A recent study from the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) indicates that microdosing psychedelics may lead to short-term improvements in mood and mental functioning, but these benefits do not persist on days when the substances are not taken.
Dr. Michelle St. Pierre, a post-doctoral psychology researcher at UBCO's Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Sciences, led the research published in the journal Psychopharmacology. The study tracked daily experiences of individuals who practiced psychedelic microdosing—a practice involving ingestion of small amounts of substances such as psilocybin mushrooms or LSD.
"Most doses vary from one-tenth to one-twentieth of a recreational dose," Dr. St. Pierre says. "Typical practices alternate varying proportions of non-dosing days to limit the rapid tolerance that can develop with so-called classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD. Anecdotal reports suggest that this may also be intended to leverage residual effects that could carry over to non-dosing days."
Despite growing public interest in microdosing, Dr. St. Pierre points out that scientific studies have only begun to appear over the last 15 years, leaving much popular use unsupported by research.
The findings draw on data from Microdose.me, an international daily diary project tracking real-world microdosing behaviors among more than 1,435 participants across 49 countries. Participants reported each morning whether they had microdosed and rated feelings such as connectedness, contemplation, creativity, focus, productiveness, and wellbeing.
According to Dr. St. Pierre: "Microdosing appears to lift mood and mental functioning on the days it's practiced, but not necessarily beyond that," she adds. "These findings help clarify when and how microdosing effects are felt."
The study found little difference in day-level effects based on factors like gender or mental health history; however, those with a history of taking larger psychedelic doses showed slightly higher increases in creativity on days they microdosed.
"The only meaningful difference we observed was among people with a history of taking larger psychedelic doses, who showed slightly higher microdosing-day increases in creativity," Dr. St. Pierre says.
She further notes: "We need future research designed specifically to test whether microdosing can amplify or extend the impacts of larger-dose psychedelic experiences."
While these results build upon earlier observational work suggesting potential short-term benefits for wellbeing and cognitive performance through microdosing, Dr. St. Pierre cautions that more research is needed to determine whether these effects are due to actual pharmacological changes or simply expectations associated with taking psychedelics.
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