One of the benefits of working with an empathogen is that you don’t hallucinate. An MDMA patient stays with reality but plunges into a deeper level of self-examination and self-awareness than ever before. They approach what Jung called the shadow, the shameful “dark behind” that a person has worked so hard to keep hidden from others. But a person can give themselves away and be seen when they protest very loudly and cynically about the shortcomings and evil of other folks. This is called projection. Somehow we are unconsciously approaching our dark side when we are busy attributing it to others. When a person is consciously unaware of their internal self-loathing, they assign similar nasty traits to others. There is something strangely magnetic about this process. Jung referred to this phenomenon as “psychic flypaper.”

Compassion should be our default attitude toward relationship,” writes Christopher Andre’ in the book, In Search of Wisdom. It is a starting point from which to make genuine choices as a genuine human being. The book argues that compassion is a fundamental human duty, even with people we don’t seem to think deserve it, primarily because they have hurt us. MDMA offers us a gift, the spirit of compassion following betrayals, hurt, and suffering. The Buddha once asked, “If someone gives you a gift and you refuse it, who in the end is the owner of the gift?” The person trying to give it? The medicine itself? But in contrast, the Buddha went on, “Even your insults – I don’t accept them, thus they remain yours.” How then can we refuse the spirit of love, empathy, and concern after a fear reducing and heart opening MDMA experience that is presented at our feet?

First, it’s important to clarify that MDMA, unlike LSD, Psilocybin, and ayahuasca does not produce hallucinations. Hallucinations include hearing, feeling, or smelling something that doesn’t exist in actuality and, based on that, we often draw conclusions that guide our lives with varying results. While images and symbols, much like in our dreams, may arise under the subtle influence of MDMA, they are not characterized by a break from reality. In fact the reality of our relationships becomes enhanced or enlarged to such an extent that we finally “get it.” Secondly, it might be helpful to understand the impact of MDMA as causing the re-writing of a story we have been incessantly telling ourselves, particularly about ourselves. Positive psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, points out that the brain is not so much a logic or reality processor as it is a story processor. It latches onto a glorious or gloomy story we have long told ourselves and keeps retelling it to such an extent that personal growth is stymied.

From earlier articles you may recall how the default state network is the “go to” place our mind automatically wanders into, especially when we are relaxed and not distracted by a lot of noise and activity. Out of discomfort we often avoid quiet reflection times when we are likely to revert to a default state of fear, inadequacy, or shame – often the emotional residue of unprocessed trauma. What I’ve learned from the African Bushmen, particularly during their trance-inducing and healing Giraffe Dance, is that their reentry into spirit world is a natural default state of consciousness from which other everyday social activities develop meaning. This default state is something sought out, not avoided. The state reflects the underlying deep reality of the universe, beyond what is right in front of them, and they seek to connect with it on at least a weekly basis.

Most everyone in search of empathogen treatment wants their inner fears quieted. Fears that commonly originated in relationship hurts and betrayals, hence the desire for a relational medicine. Simply put, fear arises from unfamiliarity and unpredictability, from unexamined aspects of the psyche. Hafez, the 12th century Persian poet wrote, “Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.” And by the “cheapest room” I think he meant the place in our thinking where we have expended the least amount of energy and invested insufficient attention -- it is like viewing the world from the distant cheap seats. When I’ve camped in the wild country of Wyoming, particularly in the dark of night when it was difficult to see clearly, my imagination could run wild. Fear – when it arose mainly from my thoughts and imagination – sometimes conjured images of a nonexistent grizzly.

Often intense stress and fear (trauma) gets lodged in our bodies. Some therapists refer to this as a body memory or a cellular memory. As long as the body hangs on to the trauma, your psychology will hang on too. Consequently, it is important to know how to release this anchor so you can gently drift away to a better emotional location. Research grade MDMA has helped many accomplish this task. To assist the medicinal process it is helpful to know a good deal about the nervous system and various brain regions. This handout focuses on one of many important body systems involved in maintaining and releasing trauma, the polyvagal system.

If you have been harmed by trauma understanding polyvagal theory will very likely assist and expedite your recovery process. Not only can it enhance your ability to stabilize emotions but, as a result, it can help to develop more satisfying social relationships while enhancing your self-esteem. After a series of three MDMA treatments most people note how their nervous system has calmed down, and with it, associated fears and previously unregulated emotions. Yet, there are additional ways to calm your nervous system and the notorious culprit, the vagus nerve. To start, one must get beyond all the confusing medical jargon that stands in the way of understand your nervous system pathways and how you can respond to and regulate them, not just react. So in this second blog, I’m going to significantly simplify polyvagal theory so this essential piece of recovery information becomes more understandable and therefore more accessible.

When consideration is given to the effects of research grade MDMA the literature is replete with examples of increased empathy, a heart softness, warmth, strengthened bonds, and compassion. This article briefly touches on how MDMA, by enhancing compassion toward self and others, quiets and smooths out the vagus nerve network. Think of the vagus nerve as functioning much like the frontal lobe of the brain, both are braking systems for impulse control, particularly aggressive urges. The more the braking system is activated in a gentle restraining way, the more relaxed you feel; it slows the heart, relaxes abdominal muscles, and loosens the larnyx. This quieting activity, which can be enhanced by MDMA, sends signals bodywide that the environment is safe, there is no emergency, which then allows you to focus on preferred thoughts and activities, and subsequently increases your creativity too. Relaxed vagal tone (anchoring activity of the ventral vagus) guards us from the harmful effects of stress constriction.

Much of what has been written about the vagus nervous system seems like scientific gobblygook. I acknowledge there is a lot of good stuff hidden therein but, with all the complex medical terminology, one almost needs to learn an entirely new vocabulary to extract useful information. But, thankfully, along came Amy Banks, M.D., a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School who wrote a marvelous book, Four Ways to Click, which makes relational neurology much more understandable. By introducing readers to the concept of a smart vagus, she is really saying individuals can train themselves to get out of the grip of a primitive brain response – from automatic fear mode to a social competency mode.