As human beings, we are always looking for the easy way to make our lives better. It’s in our nature. From inventing the wheel for transporting of goods and people to creating aeroplanes for the same exact reason. We like things that are better, more efficient.
It’s no wonder that we also take this own approach with our bodies and mind. When was the last time you had a cup of coffee? I had a cup just before I sat down to write this article. Yes, I like the taste, but what I really wanted was the dosage of caffeine, to help me be more alert and focused.
And it’s not just coffee. We ingest all kinds of substances on a regular basis to help us perform better in our daily lives. A bit of Dutch courage comes in the form of an alcoholic drink to calm your nerves. Or perhaps a small blue pill to help you perform better in the bedroom.
Lucy like a diamond…
Well now there’s a new fad going around – and the movement is gaining momentum pretty quickly. In what is known as micro-dosing, people are using tiny bits of a psychedelic drug – lysergic acid diethylamide-25 or LSD – to try and enhance their creative abilities.
Acid, as it is colloquially known, came to national prominence and rapid illegality in the 1960’s – due to its mind altering effects. Well now it’s on a resurgence, but not amongst hippies and drug dealers. No, these modern users tend to be young professionals – entrepreneurs, artists, investors.
And they don’t use acid to hallucinate or “trip out”. They take a tiny dose, about one tenth of a standard dose, to be more creative and more productive. People are saying that low-dose LSD enables their minds to be more imaginative in problem solving, yet they are able to stay more focused.
Stories suggest that users have been able to figure out complex computer systems which they couldn’t before, or to deeply immerse themselves in their arts. For a full description of what it feels like to micro dose LSD for a year you can check out Ayelet Waldman’s, A Really Good Day.
Unfortunately, due to LSDs illegal nature, there haven’t been any major trials into the therapeutic effects of micro dosing. However, we do have some historic evidence from the time before the drug was outlawed.
“Problem solved”
In the early 60s, Psychologist James Fadiman and his team recruited volunteers to a moderate dose of the psychedelic. These volunteers came from prestigious establishments such as Hewlett-Packard, the Stanford Research Institute and Varian. Each volunteer was to come to the session with a technical or professional problem – something that they hadn’t been able to solve for more than 3 months.
The experimenters’ own accounts recall that the volunteers dived right into their problems when micro dosed. 48 individuals came to the trials, each with their own problems. 44 solutions were found during the sessions.
This of course isn’t solid proof that micro dosing is good for you, there’s still enough secondary evidence not in favour of micro dosing. But even still, these users tend to report an all round uptick in general happiness and well-being. Whilst micro dosing may not be the way to turn us all into Albert Einsteins, an increase in mood and personality is surely a good thing for everyone, no?
Micro dosed lifestyle
The micro dosing movement doesn’t just end with LSD. People are self-experimenting with all kinds of drugs to find their own NZT-48. There’s been plenty of positive news emanating from the cannabis world in recent years, and micro doses have taken smarter users by storm. A quick google for micro dosing of more illicit drugs such as MDMA, cocaine and even methamphetamines can find some interesting results.
All in all though, with every touted positive effect, there are others who describe the opposite. Without regulated studies, we cannot truly analyse the power of micro dosing. But what we do know is that this is a movement, a movement that is accelerating. Maybe, just maybe one day we will come to know LSD as just a normal part of our morning routines.
Add Comment