MDMA
empathogen and stimulant
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy in tablet form, and molly in crystal form, is an entactogen with stimulant and minor psychedelic properties.
MDMA was first synthesized in 1912 by Merck chemist Anton Köllisch. It was used to enhance psychotherapy beginning in the 1970s and became popular as a street drug in the 1980s. MDMA is commonly used by attendees of dance parties, raves, and electronic dance music festivals. Tablets sold as ecstasy may be mixed with other substances such as ephedrine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine.
The lethal risk from one dose of MDMA is estimated to be from 1 death in 20,000 instances to 1 death in 50,000 instances.
The purported pharmacological effects that may be prosocial include altered sensations, increased energy, empathy, and pleasure. When taken by mouth, effects begin in 30 to 45 minutes and last three to six hours. Short-term adverse effects include bruxism, blurred vision, sweating, and tachycardia, and extended use can also lead to addiction, amnesia, memory disorders, paranoia, and insomnia. Deaths have been reported due to increased body temperature and dehydration.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “MDMA” is empathogen and stimulant. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through MDMA, empathogen and stimulant, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “empathogen and stimulant” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q69488. The Library of Congress control number is sh89002646. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1912.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “MDMA”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow MDMA primary sources, MDMA archive and MDMA research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “MDMA”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “MDMA” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.