Human enhancement modalities: Microdosing psychedelics

Microdosing psychedelics—using small doses of substances like psilocybin mushrooms and LSD—has gained attention from scientists, investors, and user communities. Proponents claim it improves cognitive function, mood, creativity, interpersonal relations, and overall wellbeing. The phenomenon is situated within the wider psychedelics renaissance, marked by renewed scientific research, policy debates, and commercial interest. This chapter examines microdosing as an emerging form of human enhancement through drugs, reviewing sociological studies on motivations and approaches for enhancement, emergent harms and risk negotiation, the relationship between enhancement and therapy, and the impact of research, socio-cultural, and legal factors. It discusses implications for the broader study of human enhancement drugs and proposes future research directions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Microdosing psychedelics has attracted growing attention from public commentators, scientists, investors and user communities across the globe. Microdosing is the use of small doses of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. Its proponents speak of microdosing as a use modality that improves various human abilities and life areas, including cognitive function, mood, creativity, interpersonal relations and overall wellbeing. Sociologically, the networks, practices and discourses that make up microdosing make sense within the wider context of the psychedelics renaissance. This renaissance consists of an intensified interest in psychedelics evidenced in new scientific investigations, policy debates and change, and commercial investments. This chapter examines microdosing as an emerging facet of human enhancement through drugs. First, I will provide a theoretical context for examining microdosing based on a multidisciplinary body of literature on HEDs. Second, I will review sociological studies of microdosing, with emphasis on those aspects pertaining to enhancement. Key analytical areas include the different motivations and approaches for using microdosing as enhancement, emergent harms and the negotiation of risk in this relatively new use modality, the relationship between enhancement and therapy uses, and the impact of research, socio-cultural and legal factors on the development of the phenomenon. Finally, I will discuss the ramifications of this body of research for the broader study of human enhancement drugs, as well as proposing future directions for investigation.