How are emotions affected by MDMA and why can it cause long term change to the personality? Michal Kováč1 Abstract This paper investigates what emotions typically emerge during a 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) experience, if and how MDMA affects personality and whether and how are the experience and the personality change linked. To answer these questions a focused literature research was conducted, and the findings were used to assemble models of both immediate MDMA effects on emotions and MDMA induced personality change. We have used Parrott's emotion theory as the theory of emotions and Big Five as the theory of personality. We found that out of the primary emotions of Parrott's emotion theory MDMA causes emotions of love, joy and surprise to emerge. An increase in Big Five personality traits of openness and extroversion and decrease in trait of neuroticism are the typical MDMA induced personality changes. Based on research investigating the therapeutic MDMA potential the emotional experience seems to be one of the key factors in the MDMA induced personality change. We hypothesize that in particular positive emotions, euphoria, decreased fear and increased empathy play a key role in the mood, attitude and personality change. Keywords: MDMA, emotion, personality, model 1 Introduction Psychedelic renaissance is currently happening in the based on its chemical structure and also some of its scientific world in the fields of psychology, effects it seems to fit into the class of stimulants neuroscience and cognitive science (Bouso, Santos, (Peroutka, 1990, p. 105). However, these effects (e.g., Alcázar-Córcoles, & Hallak, 2018). A substantial part increased energy, decreased appetite, decreased of this renaissance is a drug chemically known as feeling of tiredness) are not what makes MDMA 3,4‑Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or special in the light of therapeutic potential neither in informally ecstasy (Sessa, 2018). In the last two the eyes of its users (Peroutka, 1990, p. 105). Other decades a lot of research has been conducted mainly traditional class of drugs into which MDMA seems to concerning possible therapeutic uses of MDMA but fit are psychedelics (Peroutka, 1990, p. 105). Indeed, also its effects in general. Combined with research MDMA can cause effects typical for psychedelics conducted before year 1985 when MDMA was like hallucinations, altered sense of time and in banned it creates a large number of fragmented general altered perception of the world (Greer & findings. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the Tolbert, 1986). Because of that some categorize it as current state of the art of MDMA research focused stimulant-psychedelic hybrid (Roseman, Leech, mainly on emotion and personality aspects and to Feilding, Nutt, & Carhart-Harris, 2014). However, provide its overview by assembling corresponding this does not capture the characteristic and unique scientific models. As a part of this effort a hypothesis effects of MDMA that include increased feeling of of how these two subdomains are linked was formed. love, empathy and connectedness to others (i.e. entactogenic effects) (Peroutka, 1990, p. 52). Because Despite being part of the psychedelic renaissance, of these unique effects, clearly distinguishable by the MDMA as a drug is hard to classify. At a first glance 1 Michal Kováč is from the Department of Philosophy, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, on a mobility from the Department of Applied Informatics, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia. E-mail: [email protected] 1 user, categorizing MDMA into a new class of drugs spiritual experiences, strong hallucinations, etc.) and called entactogens was proposed (Peroutka, 1990, p. the findings from these publications were only used 105). Despite of that, research of psychedelics can as a supporting evidence. Mainly publications from and has been used for modeling of some of MDMA the domain of behavioral and cognitive psychology effects that seem to be responsible for change in were picked since that is the point of view this paper emotions, mood, attitude and personality (Wagner et set out to map. Neuroscientific publications were al., 2017; Roseman et al., 2014; Bouso et al., 2018; included to the extent necessary for comparing Krediet et al., 2020). mechanism of action of MDMA to mechanism of action of other psychedelic drugs. However, the 2 Materials and methods neuroscientific research is too vast to be completely mapped in the scope of this paper. 2.1 Bibliography research Bibliography studied consists of 6 books, 71 2.2 Emotion theories standalone book sections and 66 scientific papers to When choosing a theory of emotions to use, we have map the state of the art of MDMA research and done an overview of the domain and decided to emotional and personality modeling. Aforementioned primarily focus on theories of categorical and bibliography is a part of the Supplementary Material. dimensional types because they suit the use case of We did not impose a limit on the age of the describing particular emotions without focusing on publications to be able to capture findings from both parameters that are outside of the scope of this project the research era before the MDMA ban when a lot of or not relevant in the context of emotions emerging as general MDMA research was being done and from an immediate result of taking a drug. In the end we the current era when MDMA research is mainly have decided for categorical type because in most focused on the therapeutic potential. Newer findings publications either this type of theory is used, or were by default considered as more relevant since the findings are described in natural language which can state of the art of the domain research is constantly be fitted into a categorical theory easier. Because of improving which usually leads to better methodology. that, increased precision of the dimensional models Although usually if newer findings contradicted older would not be utilized and working with this type of findings, they explicitly stated this fact and discussed theories would add an overhead with little benefits in the cause. Studies done on people with no mental return. As for the particular theory we have chosen health disorders as well as studies done in therapeutic Parrott's emotion theory since it is precise enough for context on people with mental health disorders the data acquisition, we were capable of and easy to (usually post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social work with. anxiety and depression) were included. This Parrott's emotion theory is a tree structured list of difference in mental processing of participants could emotions. The tree is of depth three. Each level have big impact on the findings since mental health specifies more specific subemotions of the parent disorders can influence both baseline personality and emotion. The first layer has six nodes representing the MDMA experience itself. This taken into primary emotions: love, joy, surprise, anger, sadness consideration. Differences in findings were analyzed and fear, which have children representing secondary and context specifics findings were clearly marked as emotions like affection, lust or cheerfulness, which such. Publications regarding other psychedelic drugs have children representing tertiary emotions for that were extraordinarily relevant because they example adoration, desire or ecstasy. The complete focused on personality change caused by the tree structured representation of Parrott's emotion experience were also included. They were considered theory is displayed in Table 1. as relevant for MDMA research if the combination of the substance, dosing, setting and other relevant variables resulted into effects comparable to the effects of MDMA (i.e., no strong psychedelic effects which include complete detachment from reality, 2 Primary Secondary Tertiary there we have decided to focus on dimensional and emotion emotion emotion trait theory types since they allow to capture the Love Affection Adoration, Fondness, Liking, personality at the given moment in time and are Attraction, Caring, Tenderness, widespread in research. In the end we have decided Compassion, Sentimentality Lust Desire, Passion, Infatuation for trait theory called Big Five since it is very Longing Longing commonly used, relatively simple and at the same Joy Cheerfulness Amusement, Bliss, Gaiety, Glee, time sufficiently precise for the data acquisition, we Jolliness, Joviality, Joy, Delight, were capable of. Enjoyment, Gladness, Happiness, Jubilation, Elation, Satisfaction, Big Five consists of five key personality traits that are Ecstasy, Euphoria Zest Enthusiasm, Zeal, Excitement, quantifiable and that complexly define the Thrill, Exhilaration personality. The traits of the Big Five personality Contentment Pleasure theory are openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, Pride Triumph agreeableness and neuroticism. It is hard to compare Optimism Eagerness, Hope the quantified change in personality in between Enthrallment Enthrallment, Rapture different studies, but the trend of changes can be Relief Relief evaluated easily. Surprise Surprise Amazement, Astonishment Anger Irritability Aggravation, Agitation, Annoyance, Grouchy, Grumpy, 3 Results Crosspatch Exasperation Frustration 3.1 Emotions Rage Anger, Outrage, Fury, Wrath, Our findings show that MDMA has wide variety of Hostility, Ferocity, Bitterness, Hatred, Scorn, Spite, emotion related effects, but not all of them are fully Vengefulness, Dislike, Resentment understood yet. Quoting