Movie "DMT - The Spirit Molecule"
Mitch Schultz, a 34 years old filmmaker, born in Memphis,and raised in Texas, is shooting the movie DMT, the Spirit Molecule. This blog interviewed him about it.
Alto das Estrelas - what is your professional background?
I’m an artist/writer in general, and more specifically a filmmaker, interactive consultant, and architect of culture.
Alto das Estrelas - how did the interest in the topic of the film start?
My interest in the topic happened approximately 5 years ago when I had my first DMT experience. I had many LSD and psilocybin experiences through my teens and 20’s, but had never heard of DMT. That would soon change when a friend introduced me to this amazing compound. Initially, I was not prepared for how quick the onset was. For the first minute or two, my friend said I had an absolute look of fear on my face – I was dying (or so I thought)! That fear subsided and overwhelming sense of love overtook body. Once I broke through I found myself in the common DMT space, or Aeon as some describe, with a very real, intense entity communication.
Alto das Estrelas - could you give us a short description of what the movie is about?
THE SPIRIT MOLECULE weaves an account of Dr. Rick Strassman's groundbreaking DMT research through a multifaceted approach to this intriguing hallucinogen found in the human brain and hundreds of plants. Utilizing interviews with a variety of experts to explain their thoughts and experiences with DMT within their respective fields, and discussions with Strassman’s research volunteers brings to life the awesome effects of this compound, and far-reaching theories regarding its role in human consciousness and evolution.
Several themes explored include possible roles for endogenous DMT; its theoretical role in near-death and birth experiences, alien-abduction experiences; and the uncanny similarities in Biblical prophetic texts describing DMT-like experiences. Our expert contributors offer a comprehensive collection of information, opinions, and speculation about indigenous use of DMT, the history and future of psychedelic research, and current DMT research. All this, to help us understand the nature of the DMT experience, and its role in human society and evolution.
The subtle combination of science, spirituality, and philosophy within the film’s approach sheds light on an array of ideas that could considerably alter the way humans understand the universe and their relationship to it.
Alto das Estrelas - where and who did you film?
We’ve shot in Albuqurque/Santa Fe, NM – Berkeley, CA – New York, NY. Please visit thespiritmolecule.com/dmt for a list of participants.
Alto das Estrelas - what are the next steps on the project?
We just began the edit, which will take us through March for a rough cut. From there we will begin our animation and start to score the soundtrack. Our goal is to have a finished film by September 2008.
Alto das Estrelas - what is Rick Strassman’s role in the movie?
Dr. Strassman is our sounding board. Because of his experience in the field and connections to other like-minds, he is the perfect addition to our team. All this translates to a Producer role, which means he has a solid voice in content, structure and ultimately the outcome of the film.
Alto das Estrelas - what would you want your audience to think and feel by the time they leave?
First and foremost, I want people to enter and leave with an open-mind, allowing a possibility for some of the questions we explore. For most that have never experienced DMT (either in a natural form or synthetic) it will be difficult to imagine this space and the feelings associated with the DMT experience. However, it’s important that we all have an open-mind when this discussion heats up. Additionally, I’d like people to seek more information about the concepts we touch on in the film. We need more research, and having people get involved will help the dialogue.
Thank you Mitch! Good luck with your work, and please keep us posted.
To get in touch with Mitch - mitch@spectralalchemy.com