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There are a number of things that people do in order to boost things like creativity, productivity, and general mood. Any number of retreats, diets, fads, exercise regimens, sleep routines, even questionable products like yoni eggs or weird enemas (which are absolutely not being suggested here). The thing is, we will do just about anything to try and keep our levels of creativity and motivation at their peak, so that we can continue on with the demands of a modern-day work-life balance. The problem with most of these things is that they’re difficult to maintain long term, they’re insanely expensive, or perhaps worst of all: they don’t work and they’re actually terrible for you.
However, LSD and creativity have had a long and loving relationship. What began as recreational use, largely popularized amongst artists and creatives, has slowly evolved into something that has transitioned away from the tie-dyed delinquency and become something decidedly grown up. Where microdosing LSD has become the favored brain hack by the young, business elite. As opposed to taking mind-bending and hallucinogenic doses, which has its own benefits and contributions, microdosing entails taking small doses that don’t cause any noticeable psychedelic effects, instead just serving to enhance creativity, motivation, and cognition.
Your Brain on [Beneficial] Drugs
While things like “creativity” and “motivation” are somewhat difficult to quantify objectively, subjective evidence seems to be incredibly abundant— specifically regarding perceived beneficial outcomes to microdosing. As thousands of microdosers have already reported extremely favorable results from the practice. Despite it being difficult for science to concur that LSD & creativity truly go hand in hand— what they have found is that microdosing LSD benefits a specific type of cognitive function— called divergent thinking— that could be translated to creativity.
This is all due to the way in which researchers believe LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide for all you sticklers out there) interacts with chemicals in the brain. While the substance interacts with the serotonin systems, similarly to that of other hallucinogens like mushrooms and DMT— it stands alone a bit in the way it interacts with the dopamine systems. Improving specific dopaminergic protein recognition and signaling. Which is something that some scientists attribute the ego-shattering effects of LSD to. The substance also interacts with histamine and glutamate systems.
Moreover, LSD is also shown to bind to serotonin receptors far longer than it stays in the bloodstream. Which could help explain the long lasting beneficial mood and emotional effects of the drug, as well as how tolerances are quickly developed, but also eventually lost. These effects may also explain why so many reports of almost immediately unnoticeable, but qualitative benefits are experienced by microdosers overtime. Particularly those that are difficult to put into words. However, one study has aimed to elucidate this change to the beneficial cognitive effects of microdosing LSD— to which they found is improved both convergent and divergent thinking. Improving cognitive flexibility and problem solving. The study does report some shortcomings in the data pool, but urges the scientific community to look into the practice further.
How to Microdose LSD
Depending on how you get your LSD to begin with, there are a number of ways to take LSD, with perhaps the most common being liquid LSD. Microdosing Is merely the act of taking sub-hallucinogenic doses of the popular hallucinogen, which translates into fractional amounts of what one would take if they were interested in having a trip. This particular dose varies greatly from person to person, and finding the right dose for you is much easier if you can find pre-dosed liquid, as opposed to blotter paper. Essentially, finding the right dose requires users to take a small (usually anywhere from 10-20 mcg), initial amount and then gradually increase that amount until they feel some psychogenic effects. Once slight effects are felt, you then reduce the dose slightly. Physical effects of microdosing LSD should be minimal, if felt at all.
Most anecdotal evidence has suggested that results accrue overtime and are subtle in their revelation. If you’ve had the chance to take a larger dose, you’ll be more familiar with onset and duration of the psychedelic, which could make it easier to target the ideal microdose for you. Regimens are also important when microdosing, as— explained above— tolerances can be developed quickly, which means it makes it more unlikely that you will see continued benefit should you take LSD daily. Instead every three days, or every other day for three days and then two days off, are both popular regimens. Which can really help to unfurl your creativity and focus, particularly if these regimens are kept strictly overtime.
More Than Just Creativity
Microdosing LSD can bring so much more to the table than just helping to encourage your creativity. Because of the way that LSD interacts with the brain, it can unlock a number of other beneficial behaviors as well. Things like motivation, mood regulation, focus, alongside the cognitive processes that have already been discussed. This could be related to how psychedelics affect the way our brains are capable of thinking, helping to move ‘ourselves’ out of the way, and more readily focus on the problem at hand. With this dissolving of the ego, we are more open to types of thinking that allow for both common problem solving strategies, as well as out of the box thinking— which could make things like work and creativity less exhaustive problems.
What makes microdosing so favorable is its general accessibility and its near extreme safety profile. Microdosing becomes accessible because people no longer have to tape off an entire day in order to get their scheduled enlightenment. Instead, taking regular, sub-hallucinogenic doses means that we can begin to improve performance while we’re sitting at our desks, or interacting with customers. All because of the low dose. Moreover, while it’s always suggested to pair a microdosing regimen with a mental health professional— it’s not necessarily a requisite. Which means that this type of mental wellbeing system could reach those that have been priced out of traditional therapies.
Psychedelics are extremely safe, with a very low toxicity and high therapeutic index, these substances are non-habit forming, and nearly impossible to overdose on. They also lack any long term detrimental effects that researchers have found. So, with them being safe to take— specifically when microdosing— anecdotally effective at boosting mood and creativity, as well as affordable— both in terms of cost and time— it’s difficult to find reasons not to try them. Especially if you’re experiencing difficulties finding that creative flow.
