Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
May 21, 2022
Vince Polito, Paul Liknaitzky
110 citations
A systematic review of 44 studies on microdosing psychedelics, published between 1955 and 2021, finds that laboratory studies show changes in pain perception, time perception, conscious state, and neurophysiology, while self-report studies indicate changes in cognitive processing and mental health. The studies varied widely in risk of bias. The authors argue that claims attributing microdosing effects largely to expectancy are premature and possibly wrong. They also clarify definitional inconsistencies by suggesting dose ranges for different substances and provide design suggestions for more rigorous future research.
Scientific Reports
November 18, 2021
Joseph M. Rootman, Pamela Kryskow, Kalin Harvey et al.
78 citations
Among self-selected users of a mobile app, people who microdose psychedelics (mostly psilocybin, 85%) were similar demographically to non-microdosers but more often reported a history of mental health concerns. Within that group, microdosers had lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress across genders. Health and wellness motives were the most common reasons for microdosing, especially among women and those with mental health concerns. The findings highlight a need for rigorous longitudinal research on microdosing's mental health effects.
Brain sciences
January 13, 2021
Gemma Perry, Vince Polito, William Forde Thompson
52 citations
Chanting, a rhythmic and repetitive vocalization used across many cultures for spiritual, healing, and communal purposes, often induces mystical states—altered states of consciousness marked by profound peace. An international survey of 464 regular chanters from 33 countries found that 60% experienced mystical states during chanting. Those who reported such states scored higher on measures of absorption, altruism, and religiosity than those who did not. Mystical experiences were especially characterized by positive mood and a sense of ineffability. No differences in mystical state prevalence emerged between vocal and silent chanting, group and individual practice, or across different chanting traditions. The findings propose a framework for understanding mystical states during chanting.
Brain Sciences
October 27, 2022
Gemma Perry, Vince Polito, Narayan Sankaran et al.
32 citations
Chanting, the rhythmic vocalization or mental repetition of a sound or phrase, is associated with altered states of consciousness and cognitive benefits, which in turn relate to quality of life. A global survey of 456 English-speaking regular chanters from 32 countries found that stronger intentionality (devotion, intention, sound) and higher engagement (experience, practice duration, regularity) predicted more mystical experiences, flow states, and mindfulness, and less mind wandering. Call-and-response chanters reported more mystical experiences, while repetitive prayer was linked to less mind wandering. The effects on quality of life were indirect, through altered states and cognitive benefits.
Consciousness and cognition
December 1, 2010
Vince Polito, Robyn Langdon, Jac Brown
31 citations
Pre-existing beliefs and emotional traits shape how people interpret unusual sensory experiences. In a study of 55 participants who took part in an unfamiliar shamanic sweat lodge ceremony, those who held paranormal beliefs aligned with shamanic mythology and those who had difficulty identifying their own feelings reported more positive aspects of the altered state of consciousness. The findings indicate that an individual's characterization of anomalous experiences is nuanced by their prior beliefs and affective factors.
Biology
October 28, 2023
Blerida Banushi, Vince Polito
26 citations
Psychedelic substances may offer therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders by acting through specific cellular mechanisms. This review describes how these compounds primarily signal through the 5-HT2A receptor and promote neural plasticity via the TrkB-BDNF pathway. It also covers their effects on other receptors and pathways, as well as their potential anti-inflammatory properties. The work highlights a promising direction for developing new mental health treatments.
Journal of religion and health
December 1, 2024
Gemma Perry, Vince Polito, William Forde Thompson
17 citations
Twelve minutes of group chanting, either vocal or silent repetition of 'om,' reduces stress and anxiety while increasing feelings of social connection. In 34 participants randomly assigned to vocal or silent chanting, both forms significantly lowered cortisol levels and self-reported anxiety. Vocal chanting produced a greater decrease in self-reported anxiety than silent chanting, though cortisol reductions were similar. Altruism scores increased after both conditions, but there was no evidence that altruistic tendencies extended toward people from a different culture. The findings suggest chanting, regardless of vocalization, offers physiological and psychological benefits, with vocal chanting providing additional anxiety relief.
Journal of Psychopharmacology
June 14, 2024
Vince Polito, Paul Liknaitzky
16 citations
A rapid review of 19 placebo-controlled studies found that microdosing with LSD and psilocybin produces changes in neurobiology, physiology, subjective experience, affect, and cognition compared to placebo. The authors argue that claims microdosing is mostly a placebo are premature and possibly wrong, citing eight reasons: few controlled studies, small sample sizes, evidence of dose-dependent effects, limited dose ranges tested, possibly too-small doses, non-clinical populations only, selection bias, and small measured impact of expectancy. They conclude it is not yet possible to determine whether microdosing is a placebo.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 26, 2021
Hannah Marie Dressler, Stephen Bright, Vince Polito
12 citations
Microdosing—taking very small, sub-perceptual doses of psychedelic drugs—is associated with increases in conscientiousness and decreases in neuroticism over a 31-day period. Among 24 participants who completed both surveys, neuroticism was linked to alexithymia (difficulty identifying emotions) at baseline, and longer prior microdosing experience correlated with lower neuroticism and higher extraversion. The findings suggest that microdosing may alter typically stable personality traits.
June 4, 2023
Vince Polito, Paul Liknaitzky
2 citations
preprint
Claims that microdosing psychedelics works only through placebo effects are premature and possibly wrong, based on eight shortcomings in the existing evidence from dose-controlled studies of low-dose LSD and psilocybin. Only a small number of controlled studies exist, most with small sample sizes. There is some evidence of dose-dependent effects, but only a few doses have been tested, and those may have been too low. Studies have examined only non-clinical populations and have been susceptible to selection bias, while the measured impact of expectancy itself is small. Given these limitations, it is not yet possible to determine whether microdosing is a placebo.
December 15, 2021
Vince Polito, Paul Liknaitzky
2 citations
preprint
A systematic review of 44 studies on microdosing psychedelics, published between 1955 and 2021, found changes in pain perception, time perception, conscious state, and neurophysiology in laboratory studies, and changes in cognitive processing and mental health in self-report studies. The review argues that claims that microdosing effects are largely due to expectancy are premature and possibly wrong. It also provides suggested dose ranges to clarify definitional inconsistencies and offers design suggestions for more rigorous future research.
Biomolecules
July 3, 2026
Stefanie Enriquez‐geppert, Lisa Bevers, Arvid Rosander et al.
A review of naturally derived psilocybin finds perceived therapeutic benefits for mental health, but evidence of causal efficacy is mixed. Safety profiles are favorable yet context-dependent, with risks for vulnerable populations. Preliminary preclinical evidence suggests possible entourage effects, but human validation is lacking. Dose precision varies: purified psilocybin is most reliable, followed by standardized extracts, then alcoholic, aqueous, and whole biomass preparations. Scalable cultivation is feasible but faces sustainability challenges. Key gaps include a lack of controlled trials, longitudinal safety evaluations, and standardization. The review proposes a phased research roadmap for short-term safety studies, mid-term mechanistic and standardization efforts, and long-term integration into therapeutic, cultural, and ecological systems.
Headache
February 1, 2026
Faraidoon Haghdoost, Dilara Bahceci, Candice Delcourt et al.
Many people with cluster headache lack effective treatments. An online survey of 202 Australian adults with cluster headache found that 35% rated their treatments as not at all or somewhat ineffective, and 27% reported only partial effectiveness. The main treatment challenges were ineffectiveness (74%), side effects (54%), cost (53%), and access difficulties (39%). Among participants, 62% expressed interest in joining future clinical trials, with psilocybin being the highest-ranked treatment (66% very interested), followed by combination therapies (84% very interested or interested). The findings highlight inadequate treatment options and a strong patient interest in research, particularly on psilocybin and combination therapies.
PLoS ONE
February 6, 2019
Vince Polito, Richard J. Stevenson
People who regularly ingest very small amounts of psychedelic substances (microdosing) report minimal acute effects but claim long-term health and wellbeing benefits. In an observational study, 98 microdosers provided daily ratings of psychological functioning over six weeks; 63 also completed psychometric measures at baseline and study end. Daily ratings showed a general increase in reported psychological functioning on dosing days but limited evidence of residual effects. Pre- and post-study measures revealed reductions in depression and stress, lower distractibility, increased absorption, and increased neuroticism. A second study of 263 naïve and experienced microdosers found that participants believed microdosing would have large, wide-ranging benefits, contrasting with the limited outcomes reported by actual microdosers.