Empathogen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A substance, typically psychoactive, that induces feelings of emotional connectedness and empathy toward others; a compound that enhances social bonding and openness; a chemical agent known for promoting understanding and compassion among individuals
2. A class of drugs that promote a sense of unity and enhanced emotional communication; compounds that increase empathy and interpersonal closeness; psychoactive materials causing users to feel connected and emotionally attuned to others
3. A psychoactive agent causing heightened emotional awareness and feelings of closeness; substances that stimulate empathetic responses and social warmth; compounds used to foster interpersonal empathy and reduce social barriers

Etymology: Ralph Metzner, an American psychologist, coined "empathogen" in 1983, and the word is a deliberately built compound rather than something that grew up gradually in speech. It joins "empathy", from Greek "empatheia" meaning "affection, passion" (literally "feeling into"), with the connecting vowel "-o-" and the suffix "-gen", from Greek "-genes", meaning "producing" or "giving rise to." Put together, the word describes a substance that produces empathy. The term was meant to name a class of drugs whose effect is to increase feelings of closeness and understanding toward others, a category that Metzner wanted to set apart from drugs known for hallucination or sedation. The "-gen" ending is the same one found in words like "hallogen" and "psychogen," which shows how the coinage follows a familiar pattern for naming agents that produce a particular effect.

Synonyms: entactogen, empathic drug, empathy enhancer