Paper card · curated
Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing
Szigeti B, Kartner L, Blemings A, Rosas F, Feilding A, Nutt DJ, et al.
eLife · 2021
Abstract excerpt
Largest pre-registered self-blinding study of psychedelic microdosing to date. 191 participants who were already planning to microdose were randomized to placebo, microdose, or alternating-dose protocols using opaque capsules they prepared themselves. Mood and cognitive outcomes were measured at 4 weeks. Participants who believed they had microdosed reported substantial improvements regardless of what was actually in the capsule; no significant differences were found between actual microdose and placebo arms. The findings suggest much of the previously-reported microdosing benefits may be placebo-mediated.
Excerpt from the published abstract. Full paper at the journal link below.
Joe's notes
How to read this paper
The strongest controlled evidence on microdosing to date — and the result is humbling. If you're going to discuss microdosing, you have to engage with this paper.
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