New research has revealed that MDMA and methamphetamine deepen personal connections following guided conversations, and suggests different mechanisms for how these drugs produce feelings of closeness.
Two recent clinical trials have investigated the use of MDMA-assisted therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Researchers at the University of Chicago published a study in Scientific Reports looking at the pharmacological effects of MDMA and how it influences social interactions.
In the study, volunteers who took MDMA reported feeling significantly more connected to a conversation partner, compared to partners they conversed with after taking a placebo, and volunteers who took methamphetamine also reported similar feelings of connectedness as MDMA.
The study paired healthy, adult volunteers with a partner they had never met. During some sessions, they were given a 100 mg dose of MDMA in a capsule and during other sessions, they were given a placebo. Participants proceeded to have a structured conversation, discussing topics that would not elicit an emotional response such as favourite TV shows and holidays.
Hanna Molla, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at UChicago and first author of the new study, stated: “MDMA increased feelings of connection, or feeling in sync with their partner, and how meaningful the conversation was relative to when they took a placebo.
“But interestingly, we found the same exact effect with methamphetamine. Pharmacologically, there are distinctions between the drugs, so there might be some differences in terms of the underlying mechanisms to how these drugs produce feelings of closeness.”
The researchers also conducted an experiment with 20 mg of methamphetamine.
In the studies for both drugs, the volunteers were asked to rate the overall qualities of their partner and the conversation and saliva samples were collected to measure levels of oxytocin, a hormone associated with strengthening social bonds between people.
Volunteers who received MDMA reported feeling more connected and having more positive feelings about their conversation partners.
The team also found that MDMA increased oxytocin levels, which had a positive relationship with how close the participants felt to their partners. Volunteers who received methamphetamine reported similar feelings of closeness with their conversation partners, but these feelings were not related to their oxytocin levels.
Researchers who study MDMA believe one way it could enhance traditional psychotherapy is by increasing the connection between a patient and their therapist, facilitating conversations and helping the patient feel more comfortable about opening up and exploring their emotions.
Harriet de Wit, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at UChicago and senior author of the paper, stated: “When we see that a drug like MDMA is used in a recreational setting, it may be because people believe it makes them more connected.
“As researchers, we’re interested in what psychological components are involved. Everything we’ve seen with MDMA in controlled laboratory studies suggests that these effects would facilitate psychotherapy and make the process go better.
“There may be different ways to get people to feel more connected, one mediated by oxytocin as with MDMA, and the other mediated by something else. But it may be that just getting people to talk and have a long conversation makes them feel connected with each other.”
