Contributor: Dr. David Luke

Dr David Luke is a Senior Lecturer for Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Social Work & Counselling at the University of Greenwich. David joined the University of Greenwich in 2008, and is course coordinator for Psychology of Exceptional Human Experience, and Individual Differences and Abnormal Psychology on the undergraduate programme. He is also a lecturer on research methods, criminology and forensic psychology, and functional neuropsychology for speech and language therapists. His particular interest is in transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness, and having published over 100 academic papers in this area he is one of the leading researchers in this specialist area. David was President of the Parapsychological Association (2009-11), and has received an Early Career Research Excellence Award (2011) and won the faculty's Inspirational Teaching award (2016) from the University of Greenwich.

David’s current research is into psychedelics and includes ten books (most recently Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine) and when he is not running clinical drug trials with LSD, he is doing DMT field experiments or observing apparent weather control with Mexican shamans. David directs the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon; he is also a co-founder, director and the current chair of Breaking Convention: International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness. Breaking Convention is a multidisciplinary conference on psychedelic consciousness, featuring more than 150 presenters from around the world. Listen to the Breaking Convention talks here.

Dr. David Luke’s DMT and NDE Field Research Project: UK Based

dmt-field-studies.jpg

Have you tried DMT or had a Near Death Experience? If so, do you want to take part in a scientific study of DMT's acute psychological affects? This field research study will explore the extraordinary perceptual and mental phenomena of smoked DMT. Dr David Luke of Greenwich University is recruiting volunteers who are regular or experienced DMT users. His team are particularly interested in recruiting anyone who has had a Near Death Experience in the past who might also want to participate in the DMT field study, or interviewing anyone who has simply had a prior NDE and DMT experience.

The study has ethical approval from the University of Greenwich Research Ethics Committee. As this is a field research project researching illicit drug use, confidentiality and anonymity will be strictly adhered to. If you are interested in the field study and live within Sussex, Surrey, Kent or the Greater London area, or live elsewhere and may like to be interviewed by Skype, please send an email (using an anonymous name/account) to otherworldds@gmail.com for more information. (Note double D in email address

Videos by Dr. David Luke

David Luke Videos
Dr David Luke: How Does One Prove Ones' Elf? Exploring the Ontology of Discarnate Entities in the DMT Realm

Dr David Luke: How Does One Prove Ones' Elf? Exploring the Ontology of Discarnate Entities in the DMT Realm

Filmed at Breaking Convention: 3rd International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness, 10-12th July, 2015 as part of the DMT Entities symposium.

What are DMT Entities? | David Luke Ph.D. on Waking Cosmos

Psychologist David Luke discusses his research on DMT, and encounters with intelligences/entities, which seem mysteriously other to the experiencer…

Link to the full episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUYAlpyxVQY

Understanding DMT with David Luke

David talks about how DMT is a natural substance found in most plants and animals and produces a powerful psychedelic experience, although the major effects may last only ten minutes. He discusses the communication with what appear to be sentient spiritual entities, and explores the various metaphysical interpretations that have been offered regarding these ostensible entities...

Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience with David Luke PhD

David speaks on Shrink Rap Radio about psychedelics and exceptional human experience, as well as the latest of his many books, Other Worlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience…

Dr. David Luke: So Long As You've Got Your Elf - Part 1

Death, DMT and Discarnate Entities, Part 1

Daimonic Imagination: Uncanny Intelligence

6th-7th May 2011, University of Kent, Canterbury

Dr. David Luke: So Long As You've Got Your Elf, Part 2

Death, DMT and Discarnate Entities, Part 2

Daimonic Imagination: Uncanny Intelligence

6th-7th May 2011, University of Kent, Canterbury

Psychedelics Debate 2017: The Brain and Beyond (Dr Robin Carhart-Harris & Dr David Luke)

Dr. David Luke and Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris (Head of Psychedelic Research, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London) discuss the psychedelic experience, and whether it is a mystical breakthrough beyond western explanations of reality, or the result of neurological phenomenon occurring within our brains…

Understanding Ayahuasca Symposium, London 2016: Part 1 - Dr. David Luke

Synergetic Press Symposium and Salon

Understanding Ayahuasca: From Indigenous Origins To Neo-Shamanism

David Luke talks:

The Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness of Ayahuasca

Welcome to the Salon with Dave Luke and the Cosmic Serpent

Does Science need Psychedelics? Do Psychedelics need Science?

Dr. David Luke talks in Chacala, Mexico. The ChacaLit Writer's Residency committee organized this eye-opening talk with David by the Pacific ocean, in which he explains the positive effects hallucinogens can have not only on one's mental health but also on the creative enterprises and scientific problem solving…

Hyperspatial journeys with your goods'elf: Experimental DMT field research

This presentation reports on an ongoing experimental DMT field research project exploring intuition, entity encounters, shared visions, telepathy and precognition among seasoned psychonauts (N = 20+) having breakthrough vaporised DMT experiences under supervision.

Academic Papers by Dr. David Luke

Scroll right for more papers…

Dr. David Luke: Academic Papers and Articles
Psychoactive Substances and Paranormal Phenomena: A Comprehensive Review
Parapsychopharmacology, Paraspsychology, Psychology, Anthropology, Psychedelics, LSD, Ayahuasca, DMT, Ketamine, MDMA, Mescaline, Psilocybin, Psi, Near Death Experience, 2CB, Shamanism, Consciousness, Datura, Stanislav Grof
Psychoactive Substances and Paranormal Phenomena: A Comprehensive Review
Parapsychopharmacology, Paraspsychology, Psychology, Anthropology, Psychedelics, LSD, Ayahuasca, DMT, Ketamine, MDMA, Mescaline, Psilocybin, Psi, Near Death Experience, 2CB, Shamanism, Consciousness, Datura, Stanislav Grof

This paper investigates the relationship between psychoactive substances and so-called paranormal phenomena falling within the study of parapsychology. It is primarily concerned with extrasensory perception (ESP)—telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance—as well as out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and near-death experiences (NDEs). Psychokinesis (PK), aura vision, encounter experiences, and sleep paralysis only make a very limited contribution to this review as they are seldom related to psychoactive drugs within the parapsychological literature. It is organized into neurochemical models of paranormal experience (section 1), field reports of intentional and spontaneous phenomena incorporating anthropological, historical and clinical cases, and personal accounts (section 2), surveys of paranormal belief and experience (section 3), experimental research (section 4), and a methodological critique of the experimental research with recommendations for further work (section 5).

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Parapsychopharmacology, Paraspsychology, Psychology, Anthropology, Psychedelics, LSD, Ayahuasca, DMT, Ketamine, MDMA, Mescaline, Psilocybin, Psi, Near Death Experience, 2CB, Shamanism, Consciousness, Datura, Stanislav Grof
DMT Research from 1956 to the Edge of Time
Andrew Gallimore, Transpersonal Psychology, Psychedelics, Consciousness, Anthropology, Entheogens, DMT, Near Death Experience, Entities, Ayahuasca, Religion, Phenomenology, Paraspsychology
DMT Research from 1956 to the Edge of Time
Andrew Gallimore, Transpersonal Psychology, Psychedelics, Consciousness, Anthropology, Entheogens, DMT, Near Death Experience, Entities, Ayahuasca, Religion, Phenomenology, Paraspsychology

From a representative sample of a suitably psychedelic crowd, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t tell you all about Albert Hofmann’s enchanted bicycle ride after wallowing what turned out to be a massive dose of LSD. The world’s first acid trip (Hofmann, 1980) has since become a cherished piece of psychedelic folklore. Far fewer, however, could tell you much about the world’s first DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine) trip. Although less memorable than Hofmann’s story, it was no less important. The folklore would come later and reveal itself to be far weirder than anyone could have predicted. A DMT trip is certainly one of the most bizarre experiences a human can undergo and, although six decades have passed since the very first DMT trip, the experience continues to confound and remains fertile ground for speculation regarding its significance and meaning…

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Andrew Gallimore, Transpersonal Psychology, Psychedelics, Consciousness, Anthropology, Entheogens, DMT, Near Death Experience, Entities, Ayahuasca, Religion, Phenomenology, Paraspsychology
Book Review: A Hallucinogenic Tea, Laced with Controversy - Ayahuasca in the Amazon and the United States
Book Review, Ayahuasca, Entheogens, Religion, Psychedelics, Consciousness
Book Review: A Hallucinogenic Tea, Laced with Controversy - Ayahuasca in the Amazon and the United States
Book Review, Ayahuasca, Entheogens, Religion, Psychedelics, Consciousness

“According to Dobkin de Rios and Rumrrill the psychedelic Amazonian jungle decoction, ayahuasca, has a history of continuous use spanning at least 8,000 years. After all that time non-indigenes are now developing an increasing interest in ayahuasca’s intriguing cultural, magico-religious, legal, medical and psychopharmacological dimensions. This book covers all of these aspects in varying degrees (less so the pharmacology), but is likely of most interest for its analysis of the brew’s use in shamanic and healing contexts. It is here too that the book has most to offer, with half its contents given over to anthropological insights into the native use of ayahuasca, including interviews over the course of some thirty years between the authors and several ayahuasqueros…”

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Book Review, Ayahuasca, Entheogens, Religion, Psychedelics, Consciousness
Book Review: Inner Paths to Outer Space - Journeys to Alien Worlds through Psychedelics
Book Review, Psychedelics, Paraspsychology, Transpersonal Psychology, Shamanism, Consciousness, Entheogens, DMT, Anthropology, Psilocybin
Book Review: Inner Paths to Outer Space - Journeys to Alien Worlds through Psychedelics
Book Review, Psychedelics, Paraspsychology, Transpersonal Psychology, Shamanism, Consciousness, Entheogens, DMT, Anthropology, Psilocybin

“The Spirit Molecule documented the whole experimental process whereby over 60 participants received a combined total of 400 doses of DMT. It concluded with the theory that the near-death experience (NDE) is caused by the action of DMT in the pineal gland, where Strassman speculates it is made because DMT is known to occur naturally in the human body. The book currently under review, Inner Paths to Outer Space, is the natural sequel to that book in that it considers the DMT-induced entity encounters and alien abduction-like experiences from Strassman’s research in further depth, particularly in the contexts of quantum physics, science fiction and shamanism, proposing that access to alien worlds in outer space occurs in the inner space of the psyche…”

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Book Review, Psychedelics, Paraspsychology, Transpersonal Psychology, Shamanism, Consciousness, Entheogens, DMT, Anthropology, Psilocybin
Reply to “Ayahuasca Turned on my Mind’s Eye”: A Case of Acquired versus Congenital Aphantasia, as Evidenced with DMT Use?
Ayahuasca, Aphantasia, Psychedelics, Psychopharmacology, Psychology, Neuroscience, DMT, Visions, Perception
Reply to “Ayahuasca Turned on my Mind’s Eye”: A Case of Acquired versus Congenital Aphantasia, as Evidenced with DMT Use?
Ayahuasca, Aphantasia, Psychedelics, Psychopharmacology, Psychology, Neuroscience, DMT, Visions, Perception

“In a recent article in this journal, Dos Santos et al. (2018) report a case of ayahuasca use by a man with aphantasia. This account is the first such report of the use of a psychedelic agent by someone with aphantasia. Surprisingly, the case, SE, reported an improvement in their visual imagery following one particular instance of ayahuasca use. In support of Dos Santos et al.’s (2018) favored psychological explanation for improvement and their suggestion that SE’s aphantasia was acquired rather than congenital, this letter reports on a case study of an individual with apparent congenital aphantasia who has experienced no visual imagery, despite reported having excessively smoked N,Ndimethyltryptamine. It is proposed that the theoretical distinction between acquired and congenital aphantasia be further explored with regard to the use of psychedelics…”

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Ayahuasca, Aphantasia, Psychedelics, Psychopharmacology, Psychology, Neuroscience, DMT, Visions, Perception
Disembodied Eyes Revisited: An investigation into the Ontology of Entheogenic Entity Encounters
Ontology, Entities, DMT, Entheogens, Parapsychopharmacology, Mysticism, Religion
Disembodied Eyes Revisited: An investigation into the Ontology of Entheogenic Entity Encounters
Ontology, Entities, DMT, Entheogens, Parapsychopharmacology, Mysticism, Religion

“All that glitters is not gold. Such a maxim might well serve any psychic voyager on a journey into the weirder realms that psychedelics can serve up. After all, out here on the edges there is seldom firm evidence that the beatific or hellish visions beheld whilst chemically neurohacking your wetware have any basis in consensus reality. Indeed these visions are often so extravagantly strange and terrifyingly ineffable that reminding yourself they are not real can serve to keep your sanity on a short leash when madness looms. Nevertheless, as John Lilly put it, how does one recognize one’s insanity from one’s out-sanity? And in any case, how would one even begin to try and prove the ontological credibility of the psychedelic experience of visiting some other world or meet-ing some alien entity?”

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Ontology, Entities, DMT, Entheogens, Parapsychopharmacology, Mysticism, Religion
Discarnate Entities and Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Psychopharmacology, Phenomenology and Ontology
Neuroscience, Psychology, Paraspsychology, Ontology, Psychopharmacology, Psychedelics, Shamanism, Entheogens, Consciousness, Entities, Ayahuasca, Anthropology, Phenomenology, Pineal Gland, Near Death Experience, Parapsychopharmacology, Mysticism, Religion
Discarnate Entities and Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Psychopharmacology, Phenomenology and Ontology
Neuroscience, Psychology, Paraspsychology, Ontology, Psychopharmacology, Psychedelics, Shamanism, Entheogens, Consciousness, Entities, Ayahuasca, Anthropology, Phenomenology, Pineal Gland, Near Death Experience, Parapsychopharmacology, Mysticism, Religion

“When described by independent and seemingly naïve DMT participants the entities encountered tend to vary in detail but often belong to one of a very few similar types, with similar behavioural characteristics. For instance, mischievous shapeshifting elves, preying mantis alien brain surgeons and jewel-encrusted reptilian beings, who all seem to appear with baffling predictability. This opens up a wealth of questions as to the reality (i.e., the ontology) of these entities. The discussion of the phenomenology and ontology of these entities mixes research from parapsychology, ethnobotany and psychopharmacology – the fruits of science – with the foamy custard of folklore, anthropology, mythology, cultural studies and related disciplines…”

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Neuroscience, Psychology, Paraspsychology, Ontology, Psychopharmacology, Psychedelics, Shamanism, Entheogens, Consciousness, Entities, Ayahuasca, Anthropology, Phenomenology, Pineal Gland, Near Death Experience, Parapsychopharmacology, Mysticism, Religion

More about Dr. David Luke

David has a a PhD in psychology (University of Northampton, UK), a BSc in Psychology (1st class – University of Westminster, UK), a TESOL certificate (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - University of Westminster, UK), a Diploma in Parapsychology (Institute of Parapsychology, Rhine Research Centre, NC, USA), and a PGCertHE (University of Greenwich, UK). He is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His doctoral thesis was entitled “The psychology and parapsychology of beliefs about luck and their relation to beliefs about psi and psi performance”.

David has lectured in psychology (e.g. research methods, psychopharmacology, parapsychology, cognitive psychology, forensic psychology, consciousness and transpersonal psychology) at the Universities of Westminster (1997-1998, 2001-2004), Northampton (2000-2001, 2008-2016), Greenwich (2003, 2008-2019), East London (2008), London Metropolitan University (2008), and Goldsmiths College (2014). He has also taught English as a second language in Zimbabwe (1996), London (1998), and Mexico (1998-1999), and has travelled widely exploring cross-cultural approaches to magic. He has worked as a Research Associate at the Beckley Foundation, Oxford, and as a researcher for Eleusis Benefit Corp. running a clinical drug trial looking at micro and low dose LSD in healthy volunteers.

In 2004 he co-organised the “Exploring consciousness: With what intent?” international academic conference on psychedelics, paganism and parapsychology, in conjunction with Bath Spa University. He also co-founded and directed "Breaking Convention: A Multidisciplinary Meeting on Psychedelic Consciousness" at the University of Kent (2011), and the University of Greenwich (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019). He was the Programme Committee Chair for the 53rd and 54th "Parapsychological Association Annual Convention" in Paris (2010) and Curitiba, Brazil (2011), and has co-organised a number of festivals, art exhibitions and other public events, often with shamanic/magical/paranormal themes, such as 'Vigil' at the Royal Academy of Art in London in 2010.

Since 2008 David has been Director of the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon at the October Gallery in Bloomsbury, London. He is currently an editorial board member of:

  • The Journal of Psychedelics Studies

  • The European Journal for Ecopsychology

  • Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal

David is a referee for:

  • Psychology of Consciousness

  • Frontiers in Psychology

  • Personality and Individual Differences

  • Drugs and Alcohol Today

  • The European Journal of Parapsychology

  • The Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Anthropology of Consciousness

  • The Journal of Scientific Exploration

  • The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

  • The Journal of Parapsychology

  • The Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

His research and writing often explores the overlap between research into parapsychology, psychopharmacology, anthropology and magical beliefs, such as shamanism. His publications have appeared as chapters in two dozen scholarly books and in numerous periodicals such as:

  • Neuropsychologia

  • Frontiers in Psychology

  • International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

  • International Journal of Dream Research

  • NeuroQuantology: Journal of Quantum Physics and Neuroscience

  • Journal of Scientific Exploration, Seeing & Perceiving

  • Journal of the Society for Psychical Research

  • Journal of Parapsychology

  • The Paranormal Review

  • Mindfield: Bulletin of the Parapsychologcal Association

  • Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal

  • Time & Mind: Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness & Culture

  • Fortean Times

  • Dark Lore

  • The Cauldron: Witchcraft, Paganism and Folklore

  • Journal for the Academic Study of Magic

  • Silver Star: A Journal of New Magick

  • Bulletin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

  • Entheogen Review

  • Journal of Research on Visionary Plants and Drugs

  • Drugs and Alcohol Today

  • Strange Attractor Journal

David has is also the author, co-author, editor and co-editor of 10 books, including:

In 2009 he was elected President of the Parapsychological Association and was co-opted to the Council of the Society for Psychical Research. At the University of Greenwich he has won both the Early Career Research Excellence Award and the Inspirational Teaching Award; he is also Honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College, London.