In recent years, a new way of taking drugs has become popular, called microdosing or in Italian microdosaggio. The idea is to take any drug, synthetic or natural, in smaller quantities than those that would be necessary to get “high”. The goal is not to exploit the recreational or shamanic potential of the substances, but to use them to improve daily life.
Those who support microdosing believe that the positive aspects of substances, such as psychedelics, should be part of the everyday experience: think of the pain-relieving effects of cannabis or the creativity-stimulating effects of hallucinogenic mushrooms. The goal of those who practice microdosing is not to live “high” but to have that extra edge that allows them to work, play sports or live friendships in a better way.
While the hippie generation of the 60s and 70s made extensive use of drugs in high quantities to reach new thresholds of perception and let the mind “derail”, generations X and Y began to think of drugs in a new way, even as a support for personal performance. This is how microdosing was born, a method of use that reduces side effects and allows you to enjoy the most positive and functional contributions of the various substances.
Studies on the possible use of small doses of LSD to solve problems related to creativity had already been conducted in the 1960s: a group of workers were given low doses of the hallucinogen and it was shown that their performance improved. Other more recent studies, conducted in 2018, have shown that microdosing can significantly improve creative intelligence and open-mindedness. Speaking of microdosing of magic mushrooms, certainly the most widespread, it has been seen that it helps improve neuroplasticity by activating new neural connections. There are also those who think that microdosing can help improve the personal response to psychotherapy, promoting the open-mindedness necessary to make significant changes in one's life.
Microdosing is usually done in three-day cycles and never on a daily basis: one day to fully enjoy the effects, one day to work it down, and one day to rest. This also limits potential addiction problems.
Microdoses of magic mushrooms are usually obtained by taking 0.1–0.3 g of dried mushrooms. The microdose of LSD is usually 10–20 micrograms. For DMT we are talking about 0.5–1.0 mg. The microdose of peyote ranges from 10 g (fresh product) to 0.9 g (dry product). For ayahuasca: 50 g of infusion. For San Pedro 10–20 g (fresh product) or 3-5 g (dry product). For MDMA we are usually talking about 20–40 mg. For cannabis between 2.5 and 10 mg of THC, considering that the concentration of this substance can vary greatly depending on the chosen variety.
The main problem for those who want to try microdosing is that almost all the substances involved are illegal in many countries including Italy.