Conscious awareness versus optimistic beliefs in recreational Ecstasy/MDMA users
Advances in Consciousness Research October 28, 2010 DOI: 10.1075/aicr.79.30par (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key points | Argues that an unconscious optimism bias may underlie recreational Ecstasy/MDMA use, and that an unpublished study of four subgroups of users showed MDMA's efficacy declines over time while distress increases, leading to reduced use and eventual quitting. Proposes that experienced users' knowledge could improve drug education. |
Abstract
The willingness of humans to take psychoactive drugs may reflect an unconscious optimism bias, where users focus on desired aims rather than actual consequences. A series of in-depth interviews will illustrate the experiences and explicit knowledge of recreational Ecstasy/MDMA users. Next an unpublished empirical study will be described, where four subgroups of Ecstasy users reported that MDMA loses its efficacy over time, while drug-related distress increased. As this cost-benefit ratio deteriorates, users take MDMA less frequently, before quitting permanently. The in-depth personal knowledge of experienced Ecstasy users might be useful for drugs education packages, since it could replace unconscious optimism with greater conscious awareness.