Lorde says she overcame crippling stage fright with ‘MDMA therapy.’ What is it?
- - - Lorde says she overcame crippling stage fright with 'MDMA therapy.' What is it?
Charles Trepany, USA TODAY July 1, 2025 at 7:10 AM
On her song "What Was That" from her new album "Virgin," Lorde sings about "MDMA in the back garden" blowing her pupils up.
Turns out, the psychedelic drug, also known as ecstasy or molly, has allegedly done a lot more than that for the singer.
During her recent appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," Lorde, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, revealed she overcame crippling stage fright thanks to MDMA therapy − a controversial form of therapy that involves using the substance under the guidance of mental health professionals to treat trauma.
"I had truly the most horrific stage fright, really since I was like 5, doing community theater," Lorde told host Colbert, adding that MDMA therapy "truly changed the game" for her stage fright.
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MDMA therapy − and psychedelic therapy in general − is a growing, through controversial field. While some mental health professionals have touted it as the future of treatment, particularly for issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, the FDA hasn't approved it, saying more research needs to be done.
"For a long time psychedelics have been sort of frowned upon," psychotherapist Amy Morin previously told USA TODAY. "We thought that they were more recreational drugs, but, with a closer look, we've seen they can actually be really good treatments for things like depression, anxiety, even substance abuse issues."
What is psychedelic, MDMA therapy?
Unlike typical psychiatric medication, psychedelic therapy is an elevated talk therapy experience that requires special care and supervision, Matthew W. Johnson, a senior researcher for the Center of Excellence for Psilocybin Research and Treatment at Sheppard Pratt's Institute for Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics, previously told USA TODAY.
"It's not just giving the drug," he said. "It involves a therapeutic relationship, where one is encouraged to dive into the experience and learn something from the experience they have on the substance and then to process it, integrate it (and) discuss it in the days afterwards."
Data suggests the real benefit of psychedelic therapy comes from both the experience and conscious reflection of it, Johnson added.
"It's not operating at the surface level," Johnson said. "People come out with a story. 'This is what I learned about myself. This is how I view myself now, and this is how I viewed myself before,' and there's a shift there. And that's what you don't get with typical psychiatric meds."
While this form of therapy might aid those who aren't helped by other forms of treatment, Johnson said it's important not to view psychedelic therapy as a replacement for traditional methods. Rather, he describes it as just another "tool in the toolbox" of mental health treatment.
In case you missed: The next big trend in mental health treatments? Psychedelic therapy.
Where does MDMA therapy stand now?
Despite growing interest in MDMA and other forms of psychedelic therapy, the Food and Drug Administration has held off on approving MDMA for mental health treatment.
In August 2024, the FDA rejected a California drug company's request to market MDMA combined with talk therapy as a treatment for PTSD. The federal drug regulator told San Jose, California-based Lykos Therapeutics it completed a review of the company's application but would not approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD. Instead, the federal regulator requested Lykos conduct another advanced-stage clinical study on the drug's safety and effectiveness.
More details: Psychedelic drug MDMA rejected as treatment for PTSD despite veterans' support
In June 2024, the FDA's Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9-2 against MDMA as an effective treatment for PTSD patients, and 10-1 that the drug's benefits do not outweigh its risks. During the advisory panel's discussion, members acknowledged the need for a new PTSD treatment but raised questions about the company's data and study design.
Time will tell just how mainstream MDMA therapy evolves, Lorde song or not.
Contributing: Sara M. Moniuszko, Ken Alltucker
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lorde says MDMA therapy cured her stage fright. What is it?
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