MDMA and the Military
The History of MDMA June 29, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198867364.003.0003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key points | Argues that research into psychoactive substances for interrogation, particularly by the US military, shifted from hallucinogens like LSD to euphoria-inducing drugs like MDA, but MDMA was likely never tested or used operationally on humans. |
Abstract
Abstract In the 1920s, physicians discovered the potential for ‘speech induction’ offered by psychoactive substances. The German Nazis were the first to conduct experiments on the use of ‘truth drugs’ for interrogation purposes. Later, after some American prisoners of war ‘confessed’ to the use of biological weapons in the Korean war, the United States (US) Army suspected that they had been manipulated by drugs. This triggered research into drug use for behavioural manipulation by the US military. Research concluded that hallucinogens, such as mescaline and LSD, were mentally so ‘irritating’ that they are not helpful in interrogations. Consequently, the focus of research changed direction towards less irritating substances with more consistent euphoria-inducing effects (such as MDA and similar ‘mescaline derivatives’). However, due to the accidental death of an unwitting patient in an experiment with MDA, research was put on hold until animal tests had been conducted, including with MDMA. Most of the documents related to the years in which the testing was done have been destroyed, but it seems unlikely that MDMA had been tested or used operationally on humans.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differences Between the Mechanism of Action of MDMA, MBDB, and the Classic Hallucinogens. Identification of a New Therapeutic Class: Entactogens | 1986 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Background and Chemistry of MDMA | 1986 | Historical analysis | |
| The origin of MDMA (ecstasy) revisited: the true story reconstructed from the original documents* Original documents in Merck's historical archive in Darmstadt, Germany, years 1900–1960 | 2006 | Historical analysis | |
| Distinct neural mechanisms for the prosocial and rewarding properties of MDMA | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How could MDMA (ecstasy) help anxiety disorders? A neurobiological rationale | 2009 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 79
- Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings The Lancet October 1, 1998
- Differences Between the Mechanism of Action of MDMA, MBDB, and the Classic Hallucinogens. Identification of a New Therapeutic Class: Entactogens Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- A randomized, controlled pilot study of MDMA (±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine)-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of resistant, chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Journal of Psychopharmacology October 31, 2012
- Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Neurology December 1, 1998
and 74 more in the library