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Meai
MEAI, or 5-methoxy-2-aminoindane, is a monoamine releasing agent of the 2-aminoindane family that acts as a selective serotonin releasing agent. It appears to have been first synthesized in 1956 and was later positioned as an alcohol substitute and "binge behaviour regulator", reaching market as the MEAI-based drink Pace in 2018. Recreational reports describe mild, short-acting psychoactivity likened to gentle inebriation without the grogginess of alcohol.
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.
Reference dosage listed as N/A. Reported single doses include 13mg with an additional 10mg added later, 15mg, and a 20mg self-experiment; the maximum dose experienced was staggered as 25mg+15mg+15mg. Redosing appears to add little: a dose of 55mg over several hours was not noticeably different, and effects plateaued around T+2.00.
Duration
Subjective Effects
Legacy content. A statistically backed ontology from Mindstate Design Labs is coming soon.
MEAI produces a mild, hazy intoxication that has been compared to being slightly drunk without the grogginess or fuzziness of alcohol. Onset is slow, with nothing felt for the first half hour and a gentle buzz emerging around the first hour, building modestly before settling into an early plateau. The experience is described as pleasant but unremarkable, with contentedness and a head buzz but no significant euphoria or intensity.
Physical
The body effects are light, consisting of a head buzz with a little sedation and dilated pupils, though not fully so. Appetite is not suppressed, unlike with many stimulants.
Cognitive
The headspace remains clear enough to hold an unimpaired conversation and to perform precise, rational thought and non-trivial tasks, while still feeling distinctly under the influence. Contentedness and a slightly merry mood are the dominant emotional features, without ego inflation.
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
MEAI is a monoamine releasing agent that acts as a modestly selective serotonin releasing agent, showing a 6-fold preference for triggering serotonin release over norepinephrine release and a 20-fold preference over dopamine release. Alongside this releasing activity, it has moderate affinity for the α2-adrenergic receptor. These properties suggest MEAI might produce MDMA-like entactogenic and sympathomimetic effects, though with potentially reduced misuse liability.
Pharmacokinetics
Interactions
An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.
Tolerance
Harm Potential
History & Culture
MEAI appears to have been first synthesized in 1956, with the broader aminoindane family of molecules perhaps first chemically described in 1980. Its molecular structure was implicitly covered by a markush structure schema in a 1998 patent, but it was not explicitly and pharmacologically described…
Legality
Article Status
Step 1 · Automated synthesisAn autonomous workflow built by Josie Kins compiled this article's foundation from information published across the web.
- Step 2 · First-pass reviewPending
Not yet reviewed — this article is pending editorial review by Lyrea.
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No one has reviewed this article's citations yet. That second pass checks each claim against the source it cites.
Recent changes7 human edits · latest
Times are UTCNewest first
24 January 2026
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
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