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Psychedelics as a Path to Social Learning

New research shows that MDMA, the drug known as Ecstasy, can help mice become more open to being with others and learning about them.

How do psychedelic drugs work? And can psychedelic experiences teach you something? People often say that these experiences are important, revelatory, life-changing. But how exactly does adding a chemical to your brain affect your mind?

The renaissance of scientific psychedelic research may help to answer these questions. A new study in the journal Nature by Gul Dolen at Johns Hopkins University and her colleagues explored how MDMA works in mice. MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, is the illegal and sometimes very dangerous “love...