From: dunphy@cs.uiuc.edu (Michael Dunphy)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: ECSTACY
Date: 11 Nov 92 07:43:55 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

In <Nov.8.00.48.43.1992.8517@geneva.rutgers.edu> twiggs_te@alice.lrc.edu writes:

>My name is Todd.  I wanted to discuss with you an experience I have had
>recently.  I *think* it has a lot to do with this newsgroup. ...
>I recently tried the drug 'ecstacy' (xtc) ...
>It was nothing like I expected an illegal drug to be. ...
>But I was shocked as to how spiritually enhancing this substance is.
>...  I REALLY loved everyone with EVERY ounce of my heart.

I agree this has very much to do with this group. I think we all would
like to be able to love universally and without effort. It is part of
the goal we are struggling toward.

>I stopped and hugged almost everyone I passed!  And the thing is, since they
>were on it as well, they hugged me back!  It was like it broke down all
>barriers to race, creed, color, and social status.  It was like a perfect,
>spiritual community within four walls.  Everything was just so perfect.  The
>sounds, the sights, the touches...all were just so incredibly good.

It sounds wonderful. It sounds like just by taking a pill, you were able to
escape our fallen world. Please forgive me, but I think it's a fake. I don't
believe you can take a pill to cure the fall. I think God puts us in this
corrupted world to struggle and grow. This pill creates the illusion that
no growth is needed.

> ... I've even researched it, and there is no evidence of the drug doing
>any physical harm to humans.

I looked through some of last year's medical and scientific journals, and
that is not what I found.
        "Immunocytochemical studies have established that a major
        portion of the serotinergic axons in the cortex and hippocampuus
        are lost after MDMA and PCA injections."
That is from "MDMA (Ecstacy) effects on cultured seotonergic neurons:
evidence for Ca-dependent toxicity linked to release" in Brain Research,
Volume 510 pages 97-103.
XTC kills brain cells! However,
        "While the occurence of MDA [ecstacy] neurotoxicity is widely
        accepted, the mechanism by which it takes place has yet to be
        elucidated."
This from "Major metabolites of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) do
not mediate its toxic effects on brain serotonin neurons" in Brain Research
Vol 545, p. 279-282. It is not known how XTC does its damage, or how
many brain cells people can afford to lose, or how well they can
recover afterwards. But certainly, the drug is doing some damage to
the brain. If you want to get more detailed information, please send
me e-mail, and I would be happy to explore the scientific literature
with you.

>If everyone were to experience this unifying feeling, I truly,
>honestly believe that world peace could be made much easier.  I mean, it's
>impossible to have a bad or evil thought while under the influence of this
>pill.  I wish I could describe this feeling clearly to all of you.

I really think you are being deceived. Here are excerpts from three
case studies reported last year:
        "A 24-year-old man was referred to our addiction treatment
        center after seriously assaulting his mother. He had been
        taking MDMA [ecstacy] for four years, and reported use on
        about 150 occasions. The typical daily dose was 100-300 mg
        [that's one or two tablets]. ...
        Until he began using MDMA he complained of no psychological
        disturbances, but, as his relatives confirmed, in the past
        three years he was convinced he was being stared at and
        ridiculed by people when he went out of doors. ...
        Examination of his mental state showed paranoid delusions,
        high levels of anxiety, and delusions of bodily change
        (his brain had been stolen, his eyes were not his own)..."
                                - The Lancet, Vol. 338, p.1335

        "A 28 year old man was admitted after attempting to strangle
        his wife. He had been taking MDMA at weekends for 18 months.
        He had gradually increased his dose from two to 10 tablets
        a night and became suspicious that his wife was being
        unfaithful to him. ..."

        "A 22 year old man was admitted for assessment. ... He
        complained that his face had been gradually 'pulled forward';
        he avoided going out of doors, where he believed he was
        stared at and ridiculed. ..."
                               - both from British Medical Journal,
                                 Vol. 302, p.697

I am not denying that you felt what you felt. I just think real
spiritual growth is harder to achieve than that.

>                                               With love in Christ,
>                                                               Todd T.

Lord, please guide us home.
--
Michael Dunphy                  dunphy@cs.uiuc.edu
-- 
Michael Dunphy          dunphy@cs.uiuc.edu