The Truth About Ecstasy

By Erin Geesaman, Catalyst
Posted on July 6, 2000, Printed on May 27, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/story/9430/the_truth_about_ecstasy

Imagine it. A sudden welling up of pure joy. That sense of deep peace and relaxation you get after days of vacation. Everything looks crisp, clear, new. You have an overwhelming sense of awe at simply being alive. Communication is effortless. You can't not tell the truth in your heart. You have that feeling of being innocent and vulnerable, like you were as a bright-eyed child. A feeling of ease. A willingness to accept all the love that is around you. A willingness to express all the love you feel without any defenses or egotistic hesitations. A sense of purpose and sacredness in everything. It's like the best moment of your life. Ecstasy.

One way to achieve this state is with a $20 pill. Or so say the pill's proponents. The drug is appropriately named Ecstasy. Also known as E, X, and Adam, this semi-synthetic drug's proper name is MDMA (methylenedioxy-n-methyl amphetamine). It has a chemical structure similar to molecules found in nutmeg, mace, crocus and dill, as well as over-the-counter Sudafed. It is similar to an amphetamine, but has a "paradoxical effect." That is, it inspires a feeling of peace and calm rather than excitation.

MDMA was first synthesized by the Germans in 1914 and patented by the Merck Pharmaceutical Company. It was largely forgotten for the next four decades. In the 1950s, the Army Chemical Center began to test it on animals to examine its toxicity. Another 20 years passed and in 1976, the first report of the psychoactive effects of MDMA in humans was published. People, including many psychotherapists, experimented with this "new" drug, and some research studies on its therapeutic benefits were begun. Dr. Ralph Metzner coined the name "empathogen" (meaning empathy-generating) to describe the effect of MDMA. He had used it in his practice of family therapy and couples counseling. With a simple signature, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) criminalized the use, possession, and manufacture of MDMA on July 1, 1985, placing it in the category of Schedule I, the most regulated class of substances for drugs that have a "high potential for abuse and no medical use." (Even cocaine is in Schedule II, due to its use as an anesthetic.) On that day, the dissemination of this empathogen moved from the hands of licensed professionals to potential felons.

Even though the DEA's own judge had ruled to classify MDMA in Schedule III so that research into its therapeutic value could continue, the administration ignored his 90-page decision and volumes of testimony by experts. Many are wondering why. As Peter Stafford eloquently states in the introduction to Ecstasy: The MDMA Story, "Driving this marvelous tool to underground usage guarantees an increasingly perverse edge to the delicate but robust potentials it once had." It also has cultivated a market for badly fashioned look-alike drugs, with much more potentially serious side effects.

Whether authentic or imitation, the use of what people think is Ecstasy is on the rise. According to Salon magazine, in the first eight months of 1999, U.S. Customs seized more than one million doses. Compare this to the previous year when only 375,000 pills were confiscated. Dean Boyd of U.S. Customs quipped, "What Colombia is for cocaine, the Netherlands is for Ecstasy."

Don Mendrala, head of the Utah DEA, says Ecstasy use is on the rise in Utah as well. Although there seems to be a prevalent attitude that MDMA is a harmless, casual drug, he says, the DEA does not view it that way. They pursue MDMA as aggressively as they do any other Schedule 1 substance. They are currently working on a few cases.

But is it truly a $20 magic bullet to bliss? Why not try it?

Due to its classification in Schedule I, it is nearly impossible for scientists to obtain permission to do research on human subjects to determine its toxicity. Some studies have been done on animals in recent years, but experts disagree on how to interpret the results. Some say using MDMA even a few times can cause permanent damage to the human central nervous system. Some say it can lead to memory loss and, ironically, depression.

In interviews published in the 1997 book Ecstasy Reconsidered, two doctors expound on their opposing views. Dr. George Ricuarte is a top medical researcher at Johns Hopkins; Dr. James O'Callaghan is a senior researcher for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both are highly respected in their field. Ricuarte believes MDMA is highly neurotoxic and can lead to long-term problems for users. He gives this vivid image: "It prunes the axon field." Axons are the terminal ends of nerve cells.

On the other hand, Dr. O'Callaghan believes it is not neurotoxic even when taken in large doses. Dr. Charles Grob of UCLA School of Medicine agrees. No studies are conclusive. But one certainty is that the real thing is has become virtually impossible to find. "I haven't seen it in Salt Lake since the '80s," one well-traveled aficianado mourns. "And what passes for Ecstasy is an insult to the name. They should stop calling it Ecstasy," he says.

The person who first named MDMA Ecstasy said he considered naming it Empathy, which would be more appropriate, but that it wouldn't sell as well. It is commonly experienced as more of a "hug drug" than a sexual stimulant. It causes more of a "diffuse, general sensuality." Some of its most commonly noticed effects are an increase in ease of communication and a depth of interpersonal relationships. And it has none of the common effects of psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin or mescaline. It does not cause the user to hallucinate, nor does it impair cognitive functioning. Its effect is diminished by alcohol, marijuana, and food. The "trip" lasts only three to four hours.

Exactly how it works is unclear. Serotonin is a major neurotransmitter associated with mood and sleep; the effect of MDMA is thought to be similar to that of SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors), such as Prozac. MDMA also affects the cardiovascular system causing a mild increase in blood pressure and heart rate. For this reason it is contraindicated for those with hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heart beat), heart disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, hypoglycemia, glaucoma, diminished liver function, actual or possible pregnancy, and breastfeeding women. (This list was compiled by Dr. George Greer, M.D., who worked specifically with MDMA when it was legal.)

For those who choose to take MDMA, it is recommended that they take supplemental potassium, magnesium, zinc, the amino acid tyrosine, and afterwards eat a high-protein meal. Some people experience mild, unpleasant side effects such as jaw clenching, tooth grinding, nausea, anxiety, increased sweating and fatigue. Most of these side effects dissipate within 24 hours, if not within the first hour of the "trip." Compare this to the common side effects of Prozac as listed in the Nurses' Drug Guide: "Anxiety, drowsiness, headache, insomnia, nervousness, diarrhea, excessive sweating, pruritus (itching) and tremor." Almost all synthetic drugs have some unpleasant side effects. According to Bruce Eisner, author of Ecstasy, between 1977 and 1981, the first four years of its "street use," only eight people in the whole country sought treatment in emergency rooms for reasons related to MDMA. As Eisner notes, more people are admitted to hospitals for alcohol-related problems in any two hours of a single day.

The most dangerous problem facing users today is that what they're buying as Ecstasy may be any number of other drugs. They may be getting speed, ketamine, PCP, baby aspirin, or some combination of MDMA and these drugs.

What do the users say? Although I personally have never taken ecstasy, I've been to a few "E-parties" where most everyone was under the influence. I remember one guy saying, "I wish my mom could take this." One woman called her experience "a year of therapy in two hours." Amy (not her real name), a recent graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine, uses it on a regular basis. Tomas (not his real name), a 23-year-old art student who has taken Ecstasy four times, called it "the best experience of my life. It was total magic." I asked him if he would recommend it to his mother. He said he would if he could be there to share the experience with her. He hasn't taken it in awhile because he's heard rumors that it is bad for his spinal cord. But he would probably do it again. Nate (not his real name) has taken Ecstasy about a dozen times, both at raves and at home.

Ecstasy plays a central role in rave culture. At a rave, Nate says, the experience is more social. It has led to some of his greatest dancing. At home, the atmosphere is "more intimate, more people making out or just touching." He too has opted to stop using it because of rumors about bad side effects. A few times, he has found himself depressed afterward. "But if you realize [the depression] is coming, it can help." He feels his experiences have affected his life in a very positive way, and that he's been able to incorporate his drug-induced insights into his normal consciousness.

Jackie Pratt, a 53-year-old small-business owner in Salt Lake, has taken MDMA four times. She hasn't done it in years but said she would "absolutely do it again." The first time she took it, in 1986, she received a 25-page booklet with her dose explaining how to use the drug sacredly and suggesting specific nutritional supplements to take to reduce its toll on the body. She has always used it in a natural setting and said she doesn't understand how people could use it in dance clubs or raves. She took it less as a recreational drug and more as a sacrament. "It made everything twinkly, you know? It lets you see all the crap you normally surround yourself with. It allows you to see the truth. It removes all the layers so you can be your vulnerable, innocent self." Her partner, Stephen Paul, Ph.D. has also used Ecstasy a number of times. "I loved it. My heart was open. I felt surrounded by, permeated with, full of, and releasing love. But I knew I had a strong chemical in my body. It was a life-changing experience." Now that he is older, he believes the toll on his body would be great. But if he found it difficult to get into that "heartspace" (he laughed, "Which I do") he may do it again. He feels that it is important to use the drug sacredly, and not to use it as a crutch, but to "start a process." I asked if he would recommend it to others. He said that if people were looking to use it consciously, to really prepare their intentions, he would have recommended it in the past. But now, he would recommend meditation or being in nature to achieve that state.

I interviewed two professionals about MDMA. One was Dr. Karen Thompson, M.D. (not her real name) a holistic family practice physician from San Francisco. The other was Richard Glade, LCSW, a local therapist.

Dr. Thompson has used Ecstasy a number of times, but less often in the last decade because she says it's nearly impossible to get the real thing these days. "There is nobody I wouldn't recommend it to. I would recommend it to my siblings and my mom. Everyone deserves an experience of unconditional love." She spoke with a passion. "As a doctor, if I had to choose just one synthetic pharmaceutical to use in my natural practice, MDMA would be it." She spoke of MDMA's naturally built-in anti-addictive mechanism. The more you take and the more frequently you take it, the less pleasant and less intense will be your experience. There is a serious lack of evidence to justify its placement in Schedule I, the "high potential for abuse" category. Karen ponders why as a society we sanction the use of antidepressants, such as Prozac, for daily use while MDMA is banned. She believes the use of MDMA once every six months has the same potential for healing depression as daily Prozac. She notes, "In our society people are depressed because we are living nonsustainably in an insane society and mostly nobody does anything but medicate our desire to do anything about it." She wonders if on some level, the reason Ecstasy use was criminalized is because it threatens the very fabric of our society. It is a drug that supports insight. "When your heart is open and you are in that truthspace, you cannot be manipulated by ads that say 'Buy this and it will make you sexy.' Rather than numbing ourselves to the way our lives aren't satisfying, MDMA can inspire you to change your life." She suggests using the drug with an experienced guide, either in a therapeutic or a natural setting. She would like it to come with instructions: "It is not appropriate to use recreationally." According to Dr. Thompson, it should not be used with alcohol, marijuana, or on a full stomach. If more than 150 mg are taken, unpleasant side effects are likely. It shouldn't be taken many times in a row, perhaps every 3 to 6 months at the most. As with any substance, it can be used properly or not. "Take sugar, for example. I call that 'the other white powder.' More people have a sugar addiction than a drug addiction. It destroys health, but it is both legal and promoted." Anything in excess can be toxic. But used safely, she believes MDMA to be a profoundly useful substance.

As a graduate student in Canada, Richard Glade, LCSW, was involved in research using LSD therapeutically. He found it to be an incredibly useful adjunct to therapy. But he offers some insights into the pitfalls of any drug use.

"Mimicry is different from authentic experience. Say someone wants to relax their muscles. You can do the hard work of learning, through some type of autogenic training or progressive relaxation technique, to relax your muscles. Or you can take a sedative. Both people may have relaxed muscles, but to mistake those two states for the same is highly problematic. One person is self-regulating. The other is drug-dependent." The same is true for contriving states of bliss.

"There is usually a match between a person's capacity and what arises in his or her consciousness. A drug can let you leapfrog, allowing a new state of consciousness. The gradient for one's capacity to deal with this state just got a lot steeper. Imagine you wanted to start lifting weights. If you decide you don't need to spend any time with five- and 10- pound weights and skip to the 50-pound weight, your work is much harder. It is much better to work up to that level. The more powerful the method, the more discipline and skill are required for good to come from its use." Are most users willing to cultivate the discipline, skill and time to integrate their experience in a way that would be of benefit?

Glade notes a particular problem for people on a spiritual path who consider using a drug. "You cannot move down a spiritual path with a drug. At best, the drug can show you a glimpse of your potential. At worst, it can show you this potential and let you believe that this potential lies outside yourself." A 1985 article in the L.A. Times stated, "Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk from the Immaculate Heart Hermitage in Big Sur, tried the drug at a conference on the medical uses of MDMA. Steindl-Rast, who was a psychologist before he entered the monastery, said the drug facilitates the search for the 'awakened attitude' all monks seek. 'It's like climbing all day in the fog and then suddenly, briefly seeing the mountain peak for the first time,' he said. 'There are no shortcuts to the awakened attitude, and it takes daily work and effort. But the drug gives you a vision, a glimpse of what you are seeking.'" Many people note the fact that psychoactive substances have been used by indigenous peoples for eons. But as Glade points out, "These substances were a small part of a larger system of training. The training could stand on its own without the support of the substance, but the substance use would never be independent of the training."

Is it worth risking brain damage to glimpse this state? Is it worth the hard work of a spiritual path?

In the past weeks, I've had many sober ecstatic experiences. Witnessing the birth of my friend's first child. Listening to a Sufi saint chant the zikr. Making love with my boyfriend. Simply walking through the Avenues neighborhood late at night and taking the time to appreciate the variety of flowers in bloom. There are many paths to ecstasy and the awakened state. Some believe MDMA is one. Whichever method you choose, the path to ecstasy and awakening is definitely worth walking. u

Erin Gessaman teaches yoga and tai chi, and is pursuing a degree in Integrated Somatics at the University of Utah. She can be reached at dakini51@hotmail.com.

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