This is your brain on ecstasy

196,419
0
Published 2023-09-20
Go to brilliant.org/NeuroTransmissions to get a 30-day free trial + the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual subscription.

Believe it or not, MDMA was legal less than 50 years ago and frequently used in therapy. The DEA changed that. But what if I told you that MDMA is making a comeback...in therapy? We're going to take an eye-opening (pun intended) delve into what ecstacy does to your brain, how molly came to be what it is today, and what possibilities lie ahead as a possible treatment for mental illness.

From its accidental inception in a pharmaceutical lab to the underground scenes of the 1970s, we uncover MDMA's evolution - from therapeutic wonder to recreational sensation to outlawed danger to...therapeutic wonder again? Anyway, I'll help you understand the neuroscience--its mechanism and potential risks while contemplating its newfound resurgence in modern medicine, with groundbreaking trials hinting at transformative therapies for PTSD and beyond.

But the real question remains: Could MDMA be the revolutionary treatment we've been waiting for, a potential beacon of hope in the realm of mental health? Or is it just a fun way to spend an evening at a rave or in a cuddle puddle?

Share your thoughts on MDMA and its potential uses! Have you had any personal experiences with MDMA, positive or negative? Do you believe it should be used in a medical or recreational setting? Leave those all in the comments.

0:00 - Does a magic pill exist for me?
2:16 - From accidental discovery to infamy
5:05 - Shulgin and the spread of MDMA
6:09 - From therapy aid to party drug
7:52 - The DEA is no fun
10:04 - What MDMA does to the brain
12:24 - Risks of MDMA
14:51 - The MDMA comeback in therapy
16:48 - MDMA's promising future
19:14 - My own take on MDMA
20:43 - Sign up for Brilliant plz?
22:39 - Tell me your thoughts and experiences

Wanna watch this video without ads and see all of our exclusive content? Head over to nebula.tv/videos/neurotransmissions-this-is-your-b…

We published a book called Brains Explained. You can buy it! amzn.to/3hkmCdo

Join our mess of a Discord server: discord.gg/rD6wjQa7Vs

If you like what we do, support our work by becoming a Patron: www.patreon.com/neurotransmissions

Alternatively, if you wanna support the channel and get some fun emojis to use in comments and a badge next to your name in the process, consider becoming a "member" of our channel right here on YT:
youtube.com/@neurotransmissions/membership

We couldn’t do all of this without our awesome Patreon Producers, Ryan Shaver, Carrie McKenzie, and Jareth Arnold. You three are like a warm, supportive cuddle puddle.

And thanks to our other high-level Patrons, including:
Marcelo Kenji
12tone
Linda L Schubert
Susan Jones
Ilsa Jerome
k b
Marcel Ward
City Beautiful

All Comments (21)
  • Ecstasy, dmt, LSD and psilocybin containing mushrooms are amazing. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder 18 years ago as a teenage. Got diagnosed with BPD. Not until my mom recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.
  • @ErebosGR
    TESTING KITS. TESTING KITS. TESTING KITS. Considering how widespread adulteration is in ecstasy pills, always test before consuming.
  • @ForestFairy
    This topic always fascinates me, I really dislike the lasting effect of the war on drugs and how much it slowed the research on this topic. :(
  • @TOXICPUCK
    My first time doing MDMA was probably the most profound experience of my life. I took a point (100mg) which was almost exactly 1mg/kg. I could go in depth of my experience but I would hit the character cap for YouTube comments. All I will say is that it was without a doubt the most profound experiences of my entire life and I wish everybody to be able to experience this substance before they leave this Earth. If you do decide to give it a go make sure to test it without the Marquis Reagent at a minimum, if not Simons and Froedhe reagents as well and don’t exceed the recommended 1-1.5mg/kg dose range.
  • I think we should research bad trip drugs (and bad trips in general) just as much, if not more than the feel good ones. Just because something is painful, it doesn't mean it is bad for your health (e.g. exercise, therapy, or surgery.) Having a chance to rework your mind and loosen the bonds ⛓ of sanity could make you much more in touch with who you 🫵 really are and change your antiquated thought patterns. We should try them to see if they improve mental faculties and remove problematic behaviour. Plus, it is virtually impossible to be addicted to bad trips.
  • @johns.777
    I've done MDMA in the 90's a few times. I wish you could get this at your local pharmacy, pure battery acid tasting E. It's something I would do maybe once a year , if even... Something like New Years. I think it has HUGE potential to bring love to the world and make this planet a better place. Be Kind to your neighbours.
  • @verbzfromnyc3377
    Started off taking MDMA recreationally in the late 90s (back when it was ecstasy) and began using it several times a year in my 20s.... one of the most pivotal times I used it was at age 24 on the day my older brother died (at age 26)..it totally changed the way I look at death and it helped me process my brother's passing in a totally different/more healthy way than the rest of my family. Over my 30s I started using it less and less (mainly because my friends stopped using it as we got older). Now in my late 40s, I try to use it recreationally at least once a year and I am a huge advocate of it's use for both recreation and therapeutically for PTSD.
  • @Tadi77_XD
    I really reccommend ecstasy for people who never tried it before but keep a limit on it. Last year I've took a pill 6 days in a row and some days I've took 7 pills at once. I've never felt more dumb and depressed before but I only noticed how bad it was after I went sober. These days I usually take 1 pill per 3 months and I found that to be a good line. Cheers if anyone find this comment useful.
  • @i.t.t.
    Mushrooms were the hardest drugs I'd experimented with before that time I decided to try E under the care of a friend. I read about it online and off we went to the mountains. That night, I felt like I had never before. I couldn't believe how it was possible to be that happy but I also wondered if I had crossed a line I wasn't going to uncross. It was like you said at 14:10. Then 2 days later happened. I wouldn't wish that night to my worst enemy. I am suicidal and no darkness I experienced before or since was as bad as that night. The coming down part I had not read about. I had no idea how important that was. I always assumed that coming down from a high made me feel sad just because it was over. I didn't understand at all how the brain worked. My friend had to hold my hand the whole evening and tell me, repeatedly, that this was the effect of the drug, that it wasn't me, that it was going to pass and that I was going to be fine. I survived that night somehow but I don't know if I could again. I never ever ever want to experience that feeling again. Ever.
  • I started doing drugs since my teenage. Got addicted to crack for over 22 years. Crack addiction actually destroyed my life. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.
  • I can't wait until MDMA is available for PTSD treatment. I have done ecstasy recreationally and it was good quality, I never felt so good, I had been searching for that connection for years in therapy, and I have been trying ever since to get it back !
  • @NicholasLinto
    Ive done mdma on probably 30 + occasions and only once was it very high quality pure mdma. It was the absolute best experience with the drug and I had no come down. I was blissed out for weeks at least. My friend who has done twice as much mdma as me had the same experience that day. I think its important to understand that the pharmaceutical stuff will be as good as it gets and likely be the same way for most people. A lot of people talk about how bad the come downs are but have probably never had super pure squeaky clean mdma.
  • @netherjosh
    Great video : ) Speaking from personal experience, MDMA (coupled with self-work, and all of the modern resources on we have to learn about psychology nowadays) has been a gamechanger. I was a raver in the 90's, but never used it because I was very guarded, counterdependent, and Avoidant - and thought that MDMA was WAY too "touchy feely hippie" for me. It wasn't until I tried it with a friend about 7 years ago now, and had a great conversation with her where I felt very relaxed and vulnerable, but unafraid that the ice really started melting for me. I think MDMA might really help a lot of men in particular who have been taught to suppress their emotions, and are suffering in silence.
  • @terrancem.147
    Xtc changed my life for the better. I opened up and it allowed me to relax while being able to communicate with anyone around me. I'm rolling right now
  • @h0mewrecker
    Great work, as per usual! I've been watching you guys for a while. Recently a relative of mine was talking about how someone in our extended family has a science youtube channel with her husband. It's easy to forget just how small the world is! Greetings from a second cousin (I think?) in Minnesota :)
  • @dustinclark3390
    I got a theory that people against all drugs for being bad like fentanyl and xylazine never took mdma. So happy they are finally considering it for therapy use because that's the correct thing to do and it will help a great deal of people with deep depression and post traumatic stress disorder.
  • @lcarthel
    You’ve done your homework! Honest and comprehensive