Pictures and words and shit.

aMT, my 2c

Next up in “My 2c”, my series giving out basic information along with some of my opinions on various drugs, is aMT, or alpha-methyltryptamine - also known as IT-290, 3-IT, and Indopan.

Some of my followers might already know this is the psychedelic that managed to cure me of my social anxiety, so you already know I think quite highly of this molecule, however this report will be unbiased and I will cover both the pros and cons of this interesting psychedelic.

Now aMT, unlike the previous molecules I have covered, is not a research chemical, despite being legal in many countries and available from research chemical vendors. In fact, aMT has been around in the 1960s as a novel anti-depressant, developed by a pharmaceutical company from Michigan, named Upjohn.

aMT is a tryptamine psychedelic with some empathogenic and stimulating effects. It is the tryptamine equivalent of amphetamine, with amphetamine being alpha-methylphenethylamine, and aMT being alpha-methyltryptamine. Users often compare it to feeling quite similar to combining psychedelics with MDMA (ecstasy).

Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters famously tripped together on aMT that Kesey procured. Some of them actually preferred it to LSD, and Kesey called it the “Rolls Royce” of Psychedelics. 

In the 60s it was an established psychedelic alongside LSD, Psilocybin mushrooms, and Mescaline-containing cacti, however due to it being far less common than any of these, it never became one of the classics and was largely forgotten about until it made a resurgence as a recreational drug in the 1990s. 

What are the main effects?

• Euphoria
• Open and closed eye visuals
• Auditory hallucinations
• Increased empathy
• Additional appreciation for music
• Increased awareness
• Psychedelic mind-state
• Some stimulation

What are the most common side-effects?

• Nausea, particularly on the come-up when using aMT freebase rather than HCl
• Dehydration
• Pupil dilation

Dosage:

10-100mg

Duration:

12-24 hours

Below is the picture Born of Light by Alice Kelley, which I found to resemble the visuals, colours, and general feel of the aMT:

So what is the experience like?

aMT is a very friendly psychedelic, easy-going, and would be a very suitable substance for someone’s first psychedelic experience. It is not quite as absorbing and mind-manifesting as high dose Psilocin/Psilocybin or DMT, but because of the combination of the mindfuck of tryptamines and the clear-headedness of stimulants this one is great for therapy and discussing problems.

It can take 1-2 hours to start coming up, and around 5 hours to start peaking, with the entire trip lasting around 14-16 hours, but sometimes 12, and sometimes as much as 24. During the come up there can be some intense nausea with the freebase version of this chemical, however this can be avoided by fasting (not eating) for 3-4 hours before dosing this drug.

Although this feels akin to empathogens like MDMA much of the trip, like psychedelics it feels more natural, the empathy is more real, and less “forced”, and unlike these empathogens there is no serotonin/dopamine crash resulting in a harsh comedown and hangover after the trip.

It is very euphoric, similar to MDMA in this respect, but the euphoria is more of a natural warm relaxing buzz, rather than the rushy stimulating push most empathogens give.

Although it is stimulating, it felt more like mental stimulation, enhanced thought processes and desire to think deeply about various subjects, rather than physical stimulation. There was no desire to get up, run, or dance on this, and in fact I felt very content and comfortable sitting down for nearly the entire trip. Of course, don’t sit in one place for ~16 hours, or you’ll be doing your circulation no good.

Usage tips:

• Don’t dose too high/low - some people find that not dosing high enough results in uncomfortable nausea and stimulation on the come up that never develops into a true full on trip. Find your preferred dosage range and make sure you use a milligram scale so you don’t dose too high or too low.
• Don’t eat 3-4 hours before dosing - This way you can avoid most or all of the come up nausea that normally results. This is especially important if you’re taking aMT freebase.
• Don’t combine with large doses of serotonin releasers or MAO inhibitors - aMT is thought to be an MAO inhibitor in its own right, this could be just due to the fact that it itself is broken down by MAO and so reduces the efficacy of MAO inhibition breaking down other chemicals in your system at the time, in which case this would be mild at best and cause no risk in combination with these drugs - but is it worth being a guinea pig and finding out? If aMT does have any MAOI action, these combinations could be dangerous and result in Serotonin Syndrome, which can be fatal. If you must mix aMT with serotonin releasers, keep the dosage of both drugs low.
• Trip with a friend - As I already said, aMT helped me beat years of social anxiety, but one key factor in this was the fact that me and one of my best friends tripped together, if I had tripped alone without a second perspective I might have not taken up my ideas and been able to make progress. Plus, as with any empathogenic drug, it’s more fun to be with other people!

Remember to feel free to ask any question about aMT or other drugs in my ask box! It’s also open if you just want to leave a comment or chat :)