University College London has launched a groundbreaking study into the effects of the psychedelic substance DMT on reducing alcohol consumption. The researchers are focusing on the potential of this fast-acting psychedelic to alter the brain activity and behavior of addicted people.
The study, led by Rebecca Harding, PhD, and Ravi Das, professor of clinical psychopharmacology, is looking at whether DMT (dimethyltryptamine) can help people reduce or stop drinking. The first results are yet to come, but the research itself is already generating interest in the scientific community.
Alcohol addiction remains one of the most pressing public health problems in countries with free access to alcohol. Traditional treatment methods often prove ineffective. That is why scientists are turning to alternatives - in particular, psychedelics.
DMT is known for its ability to induce powerful psychic experiences within 1–2 minutes of intravenous administration, lasting only 10–20 minutes. However, even this brief experience is described by users as profoundly transformative, with intense visual effects and a sense of “another reality.”.
A key area of interest for researchers is DMT's ability to temporarily enhance neuroplasticity—the brain's flexibility that allows old behavioral patterns to be changed and new ones to be formed. This could be crucial for people seeking to overcome alcohol addiction.
Scientists are also paying particular attention to the brain's reward system, which in addicts becomes overly sensitive to alcohol-related cues. Theoretically, DMT could "reset" this system, reducing the effects of alcohol on motivation and pleasure.
The experiment involves participants going through a series of visits to a lab, where they undergo MRI scans, EEGs, and psychological testing. The drugs are administered randomly—DMT, a placebo, or another substance that affects the brain without a psychedelic effect. The study is double-blinded: neither the participants nor the researchers know who received what.
Changes in brain activity and behavioral patterns will help determine whether DMT could indeed be a new tool in the fight against alcohol addiction.
