT-containing plants from seeds, which are often not regulated to the same extent as plants. An example is Reed Canary Grass seeds, which can be purchased online in some countries.
The DMT-containing plant market is always changing, so keep an eye out for new appearances. Here is a list of some popular DMT-containing plants, many of which could be available through online vendors to your country.
The chemistry of DMT extraction (simplified)
This is a simplified explanation of what’s happening during the chemistry of DMT extraction. Skip ahead for the step-by-step instructions!
The most common technique is called an ‘acid/base extraction’, but it’s pretty complicated. We’ve decided to talk you through the ‘straight to base’ extraction technique, which is a little easier. Here’s the outline of the chemistry:
Your DMT containing plant is ground into a powder and mixed with a base, most commonly sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This dissolves the plant matter, leaving you with DMT molecules floating around in a base solution.
The next step is to get the DMT out of this base solution. Luckily there’s an easy way of doing this; the base solution is charged (polar), but the DMT molecules aren’t (non-polar). This means that adding a non-polar solvent will attract the DMT molecules out of the polar base solution. This non-polar solvent (now containing the DMT) forms a separate layer from the base solution, and can be siphoned off from the rest of the solution.
The final step involves getting the DMT molecules out of the non-polar solvent, which can be done by evaporation or freezing.
The simplified chemistry of the “Straight to Base” extraction method
Step-by-step DMT extraction
Adapted from Noman’s tek on the DMT-nexus.
Please read the guide thoroughly and make sure you understand the process before attempting it.
INGREDIENTS
- DMT-containing plant such as Mimosa hostilis root bark
- Water
- Lye (granulated sodium hydroxide)
- Vinegar (for safely cleaning up Lye spills)
- Naphtha VM&P (if unavailable, 40-60 Petroleum Ether can be used)
EQUIPMENT
- Personal safety: fume mask, safety goggles and rubber gloves
- Grinder or blender that is capable of crushing ice
- Glass mixing jar – with a wide mouth and tight fitting lid, around a litre or larger (depending on how much plant material you are starting with)
- Collection jars with lids x4 (glass jelly/jam jars will do)
- Coffee filters
- Rubber spatula
- Freezer
- Pipette
- Eyedropper
STEP 1: EXTRACTING DMT FROM THE PLANT
- Cut and blend your plant material until it’s as fine as you can get it – wear a mask to avoid breathing in the powder.
- Slowly add your lye to your water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until dissolved, in your mixing jar. For 50g Mimosa hostilis bark, use 750ml water and 50g of lye. NOTE: lye can cause chemical burns and should be treated with care. Neutralise any spills with vinegar. Wear gloves and safety glasses.
- Add your powdered plant to the jar, tightly close the lid, shake thoroughly and then leave for about an hour.
STEP 2: EXTRACTING THE DMT FROM THE BASE SOLUTION
- Add your naphtha to the mixing jar: for 50g Mimosa hostilis bark, use 50ml naphtha.
- Put the lid back on your mixing jar and gently mix it for about a minute, turning it upside down a few times. Don’t shake it, as this will make it hard to separate out the two layers later.
- Set down your mixing jar and allow the two layers to separate.
- Repeat this gentle agitation a few more times.
- Once the layers have separated after your final agitation, use your pipette to move the top (clear) layer into one of your collection jars. This contains your DMT. Try to avoid taking any of the darker, bottom layer, as this contains nasty stuff you don’t want carried over.
- Add more naphtha to the mixing jar and repeat the above steps three more times to get every last remaining bit of DMT out of the base solution.
- Optional – leave the last batch of naphtha in the mixing jar for a couple of days to get the maximum amount of DMT from the base solution.
- Put all four of your collection jars (containing DMT in a naphtha solution) in the freezer and leave overnight.
STEP 3: EXTRACTING THE DMT FROM THE NAPHTHA SOLUTION
- The freezer should have made your DMT crystallise in your collection jars. Pour the solutions through a coffee filter to collect the DMT. The naphtha can be saved and reused in future extractions.
- NOTE: many people report that DMT crystals are not visible after freezing. Sometimes they will just be suspended in the naphtha, and will appear after you pour the naphtha through the filters. However, if your freezer is not cold enough, it may take extra time for the crystals to form. You can leave your collection jars in the freezer for longer to try and reach a colder temperature.
- Use your rubber spatula to get every last bit of naphtha solution out of the collection jars.
- Carefully lay out your coffee filters to dry. When dried, this DMT powder is ready to smoke, but can be refined further in the optional step below.
- Many people find that their DMT remains stuck to the side of the jars – if there’s nothing on your coffee filters, check the insides of the jars for crystals.
(OPTIONAL) STEP 4: RECRYSTALLISATION OF DMT FOR FURTHER REFINEMENT
- Put your DMT powder in a small glass container.
- Put your solvent (either naphtha or heptane) in another, separate glass container. You will need about 25ml of solvent for every gram of DMT powder.
- Carefully place both glass containers into a pan of hot water, so their contents start to heat up. NOTE: your solvent will give off flammable fumes, so DO NOT use a gas stove or have open flames around.
- Use an eyedropper to add tiny bits of your hot solvent to the DMT powder. Swirl the glass container around and keep adding solvent until all the DMT is dissolved. Try to use as little solvent as you can get away with.
- Take the pan of water off the heat, and leave it to cool down to room temperature.
- Take the glass container with your dissolved DMT powder, now at room temperature, and put it in the fridge.
- When it has cooled down, move the container into the freezer and leave for a few hours.
- You can now filter out your refined DMT crystal using a coffee filter. This process can be repeated for even greater purity.
The Quick Version
Adapted from Lazyman’s tek on the DMT-nexus
For those of you that don’t like the look of all those steps, and just want to get your DMT out of your plant as quickly as possible (without worrying about purity or yield), here’s a simpler protocol:
INGREDIENTS
- DMT-containing plant such as Mimosa hostilis root bark
- Water
- Lye (granulated sodium hydroxide)
- Vinegar (for safely cleaning up Lye spills)
- Naphtha VM&P (if unavailable, 40-60 Petroleum Ether can be used)
EQUIPMENT
- Personal safety: safety goggles and rubber gloves
- Large ceramic mixing bowl (5L)
- Potato masher
- Large measuring jug (2L)
- Large glass baking dish
- Fan
PROCEDURE
- Break up 400-500g of Mimosa hostilis root bark and put it in a mixing bowl. Make sure the bark only fills half the bowl.
- Slowly add 200g of lye to 2-3L of water. NOTE: lye can cause chemical burns and should be treated with care. Neutralise any spills with vinegar. Wear gloves and safety glasses.
- Add your lye solution into the mixing bowl with the root bark. Wait an hour.
- Use your potato masher to stir and mash up your root bark for 20-30 minutes.
- Pour 250ml of naphtha into the bowl and mix for another 20-30 minutes.
- Let the solvent separate out to the top of the mixture for a few minutes.
- Pour the top, clear solvent layer off into your glass baking dish. Avoid getting any of the lower, dark layer in the dish.
- Evaporate the solvent by blowing air from your fan across the baking dish.
- The remaining powder is your smokeable DMT.
How do I know the purity of my extracted DMT?
All you have to worry about when you make your own DMT is how efficient you’ve been in following the instructions. If you’ve used poor quality ingredients, or done a messy job (i.e. carried over some of the base solution by accident), you may end up with more impurities in your DMT powder. This can be unpleasant to smoke.
There’s a myth that the colour of DMT powder tells you its purity – this isn’t true, as there are a number of factors that contribute to the colour of DMT powder. Generally, if your powder is white, yellow, red or brown, it is safe to smoke. If it is green or blue, something has gone wrong in your extraction and you should try again.
Alternative extraction guides
As mentioned earlier, many extraction protocols use an acid/base extraction method, which we haven’t covered here as the straight-to-base method is a lot simpler. However, if you are interested in being extremely thorough and want to try an acid/base extraction, there is a large selection of guides here on the DMT-nexus.
Safety information
DMT is illegal in most places. I don’t condone breaking the law or using DMT outside a legal and traditional context. If you do decide to take DMT, make sure you research its effects and risks.
DMT is a very powerful psychedelic and should be treated with respect. You should understand how best to prepare for a psychedelic experience, and integrate it afterwards.
Be aware of your dosage! A recommended first-time dose of smoked DMT powder is 15mg.
When following these extraction guides, make sure to understand the process before you start. If you are using a DMT-containing plant other than Mimosa hostilis, make sure you are aware of the differences and adjust your procedure accordingly. Always wear rubber gloves and safety goggles, and a dust mask if you are grinding up plant matter.
If using lye (sodium hydroxide), avoid getting it on your skin, and always wear safety goggles. If you get it on your skin, wash it off with copious amounts of water (and ideally use vinegar too, if it’s within reach, to neutralise the lye). If you get it in your eye, run your eye under tap water for at least 20 minutes and see a doctor. If you spill a large amount, neutralise it with vinegar before cleaning it up. When adding lye to water, add it slowly and mix well.
The Psychedelic Scientist 
What do you think of Chris Cantelmo method on YouTube (which I believe is gordotek)? He starts by adding about 2 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup vinegar to the MHRB in a crock pot and proceeds to heat for three hours. Pours the aqueous solution in mason jars and slowly adds the sodium hydroxide and then the NAPTHA. My question is what is the point of his first step of heating? And what role does the vinegar play in this? Thought the vinegar was just if you were to spill the NaOH.
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It purifies and helps breakdown plant material for better yeild.
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Hi to all,
I just attempted my first pull on my first extraction and have to say I was extremely pleased at first looking at the amount of crystals suspended in the naptha, but after having poured it off and evaporating the remaining naptha, the perfect white as snow crystals are giving little to no effect at all with an appropriate weighted dose. What did I do wrong?
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I have had little luck as well. I took a break and returned, hit it one time like my life depended on it. And viola!
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I had a small quantity I lucked into and my God it was harsh, burned your throat and I wasted half of it just trying to smoke enough to get a buzz off of it. After reading how it’s made it explains it all. My solution I used before I had found that out was to make a water pipe. That was months ago and my one and only experience with it.
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am about to order the glassware, sepperation funnel not needed in most cases, except mine. Need a ringstand and collection beaker. using bestine , about my choice of nps/any thoughts?
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Can I swap the naphtha for xylene and follow the tek otherwise (minus the freezer evap as I’ve read it needs to air-evap )? I am interested in obtaining the full spectrum jungle spice with all of the alkaloids as that was the first spice I tried years ago and it was superior to others I’ve had thereafter.
Thanks!!
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Wow for anyone else that runs into this issue: so I did the vinegar extraction 1st since it said you’d get more product (in the comments). Great, crockpot for around 6 hours, powered inner root bark, got around 1/2 of what I expected but still a good pull (looked good anyhow). So I had scaled down the recipe as it said, and my pH ended up being 3. It was supposed to be 4. So then on to the base extraction part… well I couldn’t get the damn pH above 9, although I was trying to get 13 as they state for proper extraction, and it didn’t look “black” yet. Tip: keep a bowl of water with a few ice cubes (not too many, you don’t want glass to go from super hot to super cold and CRACK, so dip it in quickly, repeat if it’s still too hot), dip it in if it gets too hot to avoid cracking the jar while adding the NaOH… Well here’s what I learned IF ADDING NaOH STOPS GETTING HOT, STOP!!! I ended up with a container of a solid black rock crap trying to hit a pH of 13. I was panicking, not a cheap extraction, I don’t know much about chemistry. So I used some logic; I hit the point where the water extract of DMT could not absorb any more NaOH to reach a pH of 13… it was separating into a NaOH layer (apparently, looked like tainted color whitish crystal), a DMT layer (blackish solution), and some solid crap. Well so anyhow I thought maybe it could dissolve with heat so I poured boiling water into a normal soup bowl to dunk the jar into to heat it up (just 10-20s or so at a time, roll it around in there, just the bottom 1/4 or so of the jar will do), then shaked it vigorously, then when it needed more heating, repeated it. Added the Naphtha as it said beforehand as in the instructions. Well after an hour of doing this and letting it sit, I came back to a jar of solid black crap. Literally a block. I’m like damn, how do I fix this??? SO… I read some more tutorials. Some say you should put the NaOH into water THEN mix it into the solution. Okay, give it a go. Added 100mL of water into the jar, boiled more water, put it in the cereal bowl, and BAM! I got my block of black crap back into solution. After I got the chunk of black crap to melt it all turned back into a liquid, and then the Naphtha layer I added earlier (after sitting for maybe 20m) rose to the top. So if this happens to you, YOU ARE FINE. ADD SOME WATER. HEAT IT UP AGAIN. SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE! And you are golden. Don’t even need to add more Naphtha. I didn’t see this posted anywhere online as a fix so I’m posting it for my fellow “humanoids!”
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So it looks like my extraction phase is 3 layers a layer of my MHRB bottlom,bottom, layer black liquid not a solid, and the naphtha that’s green ???? I don’t have any pH testers how 8s there any way to do it with out pH tester and or anyone e have any good tricks in there books?
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Sry ment to say bottom layer like a dark tan color of MHRB, middle layer black liquid nor a solid and on top green naphtha
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So you want the MHRB layer to be BLACK. That’s how you know you reached the right pH. If it isn’t, you can try adding more NaOH but if it starts to NOT dissolve, you need to add more water (distilled or filtered). Then you’re likely going to need to add more Naphtha and stir that mixture like crazy (like 30m, I used a stainless egg beater that survived, rinse everything after stirring the mixture to be safe; it’s just what I had available – check out soap making tutorials if you want to find something cheap that can handle a 12-13pH without dissolving – polypropylene is best as far as plastics go). Now after the layers start to separate (maybe wait an hour or two), I suggest you use 2 containers. 1 will be the intermediate pull (so when you use a glass or polypropylene siphon (sometimes available as an e-juice container, at least that’s what I have since I vape) if you have one (marked PP on most recycling containers), you first draw the Naphtha into dish 1 which can be ceramic or glass without any issues – if it looks clean, transfer it from your initial dish / container to a nearly-flat glass plate (I found one at the dollar store). If it looks dirty (like you pulled some of the root bark in), put it back in the main container and try to pull more clean stuff in. You should clean it out whatever you used to pull the Naphtha out with water to be sure the crud is gone. You may have to wait a bit for it to separate again. Anyhow using 2 containers makes getting a clean pull of DMT much easier, as if you are just eyeballing the Naphtha layer, you may pull up some crap you don’t want to smoke, and without 2 containers to work between it’s hard to get that crap out. I was using a flat Tupperware type PP container for the initial “straight to base” Lazyman’s tech, then when adding Naphtha I realized the layer on top was so small it was nearly impossible to get a clean pull. So I went back to the dollar store and found a straight cylinder vase that could hold the whole mix. Now when blending the Naphtha the top layer is much larger than when spread out across a 12×8 dish or so (the diameter of the vase glass container is like 5″) – this makes the pulls much easier to do without getting any garbage into the plate.
Anyway I found that since I added a lot of Naphtha (it doesn’t really hurt anything, and makes the pulls of DMT cleaner), it had to sit under a fan for like 4-5 days before everything was a powder. Just be aware it takes a LONG TIME, so just expect it to take a while for all the “gelled” crap to go away. Now I didn’t try the freezer method (which is supposed to be better at crystallizing, but I’m old and don’t think my wife would approve of me making DMT in the house with my mother-in-law grabbing food out of the freezer daily to cook with). So since I have to do it all covertly well my options are limited.
Anyhow don’t forget that if you smoke DMT, you DON’T want high heat. You want it to vaporize at the lowest temperature possible and then inhale. So if all you have is a glass straw or metal one, hold the lighter far away so it keeps the temp low. Otherwise you’ll kill the stuff you want to inhale… Hope this helps.
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How do you measure the dosage of the dmt you made? Does it matter on the weight in of the crystals yielded?
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Thanks for the awesome guide 🙂 Maybe a silly question from a beginner here, but how do you know that you do not have any Petroleum Ether left with the crystals before smoking it? Seems like a dangerous mistake to make and would really like to avoid. Thanks!
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Tek worked great. Very straightforward.
I exhausted the fuck out of the rb with many a naptha adding. I’m pretty certain I got all the deemster out and collected all crystal from the freezer method. Pouring off the naptha was a cinch. If I were to guess my yield I would think it’s 80mg from 20 grams rb. Basically just wanted to see how the tek worked. I smoked maybe 5mg and got a mild lsd type buzz. Tonight I’m blasting off with 1/4 of my yield. Hopefully my grip is strong enough for this rocket launch(:
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How do you know you don’t have any naphta remaining in the crystals before smoking them please?
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I believe once your crystals are fully dried out any naptha would evaporate during this process. But Im no expert!
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Heat the crystal on a foil just til it melts. The ether burns right off
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And it should not effect the crystals in any way right if you heat them like this? Being exposed to heat. Thanks btw
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What could be the reasons for low yield? I used 20g of MHRB and barely got 10mg out of it. The Tek seemed to be working fine and followed the instructions to the letter. I used petroleum ether 40-60 and let it sit in the freezer for around 12 hours. Got some crystals but very little. Thanks in advance for your help!
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Im having the same issues with very low yields.. ive tried this method a few times and get nothing but a few bread crumbs. I also followed the instructions
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A user named “Mehul” gave outstanding advice- use a hot water bath for the mixing jar.
If you’re like me & couldn’t get any crystals after 2 attempts, I have a good solution that hopefully works for you. I followed Mehul’s tips & added in other steps.
So after you let the mixing jar with the lye & bark sit for an hour, add in your naphtha.
Get a large pot & fill it with boiling water from the kettle, pour the boiling water into your pan till it reaches the top & dilute with cold water so it’s still hot but not boiling. (Mix around your mixing jar while doing this, put it upside down, turn to the side etc.)
Now, get your mixing jar & place it in the pot with the hot water, let it sit for 5 minutes or so. Every 5-10 minutes mix it again and change the position within the pan. (Rest it on its side against the pan, MAKE SURE THE LID IS TIGHT IN CASE THE WHOLE JAR ACCIDENTALLY FALLS IN THE WATER).
Repeat this process up to 6x or so. Then, leave the mixing jar to sit overnight. The following morning, give it a final little mix & begin using your pipette to extract.
I placed my collection jars in the fridge for 20 minutes then into the freezer (-25° power freeze). After numerous failed attempts after under 3 hours my first 2 pull jars crystallised. However, leave it in there for 24 hours or more.
I hope this helps people, at least for me the warm bath was a game changer. I know the original tek doesn’t say to leave the mixing jar overnight but I think it gave my dmt time to be caught in the naphtha.
Happy travels !
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I have a question about the above method:
“Step-by-step DMT extraction
Adapted from Noman’s tek on the DMT-nexus.”
I’d like to be very thorough and understand every aspect of the various methods that I learn, and I feel there’s 1 or 2 areas which aren’t mentioned above that should/could be. So, I have 2 questions;
1: What are the exact ph levels and temperatures (If applicable), that each step requires for optimal DMT extraction results?
2: Is there any “extra helpful information” about any part of this extraction method that anyone can inform me of?
Thank you in advance for any help!! Btw, is there a book that’s like “The bible of DMT Extraction”, from MHRB or other plant materials which someone can recommend? Thks again guys!
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My process works amazingly well and it’s simple. Add enough water to the mimosa hostilis powder to cover it and mix till it’s all wet. Put it through 3 freeze / thaw cycles. Then mix with the lye till it turns black then add a little more to ensure proper PH. Pour mixture into a wide mouth mason jar till it’s half full. Then fill the rest of the jar with naphtha. Shake we’ll for a few minutes before letting it sit to separate. Siphon off the clear naphtha and pour the naphtha into a glass pan – Pyrex works great. Put it back in the freezer overnight and allow the DMT to precipitate out. Repeat with the naphtha a few times until no more DMT is extracted. That’s it. Works great!
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Your method has an extra step than this guide, the initial 3 x freeze/thaw. Why is this step necessary? I already get decemt results without the initial freeze
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Improves cellular wall breakdown. The ice crystals breakdown the cell walls.
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I just finished a pull where i added in your freeze/thaw step to my normal method.
Wow, I’ve got so many crystals and theyre a beautiful pure white. This has been my biggest yield yet.
Thank you for sharing your method 🙏
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I’ve done dozens of pulls at least. It “should” be impossible to get this wrong, so I really don’t understand what other explorers are doing wrong.
I Have a 1liter Erlenmeyer flask, add 100g mimosa with 300ml water and shake/stir
then add 100g of lye dissolved in 350ml water to the flask, you can add more water but leave room for naphtha
Let it sit for a day while mixing/shaking periodically. I wait a day or more to help maximize lye’s work.
Then day 2 add 100ml of naphtha and periodically mix/shake for at least 24hrs, I let it sit for days because I get larger yields.
Then Pipette the yellow aqueous layer ~100ml into glass dish (I use a rectangle Pyrex dish with lid) and place in freezer for 24hrs
Then save, reuse or discard naphtha after freezing (Note: there always seems to be a little more spice suspended in the liquid)
Allow glass and spice to dry, you can use a small fan, I personally put them in the sunlight to dry out. This method should yield approximately 1g of yellow crystals (plant fats cause yellow color) on the first pull.
Now I’ve done all the steps above in less than a couple hours but the yield is meh, just be patient and wait at least 12hr between steps
I’ve also done the GordoTek way with the stand mixer, pie plates, crockpot, with vinegar and pickling salt instead of lye……not as good and takes much longer with pricey equipment and lower yields. However, it does make for pure white crystals
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