Narrative identity, rationality, and microdosing classic psychedelics

People who microdose classic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin describe themselves as conventional citizens who use the drugs for rational, practical reasons. Through interviews with 30 microdosers, the study found that participants emphasized the rationality of their practice by discussing practical procurement and administration, a connection to general health and wellness awareness, and the benefits of microdosing. They framed their microdosing as embracing traditional middle-class values, which created social distance between themselves and recreational drug users. Unlike recreational users who distance themselves from stigmatized groups, microdosers instead emphasize their connection to conventional citizens, which helps normalize their drug use and supports persistence.

Study at a glance

Abstract

BackgroundMicrodosing involves ingesting a small dose of a classic psychedelic (e.g., LSD and psilocybin) at regular intervals for prolonged periods. The practice is said to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and offer several creative and practical benefits to users. Using the narrative identity theoretical framework, our aim was to explore the experiences of those who microdosed classic psychedelics. Specifically, we sought to understand how and why they began microdosing and how they made sense of their actions in the context of their conventional lives.MethodsTo understand the experiences of those who microdose classic psychedelics, we rely on data collected from semi-structured interviews with 30 people who had microdosed.ResultsParticipants saw themselves as conventional citizens who microdosed for rational and instrumental purposes. They emphasized the rationality of microdosing by discussing (1) the practicality of their procurement and administration processes, (2) the connection between their microdosing practice and their general awareness in health and wellness, and (3) the benefits of the practice.ConclusionParticipants described their microdosing in the context of embracing traditional middle-class values. This created social distance between themselves and those who use drugs recreationally. While people who use drugs recreationally typically construct boundaries by distancing themselves from symbolic others (i.e., "crackheads," "meth heads," "junkies"), microdosers constructed boundaries by emphasizing connections to conventional citizens who embrace middle-class values. This connection to conventional citizens allows them to normalize their drug use and facilitates persistence.