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140 SET, SETTING, AND DMT was difficult to tell how much was specific DMT blockade, and how much was general tranquilization. At this juncture, it was becoming difficult to bring in first-time re- search subjects, or to induce experienced ones to return. Who wanted to take a drug that would suppress the effects of DMT? I could draw people in to this study by emphasizing that they would get two unadulterated high doses: one on the first screening day, and the other in combination with placebo-cyproheptadine. However, I heard myself sounding apolo- getic for this project, a bit like a used-car salesman. I initiated several other experiments that received university and FDA approval. However, they did not receive enough funding to perform full- scale investigations. One of these, the naltrexone study, continued with mechanism-of- action experiments designed to determine brain receptors regulating DMT effects. In this case, naltrexone blocks opiate receptors, and for that pur- pose it is helpful in treating heroin addiction. Animal data showed some interaction between opiates and psychedelics, and naltrexone might help us find out more about that relationship in humans. We began preliminary work in three volunteers for this project. How- ever, one fellow felt so bad on naltrexone alone that he dropped out after his first session. In the other two men, we saw little effect one way or the other, and so we went no further. Another pilot project was to assess if the phase of the menstrual cycle in women affected the DMT response. Many women report cyclical varia- tions in their sensitivity to psychedelics. In addition, animal studies clearly indicated that sex hormones influenced responses to psychedelic and other serotonin-active drugs. We divided the cycle into early, middle, and late in one woman, Wil- low, who usually had quite deep and insightful DMT experiences. In this sole volunteer, no obvious differences in psychological effects emerged. Since we didn't have funding to pursue this fascinating line of DMT re- search, we brought in no more volunteers for it. We also turned some high technology onto the DMT state. Three men