Microdosing with classical psychedelics: Research trajectories and practical considerations

Microdosing—taking tiny, non-hallucinogenic amounts of psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin repeatedly—has become common but remains understudied. Users report improved creativity, productivity, and mood. This critical integrative synthesis examines the psychobiological science of dose amounts to help distinguish genuine drug effects from expectations. It outlines regulatory obstacles for Schedule I drugs in the United States and proposes future research directions in cognitive neuroscience, consciousness studies, and mental health.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Microdosing—the intermittent ingestion of minute, sub-hallucinogenic amounts of psychedelic substances, repeatedly and over time—has become a widespread, albeit largely understudied, phenomenon. Regulations around using psychedelics at any dose—micro, mini, macro, or mega—pose all sorts of difficulties for those who wish to systematically study the effects of Schedule I drugs, especially in the United States. Microdosers commonly claim that taking a sub-hallucinogenic (pre-hallucinogenic or sub-perceptual) dose improves higher brain functions, including creativity, productivity, and mood. If true, these results would provide an important experimental edge in distinguishing psychosocial effects (e.g. caused by expectation) from those related to the active psychedelic ingredient. In this critical integrative synthesis, we explore the psychobiological science of dose amounts and how it informs microdosing with classical psychedelics (e.g. lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD] and psilocybin) to highlight and fuel research into questions (e.g. in cognitive neuroscience, consciousness studies, and metacognition). We sketch the hurdle-laden regulatory landscape and the procedures that shroud research with Schedule I drugs. Finally, we offer some future directions relevant to both scholars and clinicians in the social and behavioral sciences as well as in mental health and neurological science.