By Academic research on psychedelics is still fairly limited. Although our understanding of the likes of MDMA and psilocybin has expanded in recent years, scholars still struggle to sort of recapture the decades-old situation when such drugs were strictly prohibited, even in the scientific arena. I’m trying
That means that at a time when policy makers and research institutions are increasingly embracing the therapeutic and medical value of psychedelic drugs, amazing discoveries are always on the horizon.
A newly released book explores one potential breakthrough.of “Feel the Love: Exploring Connection in MDMA and a Broken World” Journalist Rachel Newer delves into the case of a prominent white supremacist who said her participation in MDMA research dispelled her bigotry.
The white supremacist, whom Nouwer identified only as Brendan, participated in a double-blind study earlier this year conducted by Harriet de Witt, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Chicago.
In an excerpt from Nouwer’s book published by the BBC last week, De Witt described her surprise when she and research assistant Mike Bremmer read Brendan’s responses to the questionnaire.
“Bizarrely, Brendan wrote in bold at the bottom of the form: ‘This experience helped me solve a debilitating personal problem. Google my name.’ Now I know what I have to do,” said Nouwar. I have written. “Both Bremmer and De Witt were concerned when they saw this cryptic message. ‘We really need to look into this,’ said De Witt. When they Googled Brendan’s name, a disturbing fact emerged. Until just a few months ago, Brendan was the leader of the US Midwest faction of Identity Evropa, the infamous white supremacist group that was renamed the American Identity Movement in 2019. Two months ago, an activist for the Chicago anti-fascist movement exposed Brendan’s identity and he lost his job. ”
Nuwa I have written De Witt was “extremely concerned” but sent an assistant to speak to Brendan, who “turned out to be the exact opposite of what Brendan had in mind.” He said he understood. “Love is the most important thing,” Brendan told a stunned research assistant. “Without love, nothing means anything.”
After hearing from De Witt, Nouwer said she needed to find out Brendan’s story for herself.
“MDMA alone does not seem to magically rid people of their prejudices, prejudices and hatreds. I’m starting to think that MDMA can be an effective tool to empower people who are ready to go.While MDMA cannot solve the societal factors that cause stigma and disconnection, it can help change on an individual basis. In some cases, the drug may help us see through the fog of discrimination and fear that divides so many of us,” said Nouwar. I have written.
Nouwer describes an excerpt from Brendan’s experience in a double-blind trial. Via BBC:
“When Brendan saw a Facebook ad about some sort of drug trial at the University of Chicago in early 2020, he just wanted to do something and decided to apply to make some money. At the doctor’s appointment, he was given a pill, which he didn’t know, and had just taken 110 mg of MDMA, at which time Brendan said he was “still in the denial phase” after his identity was made public. He was racked with regret, not because of his own prejudices, but because of his own failure in this predicament. About 30 minutes after taking the pills, he started feeling weird. “Wait a minute – why am I doing this?” Why do I think this way? he began to wonder. “Why did I think it was okay to risk relationships with almost everyone in my life?”
“Just then Bremmer picked up Brendan to begin the experiment. As Brendan slipped into the MRI room, Bremmer began tickling his forearm with a brush and asked him to rate how good it felt. “I realized that the experience of being touched made me happy,” Brendan recalled. “I started to appreciate it gradually.” As he savored the pleasure, one powerful word came to his mind: connection. Suddenly it seemed so obvious. The only thing that matters is the connection with other people. “It’s hard to put into words, but it was so profound,” Brendan said. “I used to think of my relationships with other people as we are all one, rather than as distinct boundaries between separate beings. I realized I had completely missed the point: I was not enjoying the joy that life had to offer.”
