August 24, 2022 Psychology Today article by Dr. Peter Silverstone, author of The Promise of Psychedelics

The reported benefits of microdosing include improvements in one’s overall sense of well-being, greater ability to focus, increased energy level, improved mood, less anxiety, and increased creativity. With potential benefits like those, it is not a surprise that many are using psychedelics. Despite this use, to date, only a few controlled studies have taken place. And the findings of these studies don’t seem to line up with the positive user experiences reported. A negative view is also consistent with some of the small but carefully controlled placebo studies, which suggest that most if not all of the effects are due to the expectancy effect. So what’s going on? Is this simply a placebo effect?

The only way to separate the science from the hype is to take a closer look at the clinical studies that have been done, which I dive into in my book, The Promise of Psychedelics. Very recent peer-reviewed publications have also helped clarify this issue.

The positive data and its limitations

There have been several large studies based on users’ self-reporting. However, when considering these results, a high level of caution is required. They are self-selected groups, often microdosing with a high level of expectation, and the results don’t have a placebo-control group with which to compare. All of these things tend to make results more positive in general and also less useful for us to give advice.

Key Points

• The self-reported benefits of microdosing include improved greater well-being, focus, energy, mood, and creativity.
• While there have been some promising studies, the results are not conclusive, and psychedelics are not yet clinically recommended.
• Future research needs to address unanswered questions, such as when microdosing should be considered and how to do it safely and effectively.
• The term “microdosing” refers to taking tiny amounts of psychedelics, well below the dose required for a typical psychedelic experience. It has become fairly common; hundreds of thousands of individuals microdose each year. By far, the most common drugs used are LSD and “magic” mushrooms containing psilocybin.