I’m currently in a PHP/IOP for mental health and substance use. I’ve made a close friend in the program, let’s call him Michael (not his real name for his privacy).

Michael is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and he recently shared with me that he is interested in trying DMT. He told me that he has taken LSD and psilocybin in the past, and his desire to take DMT is to have a spiritual experience.

I expressed to him that it would be very irresponsible to take any drug, particularly a powerful psychedelic, given his current diagnosis. I also explained that someone can have a spiritual experience without psychedelics by practicing meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises. But he is dead set on trying DMT. What are the potential consequences of taking DMT with schizophrenia?