Translated from our German original by AI. The German text was researched, written, and edited by the Psychedelia Foundation team and remains the authoritative version.
From the altar to an underground drug empire and finally to spiritual enlightenment: the documentary Prophet of Ecstasy examines the unconventional life of Michael Clegg. The former Catholic priest is regarded as the man who made MDMA available to the world and who gave the substance the nickname it carries today, “ecstasy”. The film takes its audience through Clegg’s changeable biography, from his time as a large-scale MDMA distributor to the way he lives today as an enlightened yogi.
Woven into Clegg’s story is the epic path of the substance itself, whose fate is inseparable from other key figures. The documentary portrays, among others, Carina Leveriza: a chemist and former Intel employee, recruited by Clegg to advance production and crystallisation in the underground as the substance increasingly moved beyond spiritual and therapeutic circles. Also in focus is Rick Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), who has campaigned tirelessly since 1986 for the medical recognition of psychedelics and for a legal framework around them.
The subject is rounded out by contributions from leading experts in the field. Lana Pribic (host of the Modern Psychedelics Podcast and founder of Kanna Wellness) addresses the connection between psychoactive substances and personal development. The Canadian psychologist Dr Anne Wagner (founder of Remedy) sets out the current state of the science. A leading researcher in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, she looks ahead to forthcoming MAPS-funded clinical trials.
Prophet of Ecstasy is a gripping document of its time at the intersection of art, politics, and consciousness research. The film shows vividly how a stigmatised substance developed from a sociocultural explosion in the underground into a source of hope for modern psychotherapy.
