Have you ever heard of microdosing? Maybe you've even thought about giving it a try. Microdosing involves taking a small dose of LSD or psychedelic mushrooms (magic mushrooms).

In addition to the increasing importance of psychedelics in medical science, there is also a rise in the use of psychedelics for self-medication in the form of microdosing with magic mushrooms and LSD. On August 29, the Financieel Dagblad published an article about the growing popularity of microdosing in the workplace, a trend that has come from Silicon Valley. [1]

Although more and more research is slowly taking place into the therapeutic applications of various forms of psychedelics in psychiatry, not much is yet known about the effects of microdosing. A 2022 study on the positive effects of microdosing with LSD could find no evidence of beneficial (long-lasting) effects on mood, emotion or cognition. [2]

Right now, psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms, is in the spotlight. This is because psilocybin is seen as a potential alternative to antidepressants, especially those belonging to the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Research is also being conducted into the use of psilocybin to treat treatment-resistant depression.

A clinical study is currently underway among patients with this form of depression. [3, 4] This study is supervised by certified psychiatrists. The latest results from this study show that depression was reduced in patients receiving high doses compared to patients receiving low doses. [5]

If you want to know more about this subject, the editors of Medisch Dossier have previously published news items about the positive effects of psychedelics. Take a look at our Digital Dossier and read, for example, "Psychedelics as Medicine of the Future?" and “Psychedelics for Severe Depression.”

Sources:

• "Drop here, chunk there: small portions conquer the workplace" - Het Financieel Dagblad, 29-08-2023, pg. 10-11
• Link to the study on LSD microdosing
• Link to the clinical study on psilocybin