Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out? A Typology of Psychedelic Microdosing as Technologies of the Self
Kamile Grusauskaite, Koen van Eijck
Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change July 31, 2022 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.20897/jcasc/12255 via OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelic microdosing is increasingly viewed as a tool for personal enhancement in work contexts, with individuals using it to modify their self-identity and improve focus. The study identifies three primary uses of microdosing: enhancing self-esteem and control at work, serving as a self-help technology, and promoting a lifestyle of 'slow living'. This reflects a shift in the cultural perception of iconic psychedelic drugs from the 1960s to their contemporary applications.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | individuals using psychedelic microdoses in various contexts |
| Key finding | The study identifies three different uses of psychedelic microdosing: as technology of self-esteem and control at work, as a self-help technology, and as a technology of ‘slow living’. |
Abstract
Psychedelic microdosing, or taking small doses of psychedelic substances that do not induce intoxication or altered states but rather subtle outcomes such as increased focus, has quickly become a mass media phenomenon. Many claim microdosing has become the new secret to enhancement in work contexts. Drawing from literature on psychedelic microdosing, technologies of the self, self-identity and the sociology of work and leisure, this study understands microdosing as a technology individuals introduce into their lives to modify themselves for various purposes. We explore the ways in which the 1960s iconic psychedelic drugs, that once offered turning on, tuning in and dropping out, are now finding new uses across different contexts. Taking a cultural-sociological perspective, we examine how individuals use microdoses of classic psychedelic drugs and how they make sense of microdosing in their daily lives. Based on our findings, we identify three different uses of psychedelic microdosing: (1) as technology of self-esteem and control at work, (2) as a self-help technology, and (3) as a technology of ‘slow living’.