Microdosing, or micro-dosing, is a technique for studying the behavior of drugs in humans through the administration of doses so low ("sub-therapeutic") they are unlikely to produce whole-body effects, but high enough to allow the cellular response to be studied. Human microdosing aims to reduce the resources spent on non-viable drugs and the amount of research testing done on animals. The term "microdosing" is also sometimes used to refer to precise dispensing of small amounts of a drug substance in capsule, powder, or tincture form, when the drug substance also happens to be liquid this can potentially overlap what is termed micro-dispensing. A tremendous public interest speaks to a social injustice and a need for scientific studies to inform the public about the effects of micro-dosing and the potential life changing benefits from using Entheogenic and serotonergic plants and fungi for mental and emotional illness, including Anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD and so many more illnesses that until now doctors and psychologists have had no real cure for. Initial scientific investigations of micro-dosing are just beginning, While full-dose psychedelic research is growing in prominence and outcomes from full-dose studies can certainly inform micro-dosing studies, focusing solely on known full-dose outcomes could result in missing unanticipated benefits and challenges specific to micro-dosing. As such, beginning with an open, exploratory approach could result in a better understanding of the potential benefits and challenges specific to micro-dosing. Amazing beneficial outcomes, such as improved mood by almost 30% and focus was up 15%, and in terms of challenging or negative user outcomes, such as physiological discomfort was up 18% and Anxiety levels in new users increased to 7%. Scientists also show parallels between benefits and drawbacks and discuss the implications of these results. We probe for substance-dependent differences, finding that psilocybin-only users report the benefits of microdosing were more important than other users report.While more than a thousand early studies linked psychedelic use with beneficial effects, there has been almost 4 decades the medical and scientific communities have paused psychedelic research following the prohibition of these substances. Despite continued prohibition, modern research has revealed the promising potential of MDMA for use in treating PTSD, LSD and psilocybin for treating alcohol and tobacco dependence, depression, and end-of-life anxiety in terminally ill patients, while related research on DMT containing Ayahuasca has shown great promise for treating past trauma and abuse in patients and showing amazing potential in treating addiction. Psychedelics can also increase openness and occasion spiritual experiences and consciousness expansion in healthy controls. As full-dose psychedelics appear to aide in the relief of severe, chronic psychiatric conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety, PTSD), milder mental health concerns may plausibly be treated by lower, recurring doses.
Limiting micro-dosing research to topics that have been investigated in full-dose research could prematurely overlook unpredictable and potentially distinct micro-dosing outcomes. Full-dose research has employed various focal assessments of symptomatology, mood, and personality that are likely applicable to micro-dosing research, but due to the low doses and lack of perceptual alteration intended in micro-dosing, other full-dose phenomena, such as ego dissolution and mystical-type experiences, are less relevant to micro-dosing research. Instead, as a means of preparing for a broad range of outcomes, the present work solicited open-ended reports of benefits and challenges. Additionally, as psychedelic substances act on distinct yet overlapping neural receptor sites, it seems plausible that distinct patterns could emerge from using different substances.
Studies have shown that patients have elevated mood, showing improvements in happiness, well-being, peace, and reductions in depressive symptoms after just a few treatment sessions. Also included are reports of improved outlook, appreciation of life, optimism, spiritual and emotional insights, and being more in touch with emotions. Improved focus and concentration, conscious awareness, mindfulness, and increased engagement and attentiveness and Creativity boosts, e.g. shifting perspectives, divergent thinking, curiosity, and openness. Improvements in self-efficacy including, motivation/ambition, productivity, confidence, sense of agency and self-care with hightened introspection, meditation, and other behaviors facilitating mental health. Users have reported Improved energy levels by over 10% as well as alertness, wakefulness, and stimulation. Social benefits such as extroversion, empathy, sense of connection, and verbal fluency. Cognitive enhancement like understanding, problem-solving, clarity of thought, lucidity, and memory.
Users have reported Reduced anxiety over time with the implementation of Psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and working with a psychologist to integrate the experiences. Physiological enhancement and biological processes including enhanced senses (especially visual), cardiovascular endurance, sleep quality, and reduced migraines and/or headaches, stress reduction, reduced sensitivity to trauma, and references to reduced addiction and substance dependence (e.g. quitting smoking or drinking alcohol) are included.
