Arthur Hastings- An Extended Nondrug MDMA-Like Experience Evoked Through Posthypnotic Suggestion

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An Extended Nondrug MDMA-Like

Experience Evoked Through

Posthypnotic Suggestion?

Arthur Hastings, Ph.D.*

Abstract-T his research explored whether hypnotic suggestion could produce a subjective mind-body condition similar to that produced by the psycho active drug methylenedioxy metham phetamine

(MDMA, Ecstasy). Twelve participants received posthypnotic instructions to re-experience an

MD MA -like state posthypnotically, s imilar to one in their prior experienc e, for one hour. Thr ee

separate self report measures and qualitative self reports showed that the posthypnotic condition

effectively mim icked an MDM A-like experienc e, lasting an hour at a stable level. Participant ratings

in real time and in retrospect ranged from 36% to 100% similarity to a drug-induced exper ience. Th e

qualitative reports and rating sca les enabled a phenom enological description of the sub jective

experienc e. Sc ores on the Tellegen Absorption Sca le correlated significantly with the strength of the

posthypnotic condition (Spearman rho .87, p = .0003). The participants successfully carried out

various intentional activities during this time (e.g., self reflection, talking with partners about

relationships, artwork, walking in nature). Applications for this technique as an adjunct to therapy

and health treatments are discussed.

Keywords-altered states of conscious ness, conscious ness. Ecstasy, hypnosis. MDM A, subjective

drug effects

Th e purpose of this research was to determine whether Adam ) for individuals who have had previous experience

posthypnotic suggestions could create an extended (one with MDMA. The study was conducted with participants

hour) mind-body condition similar to or mimicking the who had taken the drug at som e previous time, but who did

subjective effects produced by the drug methylenedioxy not take the drug at the time of the expe riment.

methamphetamine (also known as MDMA, Ecstasy, and This research expands on earlier work using hypnosis

to produce a brief noid rug state (Hastings 1994), in whichtT he research team for this study consisted of Ida B erk, Michael

Cougar, Elizabeth Ferguson, Sophie Giles, Sandra Humphrey, Kathie hypnotic suggestions were given to participants to the ef-McLellan, Carolyn Mitchell, and Barbara Viglizzo, who contributed to fect they would reexperience the hypnotic MDM A conditionthe design, planning, and conduct of the experiment. Professors William for a short time period (10minutes). Measured with a LikertBraud, an d Charles Tart provided valuable suggestions for the design. A

presentation of partial data from this study was given at Toward a Science Scale, the condition was rated as highly similar or identical

of Consciousness: Tucson 2000 (Hastings et al. 2000). We appreciate to the original chemically produced state.funding from the Bernstein Br other s Foundat ion for Heal th and Th e study sought answers to these questions: (1) Ca nParapsychology. Mr. David Gibson, and Drs. Burt and Belinda Brent.

Th e Institute of Transpersonal Psychology provided curricular support. a posthypnotic MDMA-like condition be evoked and ex-

*Professor, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA. tended to last an hour in duration? (2) Can personalPlease address reprint requests to Arthur Hastings, Ph.D., Institute therapeutic or psychological work be c a k e d out during the

of Transpersonal Psychology, 1069 East Meadow Circle. Palo Alto. CAposthypnotic condition? (3) What subjective qualities of

94303-4231.

Journal of Psychoacrive Drugs 27 3 Volume 38 (3). September 2006



Hastin gs Posthypnotic MDM A-Like Experience

the drug condition are reproduced in the p osthypnotic con-

dition? and ( 4) What correlation s are there with altered state

scales, specifically the Tellegen Absorption Scale and the

Harvard Group Hypnosis Scale?

DESIGN AND PROCEDURE

Met hod

The experiment was conducted in two group s. Group

1 consisted of eight participants and Group 2 of four. The

participants com pleted a pre-qu estionna ire and the Tellegen

Ab sorption Sc ale. 'The Harv ard Group Scale of Hypno tic

Susce ptibility was administered to Group 1, but not to Group

2 (see b elow). The participants were then given a hypnotic

induction as a group , with hyp notic suggestions to reexpe-

rience an MD MA -like state posthypnotically, similar to o ne

in their prior experience, for one hour. They were then re-

turned from the hypnosis . During the posthypnot ic

condition, they were allowed to engag e in their individual

choice of experien tial activities. After one hour, they w eresignaled to return to their baseline condition. The individu-

als com pleted a post-questionnaire to assess the effects of

the posthypn otic experience.

Participants

The participants were unpaid volunteers. They were

required to have taken MDMA at some time in the past

with a positive experience. The participants were not asked

whether this was under legal or nonlegal circumstances.

Overt pathology was a criterion for exclusion. The partici-

pants we re recruited throug h word of mouth by the research

team ,and with ann ounc emen ts at the institute. All partici-pants w ere living at the time in the San Franc isco Bay area.

Th e research with G roup 1 was condu cted in 199 7, and with

Group 2 in 2 000. Twelve participants were selected. Con-

sent form s approved by the institutional human su bjects IRB

explained the research procedure, and indicated that no

drugs would be used during the experiment. The partici-

pan t s agreed no t t o t ake psychoac t i ve subs t ances

immediately prior to the experiment. It w as suggested that

they eat lightly before the session and abstain from stimu-

lants such as coffee, as these recommend ations are often

made for persons ingesting MDMA.

Setting and Research TeamThe conditions of the study w ere arranged to be sup-

portive physically and interpersonally. The locations w ere

two home setting s in quiet sub urban location s. The research

team for Group 1 was practiced in working together with

each oth er and in respecting the individu ality of the partici-

pants. They had assisted in developing and trying out the

proced ure. Each participant was monitored by a member of

the research team during the posthypnotic condition. As

Group 2 was smaller, the author canied out this responsi-

bility during the hour.

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs

Pre-Questionnaire

The pre-questionnaire was constructed to obtain de-

mographic information, a baseline mind-body state, and

information on previous M DMA experiences. Questions

asked p articipants to rate (on a 1-7 scale) their current (at

that moment) mental state in relation to an MDMA state,

and to rate their usual everyday state of mind relative tothe MDM A state. One q uestion asked for three words or

phrases that described, for them, the subjective qualities

of MDMA. These phrases were incorporated later in the

hypnotic induction. The pre-questionnaire was designed

to evoke a remembrance of the previous MDM A experi-

ence as well as gather data on the indiv idual's experien ces.

Post-Questionnaire

The po st-question naire asked fo r a written description

of the hypnotic MDM A condition, including activities en-gaged in, the fulfillmen t of intentions, and insigh ts and

learning from the experien ce. Participants rated the expe-

rience on a Likert l - 7 scale for its similarity to the drugstate, and rated the fulfillment of their intention for the

experien ce. Thirty possible sub jective qualities of the post-

hypnotic MDM A state were listed, based on reports from

the MD MA literature and prior discu ssions by the research

team. Participants rated these effects as to whether they

were present and how similar they were to previous MDMA

experiences.

Real Time State Reports

To get real time reports during the posthypnotic con-

dition each participant was asked every 10minutes for a

number from one to seven to indicate the strength of theposthypnotic experience relative to an MDMA experience,

with one m eaning there was no similarity to the MDMA

experience and seven indicating that it was identical.

Hypnotic Procedure

Hypnosis was induced with a standard relaxation ap-

proach . A relaxation induction was p repared and presented

by the author to the grou p. The posthypn otic suggestions

instructed that at the end of the hyp nosis, the person would

begin to reexperience, remember, and recall an MDMA

experience. Selections from literature of first person ac-

count s and summary repor t s on t he sub j ec t i ve

phenom enology of the M DMA experience were used tocreate posthypnotic suggestions (Shulgin & Shulgin 1998;

Stolaroff 1994; Liester et al. 1992; Greer & Tolbert 1986;

Adamson 1985).Using content analysis, the predominant

and typical qualities of the drug experience were identi-

fied when the substance was used for psychological

purposes rather than social recreation. These include re-

duction of fear and defensiv eness, self reflection, feelings

of caring and love for others, appreciation of nature, sen-

sations of energy in the body, changes in the passage of

time (faster or slower), feelings of transcendence, clarity

274 Volume 38 (3). September 2006



Hastings Posthypnotic MDMA -Like Experience

TABLE 1 Demographics

Parti- Gender Occupation Previous Last Prior Setting

cipant Times MDMA Experience

A Engineer

B Student C Business consultant / writer

D Student

E Artist /teacher

F Novelist/psychotherapist

G Acupuncturist~herbalist

H Engineering manager

I Physicist

J Songwriter

K Administrator

L Physicist

of mental processes, improved communication with oth-

ers, and problem-solving insights. These qualities were

incorporated into the posthypnotic suggestions. The sug-

gestions specifie d that they would take ef fect after the return

from hypnosis, and last for one hour. At that time the

MDMA-like effects would stop and the individual would

return to a normal condition.

Assessments

Tellegen Absorption Scale (TA S). The TAS is a 34

item, truelfalse scale that indicates the person's ability to

enter psychological states that restructure the boundaries

and content of self awareness, in ways that have been de-

scribed as dissociative, integrative, or peak (Tellegen 1981;

Tellegen & Atkinson 1974). Examples of questions are "Ican be deeply moved by a sunset" (external focus), "My

thoughts often don't occur as w ords but as visual images."(internal focus), and "When I listen to music I can get so

caught up in it that I don't notice anything else." The TAS

has been found to be positively related to hy pnotic ability

(Tellegen &Atkinson 1974).This compares to the MDMA

literature, where reports of ap preciation of nature, absorp-

tion in perception, and enhanced physical sensations are

found. The items ask for reports on experiential responses

rather than instrumental activity, and it seemed plausible

that high score s on the TAS w ould indicate a similarity to

the relaxing of ordinary mind-body struc tures when reex-

periencing an M DM Astate. The scale was used as publishedby Te llegen, with the exception that the title was given as

"Personality Assessment."

Harvard Gro up Scale o f Hypnotic Susceptibil i ty

(HGSHS). This is a standard scale to measure susceptibil-

ity in a group setting (Shor & Orne 1962). The script has

12 test items, from head dropping and eye catalepsy, to

amnesia and po sthypnotic suggestion. After the procedure ,

the participants score their responses, with totals ranging

from 0to 12. Because of the time requirements of the schedule,

Journal of Psychoactive D rugs

6 7 yrs Home of friend

20 3 yrs Therapeutic intentions, with a friend200+ <I yr Social

2 20 yrs Social

25 3 yrs Home near nature

23 + 5 yrs Home, social

4+ 5 yrs Personal

4 0 5 yrs Home, solo, meditative

20 <1 yr Moun tains

4 <1 yr Social

3 1 Yr Social

10 1 Yr Relationship

the usual administration time of one hour was sh ortened to

40 m inutes by reducing some of the repetitive wording and

pauses in the script.

RESULTS

Demographics

Ages of the participants ranged from 3 1 to 72 (see Table

1); this was a mature group of pro fessionals. Three of the

12 participants were in psychological or health professions.

All had used MDM A in the past. One individua l had been

a participant in governm ent approved resea rch projects on

the physiological effects of MDMA, and others had per-

sonally used M DMA in psycho therapeutic settings when it

was legal. This group can be characterized as individualswho were interested in their personal and psychological

developm ent; for many of them the use of MD MA w as one

of the methods for personal grow th. The use of an ex peri-

enced grou p enabled us to explore the effectiveness of this

technique under favorab le conditions. This is not a random

sample, and the implications for general applicability of

this technique will be discussed later.

Part icipant Ratings of the Experience

Real Time State Ratings. To address the main ques-

t ion , can an MDMA-l ike experience be evoked

posthypno tically and extended fo r one hour, there were three

separate ratings (by participants) which compared the post-hypnotic condition and a drug-produced experience. The

first was real time state repo rts (see Table 2). The real time

state reports were taken every 10minutes during the post-

hypnotic experience for the first group, and every 15

minutes for the second group (which was deem ed adequate,

based on the first group) by a sking the participant, "What

is your level of experience now, compared to an MDMA

drug state, on a scale of 1 to 7?'T he table shows that the

individual levels fluctuated slightly, showing increase s and

275 Volume 38 (3). September 2006



Hastings Posthypnotic MDM A-Like Experience

Group 1MinutesA

B

C

DE

FGH

Group

Group 2MinutesI

J

KL

Group

TABLE 2

Real Time Similarity Ratings by Particip ants

Mean4.00

4.67

3.92

5.92

6.50

7.17

4.67

4.50

5.17

0 15 30 45 60 Mean S.D.

2.5 2.5 3 2 2 2.40 .42

5 5 6.5 6 6 5.70 .67

5 7 7 7 6.7 6.54 .87

5 5 6 5 4 5.00 .70

4.91

S.D.

.32

.41

.60

.38

.54

.40

.8 1

.54

declines over the hour, but rem ained stable, as indicated by

the low standard deviatio ns. Participa nt F, who also reported

the strongest effect, gave the number 8 at the 60 minute

time rating, saying that the strength of the posthypnotic

condition w as higher than the usual drug-induced state.

Similurily Ratings. Participa nts were asked in the post

-questionnaire to retrospectively provide a single, global

overall rating of the posthypnotic condition in comparison

to a drug induced experience (see Table 3) . The ratings of

similarity ranged from 2.5 to 7, with the group mean at 5.04.

Ratings of Subjective Qualities. Using the model of

states of consciousnesscreated by Tart (1975) the post-ques-

tionnaire listed 30 different phenomenological effects of

MDMA, to be rated on a 1 to 7 Likert scale. Participants

retrospectively rated how similar their experiences were for

each item compared to a drug-produced condition (see Table

4). The individuals' ratings of the qualities ranged from 1

to 7. The means for all participants ranged from 2.77 to

5.58. So me of the qua lities are not relevant for all individu-

als because they were not present in pr ior MDMA

experien ces for the participan t,and of course the individual's

choices of activities affected the subjective effects.The three "similarity" ratings (real time, overall simi-

larity, subjective qualities) show consistency across different

times of evaluation, and across differing intentions for us-

ing the experience. Ratings above the halfway mark are

taken to indicate that the posthypnotic condition is more

similar than dissimilar, and hence we consider the data to

confirm that the subjective MDMA experience was re-

evoked in i ts physical and mental qualit ies through

posthypnotic suggestion. Som e individuals were more re-

sponsive and others less, as would be expected.

To explore the ability to use the hypnotic MDM A ex-

perience for personal therapeutic or reflective work, the

post -questionnaire also asked participants to rate to what

extent their intention for the session was fulfilled (see Table

3). Ratings ranged from 2 to 7, with a mean of 5.33. It

appears that for at least nine of the participants, the ses-

sion enabled them to fulfill their intended purpose in a

satisfactory way. The activity w as the choice of the par-

ticipants. The procedure did not include any systematic

direction, although there we re art m aterials, music, quiet

areas, and access to nature.

QUALITATIVEANALYSIS

Personal Accounts

The participants wrote qualitative accounts of their

experiences. Following are examples of their purposeful

(i.e., instrumental rather than experiential) activities dur-

ing the posthypnotic condition.

Reviewing personal life situations:Several of the par-

ticipants reported reflecting on personality concerns,

self identity,existential questions, and interpersonalmatters.

Experiencing nature: Seven or more of the partici-

pants went outdoors and spent some time in the

natural surroundings.

Listening to music: Six or more of the participants

reported listening to the music provided during the

session.

Talking with a partner about relationship issues:TW O

couples were among the participants.They kept them-

selves somewhat separate from the others and talked

Journa l of Psyc l~oa criv eDrugs Volume 38 (3), September 2006



Hastings Posthypnotic MDMA-Like Experience

TABLE 3

Retrospective Ratings of Similarity to MDMA and Fulfillment of Intention

Participant

A

0

C

D

E

F

GH

I

J

K

L

Mean (SD)

Similarity to MDM A

4

5

4

6

6

7

6

4

2.5

5

6

5

5.04(1.25)

Fulfillment of Intention

5

5.5

3

7

7

7

5.5

3

2

6

7

6

5.33(1.76)

about their relationships.Shamanic journeying: One participant listened to a

shamanic journeying tape, and said that she had en-

countered her grandmother and a pow er animal (see

Harner 1980), and gained insight into blocks to inti-

mate relationships.

Cultivating creative abilities: One participant wanted

to cultivate her creative ab ilitj. She took art materi-

als and drew a picture she described as S t. Hildegard

levitating,with a dove above her head. She said this was the

first art she had done since she was six years old.

Composite Sub jective Experience

Th e ratings given to the list of subjective effects con-f i rm that the pos thypnot ic condi t ion para l le led the

drug-produced experience. Using a qualitative content

analysis, the following them es were found most frequently

in their written self reports and are consistent with the rat-

ings.

Feelings of happiness, joy, bliss, ecstasy

Calmness, peacefulness

Feelings of safety

Feelings of love

People oriented, affection for people, empathy

Accepting aspects of themselves not accepted before

Time slowing down, feeling unhumed

Feelings of wholeness and unityNature b ecoming more vivid, appreciation for nature,

unity with nature

Energy rushes, waves of e nergy in the body

Physiological sensations

Th e written reports and the ratings of qualities portray

a composite phenomenological experience of feelings of

safety and well-being, slowed time, physiological sensa-

tions of intense happiness, physical and mental energy,

mental clarity, reduced fear and defensiveness, empathy

for others, enhanced comm unication with others, and ap-preciation of nature.

Assessments

TAS. The norm for the Tellegen Absorption Scale is

conside red to be 1 9.6, thus this group mean of 24.92 indi-

cates that these participants are more capa ble of perceptual

fluidity than a random sample, with 75% of them above

the norm (see Table 5). Persons high on the scale are con-

sidered to be more responsive to experiential modes of

absorption (like effortless experiencing), in contrast to in-

strumental activities (Tellegen 1981).

HGSHS. The H arvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Sus-

ceptibility was given on ly to the first group of eight becausethe preliminary data for Group 1 showed no correlation

with the ratings of the effects, and because there w as feed-

back that the items of the scale were inappropriate (see

Table 5). Five of the participants were higher than the norm,

which indicates that they w ere able to enter a light to me-

dium trance. The m ean of 7.88 is close to the group norm

of 7.39 given by Shor and Orne (1962).

Correlations

Correlations were calculated among the TAS, the

HG SHS, the participants' retrospective overall similarity

ratings, the means of the real-time rating reports for each

participant, the means for the ratings given by e ach partici-

pant to the 30 qualities, and the ratings for the fulfillment

of intention (seeTable 6). TheT AS co rrelatedwith the simi-

larity ratings at .89 (Pearson r,p = .0001)and .87 (Spearman

rho,p = .0003). The TAS also correlated significantly with

the fulfillment of intention rating, at .90 pear son,^ =.0006),

and .84(Spearman, p =.0006). S tatistically significant cor-

relations were found among all the data sets except for the

HGSH S. The H GSHS, contrary to expectations, was not

significantly correlated with similarity or other ratings.

Journal of Psychoacrive Drugs 27 7 Volume 38 (3), September 2006



Hastings Posthypnotic MDM A-Like Experience

TABLE 4 Ratings of Subjective Phenomenological Q ualities of the Posthypnotic Condition

Item Mean (SD)

Sense of well being, safety 5.58 (1.51) Transcendence of self 4.82 (1.72)Appreciating nature 5.50 (1.51) Solving problems and issues 4.82 (1.72)

Quiet, peaceful 5.42 (1.68) Actions and behavior 4.79 (1.75)Reduced fear, anxiety, defensiv eness 5.38 (1.64) Enhanced self insight 4.75 (2.01)Seeing beauty 5.33 (1.67) Desire for movement, dancing 4.73 (2.10)

Openness and trust 5.29 (1.57) Heart opening , loving, caring 4.71 (1.86)

Enhanced perceptions Physical energy level

Thinking with clarity Open comm unication w. partner or anotherOverall emotional similarity Honesty, frankness

Experiencing inner light More awareness of body sen sationsWaves, flows of body energy Spiritual state, unity, sense of divineSense of self, identity, personality Euphoric, happy, or joyousRelaxation of personal boundaries Laughing, gigg ling, playfulIncreased empathy Decrease of physical painOverall mental processes Numbness, jaw clench, trembling

Overall Mean

The correlation between the similarity ratings and in-

tention ratings, as would be expe cted, was significant with

a Pearson r of .89 @ = .0006) and a Spearmen rho of .90 @

= .0001). This indicates that the stronger the posthypnotic

state was in similarity to MD MA , the more there was ful-

fillment of the participant's intentions for the session.

DISCUSSION

In terms of the research q uestions, the findings of this

study show that an MDMA-like s tate can be produced

through posthypnotic suggestion for at least so me individu-

als (question 1).Th e posthypnotic condition has sufficient

strength a nd stability to continue for an hour and to be used

purposefully (questions 1 and 2). The purposes were con-

s i s t en t w i t h b eh av i o r s r ep o r t ed i n M D M A s e t t i n g s :

experienc ing the natural surroundings, listening to music,

introspection, working on life problems, talking with a

spouse o r partner., Th e subjective effects were deemed by

the participants to be similar to a drug-produced MDMA

experience (question 3) . The effects correlate highly sig-

nificantly w ith the Tellegen Absorp tion Sc ale, but not with

the h ypnotic susceptibility sca le (question 4). Both the quali-

tative reports and quantitative analysis converge in thesefindings.

In addition to the ratings and reports, an energetic

change in the participants was noticed during the experi-

ence. Whe n the posthypnotic condition cam e into effect we

observed that the overt group behavior, body language, and

talk wer e noticeably reduc ed in activity, giving the imp res-

sion that the individuals were more inner focused. Two

participants went into separate rooms. Others talked qui-

etly with each other and the team members. Several went

outside into the garden or for short walks at various times.

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 278

These results are supported by other reports on the

use of hypnosis in creating or affecting drug-like states.

Fogel and Hoffer (1962) reported a case i n which hypno-

s i s w as u s ed t o i n t e r ru p t an d t o r e - ev o k e an L SD

experienc e, first with the dr ug and then without it. A single

participant, a good hypn otic subject, was administered 100

pg of LSD -25. Th e LSD experien ce developed in the ex-

pected way with perceptu al and mood chang es. At 160

minutes she was hypnotized and told to return to normal

after waking. At that point perceptual change s diminished,

and her thought processes and mood appeared normal,

except that sh e felt sensitive to touch. She w as rehypnotized

and told to return to the LSD experience, and there was a

return of the visual cha nges and usual effects. Th e hyp-

notic instruction to return to normal was repeated at 180

minutes, and there was "no evidence of any abnormality"

(Fogel & Hoffer 1962: 14). The suggestion was reversed

and s he returned to the drug experienc e with full effects.

In a second experiment three weeks later, the subject was

hypnotized and told to have the sam e experience she had

the previous time, and the usual perceptual and thought

change s occurred without LSD , including her pupils dilat-

ing to 2/3 of the d iameter of the iris.

Levine, Ludwig, and Lyle (19 63) used hypnosis com-bined w ith LSD for treatment of substance abusers. The

hypnosis w as used just before the drug ingestion with sug-

gestions that during the drug experie nce the patients would

become a ware of the facto rs that contributed to the addic-

tion. During the drug state they were directed tow ard their

childhood, traumatic incidents, and family relations. The

research ers reported tha t the resulting state appeare d to be

different from states produced so lely by hypno sis or drugs.

Th e results were said to be increased emotional feelings,

improved responsiveness to the therapist, better insight,

Volume 38 (3 ) . September 2006



Hastings Posthypnotic MDMA-Like Experience

TABLE 5 Tellegen Absorption Scale and Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility

Participant TAS HGSHS

A 25 8

B 23 3

C 16 8

D 32 11

E 3 1 11

F 33 10

G 30 5

H 19 7

I I I NA

J 30 N A

K 25 NAL 24 N A

Mean (SD) 24.92 (6.86) 7.88 (2.85)

and a more positive outlook. In this case the direction of

the drug experience appeared to respond to the hypnoticsuggestions.

Several studies by Aaronso n (1967 ) are informative in

show ing the capability of posthypno tic suggestions to cre-

ate altered consciousness states that are similar to the

phenomenology of MDMA. Aaronson's approach was to

use sugg estions that radically altered perception of the sur-

roundings, and then assess the effect on subjective mood

qualities. One suggestion was that the perception of depth

would expand. In this condition the subject became very

happy . Colors seem ed intensified, sound s crisper, and lines

more distinct. In contrast, a suggestion of reduced depth

perception produced hostility and withdrawal. In a repeat

of the expanded depth study, the subject felt he was in aworld of super beauty and joy. His mood was euphoric.

The se features are similar to characteristics reported in some

MDMA experiences and in the present study.

Aaronson (1969) also created a hypnosis induction

which attemp ted to evoke the experience of the great void

or space described in the Buddhist meditation tradition.

Anecdotal reports from graduate students who used the in-

duction are that it had strong effects on their subjective

states. Most of Aaronson's work was with a small number

of talented subjects, and would not be expected to be true

of a general pop ulation. Th e findings of this present study

suggest that this kind of responsiven ess to hypn osis is likely

to range fro m a high lev el of effect to none at all. There are

indications in this literature that repeated hypnotic induc-

tions increase the effects of suggestions for altering

sensations, moods, and perception.

Even without hypnosis, it sometimes is possible to

evoke a drug-like condition without the drug. A study by

Jone s (1971) on the social "high" found that some experi-

enced marijuana users who believed they were smoking

marijuana cigarettes felt the usual effects even when the

psychoactive component had been removed. There are


anecdotal rep orts that people talking with each other about

a past MDMA experience will sometimes spontaneouslybegin feeling some of the effects. Given the effects of the

hypnotic induction and the social context in the present

study it seems that both aspects may play a role in produ c-

ing the non drug condition.

Subjective Qualities

The ratings given to the subjective qualities may be

useful in MD MA theory and research as a map of som e of

the phenomenology produced by MDMA, remembering

that the circumstances were conductive to positive quali-

ties in the experience, including the intentions of the

participants, the setting, the tone of the research team, and

the structure of the procedure. Different settings, such asactive social events or situations with different interper-

sonal dynam ics, could produce more interactive effects,

more physical energy, and negative emotions. For example,

paranoia and anxiety in MD MA ex periences have been re-

ported from a survey of users taken in clubs, bars, cafes

and malls (Cohen 1995 ). There w ere negative reactions in

this present situation from three of the participants of feel-

ing self conscious about being observed, a sense of being

bugged by the team m ember following the person, and ini-

tial discomfort from a personal reaction to one of the

participants. Two participants felt disapp ointment and frus-

tration that the posthypnotic condition was not at a high

level of strength.

Euph oria is often mentioned as an effect, and given as

a motivation for users to take this drug (Cohen 1995;

McCann & Ricuarte 1993). In this study's list of qualities,

eupho ria was grouped with happiness and joy (with a mean

= 4.55). Participants also gave high ratings to several other

qualities which could also be considered m otivation for the

experience, such as sense of well being , feelings of safety,

self insight, problem solving, reduction of fear, and

transpersonal aspects such as seeing beauty, feelings of

279 Volume 38 (3).September 2006



astings Posthypnot ic MDM A-Like Experience

TABLE 6

Correlations

Similarity.89 (.0001)*

.87 (.0003)*

HGSHSTAS .44 (0.26)

n=12 .60 (0.1 1)

HGSHSN=8

Similarity

Intention

Real Time

Intention Real Time Qualities.90 (.0006)* .83 (0.0008)* .79 (0.002)*

.84 (.0006)* .81 (0.0014)* .73 (0.008)*

.91 (<.0001)*

.86 (.0003)*Note: Upper figures are Pearson r correlations. lower figures are Spearman rho correlations.

The figures in parentheses are probability values.

* Indicates slatistical significance.

unity, inner light, and transcendence of self. The responses

to the subjective qualities might provide clues to the bio-

chemical and psychological dynamics of the MDMA

experience, which are more complex and subtle than a glo-

bal label of euphoria.

The level of mental clarity (mean = 5.18) reported by

these participants suggests that in this situation the ego re-

mained relatively intact and capable of rational, reflective

thought processes and continuity of memory. This has also

been noted by Riedlinger and Riedlinger (1994) as an ad-

vantage in therapeutic process. Perhaps because of this ego

state, there appears to be less state bound memory with

MDMA, and the transference of learning to the ordinary

mental state is more possible. There are anecdotal reports

(though no research studies) of the use of MDMA for per-

sonal and practical problem solving, in which the

maintenance of thinking and evaluative processes and the

reduction in defensiveness appeared to facilitate insights

for solutions.

Some first-person accounts of the MDMA experience

in the popular literature contain reports of nonordinary, tran-

scendent, and mystical experiences, similar to accounts in

the religious and mystical literature. 'These include experi-

ences of inner light, energy flows in the body, identity with

nature, intense ecstasy, and unity experiences. Some of thesequalities were reported in this study; however, there was no

individual whose experience was totally mystical. Because

in the study setting the focus was on the psychological, a

full transcendent experience would be less likely. Pahnke's

study with psilocybin demonstrated the potential of facili-

tating a transcendent drug experience with strong intention

and setting with resulting long term positive effects, and it

raises the possibility of using a posthypnotic procedure for

the same purpose (Doblin 1991; Pahnke& Richards 1969).

Of course, a mystical experience, whatever its nature and

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 280

Isource, is generally regarded as fortuitous and not auto-

matic even when encouraged by meditation, ceremonies,

or other traditional means, and we would expect the same

to be true of hypnotically facilitated states.

Physical Effects

Several of the participants reported physical effects

that are often associated with MDMA: clammy hands, skin

sensitivity, jaw clenching (nausea sometimes occurs but

was not reported). However the item of negative physical

effects received a low mean of 2.77 on the qualities mea-

sure. The hypnotic induction had included a statement that

the person did not need to feel uncomfortable physical sen-

sations, and "You will not feel muscle clenching, or

numbness, or coolness, or trembling." These muscle reac-

tions occurred for some participants despite the hypnotic

instruction. One person expected that a painful shoulder

would feel better, but this did not happen. Two others indi-

cated they felt less pain. This is one area of effects that had

mixed responses. MDMA is known to increase blood pres-

sure and heart rate. We did not check for these, but this

would be useful to do in future research. Since these physi-

ological responses occurred in the posthypnotic condition,

one implication to pursue is that posthypnotic suggestions

may have evoked the biochemical effects of MDMA, suchas an increase in serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain.

This is consistent with the findings of Domangue, Margolis,

Lieverman, and Kaji (1985) that serotonin levels rose af-

ter hypnotic suggestion to reduce pain in arthritic patients.

Tellegen Absorption Sc ale

The strength of the posthypnotic condition on all three

ratings correlated high1y with the TAS. These strong cor-

relations imply that the qualities measured by the TAS

facilitate the effects of the posthypnotic condition. This

Volume 38 (3). September 2006



I

Hastings

result is consistent with findings in a study by Pekala,

Wenger, and Levine (1985), in which the TAS scores were

found to correlate with the subjective qualities of various

conditions, including inward and absorbed attention and

positive affect, qualities which w ere reported in this present

posthypno tic condition. High er TAS scores can be taken to

indicate the individual's ability to flow into the posthyp-

notic MDMA experience. It would also be expected that

individuals with low TAS scores w ould be less responsive.

Given this correlation, the TAS scale could be used for

screening for individuals who will respond to the hypnotic

technique for evoking the nondrug state. Further research

is recommended to identify other measures which corre-

late with the effectiveness of this technique.

Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility

The H GSHS showed no correlation with the main post-

hypnotic effect in Grou p 1, and for this reason it was omittedfor Group 2. Several participants comp lained that the items

of the scale distracted them, and on e said he was helped torelax. It may be that the 40-year-old language and chal-

lenge tests of the HGSHS were dissonant with the

participants, some of whom w ere familiar with guided vi-

sualization, Jungian active imagination, and other ev ocative

subjective practices. On the othe r hand, the hyp nosis itself

appeared to be effective, and the TAS has been correlated

with hypnotic susceptibility, so a plausible suggestion is

that this particular administration did not adequately as-

sess the hypno tic suggestibility of the participants, whether

because of the inappropriateness of the instrument for the

group or some aspect of the presentation. Other measures

of hypnotic susceptibility could be explored in future re-

search.

Brain-Mind Issues

Changes in subjective states, according to the physi-

cal red uctionistic paradigm, are assum ed to be the result of

chemical and mechanical chan ges in the brain. These physi-

cal events bring about changes in conscious experiences:

MDM A enters the bloodstream a nd affects the brain to pro-

duce the altered state of consciousness. However, in this

experiment there was no M DMA , and the causes were not

physical, but words and symbols. Yet, the state of conscious -

ness appears to be the same. Obvious questions about

interactions between the brain and conscious experience

are raised by this study, which im plies that the effects of

the drug are not necessarily dependent on the presence of

the drug itself. This poses the ques tion of what is happen-

ing.That the brain is producing MDMA is unlikely, be-

cause the chemical is not one that the body produces

naturally. One theory might be that some reserves ofMDMA from a previous experience have been stored in

the body in some way and are released by the hypnoticsuggestions, but there is no research that would support


Posthypnotic M DMA-Like Experience

the idea of ce llular storage. Further, there appear to be no

differences arising from length of time since previous

MDMA experiences. Since one would expect body stores

to decline over time, this evidence speaks ag ainst the post-

hypnotic condition being caused by residues of the drug

being reactivated.

Hypnotic suggestions can affect physical conditions,

physiology, sensations, perception, em otions, and thought

processes. The mechanisms for these actions are not un-

derstood, and to attribute the effects to hypnosis is

explaining one unknown with another. However, the paths

of mechanism in each case could have some similar ele-

ments. It could be that the hypnotic sugge stions affect the

chemical and physical states of the brain to cause the same

changes as does MDMA, thus producing the similar con-

dition. Another possibility is that the qualities of the MDM A

state are remem bered at a higher cortical level of brain func-

tioning and are reproduced in or superimposed on consciousexperience w ithout necessarily affec ting the physical sub-

strate (as the drug does).An intriguing and open question is w hether the post-

hypnot ic condi t ion was real ly the same as an

MD MA -produced experience. Was it similar, that is, hav-

ing qualities with some resemblance, or was it identical

(except perhaps for the blood chem istry)? The term "simi-

lar" is ambiguous in these matters. From an empirical

standpoint, there are no accepted objective criteria (e.g.,

physiological measures) that are logically necessary andsufficient to establish the presence of a subjective MDM A

expe rience. Even a condition produced by the drug can vary

from individua l to individual, so one can not identify "the"

MDM A experien ce. 'There have been no detailed studies

of the phenomenology of MD MA or its altered state con-figuration that could be used for c ompar ison. This researchis the only one we know of that uses this method of analy-

sis to compare a contrived state with one produced byMDMA. In the model used by Tart (1975), a state of con-

sciousness is composed by various subsystems such as

memory, perception, emotions, and perception arrang ed ina particular configuration. The level and content of the sys-

tems becomes the criteria for the state of consciousness.

The phenomenology of these conditions deserves further

attention, and the phenomenological approach used here

could be applied to psychiatric drugs and add ictive experi-

ences as well.

Limitations

The positive results found in this research can not be

expande d to a general population. This was a select group,

in terms of having personal experience with M DM A, in its

familiarity with self reflection, and in the mem bers' inter-

est in working with an MDMA-like experience. Further,

there were deg rees of e ffect, and variations in the configura-tion of the phenomenology, even among the 12 participants,

so it can be assumed that with a wider demographic and

2!81 Volume 38 (3). September 2006





correlations were found among three Likert scale measures

of the strength of the posthypn otic con dition, and these were

in agreement with qualitative reports of the participants.

The Tellegen Absorption Scale correlated with differing

levels of response. The length of the posthy pno tic MDM A

experien ce was determined by the hyp notic suggestions and

the strength remained stable during the hour. The method -

ological technique of rating the elements of the evoked

condition enabled phenom enological mapping of the ex-

perience. The posthypnotic condition appears to be useful

in facilitating tasks such as problem solving, personal re-

Posthypnotic MDMA-Like Experience

flection, and interpersonal com mun ication, with the under-

standing that this applies to people who have already had

experience with M DMA . The findings raise intriguing is-

sues about mind-body relations. Implications for the use

of this technique for psychotherapy, chemotherapy, phar-

macological t reatment, and addict ion appear worth

pursuing. Further refinement of the posthypnotic appro ach,

applications of the phenomenological analysis, identifica-

tion of other psychological correlates of the main effect,

and health applications are suggested.

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Volume 38 (3). September 2006

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Arthur Hastings- An Extended Nondrug MDMA-Like Experience Evoked Through Posthypnotic Suggestion