Although clinical trials on psychedelics are ongoing, the basic neuroscience on how they interact with our brains is well established. Much of what we understand about how psychedelics work has to do with serotonin, a chemical that is among the most important neurotransmitters in the brain. Serotonin affects almost everything we do, from how we feel to how we digest food. Psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin share a similar structure to serotonin and mimic the effects of this chemical.

Because serotonin is so important for stabilizing mood, common antidepressants (called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs) increase serotonin levels in the brain, which can make you feel happier.

Psychedelics act more directly by mimicking serotonin. One of the main effects of psilocybin is the stimulation of a serotonin receptor called “5-HT2A” located in the prefrontal cortex, which leads to two important results:

– The production of “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” (BDNF), a protein that is “like fertilizer for your brain,” according to Waldman. BDNF stimulates growth, connections and activity.
– Increased transmission of “glutamate”, a neurotransmitter responsible (in part) for important brain functions such as cognition, learning and memory.

These effects have fueled an explosion of research on the psychopharmacology of psychedelics in recent years. Scientists are investigating psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to alleviate conditions such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. If successful, these therapies could profoundly change the practice of modern psychiatry.

Compared to higher doses of psychedelic drugs, there has been relatively little scientific research on microdosing. But this is also changing rapidly, with more peer-reviewed articles on microdosing published in 2020 than in the entire previous decade.

Participants in microdosing research consistently report improvements in cognition and mood, and multiple studies have found that microdosing users experience increases in creativity. A 2019 systematic review of microdosing found that microdosing led to improved mental health and long-term concentration. Interestingly, this same study found that microdosing consumers’ expectations did not alter their experiences, suggesting that the benefits of microdosing are not just a placebo effect.

Like full doses, microdoses of psychedelics appear to promote the growth of neurons, so we can expect future research to extend to finding new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and companies like Eleusis are already working on this. Recent research also indicates that low doses of LSD can reduce the perception of discomfort, suggesting the potential for an entirely new approach to pain relief.

Psychedelic substances suitable for microdoses

• Psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic truffles and magic mushrooms)
• LSD
• 1P-LSD & 1cP-LSD
• Mescaline (the active ingredient of the San Pedro and Peyote cacti)
• Strain of B. Caapi (Ayahuasca)

Psychedelic substances susceptible of being administered in microdoses

• Cannabis (marihuana)
• LSA (the active ingredient of Morning Glory seeds and Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds)
• Iboga(ine)
• Salvia divinorum

Substances not suitable for microdosing

• MDMA
• Amphetamines
• Cocaína
• Heroína
• Café
• Sugar
• Alcohol

Microdosing has long been practiced in the cultures where medicinal plants originated.

Small homeopathic amounts of medicinal plants were consumed intentionally to improve health, enhance intuition, invoke spiritual guidance, and maintain an ongoing spiritual dialogue with the plant’s allied spirit consciousness. This ancestral practice was sacred and was intended to bring people closer to nature, to their ancestors and, above all, to themselves.

The consumption of small amounts of sacred medicinal plants was intended to restore harmony, balance and unity with the web of life. And the potential of ancient natural psychedelics such as psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca and huachuma (San Pedro) to support our mental, emotional and psychological well-being is currently being investigated by scientists.

The Aztecs are known to have consumed low doses of psilocybin mushrooms, among many other cultures that used microdoses of different medicinal plants.

In more recent times, the history of microdosing as we know it begins with Dr. James Fadiman and his 2011 book, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, which explores microdosing as a subculture of psychedelic use.

Now microdosing has hundreds of thousands of advocates around the world, people from all walks of life use microdosing to improve their mental health, creativity and well-being.