Globalization
of Ecstasy as a Popular Culture
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Researcher: |
Becca Smyczynski email-bratski895@aol.com |
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Topic Description: |
To examine and discuss the ever growing industry of ecstasy all around the world. Specifically in the United States, Japan, England and Peru and discuss how each is using or not using ecstasy, and show how the world of drugs has turned into a popular culture. |
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Discussion of Topic: |
The discussion of the drug MDMA that we have all learned as ecstasy has become very overpowering at times in the news on television and in every club almost everywhere. Ecstasy came into light in 1912 in Germany. The drug was invented by, Merck Pharmaceutical company under the name MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine). Psychotherapists later rediscovered it in the 1970’s whom used it as a form of treatment to help get the patient to open up and enhance communication. In the early 1980’s MDMA emerged as ecstasy as a so-called “club drug”. As a “club drug” ecstasy was mostly seen in all night dance parties, which we have come to know as “raves”. Ecstasy has been used for many different reasons by many different types of individuals, some of them college student and many of them much younger or older. Some of the individuals that experiment with ecstasy use it because of the way that it makes them feel and others use it for religious purposes. The feeling that you encounter when you are under the influence of ecstasy can vary depending on the individual and the surroundings that are encountered while you are, as it is said, “rolling”. What the drug does is very simple, but very difficult to describe. The drug combines stimulation and relaxation. The feelings that are brought on by taking ecstasy can go from one extreme to the other, from, empathy, openness, caring, and peace, to, paranoia, and sleep. These affects vary depending on the environment that the user is in and what state of mind they are in. Sometimes even the individual’s genetic make up can affect the experience. When ecstasy is used in a setting that is peaceful and personal the affects can be very surreal. The feelings can very from inner peace, to opening a part of the individual that would not otherwise by acknowledged. Such as traumatic memories that were suppressed for many years because they were too painful to face. Also, the individual may experience insights into what is really happening in their life. When ecstasy is used in a setting such as a “rave” some of the effects that would or could be felt in a peaceful setting may not be experienced. There are other kinds of effects that are met when you mix the drug and other people. When there is a combination of ecstasy, music, and dancing there is said to be a tingling feeling all over the body. Also, the feeling of complete openness with in a large group, no one is embarrassed or ashamed of how they are acting. It is said to help people come out of their shells so to speak. Ecstasy is also used for spiritual or religious reasons. There are a number of individuals that believe in the value of ecstasy for their own personal enlightenment and to help them teach others. It is also believed that dancing on ecstasy can be a spiritual experience. Used for a spiritual or religious reason ecstasy is usually taken either alone or within a small group of individuals that are like-minded. Ecstasy has many different names such as, MDMA, XTC, Go, Disco Biscuit, Cristal, X, Adam, and Hug Drug (Drug Facts). |
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Method(s): |
In researching the globalization of ecstasy as a popular culture within, the United States, Japan, England, and Peru I used many of techniques. Some of which turned out to be dead ends and others that were successful. I used the library resource section to find any articles that I could that pertain to the subject. There were not many that I thought had enough information or any information that I would like to use. So in turn I ended up using the internet for my source of information. On the internet I found numerous articles that were very helpful and filled with information. I also talked with a couple of different people that have experienced ecstasy first hand, and their information helped me to back up the facts and other information that I had found. |
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Findings and Data: |
United States Japan England Peru
UNITED STATES The use is
for the majority of the individuals to gain the feeling of the unreal experience.
The love and empathy that they feel from taking ecstasy. The individuals that
I talked with that have experimented with ecstasy and also the individuals
that did the drug repeatedly, said that “I had never felt so good in my whole
life the feelings emotionally and physically are indescribable.” JAPAN Ecstasy is
also a popular culture in Japan, whether individuals that want to experience
the feelings that it brings on use it for spiritual reasons. There are just as many people in Japan that
experiment with the drug. Ecstasy is used by many different groups of people,
those that use it for personal reasons and there are also those that use
ecstasy for religious or spiritual reasons. Ecstasy is
also used in religious situations often in Japan. The drug is used by some of
the followers of Zen. It is used to help aid meditation and concentration. “Meditation
goes wonderfully with drugs” (Saunders). Ecstasy has also become a major problem for
the military. Ecstasy is the fastest rising problem that the military faces. “Within
the last year, at least 10 Pacific-based service members have been
court-martialed- or tired in Japanese court- in ecstasy-related cases,
highlighting the worldwide problem” (McVey). ENGLAND Ecstasy us
also a popular culture in London, England and all over the rest of Europe. “The
‘rave’ scene started on the hippy holiday of Ibiza in 1987, where ecstasy
joined LSD and hashish at all-night dance parties. In England ‘raves’ took
the form of both outdoor and warehouse parties” (Saunders). The patterns of
use in England contrast American use in both kind and volume; this is what
accounts for the higher number of casualties in the United States. Individual
that are participating in religious or spiritual activities also uses ecstasy
in England. A rabbi at the West London Synagogue rapidly praised Saunders
when he visited him in the Synagogue explaining to him that he agrees that
ecstasy can be a very helpful tool spiritually. The main
difference in England is that Europe is one of the largest suppliers of ecstasy
to the United States and other areas of the world. PERU Ecstasy is
also a popular culture in Peru. There are many accounts in which the drug is
being used in the social setting. One of the individuals moved to the United
States two years ago and he said, “it is easier to get drugs such as X in
Peru, than it is to buy a pack of cigarettes in the US if you are under age.” |
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Conclusions: |
Overall ecstasy
is definitely a popular culture across the board. The examination of the four
different countries the majority of the information or facts was very
similar. The drug MDMA, ecstasy is used by a large group of different types
of people for a number of different reasons. In anything there is in life
different types of individuals see the world in a different was, and usually
have different assumptions. In this case the views and assumptions are very closely
related. There are
many different reasons that individuals engage in taking ecstasy and the
function that it serves for each person is different. The effects on each
person, so there is really no way of telling what it is that it dose to each
person. It is
considered a popular culture because of the amount of people that use the
ecstasy and the amount of people in different areas of the world that also
use it. There are millions of individuals that experiment with or have experimented
with ecstasy, all around the world. As ecstasy was brought into the world in
1912, it then disappeared and was brought back to life in the 1970’s for
medical reasons. It took only ten years for individuals to began to play
around with the idea of ecstasy and the experimenting began. Here we are
twenty years later still looking at the drug MDMA, ecstasy and trying to
figure out why it is that it has become so popular. Ecstasy is
just like all other drugs, there are certain people that enjoy doing them and
that may not ever change. All we can do is sit back and watch as the ever-growing
industry of drugs grows even more. |
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References: |
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