The Science of Awakening: 5-MeO-DMT and the Brain’s Path to Healing

At Sage Soul, we explore the meeting point of spirit and science—how ancient wisdom and modern research both point toward the same truth: healing happens when the self relaxes, the heart opens, and the brain remembers its own capacity to change.

Among the many tools being studied in this space, 5-MeO-DMT stands out. Known by some as “the God molecule,” this naturally occurring compound invites a deep dissolution of ego and a momentary glimpse beyond the stories we tell about who we are.

But what’s actually happening in the brain during such a profound experience—and why does it so often lead to lasting transformation?Let’s take a look.

What Is 5-MeO-DMT?

5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain plants and in the secretion of the Sonoran Desert toad (Incilius alvarius). Scientists have also learned to synthesize it safely in the lab.

Unlike longer-acting psychedelics such as psilocybin or LSD, 5-MeO-DMT comes on rapidly and lasts only 15–30 minutes. Yet in that brief window, many people report an experience so vast it feels timeless—where the boundaries between “self” and “everything else” completely dissolve.

Rather than bringing colorful visions, this compound often brings stillness, unity, and pure awareness—a sense of returning to source.

Inside the Brain: What the Research Shows

Modern neuroscience is beginning to map what happens during these extraordinary moments.

• A quieting of the self.EEG studies show a significant drop in alpha and beta brain-wave activity under 5-MeO-DMT. These rhythms are normally tied to our “top-down” thinking—the ongoing inner narrator that keeps our identity intact. When they go quiet, the boundaries of self temporarily fade.

• A deep reset of brain networks.Researchers recently discovered that 5-MeO-DMT pushes the brain into a low-dimensional steady state—meaning it stops hopping between hundreds of patterns and instead rests in a single, unified rhythm. Many describe this as the feeling of “oneness.”

• A burst of neuroplasticity.Laboratory studies show that 5-MeO-DMT and similar compounds stimulate the growth of new neural connections. This “reset and regrow” process may explain why people often feel more open, resilient, and emotionally balanced after the experience.
  

Together, these effects resemble a kind of neurological spring cleaning: the mind lets go of rigid stories, the nervous system reorganizes, and the heart can come online in new ways.

Why This Matters for Healing

In our work at Sage Soul, we often see that healing begins when the self-protective patterns of the mind soften. The brain’s ability to reorganize—to literally rewire itself—is a scientific reflection of what the soul has always known: we are capable of renewal.

Research shows that people who engage with 5-MeO-DMT in safe, guided settings often report:

• Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression

• Greater emotional clarity and self-compassion

• A renewed sense of connection—to self, to others, and to life itself
  

These aren’t guaranteed outcomes, and they depend greatly on preparation, intention, and integration. But the data suggest that when the brain’s story of “I” takes a pause, the deeper intelligence of the body and heart can take the lead.

The Importance of Integration

The experience itself is only part of the journey. What follows—the integration—is where insight becomes transformation.

After the flood of new neural activity that occurs during a 5-MeO-DMT experience, the brain enters a remarkably open, flexible state. Old patterns loosen, self-protective structures soften, and the mind becomes more receptive to new ways of being. In this teachable window, the thoughts we nurture, the relationships we tend, and the habits we embody can literally reshape the pathways of the brain—and the story of who we are.

At Sage Soul, we honor this post-experience period as sacred ground. It’s the bridge between awakening and embodiment. The expanded awareness offered through 5-MeO-DMT must find its roots in daily life, or it remains only a fleeting glimpse. Integration is where that light becomes lived wisdom.

That’s why our courses and retreats emphasize practices that bring both science and spirit into harmony:

• Grounding practices like breathwork, sound healing, and mindful movement help stabilize the nervous system after profound non-ordinary states. These gentle tools remind the body it is safe to open, release, and integrate.

• Parts work through Internal Family Systems (IFS) allows participants to compassionately weave their new awareness into the psyche.In the spaciousness that follows a 5-MeO-DMT experience, our inner world becomes more visible. Often, long-silenced “parts” of us—those carrying pain, fear, or longing—come forward seeking acknowledgment. The medicine can soften the boundaries between these parts, allowing the Self—the calm, curious, compassionate essence within—to meet them with understanding.Working with IFS in integration gives form and language to what was felt in the ineffable. It transforms mystical insight into practical healing, guiding individuals to make peace with their inner system. In essence, the Self energy accessed during deep psychedelic states mirrors the same healing consciousness IFS invites us to embody.

• Relational coaching and connection practices help anchor that unity into everyday life. The sense of oneness and love that arises during a 5-MeO-DMT journey often expands empathy, forgiveness, and authenticity. Through intentional dialogue, communication exercises, and embodiment practices, we teach how to bring that spacious awareness into relationships—where healing continues through connection.
  

And this is not only for those journeying. At Sage Soul, we also teach facilitators how to guide this process with depth, safety, and compassion. In our IFS Live Workshops and The Healers’ Ways facilitation course, students learn how to support others in post-journey integration using the IFS model. They practice identifying parts that surface after a psychedelic or expanded-state experience, creating safe containers for emotional expression, and inviting Self-led healing through presence and attunement.

By combining neuroscience, ceremony, and parts work, facilitators learn to hold space for transformation that lasts—helping clients ground insight into the body, relationships, and daily life.

In this way, neuroscience meets ceremony, and the mystical meets the practical. The brain’s renewal becomes the heart’s remembering. Integration, guided by IFS and embodied facilitation, turns a moment of awakening into a sustainable evolution of consciousness—a return home to the wholeness that has always been within.

A Word on Respect and Safety

5-MeO-DMT is a powerful, legally restricted compound. It should never be taken lightly or used without experienced, trauma-informed guidance. Not every person or situation is suitable for this kind of work.

The research is promising, but early. At Sage Soul, we share these findings not to promote use, but to deepen understanding of how consciousness and healing may intertwine. The more we learn, the more we see the need for humility, safety, and care in any altered-state practice.

Science Meets Spirit

Perhaps the most inspiring insight from this research is that our brains—and our hearts—are not fixed. When we quiet the noise, when the “self” loosens its grip, we glimpse the vast intelligence that’s been here all along.

For those walking the Sage Soul path, this understanding invites gentleness: you are not broken; you are becoming.Every breath, every ceremony, every moment of presence is the brain—and the soul—learning to sing a new song.

Written for Sage Soul students and community by Shelley DeMarco.

For educational purposes only. 5-MeO-DMT remains a controlled substance in many regions; always seek professional, legal, and medical guidance before engaging with any psychoactive practice.

1. Neuroplasticity & receptor activityLy, C., Greb, A. C., Cameron, L. P., Wong, J. M., Barragan, E. V., Wilson, P. C., … Olson, D. E. (2018). Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity. Cell Reports, 23(11), 3170–3182.→ Demonstrates how tryptamines like 5-MeO-DMT promote dendritic growth and neuroplasticity via 5-HT2A receptor activation.

2 Self-model and EEG findingsTimmermann, C., Roseman, L., Schartner, M., Millière, R., Williams, L. T., Erritzoe, D., … Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2024). Exploring 5-MeO-DMT as a pharmacological model for deconstructed consciousness: EEG and phenomenology findings. Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2024(1), niaf007.→ Shows significant alpha/beta suppression and links to self-dissolution experiences.

3. Clinical pharmacology & safety reviewBarsuglia, J. P., Davis, A. K., Palmer, R., Lancelotta, R., Windham-Herman, A. M., Peterson, K., & Griffiths, R. R. (2021). The clinical pharmacology and potential therapeutic applications of 5-MeO-DMT. Journal of Neurochemistry, 159(6), 155–167.→ Summarizes pharmacology, duration, and early evidence of therapeutic potential.

4. Naturalistic/therapeutic outcomesDavis, A. K., So, S., Lancelotta, R., Barsuglia, J. P., & Griffiths, R. R. (2019). 5-MeO-DMT used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 45(2), 161–169.→ Found significant improvements in depression/anxiety in participants using 5-MeO-DMT in supportive settings.

6. Narrative synthesis review Uthaug, M. V., Lancelotta, R., van Oorsouw, K., Kuypers, K. P. C., Ramaekers, J. G., Davis, A. K., & Riba, J. (2022). A narrative synthesis of research with 5-MeO-DMT. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 36(2), 129–145.→ Comprehensive review summarizing human and preclinical findings on 5-MeO-DMT.