MDMA
Aliases: E, X, Md, Xtc, Emma, molly, ecstasy, adam, mandy
Summary
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (also known as ecstasy, E, XTC, emma, molly, mandy, pingers, and MDMA) is a classical entactogen substance of the amphetamine class. It is the most well-known and widely-used member of the entactogens, a diverse group that includes MDA, methylone, 4-MMC, and 6-APB. It produces its effects by promoting the release of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain, particularly serotonin.
Perspectives
“Empathogens are alright. I can see immense therapeutic value, but as far as recreation goes, I think they make me too sappy to do well with other people around.”
“MDMA intrigued me because everyone I asked, who had used it, answered the question, ‘What’s it like?’ in the same way: ‘I don’t know.’ ‘What happened?’ ‘Nothing.’ And now I understand those answers. I too think nothing happened. But something seemed changed. Before the ‘window’ opened completely, I had some somatic effects, a tingling sensation in the fingers and temples—a pleasant sensation, not distracting. However, just after that there was a slight nausea and dizziness similar to a little too much alcohol. All these details disappeared as I walked outside. My mood was light, happy, but with an underlying conviction that something significant was about to happen. There was a change in perspective both in the near visual field and in the distance. My usually poor vision was sharpened. I saw details in the distance that I could not normally see. After the peak experience had passed, my major state was one of deep relaxation. I felt that I could talk about deep or personal subjects with special clarity, and I experienced some of the feeling one has after the second martini, that one is discoursing brilliantly and with particularly acute analytical powers.”
“MDMA is not a drug to trifle with, and requires sensible consideration, including with respect to aftercare.”
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral BA ~70% | 20-80mg | 80-120mg | 120-150mg | 150mg+ |
| Insufflated | 30-70mg | 70-120mg | 120-165mg | 165mg+ |
| Rectal | 30-70mg | 70-120mg | 120-165mg | 165mg+ |
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Comeup | Peak | Offset | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 30-45 min | 15-30 min | 1.5-2.5 hrs | 60-90 min | 3-5 hrs |
| Insufflated | 4-15 min | 10-19 min | 1-2 hrs | 60-90 min | 3-5 hrs |
| Rectal | 5-20 min | 10-20 min | 1.5-2.5 hrs | 45-60 min | 2.5-4 hrs |
Effect Profile
2,846 reportsScores (1–10) curated from multiple sources:
- Effect keyword matching from PsychonautWiki catalog
- Validated against 2,212 Erowid trip reports
- Weighted by importance: core (×3), major (×2), minor (×1)
Mild auditory effects, headspace, and body load with low visuals
“During meditation, visual distortions manifested themselves as visual drifting (breathing) of the walls, color shifting, and the symmetrical texture repetition of abstract imagery (eyes and shrooms...”
“Touching things feels so great, lying on soft surfaces like his bed or on the couches feels like being hugged by pulsing rainbow clouds.”
“As I smoked, I was able to experience conceptual thinking about the cigarette in my hand.”
“I dont know if I experienced an ego death or not, I've never heard of someone experiencing ego death while rolling however the state I was in was nothing like I'd been in before, the spiritual and...”
“I'm a musician, and this is the first time I've had any kind of auditory hallucination, so it was a sort of mind-blowing experience to hear a noticeable difference in all of the sounds I was...”
“I’m a musician, and this is the first time I’ve had any kind of auditory hallucination, so it was a sort of mind-blowing experience to hear a noticeable difference in all of the sounds I was...”
“It seems to coalesce with a warm buzzing queasiness in the pit of my stomach.”
“At higher doses, DXM can produce hyperthermia, nausea, vomiting, and unpleasant hallucinations.”
User Experience
Strong empathy, euphoria, and sensory enhancement with moderate stimulation
“Submitted by - Anonymous Stimulation - "the usual fast-paced conversation" Empathy, love, and sociability enhancement - "The experience has now changed from a rushed frenzy of aimlessly chatting...”
“I enjoyed the empathogenic properties of increased empathy and sociability.”
“Rubbing my legs and beard felt amazing and my headspace was pure euphoria.”
“I help him out and find it wonderful to be in the company of another person.”
“I still felt the MDMA in my system, I felt stimulated and warm, I felt friendly and better at making conversation, I felt that restlessness in my limbs and still had that pulsing, burnt feeling in my...”
“Nothing really much else, other than the feeling of a small stimulation of happiness.”
“The purpose of this trip was to reduce my current Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms from a sexual assault that occurred a year ago.”
“MDMA is a very tactile drug, and human touch feels especially good.”
User Experience
Moderate euphoria and stimulation with mild anxiety/jitters, low focus
“Nothing really much else, other than the feeling of a small stimulation of happiness.”
“The third possibility is that the acne results because of norepinephrine-related stimulated production of sebum, a greasy substance that clogs pores and causes break outs.”
“Rubbing my legs and beard felt amazing and my headspace was pure euphoria.”
“Submitted by - Tealdear Motor control loss - "The next minute I was having trouble standing up straight" Drifting - "everything I could see was exhibiting light drifting and the fragmented look that...”
“The stimulatory effects of many drugs are closely tied to NE and DA concentrations.”
“At first I sank into my bed and the complete darkness of my room engulfed me, I closed my eyes and focused on the music.”
“There is a bit of restlessness in my muscles that makes lying still feel uncomfortable.”
“High doses of ephedrine have caused anxiety, uncomfortable hyperactivity and hyperthermia.”
User Experience
Tolerance
Tolerance Decay
Acute tachyphylaxis develops within a single session (subsequent doses feel weaker while adverse effects rise). Community and clinical literature suggest substantial tolerance persists for at least 1–2 weeks, with more complete recovery typically requiring 4–6+ weeks; frequent spacing shorter than this increases after‑effects and blunting. Data are mostly observational/anecdotal with limited controlled human repeat‑dose studies.
Cross-Tolerances
Effects
Aggregated from 2,212 Erowid and 634 Bluelight experience reports
Positive Effects 60
Adverse Effects 29
Combinations
Trip Reports
PiHKAL / TiHKAL
“MDMA intrigued me because everyone I asked, who had used it, answered the question, ‘What’s it like?’ in the same way: ‘I don’t know.’ ‘What happened?’ ‘Nothing.’ And now I understand those answers. I too think nothing happened. But something seemed changed. Before the ‘window’ opened completely, I had some somatic effects, a tingling sensation in the fingers and temples—a pleasant sensation, not distracting. However, just after that there was a slight nausea and dizziness similar to a little too much alcohol. All these details disappeared as I walked outside. My mood was light, happy, but with an underlying conviction that something significant was about to happen. There was a change in perspective both in the near visual field and in the distance. My usually poor vision was sharpened. I saw details in the distance that I could not normally see. After the peak experience had passed, my major state was one of deep relaxation. I felt that I could talk about deep or personal subjects with special clarity, and I experienced some of the feeling one has after the second martini, that one is discoursing brilliantly and with particularly acute analytical powers.”