So, imagine you’re staring at a wall. Just a normal, boring wall. But on that wall, a cheap red laser is projecting a fuzzy pattern through a diffraction lens. You take a hit of N,N-DMT—the world's most intense psychedelic—and suddenly, that blurry light snaps into focus. It isn't just light anymore. It’s a scrolling ticker tape of glowing, neon-green or golden symbols. It looks like Japanese Katakana. It looks like Hebrew. Basically, it looks like the scrolling green code from The Matrix.
This is the DMT laser experiment, a viral and deeply controversial phenomenon popularized by independent researcher Danny Goler.
Honestly, it sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi B-movie. But for the thousands of people who claim to have replicated it, the "Code of Reality" is the most profound thing they’ve ever seen. Is it a breakthrough in "cognitive physics," as Goler calls it, or just a really high-tech way to trick your brain?
What is the Danny Goler DMT Laser Experiment?
The setup is surprisingly low-rent for something that claims to prove we live in a simulation. Danny Goler, the founder of Code of Reality Inc., isn't using a multi-million dollar particle accelerator. He uses a 650nm red laser (the kind you might use for leveling a shelf) and a diffraction grating lens.
When you shine this laser at a wall while under a "stable" (non-breakthrough) dose of DMT, people report seeing a persistent, non-hallucinatory structure.
How the experiment works
Most DMT trips are chaotic. You see "entities," geometric fractals, and shifting landscapes. But Goler noticed something weird. When the laser is introduced, the chaos stops. Instead of shifting shapes, users see a static, structured language.
- The Dose: Participants typically use a DMT vape pen or a low-dose injection to reach a "level 2" state. You’re still in the room, still aware of your body, but the visual "filters" of the brain are wide open.
- The Light: A 650nm collimated laser is diffracted. This creates a specific "speckle" pattern that is usually just noise to the human eye.
- The Observation: Under the influence, users report that the "noise" in the laser light organizes into symbols. Goler claims that over 2,000 people have now verified this exact same visual.
The kicker? Participants say the code is stable. You can move your head, walk closer to the wall, or even have someone else look at the same spot, and the symbols allegedly stay in the same place. It's as if the laser is acting like a "developer fluid" for a reality that is already there, but invisible.
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Is This "The Matrix" Code?
Danny Goler isn't shy about the implications. He’s gone on record—on podcasts like Shawn Ryan Clips and The DMT Chronicles—stating that he’s convinced this is proof of a simulation.
He describes the characters as "self-executing, animated code." Think about that for a second. If you're looking at a wall and seeing bits of data that appear to be "rendering" the room, your world view is going to shift pretty fast. One participant in Goler’s documentary The Discovery described it as seeing the "substrate" of existence.
But wait. Why Japanese Katakana? Why Hebrew?
Skeptics, like the folks at the Amsterdam Psychedelic Research Association (APRA), point out that our brains are literally hard-wired to find patterns. It’s called pareidolia. When your brain is flooded with DMT, its ability to filter out noise breaks down. The theory is that you’re just seeing the "speckle" of the laser and your internal "pattern-recognition software" is slapping a familiar label on it—like letters or symbols.
The Science (Or Lack Thereof)
Goler has actually tried to bring some rigor to this. He published a pilot study on ResearchGate detailing the "Code of Reality" Protocol.
In his data, he noted that the 650nm wavelength (red) was the only one that reliably produced the "katakana" characters. Using a green (530nm) or blue (450nm) laser still showed geometric structures, but the "language" part disappeared.
The "Cognitive Physics" Argument
Goler’s big idea is something he calls Cognitive Physics. The gist is that we shouldn't be removing the observer from the experiment. In traditional physics, we try to be objective. But Goler argues that because consciousness is the interface through which we see reality, we have to use altered states of consciousness as a tool—just like we use microscopes or telescopes.
He’s currently working with researchers like Dr. Andrew Gallimore, a heavy hitter in the world of DMT-extended state research (DMTx), to see if there’s a neurobiological explanation. Gallimore is famous for his work on how DMT might allow the brain to model a higher-dimensional reality.
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The Problems with the Experiment
Look, we have to be real here. There are some massive red flags.
- The "Hype" Factor: Goler is a filmmaker. He knows how to tell a story. Some critics argue that the "shared" nature of the hallucination is just the power of suggestion. If I tell you "you're going to see Hebrew letters," and you're on a powerful hallucinogen, you're probably going to see Hebrew letters.
- Safety: We're talking about lasers and Class I controlled substances. Goler is very careful to say people shouldn't look into the laser (obviously), but doing "independent research" with DMT carries huge legal and psychological risks.
- The "Nihilism" Trap: One podcaster who did the experiment with Danny in Costa Rica said he fell into a "two-month hole of nihilism." If you truly believe life is a computer program, it can kinda mess with your head.
Why This Matters in 2026
We’re living in a time where the "Simulation Theory" isn't just for stoners and Elon Musk anymore. It’s becoming a serious philosophical debate. The DMT laser experiment is the first time anyone has offered a "DIY" way to check the "code" for yourself.
Whether it's a real discovery of the universe's source code or just a fascinating quirk of how the human visual cortex reacts to coherent light under tryptamines, it doesn't really matter. The impact is real. It’s changing how people think about the relationship between light, math, and the mind.
Actionable Next Steps for the Curious
If you’re interested in the intersection of psychedelics and physics, you don't necessarily need a laser and a vape pen to explore this.
- Watch the Documentary: Look up The Discovery by Danny Goler. It features raw footage of people reacting to the laser in real-time. It's wild to watch their faces transition from "this is cool" to "oh my god, my life is a lie."
- Read the Pilot Paper: Check out the "Code of Reality Protocol" on ResearchGate. It’s a fascinating read even if you don't agree with the conclusions. It outlines the specific materials and diffraction lenses used.
- Explore DMTx: Look into the work of Andrew Gallimore and Rick Strassman. They are doing the "official" version of this research, using IV drips to keep people in the DMT state for long periods to map these "alternate" spaces.
- Practice Critical Thinking: Understand the "Speckle Pattern" of lasers. Research how coherent light interacts with the human retina. Knowing the physics of light makes the "magic" of the experiment even more interesting to deconstruct.
The world is a lot weirder than we think it is. Whether the "code" is in the wall or in your head, the fact that a simple laser can unlock a hidden layer of the human experience is something worth paying attention to. Just maybe... don't quit your day job because you think you saw a "Save" button in the corner of your vision.