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Why Hundreds of Therapists Are Tripping on MDMA
Therapists around the world are taking MDMA as part of their training to use the hallucinogen in sessions for people with PTSD
When the psychologist and psychotherapist Leo Zeff took an experimental dose of MDMA in 1977, he felt a state of euphoria that he knew had the potential to change people’s minds. Already a pioneer in the underground psychedelic therapy movement, Zeff quickly put the drug to use among colleagues, reportedly calling it “penicillin for the soul.” It was revolutionary, he thought, and in a short period of time, it grew a reputation among therapists as a wonder drug. Anecdotal evidence showed that patients who were given MDMA just once experienced breakthroughs in their therapy that would have otherwise taken years to produce.
By the early 1980s, however, MDMA — or “ecstasy,” as it came to be known — was showing up in underground clubs and raves where its ability to create a feeling of euphoria was seen not as therapeutic, but dangerous. In 1985, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) added the substance to the list of Schedule 1 drugs — those seen as having a high risk of abuse, no medical use, and severe safety concerns — and its potential as an antidepressant was overshadowed by its reputation as a party drug that did little more…
