White supremacist claims taking ecstasy helped change his racist views
The illegal party drug MDMA – also known as ecstasy – may have led to an astonishing turnaround for a former white supremacist, according to one study. The man, referred to only by his first name, Brendan, took MDMA in February 2020 as part of an University of Chicago research project about whether the drug increased the pleasantness of social touch, Rachel Nuwer, author of new book I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World, wrote for the BBC. Brendan had become indoctrinated into white supremacy while at university in Illinois and gone on to become active within extremist circles, even attending the infamous 2017 rally in Charlottesville and taken on midwestern leadership roles within his organisation. After using MDMA and filling out the standard questionnaire at the end of the study, run by psychiatry and behavioral science professor Harriet de Wit, he added in bold letters: “This experience has helped me sort out a debilitating personal issue. Google my name. I now know what I need to do,’” Ms Nuwer reported. Upon googling his name and realizing his connection to white supremacy, the researchers contacted Brendan to ensure his cryptic message did not refer to violence or other worrying behaviour – but he told a research assistant: ‘Love is the most important thing. Nothing matters without love,” Ms Nuwer wrote. Prof de Wit, speaking to the author nearly two years later, still expressed astonishment at the results. “Isn’t that amazing?” she said. “It’s what everyone says about this damn drug, that it makes people feel love. To think that a drug could change somebody’s beliefs and thoughts without any expectations – it’s mind-boggling.” The use of MDMA and psychedelics such as psilocybin – the hallucinogenic component in magic mushrooms – is gaining traction in the medical community, showing promising results for the treatment of disorders such as PTSD and alcoholism. Brendan later told the author that the MDMA “helped me see things in a different way that no amount of therapy or antiracist literature ever would have done. “I really think it was a breakthrough experience,” he said, while explaining that many white supremacists had used MDMA previously and the drug alone was unlikely to spontaneously change minds. Ms Nuwer’s new book explores the uses of MDMA and whether it could “transform people’s beliefs too”. “MDMA does not seem to be able to magically rid people of prejudice, bigotry, or hate on its own,” she wrote. “But some researchers have begun to wonder if it could be an effective tool for pushing people who are already somehow primed to reconsider their ideology toward a new way of seeing things. While MDMA cannot fix societal-level drivers of prejudice and disconnection, on an individual basis it can make a difference. In certain cases, the drug may even be able to help people see through the fog of discrimination and fear that divides so many of us.” Read More Oregon's magic mushroom experiment steps toward reality Psychedelic drugs to treat depression without causing hallucinations may finally be near ‘Mystical’ experience using psychedelics may improve mental health, study reveals Dealer who bought 100,000 paracetamol he thought were diazepam given away by blue lips Psychedelic drug trip improves symptoms of depression for six months, breakthrough study finds Trump can’t bully his way out of his latest legal woes | Andrew Feinberg The 25-year-old party chairwoman who wants to turn North Carolina blue Trump floats special counsel conspiracy as he claims Fox abandoned ‘King’ of Maga
2023-06-18 01:25
Alibaba Co-Founder Jack Ma Appears at Company Event in Hangzhou
Jack Ma, the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder who has largely stepped back from the company, made an
2023-06-18 01:15
New 'Spider-Man' Movie Contains Great Reference to LeBron James And Dwyane Wade
Outstanding.
2023-06-18 00:25
Canada vs. USA - Nations League final preview: TV channel/live stream, team news & prediction
Previewing the Nations League final between Canada and USA.
2023-06-18 00:22
Guardians vs. Diamondbacks prediction and odds for Saturday, June 17 (Bet on Shane Bieber)
The Cleveland Guardians are just 2.5 games out of first place in the AL Central, and they could use a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are in first place in the NL West in order to bolster their standing.Arizona is 7-3 in its last 10 games, but it could be at a disadvantage in this game...
2023-06-18 00:17
Damaged I-95 Stretch to Reopen Within Two Weeks, Governor Says
A collapsed Interstate 95 bridge in Philadelphia is expected to reopen within the next two weeks, Pennsylvania Governor
2023-06-18 00:16
Every player released by Premier League clubs this summer
A full list of all the players released by Premier League clubs at the end of the 2022/23 season.
2023-06-17 23:55
Trump news – live: Trump floats special counsel conspiracy as he claims Fox News abandoned ‘King’ of Maga
Former president Donald Trump began his weekend by lashing out against his long list of enemies, ranting on Truth Social about Biden family conspiracies, the federal indictment against him, and perceived disloyalty at Fox News. The outburst comes after a week of embarassment. On Tuesday, Mr Trump visited the iconic Versailles restaurant in Miami after being arraigned on 37 federal charges and bombastically announced that there would be “food for all.” There was just one problem: according to a report in the Miami New Times, Mr Trump never picked up the tab… Mr Trump’s visit to the Cuban restaurant functioned largely as a campaign stop after he spent the morning in federal court on charges that he mishandled classified documents and impeded the government’s attempts to get them back. The fallout from his arraignment that day continues, with fellow Republicans torn over how to respond to the party’s defacto leader being charged with federal crimes. Read More Trump declared ‘food for all’ in post-arrest stop at Miami cafe – but reportedly skipped bill Donald Trump scores rare legal win as DA drops golf course tax probe Trump's promise of payback for prosecution follows years of attacking democratic traditions Is Donald Trump going to prison?
2023-06-17 23:52
Binance.US Reaches Agreement With SEC to Avoid Full Asset Freeze
Binance.US and the US Securities and Exchange Commission reached an agreement that avoids a total asset freeze at
2023-06-17 23:22
Rays vs. Padres prediction and odds for Saturday, June 17 (Value on total)
San Diego Padres left-handed pitcher Blake Snell gets to face his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, and he’s been one of the hotter pitchers in all of baseball.Snell (2-6, 3.78 ERA) has been great since the start of May, posting a 2.93 ERA in eight starts.He takes on Rays st...
2023-06-17 22:28
Best MLB prop bets today (Kodai Senga prop, NRFI bet to make on Saturday)
There’s a full slate of baseball on Saturday to dive into, and I’ve targeted two games for my favorite prop plays of the day.After hitting a NRFI bet on Thursday, I’m going back to the well with a play in the Tampa Bay Rays-San Diego Padres matchup.https://twitter.com/peter...
2023-06-17 22:25
South Korea: Police remove Daegu city officials trying to stop LGBT festival
City workers, led by the mayor, clash with police after trying to stop the annual pride event.
2023-06-17 22:18
