Constructing the ecstasy of MDMA from its component mental organs: Proposing the primer/probe method.
Medical hypotheses February 1, 2016 Thomas S Ray 6 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) produces a distinct open-hearted mental state that defines the drug class 'entactogens'. While consensus holds that this state arises from neurotransmitter release, primarily serotonin, an alternative hypothesis proposes simultaneous direct activation of imidazoline-1 (I1) and serotonin-2 (5-HT2) receptors. This hypothesis is grounded in 'mental organ' theory, where mental organs are neuron populations expressing a defining metabotropic receptor, each playing an evolutionarily shaped role in the mind. For a mental organ to enter consciousness, it must be directly activated at its receptor, 5-HT2 must be co-activated, and 5-HT2 activation loads the organ into consciousness.