This article was written by Katie Fesperman, an Research Assistant at the HBPL, based on AK Bershad…H de Wit (2021) Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) change socio-political values? Insights from a research participant. Biological Psychiatry.
Recent experience from UChicago’s Human Behavioral Pharmacology Lab (HBPL) revealed that 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), a psychoactive substance used recreationally for its stimulating and prosocial effects, has the potential to induce epiphanic life-altering states. Life-changing psychological revelations are typically associated with classic psychedelics such as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) or Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms”. Recently, a participant in the UChicago lab reported epiphanic states after receiving MDMA (1.5 mg/kg) (de Wit & Bershad, 2020), and reported that these states affected his sociopolitical values.
Before participating in the study, the participant was an anonymous leader in a White supremacist organization. His identity had recently been revealed to the public, which left the individual alienated by friends and family, disparaged by the public and unemployed. Unrelated to these experiences, the individual volunteered as a participant in the present study. He underwent the usual medical and psychiatric screening. The study was double-blind and placebo-controlled, meaning neither the participant nor the individual running the participant’s session were aware of what drug was administered, or whether it was placebo. During one of his sessions, the participant reported effects that instilled a sense of togetherness and empathy. He exclaimed “love is the most important thing…nothing without love matters”. The experience made him question his political views. Only after the study was the participant informed that he had received MDMA during that session.
It’s interesting and thought provoking to learn how a single pharmacological intervention can lead to such profound realizations and long-lasting changes in perspectives. One possible explanation for this may be the effects of MDMA on the oxytocin system, a hormone involved in social bonding. MDMA is known to increase levels of oxytocin circulating in the blood, and acting on brain receptors. However, the exact mechanisms by which MDMA produces its unique effects remain unknown.
Months after this session, researchers followed up with the participant regarding their experience. During these follow-ups, the participant stated that “in that moment [during the MDMA session], love… was the sort of feeling they should strive for to permeate across the world.” In summary, he felt that the drug widened his empathetic capacity and deepened his understanding of the human condition. As the participant continues to recognize the lasting effects of this one experience, we might consider the possibility that drugs have the potential to change priorities, values and beliefs.