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Original Articles

The Varieties of Ecstasy Experience: A Phenomenological Ethnography

Pages 347-354 | Published online: 27 Sep 2013
 

Abstract

Ecstasy (MDMA) has attracted widespread attention with its association as a “recreational substance” that is concentrated in club and rave settings. This paper outlines a phenomenologically grounded ethnographic study of the experiences of ecstasy users in the Sydney, Australia, area. I espouse phenomenology as a framework for describing and understanding these experiences. A number of excerpts are presented from my primary corpus of ethnographic material. For the purposes of this paper I assemble user's reports into nine thematic areas: (1) initial reactions and peaking; (2) the rush; (3) plateau; (4) coming down/scattering; (5) love; (6) peace, love, understanding, and respect; (7) connections on ecstasy; (8) unificatory experiences; (9) returning to baseline. The typical experiences presented in these reports confirm and extend interdisciplinary approaches to understanding ecstasy. I suggest that a context-specific approach that is phenomenologically attuned to user's experiences with ecstasy can contribute to the growing body of literature undertaken in the Australian and international research community.

Notes

3. A colloquial term for an outdoor party held in Australia. A Doof is an outdoor event usually held in large outdoor areas either in the country or outside of metropolitan areas. They are similar to raves, but they usually have an atmosphere of psy-trance or Goa. From the reports I collected, some ecstasy consumers felt that Doofs tend to attract participants from alternative lifestyles.

4. (NDARC) The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre is associated with the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The (EDRS) is the “ecstasy and related drugs reporting system.” See: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/search/node/edrs

5. To the best of my knowledge, the largest and most comprehensive review of this kind can be found at the http://www.maps.org, a site that is continually updated for the existing literature on MDMA and related compounds. The site http://www.erowid.com also contains detailed information on ecstasy (and most other drugs) – including several phenomenological reports (usually known as “trip reports”).

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