Author: Kevin Dickinson / Source: Big Think
- A recent study showed that microdosing magic truffles can significantly increase one’s creative thinking.
- Published in Psychopharmacology, the study joins a growing body of research showing the potential benefits of low-dose psychedelics.
- While this research comes with limitations, it could open up many avenues to improve anxiety and work conditions in society.
What is microdosing anyway?
(Photo from Wikimedia)
A Dutch smart shop displaying Psilocybe, the genus of magic mushrooms and magic truffles.
Psychologists James Fadiman and Sophia Korb have compiled more than 1,500 reports detailing individual experiences with microdosing. Based on their research, they define microdosing as when a user takes a small amount of a psychotropic drug, such as LSD, peyote, or magic truffles. A typical microdose lands between one-tenth and one-twentieth of a recreational hit.
As with any drug, effective dosages vary based on the individual’s metabolism and tolerance. The microdoser’s aim is to take just enough of the substance to heighten mental activity and create a feeling of calm energy, but not enough to hallucinate. If the door’s wood grain morphs into a visage of a Gene Wilder-looking mango giving them the double guns, they’ve overshot the micro mark and adjust the dose.
Most microdosers follow a regiment of one day on, two days off. Others only imbibe when they feel it would be useful for a particular project.
Micro dose, major boost
The study, led by PhD student Luisa Prochazkova under the supervision of Dr. Bernhard Hommel, took place at an event organized by the Psychedelic Society of the Netherlands.
Thirty-eight volunteers were asked to perform three tests: a picture concept task, an alternative uses task, and a progressive matrices task.The picture concept task required participants to find a common association among several objects, while ruling out inappropriate ones. The alternative uses task asked the participants to conceive of as many uses for a common household object as possible within a time limit. Taken together, these two tests measured the participants’ convergent and divergent thinking skills, both signs of creativity and elastic thinking.
The progressive matrices task tested the participants’ fluid intelligence, which is a person’s ability to solve problems with reason and logical thinking.
After the first round of tests, participants were given 0.37 grams of dried magic truffles and repeated another set of tests. The results were significant.
“[O]ur results suggest that consuming…
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