As dawn approached on October 7, 2023, many attendees of the Nova music festival near Gaza's border were under the influence of illegal recreational drugs such as MDMA or LSD. When Hamas gunmen launched an attack shortly after sunrise, researchers are now exploring whether MDMA—also known as ecstasy—might have helped some survivors cope psychologically in the aftermath.
Preliminary findings from a study by scientists at Israel's Haifa University indicate that MDMA was associated with more positive mental states, both during the attack and in the subsequent months. This marks a significant development in the study of psychological trauma treatment, particularly in the context of a mass trauma event that was compounded by the influence of mind-altering substances.
Tragically, during the attack, 360 people were killed and many more kidnapped from a crowd of approximately 3,500 festival-goers. Prof. Roy Salomon, leading the research effort, highlighted the unique conditions under which this data was collected, noting, "We had people hiding under the bodies of their friends for hours while on LSD or MDMA."
The research involved tracking the psychological responses of more than 650 survivors, most of whom were high on various recreational substances, including MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin, at the time of attack. The findings revealed that survivors under the influence of pure MDMA displayed significantly reduced mental distress and improved sleep quality in the months following the horrific event.
The study posits that pro-social hormones triggered by MDMA, such as oxytocin, may have diminished feelings of fear and enhanced feelings of camaraderie during the attack. This psychological effect seemingly fostered a greater openness to support and affection from friends and family once the survivors returned home.
However, the study’s findings come with caveats as they are limited to survivors and do not encapsulate the experiences of those who did not survive. Michal Ohana, a festival survivor, remarked on the life-saving impact of being high during the attack, stating that she might have "frozen or collapsed" without the drug.
In the context of clinical research, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is being explored as a treatment for PTSD, with Australia currently being the only country to approve it for this purpose. In contrast, the FDA in the United States has raised concerns over potential long-term benefits and risks associated with the drug, which is classified as a Class A substance in the UK.
Psychologists in Israel have begun investigating MDMA’s therapeutic potential amidst trauma, particularly in relation to military veterans suffering from PTSD. Initial findings from the Nova attack study are being carefully monitored by Israeli clinicians, while some are challenged by the ethical implications of administering MDMA during ongoing conflicts.
Following the October attacks, Israeli society has undergone a profound shift in its perception of trauma, recognizing the collective psychological toll of generations of conflict. As trauma specialists in Israel face an influx of clients dealing with diverse psychological issues, including collective and combat trauma, the mental health challenges are mirrored within Gaza, where war has left countless individuals grieving, wounded, or displaced.
As tensions remain high with the expiration of the ceasefire agreement, survivors such as Michal Ohana express the difficulty of moving forward in their daily lives. She poignantly articulated, "I wake up with this, and I go to sleep with this," highlighting the ongoing struggle of those affected by the tragedy as societal expectations shift.
