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Sonja Lyubomirsky

5 papers in the library · 142 citations · publishing 2021-2025

Papers

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The empathogen 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, but not methamphetamine, increases feelings of global trust

Journal of Psychopharmacology September 16, 2025 Ramona L. Martinez, Nina Radošić, Hanna Molla et al. 1 citation

Our findings extend previous research by demonstrating that MDMA increases feelings of trust in the social world beyond lab-specific interaction partners. These findings are consistent with user reports of generalized social well-being effects and support the idea that MDMA may have clinical value from a social psychological perspective.

Drug-induced social connection: both MDMA and methamphetamine increase feelings of connectedness during controlled dyadic conversations

Scientific Reports September 22, 2023 Hanna Molla, Royce Lee, Sonja Lyubomirsky et al. 28 citations

MDMA is a stimulant-like drug with distinctive empathogenic effects. Its pro-social effects, such as feelings of connectedness, may contribute to both its popularity as a recreational drug and its apparent value as an adjunct to psychotherapy. However, little is known about the behavioral processes by which MDMA affects social interactions. This investigation examined the effects of MDMA (100...

Toward a New Science of Psychedelic Social Psychology: The Effects of MDMA (Ecstasy) on Social Connection

Perspectives on Psychological Science May 10, 2022 Sonja Lyubomirsky 27 citations

Psychedelic science has generated hundreds of compelling published studies yet with relatively little impact on mainstream psychology. I propose that social psychologists have much to gain by incorporating psychoactive substances into their research programs. Here I use (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as an example because of its documented ability in experiments and clinical...

Guidelines and standards for the study of death and recalled experiences of death––a multidisciplinary consensus statement and proposed future directions

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences February 18, 2022 Sam Parnia, Stephen G. Post, Matthew T. Lee et al. 68 citations

An inadvertent consequence of advances in stem cell research, neuroscience, and resuscitation science has been to enable scientific insights regarding what happens to the human brain in relation to death. The scientific exploration of death is in large part possible due to the recognition that brain cells are more resilient to the effects of anoxia than assumed. Hence, brain cells become...

Does ±3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) induce subjective feelings of social connection in humans? A multilevel meta-analysis

PLoS One October 25, 2021 Annie Regan, Seth Margolis, Harriet de Wit et al. 18 citations

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a psychostimulant known for producing positive subjective effects and for enhancing social functioning and social connection in both clinical and recreational settings. Over the past two decades, scientists have begun to study the psychological effects of MDMA through rigorous placebo-controlled experimental work. However, most existing studies have...