Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers
Open accessAbstract
Rationale Microdosing psychedelics-the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin-is a growing trend in popular culture. Recent studies on full-dose psychedelic psychotherapy reveal promising benefits for mental well-being, especially for depression and end-of-life anxiety. While full-dose therapies include perception-distorting properties, microdosing mayprovide complementary clinical benefits using lower-risk, non-hallucinogenic doses.Objectives This pre-registered study aimed to investigate whether microdosing psychedelics is related to differences in personality, mental health, and creativity.Methods In this observational study, respondents recruited from online forums self-reported their microdosing behaviors and completed questionnaires concerning dysfunctional attitudes, wisdom, negative emotionality, open-mindedness, and mood. Respondents also performed the Unusual Uses Task to assess their creativity.Results Current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes (p < 0.001, r = - 0.92) and negative emotionality (p = 0.009, r = - 0.85) and higher on wisdom (p < 0.001, r = 0.88), openmindedness(p = 0.027, r = 0.67), and creativity (p < 0.001, r = 0.15) when compared to non-microdosing controls.Conclusions These findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. As microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.
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Data on human psychedelic microdosing are equivocal.
“the data on human psychedelic microdosing are equivocal”
From Psychedelics and Other Psychoplastogens for Treating Mental Illness. (2021) · cites this paper as [245]
Therapeutic benefit of low doses of psychedelics remains to be demonstrated in a well-controlled clinical study.
“therapeutic benefit of low doses of psychedelics remains to be demonstrated in a well-controlled clinical study”
From Psychedelics and Other Psychoplastogens for Treating Mental Illness. (2021) · cites this paper as [245]
Openness was higher and neuroticism was lower in current and former microdosers compared to MD-naïve controls.
“Interestingly, openmindesness (i.e., openness) was higher and negative emotionality (i.e., neuroticism) was lower in current and former microdosers compared to MD-naïve controls (27).”
From Trait mindfulness and personality characteristics in a microdosing ADHD sample: a naturalistic prospective survey study (2023) · cites this paper as [27]
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LSD increases sleep duration the night after microdosing
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Sociological investigations of human enhancement drugs: The case of microdosing psychedelics
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Psychedelic Experiences and Mindfulness are Associated with Improved Wellbeing
Qiu, T. T., & Minda, J. P. (2022) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2022.2060773 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Bright, S., Gringart, E., Blatchford, E., & Bettinson, S. (2021) · Australian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00049530.2021.1882266 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Anderson et al. (2019) completed a cross-sectional study comparing 315 non-microdosers with 594 self-reported microdosers.”
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Keeping the promise: a critique of the current state of microdosing research
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Self-citationA dangerous method? Psychedelic therapy at Modum Bad, Norway, 1961–76
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Global Drug SurveyPreprint
Petranker, R., Anderson, T., Maier, L. J., Barratt, M. J., Ferris, J., & WINSTOCK, A. R. (2020) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/xb8ve · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Self-citation5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine: An Ego-Dissolving Endogenous Neurochemical Catalyst of Creativity
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Accounting for Microdosing Classic Psychedelics
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Psychedelic Microdosing, Mindfulness, and Anxiety: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Study
Hartong, V., & van Emmerik, A. (2023) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2022.2080616 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“Findings have been inconclusive, with some studies observing that microdosing is associated with improved mental health (Anderson et al. 2019) and others observing increased anxiety in microdosers compared to controls (Bright et al. 2021; Hutten et al. 2020).”
Experiences of microdosing psychedelics in an attempt to support wellbeing and mental health
Ryan, R. S., Copello, A. G., & Fox, A. P. (2023) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-023-04628-9 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Repeated microdoses of LSD do not alter anxiety or boldness in zebrafish
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Less is more? A review of psilocybin microdosing
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Microdosing psychedelics as cognitive and emotional enhancers.
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A Systematic Study of Microdosing PsychedelicsPreprint
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Microdosing with classical psychedelics: Research trajectories and practical considerations
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Who takes the trip? Personality and hallucinogen use among college students and adolescents
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Regulatory Challenges of Integrating Psychedelics into Mental Health Sector
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Psychedelic Microdosing among Young Adults from Southern California
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Ayahuasca for the treatment of alcohol use disorder
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A perspective on psychedelic teratogenicity: the utility of zebrafish models
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“Interestingly, openmindesness (i.e., openness) was higher and negative emotionality (i.e., neuroticism) was lower in current and former microdosers compared to MD-naïve controls (27).”
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Between enhancement and risk: A critical review of psychedelic microdosing
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Asking questions of psychedelic microdosing
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Can the gut-brain axis provide insight into psilocybin's therapeutic value in reducing stress?
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Psychedelic Drug Microdosing Practices: A Qualitative Online Exploration
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- Authors
- Anderson, T., Petranker, R., Rosenbaum, D., Weissman, C. R., Dinh-Williams, L.-A., Hui, K., Hapke, E., & Farb, N. A. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- York University (CA)
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Anderson, Thomas
- Petranker, Rotem
- ORCID
- Venue
- Psychopharmacology
- Published
- 2019-01-02
- Volume
- 236
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 731-740
- ISSN
- 0033-3158 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-2072
- OpenAlex
- W2907379922
- Cited by
- 174
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 26.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- microdosing, psychedelics, LSD, psilocybin, personality, mental health, creativity, dysfunctional attitudes, negative affectivity, wisdom, open-mindedness, mood
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Creativity, Depression, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Emotions, Female, Hallucinogens, Humans, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, Male, Mental Health, Perception, Personality, Psilocybin, Surveys and Questionnaires
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