The history and potential MDMA

Stuck indoors during the peak of COVID lockdown, science journalist Rachel Nuwer found herself at a professional crossroads. She had already published a nonfiction book on the dark world of wildlife trafficking and was looking for her next subject.

A moment of clarity came at a surprising time. She and her partner, at home with nothing much to do, ingested MDMA.

MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, is illegal. It is listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the U.S. federal government (the same group as marijuana and psylocibin, or magic mushrooms).

In recent years, a growing body of academic research has suggested potential benefits of MDMA beyond the recreational ecstasy some partygoers are familiar with.

One study found that MDMA-enhanced therapy dramatically reduced PTSD symptoms. Another showed that psychedelics like MDMA could reopen so-called critical periods of time when brains are especially impressionable and open to learning. A scientific case study profiled a former white supremacist who reformed his extremist views after taking MDMA.

Nuwer experienced similar clarity while on the drug. Her new book, “I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World,” is the result of her epiphany. She explores the history and potential of the so-called love drug.