The purported positive effects of microdosing psilocybin could be driven by the expectations of those taking the drug, according to the results of a recently published double-blind study conducted by researchers affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires.
The authors of the study, which was published last month by the journal Translational Psychiatry, note that microdosing psilocybin has gained popularity in recent years. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the practice, which entails taking small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, has several benefits. Those who microdose psilocybin often say that the drug can improve concentration, mood, creativity and cognitive function. However, there has been little scientific research conducted on the benefits of microdosing psilocybin or other psychedelic drugs.
“Ample anecdotal evidence suggests that microdosing can improve mood, well-being, creativity, and cognition, and recent uncontrolled, open-label observational studies have provided some empirical support for these claims,” the authors wrote. “While encouraging, these studies are vulnerable to experimental biases, including confirmation bias and placebo effects. This is especially problematic in the case of microdosing, since users make up a self-selected sample with optimistic expectations about the outcome of the practice.”
To conduct the study, researchers recruited 34 participants who already had plans to begin a psilocybin microdosing regimen using their own mushrooms. Study participants agreed to adapt their dose and schedule to the protocol designed by the researchers.
Participants were studied over a two-week period. During one week, they were given two half-gram doses of dried psilocybin mushrooms in a capsule. During the other week, participants were given a placebo of the same preparation and weight. The study was double-blind, meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew which dose contained psilocybin and which was the