Powerful substances in tiny amounts
Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs February 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1177/1455072517753339 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative interview study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Men in their 30s with stable jobs and relationships and extensive entheogen experience recruited from Internet fora |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Keywords | Respondent Mood Clinical psychology Cognition Recreation |
| Citations | 156 |
| Key findings | Users microdosing psychedelics reported improved mood, cognition, and creativity that helped counteract anxiety and depression symptoms, though some faced challenges and discontinued the practice. |
Abstract
Aims: This article presents a qualitative interview study of people who microdose with psychedelic drugs, which means that the user takes about one tenth of an ordinary recreational dose.
Design: = 21) were recruited at several Internet fora for individual interviews via private messaging. Every participant was male, and the median respondent was in his 30s with a stable job and relationship and extensive entheogen experience.
Results: Respondents tended to experiment with microdosing in phases, reporting mostly positive consequences from this form of drug use. Reported effects included improved mood, cognition, and creativity, which often served to counteract symptoms especially from conditions of anxiety and depression. There were also reports of various challenges with psychedelic microdosing, and some did not find the practice worth continuing.
Conclusion: The study obtained evidence of a group of users taking small doses of psychedelics not for the purpose of intoxication but to enhance everyday functioning. While the study's findings are not generalisable, they may inform subsequent investigations with research questions and hypotheses.