For example, before 1869, the Catholic church believed that the embryo was not a person until it was 40 days old.
Proof?
There's an idea that matches this in tibetan buddhism, that for 49 days the soul resides in the 'bardo' (kind of a limbo before reincarnation). Rick strassman mentions this in his book DMT: the spirit molecule (Read that book!).
There's some interesting research being done into this stuff, beyond the strassman experiments. We'll see where this goes!
Abstract: N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, is an endogenous psychoactive chemical that has been shown through repeated human subject experimentation to provide the subject with a perception of an ‘alternate reality’. When administered a sufficient DMT dose, subjects have reported the presence of intelligent beings that do not appear to be the projections of their subconscious in the Freudian sense. Furthermore, and of particular interest to this article, many subjects believe that the percieved alternate reality is persistent in that it exists irrespective of their subjective momentary perception. Past research into the DMT-induced alternate reality comes solely from subject testimonies and to date, no analysis has been conducted to understand the objective aspects of these extraordinary subjective claims. This article provides a methodology for studying the nature of the DMT-induced alternate reality by means of various simple information theory experiments. These experiments can be used to test which of the presented interpretations of the DMT-induced alternate reality appears most plausible.
Another interesting theory being explored is that endeogenous DMT (still theoretical of course) serves as relief from anxiety.
The presence of the potent hallucinogenic psychoactive chemical N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the human body has puzzled scientists for decades. Endogenous DMT was investigated in the 1960s and 1970s and it was proposed that DMT was involved in psychosis and schizophrenia. This hypothesis developed from comparisons of the blood and urine of schizophrenic and control subjects. However, much of this research proved inconclusive and conventional thinking has since held that trace levels of DMT, and other endogenous psychoactive tryptamines, are insignificant metabolic byproducts. The recent discovery of a G-protein-coupled, human trace amine receptor has triggered a reappraisal of the role of compounds present in limited concentrations in biological systems. Interestingly enough, DMT and other psychoactive tryptamine hallucinogens elicit a robust response at the trace amine receptor. While it is currently accepted that serotonin 5-HT2A receptors play a pivotal role in the activity of hallucinogenic/ psychedelic compounds, we propose that the effects induced by exogenous DMT administration, especially at low doses, are due in part to activity at the trace amine receptor. Furthermore, we suggest that endogenous DMT interacts with the TA receptor to produce a calm and relaxed mental state, which may suppress, rather than promote, symptoms of psychosis. This hypothesis may help explain the inconsistency in the early analysis of endogenous DMT in humans. Finally, we propose that amphetamine action at the TA receptor may contribute to the calming effects of amphetamine and related drugs, especially at low doses.
Proof?
There's an idea that matches this in tibetan buddhism, that for 49 days the soul resides in the 'bardo' (kind of a limbo before reincarnation). Rick strassman mentions this in his book DMT: the spirit molecule (Read that book!).
There's some interesting research being done into this stuff, beyond the strassman experiments. We'll see where this goes!
Full paper:
A Methodology for Studying Various Interpretations of the N,N-dimethyltryptamine-Induced Alternate Reality
Another interesting theory being explored is that endeogenous DMT (still theoretical of course) serves as relief from anxiety.
Full paper:
Endogenous psychoactive tryptamines reconsidered: an anxiolytic role
for dimethyltryptamine