Bryan Johnson: I Just Took the Most Powerful Dose of DMT in the World... Here's What It Was Like

Brian Johnson, great to have you. How are you feeling, and what did you just put yourself through a few days ago?

About forty eight hours ago I tried five M E O D M T, the most potent psychedelic I know, and I’m still finding words for it.

I did it as a longevity experiment. We rank interventions by evidence, ran three high-dose psilocybin sessions at twenty five milligrams, and the signals suggested real rejuvenation.

You live streamed the session and looked strikingly calm. Walk us through what it felt like.

It’s like being shot into pure awareness with almost no visuals, and you either fight and panic or surrender completely. I did nine milligrams intramuscular and then eighteen vaporized, it hit in seconds, my ego dissolved, and on full surrender it opened into overwhelming bliss—easily the most intense experience of my life.

Did your inner voice shut off, and what’s happening in the brain when it does?

The default mode network—the self-making engine—goes quiet or disappears, which breaks ruminative grooves that deepen with age. With psilocybin we saw this dampening on Kernel brain imaging, but five M E O felt like it wiped that network clean.

When activity loosens and new connections form, that neuroplasticity can enable new thoughts and behaviors.

Exactly; my Kernel data after psilocybin showed fresh connectivity maps and quieted old pathways, a clear plasticity burst.

That helps resolve trauma for many people. How did you connect this to longevity?

Animal data hinted at reduced inflammation, then in me we saw a surprising brain-metabolic reset, shifts in glucose regulation, and microbiome changes. Five M E O went further on the mind side—I even laughed in a dream and woke up with a childlike spark I haven’t felt in years.

Is that change sticking with you during the day?

Yes; even in a tense moment with my partner I felt no urge to defend or escalate, and humor comes faster. I feel newly light and clear.

Had you used psychedelics before, and what brain data are you collecting now?

I dabbled therapeutically during a personal reset and we studied ketamine at Kernel. For this, we captured structural and functional MRI, Kernel optical data, and real-time EEG, and now we wait for analysis.

Safety matters; some people experience lasting psychosis or scarring bad trips. How do you weigh those risks?

Unsupervised use with unknown strains and doses is reckless; rigorous screening, dosing, and set and setting cut risk but can’t erase it. These compounds demand extreme care, and not everyone is a candidate.

What would it take to bring this into medicine responsibly?

Subjectively, five M E O reset me more than diet, exercise, sauna, or hyperbaric combined, but we don’t know how long it lasts. Standardized protocols, measurement, and follow-up are key.

The life consequences can be massive; I’ve seen founders quit and families fracture after a big journey.

I’ve seen it too—some investors even add no-psychedelics clauses. My approach is quantified and clinical, and I came back more motivated, not headed for the woods.

Philosophically, if your wiring changes in hours, are you still you?

It’s a profound remapping, maybe on par with a near-death jolt, and your values can shift.

Then judging those new values gets tricky.

In a world changing at A I speed, psychedelics might become tools for human adaptability, even with tail risks.

Would you go further—neural implants or gene-based upgrades that alter who you are?

Yes; I’m drawn to the frontier, perhaps in reaction to a strict religious upbringing, and I stay skeptical of my own narratives while I explore.

Do these explorations compromise your responsibilities to others?

Fatherhood is central for me, and my circle supports the risks with open eyes.

Beyond psychedelics, what’s next for longevity?

Cell and gene therapies are in the pipeline, and I’m moving into mitochondrial augmentation.

There are clever delivery tricks for mitochondria; consider a maternal-line donor, intramuscular targeting, and sprint metrics to see performance shifts.

I’ll work with a third party, start with a blood draw, and test early; sprinting is a great readout and is underrated as a therapy.

What about plasmids and FoxO3 for tissue regeneration?

I’m excited about mesenchymal stem cells delivering FoxO3 and have engaged a lab to replicate a compelling study while we build capability.

Explain the in-dish approach for listeners—turning your cells into organoids.

We made iPSCs and now have Brian-in-a-dish organoids for heart, liver, and lung to screen molecules and doses before trying them in me.

Alternatives to Yamanaka factors are emerging, but dosing errors can seed cancer; I suspect cellular switches that self-regulate will be needed.

I invested in NewLimit; their computational discovery is accelerating, and I agree closed-loop control in cells will be essential.

Alongside A I, this field could be civilization-shaping; more abundance means less conflict.

GLP-1s were the first big wave, and reprogramming or FoxO3-type therapies may be next; better health could lift a country weighed down by metabolic disease and poor sleep.

So where do psychedelics fit in your stack now?

The brain is hard to rejuvenate, and psychedelics may uniquely restore youthful outlook and flexibility—I felt decades of psychological youth return.

I’m going to celebrate with carbs, alcohol, and a late night; what about you?

I’ll keep my routine and get to bed on time—you do you.