Rediscovering MDMA (ecstasy): the role of the American chemist Alexander T. Shulgin

Addiction
Udo Benzenhöfer, Torsten Passie

Abstract

Alexander T. Shulgin is widely thought of as the 'father' of +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). This paper re-assesses his role in the modern history of this drug. We analysed systematically Shulgin's original publications on MDMA, his publications on the history of MDMA and his laboratory notebook. According to Shulgin's book PIHKAL (1991), he synthesized MDMA in 1965, but did not try it. In the 1960s Shulgin also synthesized MDMA-related compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MMDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDE), but this had no impact on his rediscovery of MDMA. In the mid-1970s Shulgin learned of a 'special effect' caused by MDMA, whereupon he re-synthesized it and tried it himself in September 1976, as confirmed by his laboratory notebook. In 1977 he gave MDMA to Leo Zeff PhD, who used it as an adjunct to psychotherapy and introduced it to other psychotherapists. Shulgin was not the first to synthesize MDMA, but he played an important role in its history. It seems plausible that he was so impressed by its effects that he introduced it to psychotherapist Zeff in 1977. This, and the fact that in 1978 he published with David Nichols the first pap...Continue Reading

References

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Jun 16, 2005·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Robert G BennettDean J Tuma
Jul 12, 2005·Psychoanalytic Review·Bennett Roth
Jan 7, 2006·Der Nervenarzt·U Benzenhöfer, T Passie
Aug 17, 2006·Addiction·Roland W FreudenmannSabine Bernschneider-Reif

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Citations

Dec 19, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Funda AkkusGregor Hasler
Mar 19, 2014·Disease-a-month : DM·Michael E NelsonSteven E Aks
Nov 28, 2013·Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America·Michael E NelsonSteven E Aks
Mar 18, 2011·Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services·Susanne A Fogger
Oct 13, 2015·Progress in Neurobiology·Rosario MoratallaMicaela Morelli
Jul 12, 2011·Drug Testing and Analysis·H R SumnallJ McVeigh
Oct 12, 2018·Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology·Susan Schenk, David Newcombe
Jan 8, 2020·Journal of Psychopharmacology·Jan van AmsterdamWim van den Brink
Feb 23, 2020·Brain Research·Jessica Mead, Andrew Parrott
Jul 28, 2021·The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry·Christopher G Davey
Jul 13, 2018·ACS Chemical Neuroscience·Lee E DunlapDavid E Olson

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