E for Ecstasy by Nicholas Saunders
Appendix 1: Reference Section

29 MDMA Reconsidered, by Robert Leverant, from Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Vol. 18/4 1986

This paper reports views on MDMA expressed at a conference for informed lay users of the drug held by the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic in May 1986. Conference discussion topics included how MDMA compares with hallucinogens and whether these drugs should be available for therapeutic use and, if so, under what conditions.

While extremely useful for psychotherapy, MDMA is deceptive for the spiritual therapy whose ends are complete freedom and autonomy as delineated by Buddhism, Hinduism and other mystic traditions. This necessitates the death of the mind. . . Unlike the stronger psychedelics, MDMA does not encourage glimpsing this last development of Love's unfolding. . .

Perhaps MDMA's greatest potential in therapy is nonverbal. [It could aid body therapies that utilize] the attention, the breath, sound, and hand pressure to open up and remove blocks that prevent contact with the life force within [the body] and hinder the =E9lan vital from flowing.