Psychedelic microdosing can temporarily lift mood.

Psychedelic microdosing can temporarily lift mood.

New study on microdosing psychedelics

A new study from UBC Okanagan has found that people who take microdoses of psychedelics feel better on the days they do so - but these benefits don't appear to be long-lasting.

Dr. Michelle St. Pierre, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology at UBCO, explains that the perceived benefits may be short-term and not last long.

What is Microdosing?

Microdosing involves taking small amounts of a psychedelic substance, usually magic mushrooms (which contain psilocybin) or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Most doses are between one-tenth and one-twentieth of a recreational dose. Typical practices combine varying proportions of days without a dose to limit the rapid development of tolerance that can occur with classic psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD. There are reports that this could also be to take advantage of the after-effects, which could be transferrable to days without a dose.

Dr. Michelle St Pierre, UBC Okanagan

Although interest in microdosing has grown rapidly in recent years, she points out that scientific research has only emerged in the last 15 years. This means that popular usage has exceeded scientific support.

With data from the projectMicrodose.me, the world's largest international daily diary study of microdosing, says Dr. St. Pierre said the results show that on days when they take microdoses, people are more likely to feel connected, creative, focused and productive, as well as experience greater well-being and thoughtfulness. However, these effects did not appear to persist on off-dose days.

Dr. St. Pierre adds, "Microdosing appears to improve mood and mental performance on the days it is practiced, but not necessarily beyond that." These results help clarify when and how the effects of microdosing are felt.

Study overview

More than 1,435 microdosers from 49 countries participated in the study. Each morning, participants were asked whether they had taken microdoses and rated how they felt on variables such as connectedness, thoughtfulness, creativity, focus, productivity and well-being.

The research team also examined whether these day-related effects varied depending on factors such as gender, psychiatric history, substance type, and whether participants had previously taken larger doses of psychedelics.

Dr. St. Pierre explains that the results were consistent across nearly all groups. “The only significant difference we observed was in individuals with a history of larger psychedelic doses who showed slightly greater increases in creativity on microdosing days,” she says.

This pattern is consistent with emerging evidence that full psychedelic experiences may enhance creativity. An interpretation that Dr. St. Pierre notes is that microdosing could “reactivate” or build on these previous effects, although this idea remains speculative.

“We need future research designs specifically aimed at testing whether microdosing can enhance or prolong the effects of larger doses of psychedelic experiences,” she adds.

Overall, the study adds daily precision to a growing research base that suggests microdosing could improve well-being and cognitive performance - although in a short-term, day-by-day manner. While the results represent an extension of previous work, Dr. St. Pierre noted that this remains an observational study and further research is needed to separate expectancy effects from true pharmacological changes.

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