NATIONWIDE – A psychedelic substance known for taking users on a transcendent experience seemingly to other worlds, DMT is also known as “The Spirit Molecule.”

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University are looking for participants for a study involving those who believe they encountered “autonomous beings or entities” after consuming DMT.

The naturally occurring substance Dimethyltryptamine, DMT, is found in humans, animals and plants. Some evidence suggests people have been consuming DMT for thousands of years. It is believed Amazonian tribes used a similar substance to obtain messages from spirits.

While it has never been confirmed by researchers, it is believed that DMT is excreted from the brain’s pineal gland while a person is dying. Many people who take the substance recreationally come out of their high claiming to have had a near-death experience.

The effect of DMT seemingly varies from person to person, with some reporting alien encounters while others see kaleidoscope imagery or hearing voices.

The online DMT survey can be accessed here.