How to change your mind: Chapter 3: MDMA Flashcards
What is MDMA?
MDMA is a synthetic drug that acts as a stimulant and hallucinogen.15–17 It produces an energizing effect, distortions in time and perception, and enhanced enjoyment from sensory experiences. It has also been described as an entactogen—a drug that can increase self-awareness and empathy.
How effective is MDMA for PTSD?
At 18 weeks, MDMA significantly reduced PTSD symptoms, including among participants with comorbidities associated with treatment resistance, such as alcohol and substance use disorders, childhood trauma, and dissociation.
What is MDMA affect on the brain?
MDMA affects the brain by increasing the activity of at least three neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers of brain cells): serotonin,89,90 dopamine, and norepinephrine.91 Like other amphetamines, MDMA enhances release of these neurotransmitters89–92 and/or blocks their reuptake,93,94 resulting in increased neurotransmitter levels within the synaptic cleft (the space between the neurons at a synapse).
MDMA causes greater release of serotonin and norepinephrine than of dopamine.91 Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep, pain, appetite, and other behaviors
Where does the word psychedelic come from?
It is irregularly derived from the Greek words ψυχή psychḗ ‘soul, mind’ and δηλείν dēleín ‘to manifest’, with the meaning “mind manifesting,” the implication being that psychedelics can develop unused potentials of the human mind.
Who is Alexander Shuglin?
Alexander (Sasha) Shulgin, the brilliant miscreant chemist who discovered scores of psychedelic drugs — including MDMA (or “Ecstasy,” which he called a “low-calorie martini” — was dubbed one of the century’s most important scientists by Timothy Leary. Working from a lab behind his Lafayette home on “the Farm,” he and his wife Ann, with occasional help from a small group of friends, ranked his synthesized compounds for qualities that included visual, auditory, and emotional effects. Shulgin estimated that he personally tried over 4,000 psychedelics.
Who is Alexander Shuglin?
American chemist and psychopharmacologist Alexander Shulgin reported he synthesized MDMA in 1965 while researching methylenedioxy compounds at Dow Chemical Company, but did not test the psychoactivity of the compound at this time.
How did the create MDMA?
Ecstasy is a psychoactive substance that was created as a byproduct of a blood clotting drug and became one of the most popular club drugs in history.
Who is Leo Zoff?
Leo Zeff was an American psychologist and psychotherapist in Oakland, California who pioneered the use of LSD, ecstasy, and other psychoactive drugs in psychotherapy in the 1970s. In 1977, when Alexander Shulgin introduced Zeff to MDMA, the drug was still legal.
Why was Hurricane Katrina the worst?
The majority of the loss of lives in Hurricane Katrina was due to flooding caused by fatal engineering flaws in the flood protection system, specifically the levee, around the city of New Orleans. Eventually, 80% of the city, as well as large areas in neighboring parishes, were flooded for weeks.
What is the history of ecstasy?
MDMA was first developed in 1912 by Merck. It was used to enhance psychotherapy beginning in the 1970s and became popular as a street drug in the 1980s. MDMA is commonly associated with dance parties, raves, and electronic dance music.
What is an example of counterculture?
Examples of countercultures in the U.S. could include the hippie movement of the 1960s, the green movement, polygamists, and feminist groups.
