Towards a dynamic processual model of psychedelic microdosing.
Jason Hughes, Joshua Stuart-bennett, Michael Dunning, Hannah Farrimond
The International journal on drug policy February 1, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104691 via PubMed
Summary
Psychedelic microdosing is increasingly popular for therapeutic and self-enhancement purposes, but little is known about the user pathways involved. A study of 23 participants identified key phases in their microdosing journeys, including 'Awareness/Discovery', 'Research/Reframing', 'Access/Supply', 'Experimentation/Differentiation', 'Independence/Incorporation', and 'Expansion/Advocacy'. These pathways are multilinear and highlight shifts towards greater independence and temporal expansiveness, requiring significant effort to manage stigma, maintain supply, and document experiences.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 23 |
| Population | participants actively microdosing, about to start, or past users of microdosing |
| Key finding | User pathways in and out of microdosing are multilinear and differentiated, highlighting shifts towards greater independence and temporal expansiveness. |
Abstract
Existing research highlights an increase in psychedelic microdosing, particularly for therapeutic purposes and as a means for self-enhancement. However, we know little about the different routes into and out of microdosing, particularly by those who do not consume other illicit substances, and of the processes involved in the development, maintenance, and cessation of practices. Drawing upon a trans-national interview-based study of 23 participants actively microdosing (n = 19), about to start (n = 3), or who were past users (n = 1), we develop a phased-based analysis of different user pathways. We identify key phases as: 'Awareness/Discovery', where participants became aware of microdosing; 'Research/Reframing', where they researched access, techniques, and undertook 'stigma work' to reframe risks; 'Access/Supply' where they sought reliable and safe sources of psychedelics and cultivated attitudes/practices/substances for longer-term use; 'Experimentation/Differentiation' where participants altered dosing levels/schedules and, inter-relatedly, differentiated 'effects' and 'benefits'; 'Independence/Incorporation' where they stabilised practices into patterns 'right for them'; and 'Expansion/Advocacy' where microdosing was linked to greater inter- and intrapersonal 'expansiveness'. Pathways in and out of microdosing are multilinear and differentiated. Nonetheless, a dynamic processual approach helps highlight the overall structure of changes involved which, we find, can entail a shift towards greater temporal and relational 'expansiveness', greater independence, and more incorporated practices. These shifts necessitated considerable 'work' variously to negate stigma, maintain supply, determine dose, document shifts, and other kinds of material-symbolic 'investment'. We also show the significance of processual/phased-based models beyond psychedelics to better understand drug-use journeys and temporalities which confound conventional dependency-focused paradigms.