Is this movie actually about DMT?
This might be a stretch, but there seems to be a lot of references to entheogens, specifically DMT. Take the title Explorers, is this a reference to psychonautics, the exploration of the mind through meditation or mind altering substances?
A large portion of the film revolves around vivid hallucinations, or dreams. DMT is the molecule that is released while sleeping to create dreams. If taken otherwise, it will create vivid hallucinations. DMT users can also experience a roller coaster feeling, or possibly flying feeling, which is referenced throughout the film.
In the beginning of the movie Ben asks Wolfgang to create the microchip from his dreams, this could reference a chemist formulating DMT for Ben.
Darren soon tells Ben he cannot dream, but later in the film, with the help of the microchip(DMT) he enters Ben's own dream.
While experimenting with the microchip(DMT) the boys all experience vivid hallucinations of flying, space, and even aliens that know pop culture. The aliens know pop culture not because of radio signals, but because they are figments of the boys' imaginations.
The aliens ship may resemble certain anatomical parts to some, but it may also be viewed as a DMT pipe.
Towards the end Ben receives a crystal from the alien. The alien claims that the crystal is what dreams are made of. Again, this is a direct reference to DMT; also processed DMT is crystalline in form.
At the very end Ben's crush even passes him a note asking "How was the trip?" could this be a reference to a drug trip?
Like I said, its a stretch.