A systematic study of microdosing psychedelics
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.