Synthetic Drugs and Behavioural Addictions: LSD, MDMA and Digital Toxicity
Sharda More-Pol
June 1, 2026 DOI: 10.63247/ayurveda360.cfa.agadatantra.c011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD MDMA Addiction |
| Keywords | Cognition Parallels Hallucinogen Psychoactive drug Pharmacology Psychotherapist Cognitive science |
| Key points | Argues that Ayurvedic concepts can provide a systems-biology paradigm for understanding synthetic drug abuse and behavioral addictions, linking them to modern neurobiological mechanisms. |
Abstract
The emergence of contemporary psychological stressors, synthetic psychoactive substance abuse, and non-substance behavioral dependency networks presents critical investigative challenges within public healthcare and classical toxicology (Agadatantra), traditionally analyzed through the concepts of Madya (intoxicants), Mada (intoxication), and severe cognitive perversion (Prajñāparādha). This chapter systematically evaluates the pathodynamics of modern synthetic drug use—such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)—alongside the escalating phenomenon of digital toxicity and gaming disorders. Through a rigorous examination of authoritative text repositories from the Brihatrayi, the mechanisms by which chemical or screen-based over-stimulation cause structural and functional deterioration of mental faculties (Ojas depletion and Manovaha Srotas vitiation) are contextualized. By drawing precise clinical parallels with modern neurobiology—including 5-HT2A receptor agonism, synaptic monoamine depletion, dopamine-driven reward-circuit adjustments, and central hyperthermia dynamics—this study provides a comprehensive systems-biology paradigm. This integrated framework builds a sophisticated methodology to support emergency substance stabilization, behavioral modification, cognitive rehabilitation (Sattvāvajaya Cikitsā), and targeted rasayana recovery protocols within modern integrative clinical psychiatry. Keywords: Agadatantra, Synthetic Drugs, Behavioral Addictions, Digital Toxicity, LSD, MDMA, Prajnaparadha, Sattvavajaya Chikitsa, Neurobiology.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on LSD for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA, Bill Wilson, Carl Jung and LSD. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Varieties of Psychedelic Expertise in 1960s Canada: The Psychiatrists behind the Addiction Research Foundation's Study of LSD Therapy. | 2023 | Historical analysis | |
| The potential of psychedelic medicine - A personal account. | 2022 | Historical analysis | |
| Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for Substance Use Disorders and Potential Mechanisms of Action. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |