“It Fueled the Fire to Who I Am Now”: Exploring Motivations for Microdosing Psychedelics
Journal of Drug Issues October 31, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/00220426251395178 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Individuals who actively microdose psychedelics |
| Topics | MDMA Psilocybin Microdosing |
| Keywords | Microdose Hallucinogen Abstinence Value mathematics Identification biology Substance use |
| Key findings | Microdosing is motivated by desires for self-enhancement and therapeutic relief, including aiding abstinence from other harmful substances, distinguishing it from traditional illicit substance use. |
Abstract
The emergence of microdosing introduced a novel approach to consuming classic psychedelic substances, such as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and psilocybin mushrooms, in ways previously unconventional. Whereas traditional illicit substance use often seeks euphoric experiences, microdosing deliberately avoids such effects in favor of perceived self-enhancing benefits. Increasingly common in contemporary society, microdosing has shown potential therapeutic value in alleviating conditions such as anxiety, depression, and stress. The current study’s findings help explain why microdosing has become one of the fastest-growing trends in illicit substance use, while also distinguishing it sharply from other forms of such use. Interviews with those who actively microdose psychedelics provide key insights as to the various motivations for microdosing psychedelics that range from bettering one’s general wellbeing to assisting in the abstinence of other harmful substances characterized to be “worse” by participants.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on psilocybin and microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic microdosing benefits and challenges: an empirical codebook Active microdosing community | 2019 | Mixed-methods study | |
| Experiences of microdosing psychedelics in an attempt to support wellbeing and mental health. People who microdose psychedelic drugs | 2023 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
| Salience, sensemaking, and setting in psilocybin microdosing: Methodological lessons and preliminary findings of a mixed method qualitative study Participants who underwent psilocybin microdosing on their own and consented to... | 2024 | Qualitative study with ecological momentary assessment and retrospective interviews |