Mark Groeneveld
@mgroeneveld.bsky.social
Writing "Open MDMA: An Evidence-Based Synthesis, Theory, and Manual for MDMA Therapy Based on Predictive Processing, Complex Systems, and the Defense Cascade" https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/aps5g
The answers seem to have a large influence on whether a lot of people can casually try MDMA-therapy without major support planning, or try solo MDMA-therapy. It would be great if it was predictable!
October 29, 2025 at 9:38 PM
The answers seem to have a large influence on whether a lot of people can casually try MDMA-therapy without major support planning, or try solo MDMA-therapy. It would be great if it was predictable!
I was rereading Halpern and was reminded they calculate maximum possible effect size at p=0.05 for heavy (60<trips) users vs non users in table 4, and all the numbers are moderate effect sizes. So they acknowledge that they don't rule out adverse effects for heavy users.
October 28, 2025 at 1:41 AM
I was rereading Halpern and was reminded they calculate maximum possible effect size at p=0.05 for heavy (60<trips) users vs non users in table 4, and all the numbers are moderate effect sizes. So they acknowledge that they don't rule out adverse effects for heavy users.
Thanks, this is really interesting! It seems to somewhat contradict Halpern's influential study on the Mormon ravers, which was notable for studying a group of MDMA users with very low use of other drugs. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
October 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Thanks, this is really interesting! It seems to somewhat contradict Halpern's influential study on the Mormon ravers, which was notable for studying a group of MDMA users with very low use of other drugs. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that.
I feel that describing the phenomenon as a cessation of consciousness is presumptuous, since it's not possible to determine whether subjective awareness is truly absent. The self-reported memory of a perception of non-consciousness could instead be memory disruption.
September 23, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I feel that describing the phenomenon as a cessation of consciousness is presumptuous, since it's not possible to determine whether subjective awareness is truly absent. The self-reported memory of a perception of non-consciousness could instead be memory disruption.
It sounds like the sort of thing Daniel Ingram talks about in Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. Events on the progress of insight. Maybe starting the path?
September 15, 2025 at 11:28 AM
It sounds like the sort of thing Daniel Ingram talks about in Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. Events on the progress of insight. Maybe starting the path?
Thanks. I downloaded the paper PDF and saw that when I zoomed in on some of the figures the axis labels were too fuzzy to read. Figure 2A for example.
September 3, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Thanks. I downloaded the paper PDF and saw that when I zoomed in on some of the figures the axis labels were too fuzzy to read. Figure 2A for example.
Can you at least give an order-of-magnitude timeline? Days, weeks, months? I need to know if I need to find an alternative hosting site, how much effort I should put into contacting people who were depending on the OSF DOI working, etc.
August 19, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Can you at least give an order-of-magnitude timeline? Days, weeks, months? I need to know if I need to find an alternative hosting site, how much effort I should put into contacting people who were depending on the OSF DOI working, etc.
3) Showing logged-out readers an accurate explanation of why the article is not available instead of "page not found." 4) Explaining how long moderation will take.
August 19, 2025 at 6:56 PM
3) Showing logged-out readers an accurate explanation of why the article is not available instead of "page not found." 4) Explaining how long moderation will take.
I only found out about this by accident when I couldn't access my preprint. I would like to strongly suggest 1) Notifying users about the switch (preferably in advance) 2) Explaining the switch on a preprint's webpage
August 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I only found out about this by accident when I couldn't access my preprint. I would like to strongly suggest 1) Notifying users about the switch (preferably in advance) 2) Explaining the switch on a preprint's webpage
What is the title of the paper? The link expired.
August 15, 2025 at 4:44 PM
What is the title of the paper? The link expired.
During my first MDMA therapy session I had the deeply felt insight that craving and aversion (prediction error?) was the root of all suffering. I also thought that if I could just understand everything correctly I wouldn't suffer any more.
August 8, 2025 at 4:53 PM
During my first MDMA therapy session I had the deeply felt insight that craving and aversion (prediction error?) was the root of all suffering. I also thought that if I could just understand everything correctly I wouldn't suffer any more.
4) Reviewing most practically-relevant aspects of MDMA therapy in the form of a manual
August 1, 2025 at 1:21 AM
4) Reviewing most practically-relevant aspects of MDMA therapy in the form of a manual
3) Framing practically-useful MDMA therapy in terms of that mechanistic synthesis
August 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM
3) Framing practically-useful MDMA therapy in terms of that mechanistic synthesis
2) Synthesizing multiple mechanistic frameworks of mental illness and therapeutic change into an integrated whole
August 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM
2) Synthesizing multiple mechanistic frameworks of mental illness and therapeutic change into an integrated whole
I think it really shines in:
1) Theorizing the interface between MDMA therapy and predictive processing
1) Theorizing the interface between MDMA therapy and predictive processing
August 1, 2025 at 1:20 AM
I think it really shines in:
1) Theorizing the interface between MDMA therapy and predictive processing
1) Theorizing the interface between MDMA therapy and predictive processing
I know you got MDMA.
July 11, 2025 at 11:05 AM
I know you got MDMA.
I also resonated with your hindsight description of how valuable it was to you. I think I would have accepted a 50% chance of death for MDMA therapy. Without it I probably wouldn't have managed my relationship with my partner, might not be alive anyway, etc.
July 11, 2025 at 12:44 AM
I also resonated with your hindsight description of how valuable it was to you. I think I would have accepted a 50% chance of death for MDMA therapy. Without it I probably wouldn't have managed my relationship with my partner, might not be alive anyway, etc.
I love your article. One of the reasons I never applied for a trial was because I also felt like I couldn't cope with the chance of getting placebo.
July 10, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I love your article. One of the reasons I never applied for a trial was because I also felt like I couldn't cope with the chance of getting placebo.
What documents establish that Erik Ahlbrand is Sasha Sisko?
July 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM
What documents establish that Erik Ahlbrand is Sasha Sisko?
That's been my consistent experience too. Similarly, MDMA seems to facilitate some type of extraordinary prediction error that can reconsolidate most, if not all maladaptive fear and anger responses.
June 30, 2025 at 6:19 PM
That's been my consistent experience too. Similarly, MDMA seems to facilitate some type of extraordinary prediction error that can reconsolidate most, if not all maladaptive fear and anger responses.
Will we be able to watch recordings? I'm quite interested.
June 27, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Will we be able to watch recordings? I'm quite interested.
Could be an artifact of which patients responded to the long term followup. It's unclear because they haven't published the paper yet, just some powerpoint slides.
June 20, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Could be an artifact of which patients responded to the long term followup. It's unclear because they haven't published the paper yet, just some powerpoint slides.