UBCO Study Reveals Microdosing Boosts Mood and Creativity

A recent study conducted by the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) has found that microdosing psychedelics can temporarily enhance mood and cognitive functioning on the days individuals engage in the practice. However, these benefits do not appear to last beyond the microdosing period.

Dr. Michelle St. Pierre, a post-doctoral psychology researcher at UBCO’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Sciences, led the research, which was published in the journal Psychopharmacology. The study tracked the daily experiences of individuals who microdose with psychedelics, primarily psilocybin mushrooms and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Microdosing typically involves taking small amounts of a psychedelic substance, often ranging from one-tenth to one-twentieth of a recreational dose. As Dr. St. Pierre notes, participants often alternate between dosing and non-dosing days to mitigate the rapid tolerance that can develop with traditional psychedelics. Reports suggest that this approach may also aim to utilize any residual effects on non-dosing days.

Despite the growing interest in microdosing, Dr. St. Pierre points out that scientific research in this area has only emerged over the past 15 years, indicating that popular usage has outpaced scientific validation.

Key Findings from the Microdose.me Project

Utilizing data from the Microdose.me project, which is recognized as the world’s largest international daily diary study on microdosing, the researchers found that participants reported feeling more connected, creative, focused, and productive on days they microdosed. This included heightened feelings of wellbeing and contemplation. Nevertheless, these positive effects did not persist on days when no microdoses were taken.

“Microdosing appears to lift mood and mental functioning on the days it’s practiced, but not necessarily beyond that,” Dr. St. Pierre explained. This finding provides valuable insights into the timing and nature of microdosing effects.

The study involved over 1,435 microdosers from 49 countries, who were asked each morning whether they had microdosed and to rate their feelings across various dimensions, including connectedness, creativity, focus, and overall wellbeing. The research team also analyzed how these effects varied based on factors such as gender, mental health history, and the specific substance used for microdosing.

Dr. St. Pierre highlighted that the results were consistent across nearly all demographic groups. The only notable difference was observed among individuals with a history of taking larger psychedelic doses, who reported slightly greater increases in creativity on microdosing days.

Implications for Future Research

This pattern aligns with emerging evidence suggesting that full-dose psychedelic experiences may enhance creativity. Dr. St. Pierre proposed that microdosing could potentially “reactivate” or build on these earlier effects, although this hypothesis remains speculative at this stage.

“Future research designed specifically to test whether microdosing can amplify or extend the impacts of larger-dose psychedelic experiences is necessary,” she added.

Overall, the UBCO study contributes daily-level precision to the existing body of research, indicating that while microdosing may enhance mental functioning and wellbeing, these effects are short-lived and specific to the days when microdosing occurs. While the findings extend earlier work in the field, Dr. St. Pierre cautions that this remains an observational study, and further investigation is needed to differentiate between expectation effects and genuine pharmacological changes.