Sociological investigations of human enhancement drugs: The case of microdosing psychedelics

Microdosing psychedelics—regularly taking very low, sub-perceptual doses of LSD or psilocybin mushrooms—has recently drawn growing public and scientific interest. This commentary examines microdosing as an emerging form of human enhancement through drugs. Drawing on multidisciplinary literature about human enhancement drugs and microdosing, the authors present a narrative overview and propose directions for future sociological research on the phenomenon, as well as outlining how such studies could contribute to various academic fields.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Microdosing psychedelics is the regular use of sub-perceptive threshold doses of substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin ('magic') mushrooms. The phenomenon has attracted increasing public and scientific attention in numerous countries in recent years. This commentary looks at microdosing psychedelics as an emerging facet of human enhancement through drugs. After presenting a narrative based on a multidisciplinary body of literature on human enhancement drugs and microdosing, the commentary maps out directions for further sociological studies of the phenomenon as well as outlining the different fields such research can contribute to.