
LSD Microdosing - Archio
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/how-lsd-microdosing-became-the-hot-new-business-trip-20151120
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blairbeckwith
The Reply All podcast had a pretty interesting episode on this recently:
[https://gimletmedia.com/episode/44-shine-on-you-crazy-
goldma...](https://gimletmedia.com/episode/44-shine-on-you-crazy-goldman/)

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garrettgrimsley
@gwern has done self-experimentation with LSD microdosing.

[http://www.gwern.net/LSD%20microdosing](http://www.gwern.net/LSD%20microdosing)

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Mo3
I love Acid and have taken the occasional microdose myself but I cannot
support the authors attitude. The benefits described can all be achieved
through meditation and single real doses of LSD, but after all it is merely a
chemical shortcut to these higher states of conciousness where your mind loses
its grip on you and you gain uninterrupted access to insight and creativity.
Microdosing acid every fourth day is neither necessary nor very healthy, I
assume, since there's a chemical component involved that acts on several
neurotransmitter systems. The solution is already within everyone of us..

~~~
thatswrong0
There is no evidence that LSD is toxic to humans. It is, physically, one of
the safest drugs you can take. Mentally is a different story, but at micro
doses, you're hardly feeling the normal psychedelic effects that occur at
recreational doses, so there's hardly potential for "bad trips". I'm guessing
that micro dosing is perfectly healthy.

The only problems are A) knowing what you're taking is LSD and B) knowing what
dose you're taking, as you're dealing with an active dose of millionths of
grams.

~~~
Mo3
I am not talking about toxicity or bad trips, I am talking about your
neurotransmitter systems. Permanent exposure to chemically altered levels and
heavy fluctuations can and will change in you very negative ways and cause
tons of problems nevermind the dose. I speak from experience.

~~~
uououuttt
I took average-to-high doses of LSD and/or other tryptamines nearly every day
for 3-4 months. It did make me less able to function in my circumstances at
the time (surprise surprise!), but I don't count the experience as negative
overall, and given a different set of circumstances with fewer obligations to
meet, it could have been wholly positive.

~~~
abrookewood
Jesus! Daily doses for months? How long ago? What do you mean by 'less able to
function'? Any long-lasting effects?

~~~
uououuttt
It was 22 at the time, so about 5 years ago. As far as my mental state, it's
hard to say what was from what, since I consumed a lot of marijuana and
cocaine at the time too, but I did have psychedelic-like visual distortions
that persisted for many months after. Tryptamine tolerance builds very quickly
so by the end I was taking a lot.

It was not the happiest time of my life, but not the worst either. I became
pretty reclusive, and spent of lot of late, late nights walking around
Minneapolis, sitting on the Stone Arch Bridge[1], watching insane late-night
American TV / infomercials / televangelists, playing the guitar, and reading
Hacker News. I maintained or even strengthened my interests in technology, but
probably absorbed very little concrete knowledge at the time.

By less able to function, I mean I would've been utterly useless to an
employer, or as a student, etc. I wouldn't have had the focus to complete any
sort of complex project, software or otherwise. I did, however, manage to make
some money ;)

So while I was not terribly productive, it did (I think) make me a more
empathetic, positive, and less materialistic person and pushed me to make
decisions that were ultimately very positive, like selling most of my stuff
and moving to Cambodia! Still, I wouldn't recommend it and no doubt some of my
behaviour could have incurred terrible legal consequences. My parents were
definitely worried too.

[1] [http://www.waynemoran.com/blog2/wp-
content/uploads/2011/11/s...](http://www.waynemoran.com/blog2/wp-
content/uploads/2011/11/sab_007sm.jpg)

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alsetmusic
LSD was by far my favorite mind altering substance when I was taking
everything under the sun at around age 18. I dosed heavily and had life
changing experiences (some for the better, others that were deeply troubling),
but one of the most stand-out experiences was when I took the advice of a
friend and used it not to get high but to "figure out important questions." I
took a very small dose, barely enough to qualify for what I typically
considered a legitimate trip, and sat in the country for several hours
thinking about what I wanted out of life. It was just enough to change my way
of thinking enough to get outside my usual process and ended up being one of
the most productive sessions of deep meditation of my life. I don't know that
I would endorse doing this on a regular basis, or especially in a professional
environment, but I definitely agree that a carefully moderated experience can
be just right to help shift paradigms without losing touch with reality.

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tgb
Some interesting related reading:
[http://www.gwern.net/LSD%20microdosing](http://www.gwern.net/LSD%20microdosing)

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roflchoppa
One of the first experiences that i had was accidentally micro-dosing, i only
come to realize the now. Reflecting on it, it was more pleasant then full
doses that occurred after. It was as if I was seeing familiar things for the
first time. However i feel that some of the most meaningful photographs I've
taken have been during trips.

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api
Also relevant is this great interview:

[http://matrixmasters.net/salon/index.php/2006/06/27/podcast-...](http://matrixmasters.net/salon/index.php/2006/06/27/podcast-042-using-
psychedelics-for-rational-work/)

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danr4
How does one manage to get/make a 10 micrograms dose without professional
help? Or even with for that matter?

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Nyr
With professional help/equipment you can either:

* Get the blotters/microdots lab tested so you know dosage per blotter, then volumetric dosing. This is relatively easy/accesible although not very convenient.

* If access to crystal and equipment is possible, you can just weight it. Obviously this is rarely a possibility and LSD crystal needs to be handled with care.

People suggesting volumetric dosing at home are simply clueless, "100ug"
blotters are almost never ~100ug.

~~~
danr4
It's mostly blotters and liquid drops here. How would one go about volumetric
dosing with a blotter? if it's in liquid form, I'm guessing it's already in
some volumetric dosing (I keep using it but not sure what it means - guessing
its diluted dosing) - so i just need to check it's in the right amount?

I actually have Fadiman's book but didn't get to the part of micro dosing -
was more interested in the full trips guidance, but I remember being very
intrigued by micro dosing.

Lab tested you say... not convenient as in I can't just go to a lab and tell
them "hey I need to be trippin so can you check these blotters"?

~~~
Nyr
> How would one go about volumetric dosing with a blotter?

Dissolve in alcohol, avoid water like others suggested. You can't calculate
micrograms if the blotter dosage is unknown, lab testing is needed for that.

> if it's in liquid form, I'm guessing it's already in some volumetric dosing

Yes, just take a smaller dose then.

> Lab tested you say... not convenient as in I can't just go to a lab and tell
> them "hey I need to be trippin so can you check these blotters"?

Here in my country I can... this kind of services are available for free in
some European countries.

Energy Control in Spain provides this to foreigners for a relatively small
fee. You can contact them at: international AT energycontrol.org

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andyl
LSD can kill:

[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-
order/1198604...](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-
order/11986043/Nick-Caves-son-Arthur-took-LSD-before-falling-to-death-at-
Ovingdean-Gap.html)

[http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/11/11/coroner-...](http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/11/11/coroner-
nick-caves-teen-son-took-lsd-before-death-cliff-fall/75571696/)

[http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/10/nick-caves-
son-...](http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/10/nick-caves-son-died-
from-fall-after-taking-lsd-inquest-hears)

~~~
geofft
So can alcohol, but countless offices have beer fridges.

And, relevantly for an article on microdosing, so can _anything_ at high
doses, including water (e.g., Jennifer Strange) and oxygen (e.g., Apollo 1).

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lmm
It wasn't the oxygen that killed the Apollo 1 astronauts, it was the fire.
Oxygen can be toxic at high pressures (which is why deep divers use a mix with
helium replacing some of the oxygen) but AIUI breathing 100% oxygen at
ordinary atmospheric pressure is fine.

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glxc
this. is. dumb.

