The varieties of ecstatic experience: an exploration of the subjective experiences of ecstasy.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) September 1, 2006 Harry R Sumnall, Jon C Cole, Lisa Jerome 117 citations
The subjective effects of MDMA (ecstasy) vary across different user groups and are shaped by the reasons people give for taking the drug. A 130-item survey was developed and analyzed, revealing six distinct categories of effects: perceptual alterations, entactogenic effects, prosocial effects, aesthetic effects, negative effects, and sexual effects. Heavier users expected fewer negative, perceptual, and aesthetic effects than lighter users, while abstainers expected greater negative, perceptual, aesthetic, and sexual effects. The findings suggest that extra-psychopharmacological factors, such as the function of use, influence the drug experience, and targeting intervention strategies to specific user groups based on their reasons for use may improve effectiveness.