This article responds to and critically re-evaluates a prior review of 25 years of empirical research on MDMA (ecstasy). It argues for a more balanced understanding of the drug's effects, emphasizing that controlled therapeutic contexts can yield positive psychological outcomes and beneficial subjective experiences, contrary to earlier conclusions that focused predominantly on harms. The response highlights the need to separate recreational use from clinical applications and calls for nuanced interpretation of prior data to inform mental health research.
The factor structure of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ) is defended against critiques by Bouso et al. (2016). The authors argue that the MEQ's multi-factor model, which captures dimensions such as ineffability and mystical encounter, remains a reliable and valid tool for measuring spiritual experiences. They contend that the proposed alternative structure does not better represent the underlying facets of mystical phenomena and that the original model demonstrates consistent psychometric properties across studies. The reply emphasizes the questionnaire's effectiveness in assessing deep spiritual phenomena and maintains that its current structure is supported by empirical evidence.