DMT self-administration by monkeys in isolation

Abstract

Three rhesus monkeys trained to smoke lettuce cigarettes for water reward extinguished responding when given water ad lib or when the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine (DMT) was added to the lettuce. Monkeys were then individually confined to an operant unit placed in a sensory isolation chamber that deprived them of light and sound but permitted infrared video monitoring. After continuous isolation for several days, two monkeys consistently self-administered DMT in performance marked by dramatic changes in perceptual-motor behaviors. These results suggest that animals will self-administer a hallucinogen when it provides stimulation in an otherwise deprived environment.