Buzz
Microdosing, the practice of consuming tiny amounts of typically psychedelic substances, has garnered attention from individuals looking for more productivity than traditional methods like caffeine or time management can offer. Although its effectiveness remains uncertain, a recent study indicates that the purported benefits may have simply been a result of the placebo effect.
The substances used, generally LSD or psilocybin mushrooms, are illegal in many regions. As a result, the discussions surrounding microdosing often take place in underground communities, where personal stories outnumber scientific evidence. This 2018 article from The Cut delves deeper into the trend.
The fundamental concept is that by ingesting a very small dose of what would normally be a hallucinogen—often just 10% or less of a recreational dose—you won't experience a high, but you will notice something. A reddit guide lists common benefits such as increased focus, creativity, a sense of openness, calmness, alertness, compassion, gratitude, or achieving a flow state.
Given the subtle effects at play, it might be difficult for someone to distinguish whether their experience is truly due to the drug or simply the result of their own expectations. In other words, it could just be a case of the placebo effect.
The phrase 'placebo effect' was initially coined to describe the phenomenon where people in clinical trials often reported improvement even when they didn’t receive the tested drug. Today, it's commonly understood as a mind-over-matter phenomenon, where people influence their own perceptions. However, it can also be a less dramatic combination of factors, such as attributing positive changes to the drug and negative ones to external factors or personal shortcomings. Moreover, we rarely experience things in isolation; if you're microdosing to enhance focus, you're likely also setting the mood with music and putting up a 'do not disturb' sign.
To address this, a team of researchers designed a 'self-blinding' method for microdosers to follow at home. Participants were instructed to prepare capsules containing either their usual microdose or a placebo. These capsules were then placed in envelopes with QR codes, shuffled, and participants selected them at random, ensuring that they received either four weeks of microdoses, four weeks of placebos, or a mix of both.
Participants tracked how they felt and completed several online assessments to evaluate their cognitive function. Ultimately, both those who received the microdoses and those who did not showed improvement in all psychological outcomes. However, those who took the real microdoses saw slightly better results, hinting at a modest genuine effect.
But there's a twist: the researchers asked participants to guess whether they were taking the real or the placebo doses. Interestingly, those who felt the most improvement and performed best were the same individuals who correctly identified that they had been taking microdoses. This suggests that the effects may have been influenced by participants knowing what they were consuming.
The researchers state: 'The findings suggest that anecdotal benefits of microdosing can be explained by the placebo effect.' Future studies may help uncover more specific benefits, if any exist. Perhaps certain types or doses are more effective than others. However, based on the current evidence, it appears that the benefits of microdoses are minimal at best.
