Researchers at the University of Buenos Aires performed double-blind clinical trials of microdosing psilocybin mushrooms and concluded that the positive effects of a small dose of psychedelic may be due to the placebo effect.
The scientists recruited 34 volunteers with an average age of 31, of which 11 were women. All of the volunteers had a history of psychedelic use and had taken an average of 11 mind-expanding substances, but only six of the study participants had microdosed in the past.
As part of a scientific trial for one week, all subjects took a daily capsule containing a placebo or 0.5 grams of ground dried psilocybin mushrooms. After that, people rested for seven days and then took the placebo or psychedelic again for a week. Volunteers performed various tasks and filled out questionnaires to determine the level of physical and mental activity, the degree of concentration, creativity, and many other indicators. In addition, volunteers regularly underwent electroencephalography and performed sound tests designed to assess the speed of conscious information processing.
After analyzing all the information received, the experts proved that:
- Mushroom microdosing does not significantly increase creativity and physical activity, improve cognitive function, or increase feelings of well-being;
- Taking a low dose of psilocybin leads to a violation of some cognitive functions.
Participants and study leaders did not know what was in the capsules, but in 75% of cases, the subjects were able to correctly determine the presence of a psychedelic. These volunteers felt the psychoactive effects of the mushrooms, but people who failed to identify the entheogen capsules did not feel the effects of psilocybin. Thus, the effect of the psychedelic on the mental and physical state of the subjects was not objective and depended on their expectations.
The staff at the University of Buenos Aires believe that the positive effects of microdosing mushrooms are due to people's faith in the benefits of this practice. That is, if psychonauts did not know that taking psilocybin in a small dosage improves thought processes, then microdosing would not have sharpened their attention and perception. A similar opinion was reached by experts at Imperial College London who studied LSD microdosing.
It is worth noting that the study of Argentine scientists has two drawbacks. First, the course of microdosing lasted a maximum of two weeks with an interval of seven days. Secondly, mushrooms were tested only on healthy people. It is likely that microdosing will bring different results with longer practice and use by patients suffering from psychiatric disorders.
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