Microdosing psychedelics: The segregation of spiritual and scientific narratives within the r/microdosing online community
Ioana Pop, Erwin Gielens, Hannah Kottmann
Journal of Psychedelic Studies September 11, 2023 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2023.00260 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Text analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Posts from the Reddit community r/microdosing |
| Duration | October 16, 2013 to October 31, 2020 |
| Topics | Microdosing |
| Keywords | Narrative Spirituality Perception Cognition Literature |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Spiritual and scientific narratives about microdosing are typically segregated among users of the r/microdosing community. |
Abstract
Abstract Background and aims Microdosing psychedelics refers to the practice of repeatedly ingesting doses that do not reach the threshold for perceptual alterations. This practice has gained attention from mass media, businesses, and the general public, as evidenced by the proliferation of online communities dedicated to it. In this contribution, we examine the content generated within the online community r/microdosing from its creation on October 16, 2013, until the day of data collection on October 31, 2020. Our aim is to examine the narratives reflected by users' contributions, specifically the compatibility or incompatibility of spiritual and scientific narratives.
Methods: In this contribution, we used text analysis techniques and examined the content generated within the online community r/microdosing from its creation on October 16, 2013, until the day of data collection on October 31, 2020.
Results: We clearly identified a topic that reflects a spirituality narrative as well as a topic that we coined as “neuro-cognition” and that reflects a scientific narrative. These topics were typically not present within the contributions of the same users, suggesting that the scientific and spiritual narratives are segregated within the r/subreddit community.
Conclusion: Our approach emphasizes the potential of text analytic techniques for uncovering the cultural repertoire surrounding a particular practice, in our case, the practice of microdosing psychedelics.