How ecstasy works

How does ecstasy work?

(by Charlie_Denmark) (back to top)

Your mood is closely related to the level of a chemical compound called ”serotonin” in your brain. It’s released in the synapses between neurons. Depressed people tend to have low levels of serotonin, happy people tend to have high levels. When a person takes Ecstasy (MDMA), a lot of serotonin is released, much more than under normal circumstances, which makes him or her extremely happy.

How quickly does it work and how long does it last?

(by Tommy Kristiansen) (back to top)

How quickly ecstasy work, depend on how you define "work" The ecstasy-trip consists of at least three levels. First you have the "onset", then the "peek" and finally the period after the peek in which you are still buzzing but no longer peaking.

When you enter the different levels depend on several factors, including how potent the pill is, what you have been eating, how you consumed the pill and a wide array of less obvious reasons.

If you swallow the pill you normally start feeling some tingling after about twenty minutes. You then know that you are on your way :-), 40-60 minutes after you consume the pill it will usually kick in big time, taking you to the plateau as some refer to it as. You will now be peeking for about two hours, but the strength of the pill might prolong or reduce this time about an hour or so. When you come down from the plateau you will be able to enjoy a energy buzz that might last as long as four hours.

If you crash the pill and snort it, you will come up much quicker, but some people claim your total peaking time is reduced using this method.

How can I make it last longer?

(by Tommy Kristiansen) (back to top)

You can of course eat more pills... but this is not recommendable, and it will also eventually stop itself as you can only trip as long as there is serotonin left in your brain cells. When the stock of serotonin is empty, you will need to wait until it builds up again (at least slightly) before rolling is even possible.

So-called preloading with 5-HTP is also popular with many, whilst others just emphasize on maintaining a healthy diet. The bottom line is that you need to get your levels of serotonin up to levels that are higher than the potential outflow that a pill can bring on.

What is the relation between ecstasy and music?

(by Charlie_Denmark) (back to top)

What happens when you listen to music sober? Most people would put it like this: The music source makes the air swing, which in turn makes your eardrums swing, which is transformed to nerve impulses in your inner ear. These impulses move to the brain, where they are conceived as a whole by your conscious mind. If the music is good, then you’ll enjoy these particular patterns of nerve impulses.

This model is questioned when you roll. Of course the signals follow the route mentioned above, but in addition to this something else happens, which is new to you and extremely exciting. Essentially it’s impossible to explain for a person who hasn’t been there. All I can say is that it sounds as if the music is played, i.e. originates, within your own body. Or that you feel that you become one with the music. Or that your entire soul is moved and swing with the music. This very special E-feeling is ecstatic and magic. The boundaries between you and your surroundings vanish, at least in the sound dimension

What can I expect from my first trip?

(By Charlie_Denmark) (back to top)

After ½-1 hour you’ll suddenly hear a high-pitched buzz and feel a little strange in your head, you’ll be warm, and your pulse will rise. You may feel a bit uncomfortable by now. But after a while you’ll notice a joy arising from your heart, which invariably makes you smile. You’re suddenly happy without any exterior reason. This silent and delicate joy will increase, and at the same time your body becomes pretty numb. This numbness is by no means unpleasant, on the contrary it makes you feel whole, relaxed, and light, like a round field of energy. Dancing becomes very pleasant. And when you speak, you’ll be more open and frank than usual – you talk heart-to-heart, not brain-to-brain. Notice that Ecstasy isn’t a hallucinogen, but an empathogen. That is, you won’t become fucked up, and it won’t reduce your perception in any way. Rather you become MORE conscious than normal, and fully aware of what’s going on. The next morning you’ll remember everything (unless you combine Ecstasy with other drugs). What is more, when you or somebody else put on some music, your joy becomes ecstasy. It’s as if the music is played within your body, and your entire soul is swinging with the music – you become one with the music, which is a most ecstatic feeling. This E-feeling is bliss. If your pills are good, you’ll probably be more happy than ever in your entire life. Unfortunately it’ll only last for about three hours. Then one of two things happen. Either you become depressed, and crave for more pills to continue the roll. Or you don’t come all the way back to normal, and your roll lingers on for days. It depends on the person, it’s impossible to predict. But if you don’t take more than one strong or two weak pills, if you don’t combine it with other drugs, and if you preload with 5-HTP, you reduce the risk of becoming depressed afterwards.

(Comment from Tommy Kristiansen)

It is quite normal to categories MDMA (Ecstasy) as a hallucinogen. Actually MDMA is categorized as both a hallucinogen and a stimulant. But these categorizations are based on what the drug technically does to your brain, not what you perceive whilst being under the influence of it. MDMA does not create visual hallucinations at normal doses, but being a hallucinogen means that the drug distorts at least one of your 5 senses, not necessarily vision.. MDMA does this, but not in the conventional way of LSD and magic mushrooms. That is why it has been common to refer to ecstasy as an empathogen. Medically speaking though, it is a stimulant hallucinogen. It is important to point out that in large doses MDMA will create visual hallucinations as well.