Microdosing Psychedelics for Cognitive Enhancement: A Naturalistic Exploration of User Experiences

Psychedelics have recently grown in scientific interest, among this, there have been promising findings regarding its potential to treat a range of health problems (such as depression, anxiety, PTSD). Despite the growing research interest in psychedelics, there is little research investigating the effects of microdoses: tiny doses that produce sub-hallucinogenic effects. Additionally, there is little research investigating the ability of psychedelics in improving cognitive functioning. Cognitive difficulties are becoming an increasing problem worldwide with deficits arising alongside a variety of internal and external factors (e.g., psychiatric disorders, neurological damage, and general aging). Our study addresses the limitations in current research by focusing specifically on cognitive functioning and its potential mediating effects. Our study investigated the effects of psychedelic microdosing on cognitive functioning and co-occurring factors that may be mediating these effects. We hypothesised that changes in cognition will be mediated by other factors common to the psychedelic experience such as changes in mood and lifestyle. A quantitative content analysis was performed of Reddit posts collected from the r/microdosing subreddit. An exploratory survey was also distributed to collect further insight that may have been missed from the Reddit data. Results from both data sources highlight that improvements in cognition are frequently reported following microdosing. In addition, both data sources highlight prominent improvements in other domains of microdosing such as mood, social, and lifestyle changes. The findings from this study suggest microdosing acts as a cognitive catalyst within a web of personal factors, challenging the standardised approach to psychedelic medicine in favour of a personalised therapeutic design.