Renowned journalist Lisa Ling has opened up about her past experiences with electronic dance music, drugs and underground rave culture for a new piece on CNN. Titled “I Was A 90s Rave Queen,” Ling explains how ecstasy and underground raves in the 90s became a form of release for her. She was a tremendously hard worker since high school and even put herself through college, during which time she was also working as a TV reporter covering global issues. She was never into alcohol or pot, but when she attended these raves, “the weights I carried on my shoulders started to dissipate with ease,” she explains.
“Once inside, pulsating music filled the room, often with surreal, holographic images projected onto the walls,” she continues. “Attendees dressed in outlandish costumes, and whistles, glow sticks, gum and pacifiers were key staples of the soirees.”
The War Between Drugs, Safety, And The Law At Music Festivals
Ling’s essay delves into how she got involved with ecstasy.
“The first time I was offered ‘E,’ or Ecstasy, I was assured by close friends who had previously taken it that it was not addictive,” she discusses. “None of those friends were regular consumers of illegal narcotics and in fact, were all very responsible people…When the drug kicked in, an incomparable feeling of joy overwhelmed my senses. Worries fluttered away and euphoria filled my soul and my heart. The intense beats of the electronic music penetrated every part of my body.”
She further details her experiences with the party drug, both positive and negative, and how she sees people these days at mass EDM events sometimes taking it too lightly and too far. “For most people, MDMA is far less dangerous that the majority of Schedule I drugs (drugs that are banned by the federal government because they are considered to have no therapeutic value). Problems arise when people overconsume the drug, don’t take into consideration whether something has been altered with other substances, or when they have pre-existing heart issues.”
The piece is a preview for a segment on CNN, airing tonight, 11/4, on This Is Life With Lisa Ling at 9 PM EST, which deals with Mysteryland and the Bunk Police’s smuggling of testing kits. Read the complete essay here.