Microdosing: Definition, benefits, and risks

In fact, there’s the potential for microdosing to be particularly susceptible to the placebo effect. That’s because the placebo effect is linked to expectations; if you think something will have a certain effect, you are more likely to perceive that it does. Following the trial’s success, MAPS is requesting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to use three macrodoses of MDMA — alongside therapy sessions — to treat people with PTSD. After each MDMA session, participants had a 90-minute therapy session where they could discuss their experiences.

1. Microdosing with psychedelics, the practice of taking a low dose of a psychedelic every couple of days, seems to be an increasing trend among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals.
2. For instance, 57% up to 78% of the respondents that microdosed with LSD and psilocybin reported to use microdosing several times per week, ranging between 2 and 4 times per week.
3. However, despite these practices and attention by the media there is no scientific support for this to date (Glatter, 2015; Solon, 2016; Dean, 2017; Tomaszewski, 2018; Yanakieva et al., 2018).
4. The most commonly reported challenge for people who have tried microdosing is the fact that these substances are illegal.

Some research suggests that psychedelics (at full doses) may help relieve some mental health conditions including anxiety and depression. While further investigation is needed, respondents do report feeling more focused, mindful, and engaged with the world around them. Greater openness, curiosity, shifting perspectives, and overall greater feelings of creativity are commonly reported benefits. Little is known about the prevalence, effects, safety, and long-term impacts, so more research is needed to fully understand the potential help or harm that microdosing may hold. The legality of the practice depends on the substances used—two of the most popular substances are illegal, but some others can be legally microdosed. Microdosing means taking a tiny fraction of a full dose of psychedelic substances, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD or «acid») or psilocybin mushrooms (magic mushrooms).

Health Conditions

However, authorities have still classified psychedelics as illegal drugs in the United States. Additionally, most psychedelics remain illegal throughout the world, despite increasing evidence of their potential benefits in treating numerous conditions. Microdosing involves taking 5–10% of the amount necessary to induce psychoactive effects. Generally, the practice also means taking this amount at regular or semiregular intervals. While it may offer some benefits for mental health conditions, studies examining microdosing LSD are limited. Microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) involves taking a very small dose of the substance.

Another study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry asked participants via an online questionnaire about their experiences with microdosing. The participants in the study were over the age of 18 and had been diagnosed with at least one mental health condition. The results suggested that many participants felt that microdosing was more effective than some other types of conventional treatment, yet not as effective as standard doses of psychedelics. The most widely suggested practice is taking one-tenth of a regular, recreational dose of a psychedelic once every 3 days (Fadiman, 2011; thethirdwave, 2018). There is some early research on using low doses of psychedelics (for review, see Passie, 2019); however, the exact dose along with the practiced dosing schedule people use today is not known. In one, 20 healthy people were scanned with an fMRI several hours after taking a microdose of LSD or a placebo.

DAY 2 : Transition day

Microdosing with psychedelics, the practice of taking a low dose of a psychedelic every couple of days, seems to be an increasing trend among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals. Multiple anecdotal reports suggest performance enhancing effects; however, these positive reports may overshadow potential negative experiences. The present study aimed to assess motives to microdose and potential negative effects. Findings show that the majority of the respondents indeed microdose to enhance performance.

Motives and Side-Effects of Microdosing With Psychedelics Among Users

After a month everyone was surveyed about their well-being, life satisfaction, cognition, and other factors. Psychological outcomes improved significantly for people taking the psychedelics—but they also did for those downing the placebos. A handful of laboratory studies that included a small number of healthy people have sought to uncover the effects of microdosing after taking one or a few doses. The reviewers noted that some users did feel anxious or overly euphoric. Since all studies were done in healthy individuals it isn’t known whether microdosing might consistently benefit people with mental-health concerns. Between 2010 and 2013, microdosing began to gain steam in Silicon Valley coder circles, thanks in part to the preachings of LSD researcher James Fadiman.

The review also concluded that around half of the participants created their own protocol around microdosing. Another claim is that microdosing helps people quit other habits, such as smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Some people even feel as though they do not need to use simple stimulants such as coffee when they microdose. Microdosing is a relatively recent Does Alcohol Help You Sleep No, Sleep Expert Explains Why phenomenon involving taking very small doses of some popular psychedelic hallucinogens or other drugs. They rely on the existing microdosing community to take part, which, as we’ve covered, isn’t necessarily a representative sample.

If you are seeking medical advice, diagnose, or treatment, we advise you to consult a medical professional or healthcare provider. To prevent psychological habituation, he also advises taking a break of at least a month after each microdosing cycle. This is also done for safety reasons because there has been no research into the long-term effects and risks of microdosing. Day 3 is also a non-microdosing day and is considered a normal day because the substance is not active in your system anymore. By building in normal days into your microdosing routine, you avoid tolerance of the substance (requiring more each time to achieve the same effect) and create clear distinctions between the microdosing and transition days. When measuring your first microdose, make sure to use an electric scale that measures up to two decimals.