It is consumed primarily for its euphoric and empathogenic effects.

It produces stimulant effects but with no psychedelic or empathogenic action.

Interest in ecstasy has centred on its "empathogenic" effects, fostering a sense of well-being and warmth towards family and friends.

Their effects on the central nervous system are diverse, but can be summarized by three overlapping types of activity: psychoanaleptic, hallucinogenic and empathogenic.

The latter property is responsible for its psychedelic effects, whereas the former mediates its mood-lifting and empathogenic effects.

The general course of effects involves primarily empathogenic effects for the first few hours, which fades out as increased stimulation develops over the next several hours.

The empathogenic effects of these drugs are thought to be related to their ability to temporarily increase the levels of certain brain chemicals, including serotonin, dopamine, and, especially, oxytocin.

Myristicin is a psychoactive drug, acting as an anticholinergic, and is the traditional precursor for the psychedelic and empathogenic drug MMDA.

Its effects have been described anecdotally as comparable with ethanol (alcohol) and MDMA use, such as euphoria, disinhibition, enhanced libido and empathogenic states.

In addition, MDMA has entactogenic properties (increase in introspective ability) and empathogenic properties (ability to put oneself in someone else’s place and understand what they feel).

Because these compounds selectively release serotonin in the brain but have little effect on dopamine or noradrenaline levels, they can produce empathogenic effects but without any stimulant action, instead being somewhat sedating.

For example, both methamphetamine and MDMA are substituted amphetamines, but methamphetamine has a much stronger stimulant action than MDMA, with none of the latter's empathogenic effects.

MDMA (contracted from 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) is a psychoactive drug of the substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamine and substituted amphetamine classes of drugs that is consumed primarily for its euphoric and empathogenic effects.