The story of microdosing begins with a man named Doctor Albert Hoffman, the godfather of psychedelics.

In November of 1938, while working in the pharmaceutical-chemical department of a subsidiary of Novartis, in Basel, Switzerland, Albert Hoffman first synthesized Lysergic Acid Diemethylamide (LSD) while in the process of attempting to create a new respiratory and circulatory stimulant. During one resynthesizing episode on April 16, 1943, Hoffman accidentally ingested a small amount of LSD and discovered the powerful effects of the drug. Three days later, on 19 April 1943, Hofmann intentionally ingested 250 micrograms of LSD. This day is now known as "Bicycle Day," because after starting to feel the effects of the drug he rode home on a bike, and that became the first intentional acid trip.

After becoming the Director of Natural Products in Sandoz he continued to work with hallucinogenic compounds and, in 1958, Hoffman synthesized psilocybin, the active agent in magic mushrooms. He later pioneered the idea of microdosing, taking sub-perceptual doses of a psychedelic agent for the final few decades of his life, which he claimed clarified his thinking as he walked among the the trees.

Microdosing and the Mainstream Culture

About five years ago, a man by the name of James Faidman began his relentless push to bring microdosing psychedelics (such as LSD and Magic Mushrooms) to the mainstream for the purpose of increasing productivity, increasing focus, unleashing creativity and increasing out-of-the–box thinking. He began sending out instructions how to microdose psychedelics effectively, with no hallucinations, no traumatic experiences and no sluggishness, to anyone who was interested (https://www.scribd.com/doc/291157181/290897905-MD-HOW-TO-info).

It would appear he developed a cottage industry that is on the verge of becoming something mainstream as stories of microdosing have littered the pages of mainstream media and periodicals:

• Wired Magazine, August 24, 2016 (http://www.wired.co.uk/article/lsd-microdosing-drugs-silicon-valley)
• The Huffington Post, January 13, 2016 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/psychedelic-microdosing-research_us_569525afe4b09dbb4bac9db8)
• Forbes Magazine, November 27, 2015 (http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2015/11/27/lsd-microdosing-the-new-job-enhancer-in-silicon-valley-and-beyond/#27e7fbdd114d)
• Gentleman’s Quarterly Magazine, November 23, 2015 (http://www.gq.com/story/forget-coffee-silicon-valleys-new-productivity-hack-is-microdoses-of-lsd)
• Rolling Stone Magazine, November 20, 2015 (http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/how-lsd-microdosing-became-the-hot-new-business-trip-20151120)
• Live Science, July 8, 2015 (http://www.livescience.com/51482-more-people-microdosing-psychedelic-drugs.html)

Microdosing appears to be on the verge of becoming entrenched in the mainstream culture and across a diverse range of industries such as: software engineering, mathematics, biology and even entrepreneurship (http://thehustle.co/how-to-lsd-microdose). It is coveted for the ability to induce a “flow state.” Allegedly this state aids in lateral thinking and encourages empathetic interpersonal relationships by changing the flow of cortical functions; making them more fluid and less rigid.

The Darknet has provided a safe, secure method for product purchase and delivery, and there is even a Reddit forum on how to microdose psychedelics for those wanting to learn (https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/)

What is Microdosing?

Originally a technique pioneered by pharmaceutical companies, microdosing involves administering sub-therapeutic doses of a compound under study into a human candidate to observe the compound’s pharmacokinetic effects. The dose is so low; the candidate is unlikely to develop whole body effect or side effects, but high enough to create enough of a response to gauge cellular response.

Courtesy of Doctor Albert Hoffman, microdosing has evolved into the realm of psychedelics for use as performance and cognitive enhancement. Microdosing is taking sub-perceptual doses (roughly one-fifth to one-tenth) of a normal dose of LSD or psilocybin on a regular schedule, usually in the morning once every four days. The dose is so low, the individual does not experience hallucinations, sluggishness or other side effects associated with psychedelics, but they reportedly do receive the benefits of induction into the “flow state.”

Is Limitless Possible With Psychedelics- What Does the Research Say?

In 2015, the first Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) tests were performed on 20 volunteers who were placed into the machine while tripping on acid. What Dr David Nutt saw during this experiment was described as the Higgs Boson moment in neuroscience. In his own words:

“We found that under LSD, compared to placebo, disparate regions in the brain communicate with each other when they don’t normally do so. In particular, the visual cortex increases its communication with other areas of the brain, which helps explain the vivid and complex hallucinations experienced under LSD, and the emotional flavour they can take.”

”We observed brain changes under LSD that suggested our volunteers were ‘seeing with their eyes shut’ — albeit they were seeing things from their imagination rather than from the outside world. We saw that many more areas of the brain than normal were contributing to visual processing under LSD — even though the volunteers’ eyes were closed. Furthermore, the size of this effect correlated with volunteers’ ratings of complex, dreamlike visions.”

”Normally our brain consists of independent networks that perform separate specialised functions, such as vision, movement and hearing – as well as more complex things like attention. However, under LSD the separateness of these networks breaks down and instead you see a more integrated or unified brain.”

”Our results suggest that this effect underlies the profound altered state of consciousness that people often describe during an LSD experience. It is also related to what people sometimes call ‘ego-dissolution’, which means the normal sense of self is broken down and replaced by a sense of reconnection with themselves, others and the natural world. This experience is sometimes framed in a religious or spiritual way – and seems to be associated with improvements in well-being after the drug’s effects have subsided.”

It would appear psychedelics may hold promise as a potential in treatment of depression and other psychiatric conditions. Is this the Holy Grail for achieving “flow?’” creating a true Limitless pill? The jury is out on that, and the physiological and cognitive effects of long term use have not been studied.

High Existence closes their article with these words about psychedelics and safety:

“As we repeatedly stress on HighExistence, psychedelics must be approached with reverence and caution. We believe that in a loving context, psychedelics are powerful medicines with tremendous potential, but there are a number of physical and psychological safety concerns that one should consider before journeying with psychedelics. Please, please do plenty of research, and do not take psychedelics if you have reason to believe that they will not jibe with your personality or particular mental baggage. The Essential Psychedelic Guide on Erowid is an exceptional free resource, and we recommend reading it, especially the section on ‘Psychedelic Safety,’ before ever dabbling in these substances. It’s also imperative that you buy a test kit if you aren’t absolutely certain that the substances you’ve procured are what you believe them to be.”

Work Citatations

Wikipedia. “Albert Hoffman.” August 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann

Koebler, Jason. “A Brief History of Microdosing.” Motherboard Vice. November 24, 2015. http://motherboard.vice.com/read/a-brief-history-of-microdosing

Brownlee, John. “101 Year Old Inventor Of LSD Asked Steve Jobs How Dropping Acid Helped Him Create the Mac”. Cult of Mac. November 26, 2011. http://www.cultofmac.com/130222/101-year-old-inventor-of-lsd-asked-steve-jobs-how-dropping-acid-helped-him-create-the-mac/

Schirp, Martijn. “World’s First LSD Imaging Study Shows How Psychedelics Reduce Brain-Rigidity and Restore a Child-like State of Imagination.” HighExistence. Nd. http://highexistence.com/carl-sagan-astonishing-human-invention-books/

Schirp, Martijn. “Microdosing: The Revolutionary Way of Using Psychedelics.” HighExistence. Nd. http://highexistence.com/microdosing-lsd-psychedelic/

Solon, Olivia. “Would You Take LSD to Give You a Boost at Work?WIRED Takes a Trip Inside the World of Microdosing.” Wired. August 24, 2016. http://www.wired.co.uk/article/lsd-microdosing-drugs-silicon-valley