MDMA
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine), most commonly known today by the street name Ecstasy (often abbreviated E, X, or XTC), is a semisynthetic member of the phenethylamine class of psychoactive drugs. MDMA also falls under many other broad categories of substances, including amphetamines/stimulants, psychedelics, and the empathogenic-entactogens.
The drug is considered unusual for its tendency to produce feelings of euphoria, a sense of intimacy with others, and diminished feelings of fear and anxiety. MDMA has more consistent emotional effects than most psychedelics and has a euphoria that appears to be different from most stimulants. Before it was made a controlled substance, MDMA was used to aid psychotherapy, often couples therapy, although results of this therapy are poorly documented.
MDMA is criminalized in most countries, and its possession, manufacture, or sale may result in criminal prosecution. Despite widespread illegality, MDMA is today one of the most commonly-used illicit drugs in the world and is taken in a variety of contexts far-removed from its roots in psychotherapeutic settings. It is commonly associated with the rave culture and its related genres of music.
