Welcome back to The Drop In, DoubleBlind’s newsletter serving up news, culture, and independent journalism about psychedelics straight to your inbox.

We’re starting off this beautiful Monday with a story about whether there are greater benefits from microdosing alone or with a coach, and what the shifting lexicon around the word “microdosing” — specifically with regards to “subperceptual” doses — means for everyone interested in the practice. We interviewed Jim Fadiman, the Godfather of Microdosing, and Danielle Nova from the Microdosing Facilitator Training Program, to get all of the info… and perhaps put an end to the microdosing efficacy debate 😉.

If you keep scrolling, you’ll find stories about the market for really expensive (too expensive, if we’re being honest) trip sitters, where psychedelic therapy is legal, and how we’ve all been duped by Blue Lotus propaganda. Lol.

Enjoy the read 🌞📚,
Mary Carreón
Editor-in-Chief

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As microdosing goes mainstream, experts say guidance can shape what people get out of it.

We live in a culture obsessed with microdosing. People today are consuming small amounts of everything from caffeine to GLP-1s to cannabis to nicotine, and, of course, psychedelics. Since the 2010’s, millions of people have been experimenting with the practice in hopes of becoming the best versions of themselves, but as it gains more mainstream popularity, another question arises: Is microdosing psychedelics something people should figure out on their own, or does it work better with the guidance of a coach or facilitator?

The answer isn’t as crystalline as one might think. According to James Fadiman, Ph.D, a renowned researcher and author who popularized the practice of microdosing in his book, “The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide,” much of what we know about microdosing did not emerge from formal clinical research. “Most of what I have learned about microdosing has been from [other people’s experiences] around the world,” Fadiman told DoubleBlind in a phone interview. “And most of it has been without somebody who knew more.”

Microdosing alone has essentially been the only option for people who wish to incorporate the practice into their lives. But as overwhelmingly positive anecdotes about microdosing have pushed it into the mainstream, the demand for guidance to help zero in on its benefits has increased.

According to Danielle Nova, founder of the Microdosing Facilitator Training and executive director of the San Francisco Psychedelic Society, more people are now seeking coaches and guides to help them navigate the process. “A lot of times [people say] that it didn’t work or that they tried it for a little bit and didn’t notice anything,” Nova told DoubleBlind over Zoom. “Out of 99% of people who say they don’t feel anything, if I ask them what their inner critic or ego was like that day, they almost always say, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know it was there. The volume turned down.’ … And to me that’s a game changer.”

Part of the confusion (and debate within the psychedelic community) stems from the fact that microdosing is designed to be subtle. Unlike a full-blown psychedelic journey that launches you onto God’s doorstep, the effects are meant to be gentle and functional. But sometimes they are so minor that people miss them entirely. That tension between dose and effects sits at the center of the microdosing debate. And much of it comes down to how people interpret the term “microdosing” itself: a “subperceptual” dose of psychedelics. But what does “subperceptual” even mean?

“The word subperceptual was my mistake 12 years ago,” Fadiman told DoubleBlind. “What I was trying to say was that it shouldn’t produce any of the high-dose effects at all. So, we’re now saying it’s below threshold, which means below the threshold of [higher dose psychedelic effects].”

In other words, a microdose isn’t supposed to be completely imperceptible. Rather, it should fall below the threshold of tripping. You know you’ve gone too far if responding to emails is impossible because your screen is wiggling or you’re too distracted. You should be able to go about your day normally with both feet on the ground…and without your co-workers’ faces melting off.

People likely wouldn’t know any of this without a deeply knowledgeable coach or guide who keeps up with the evolving lexicon around microdosing. This explains why many people struggle to dial in microdosing on their own; it’s extremely easy to take too much or too little.

“You're supposed to feel it a little bit,” Nova said. “If you don't feel it, how do you know it's working?”

This implies, then, that a proper “microdose” is different for everyone. And finding this balance often takes a few rounds of trial and error. Nova says the best advice for locking in your best dose is to start low and go slow. “You can always take more, but you can never take less,” she said, explaining that a microdose should yield noticeable effects, but not be disruptive. “You want to know it’s there and to feel like the best version of yourself. But if it impairs your normal functioning in any way, then it’s too much.”

Having a guide through this experimentation process to help you stay organized and remember which doses worked for you can help dial in a dose and protocol that best supports your life. “One of the major things that coaches do is two things: They verify that what you’re experiencing is real, and they also very often help you find the sweet spot with dosing.”

Another misconception about microdosing is that it’s a panacea for depression or anxiety or anything else that ails you. Many people approach it the same way they approach pharmaceutical solutions, like SSRIs and SNRIs, expecting the compound itself to be responsible for producing the change. A knowledgeable guide or coach will steer you away from this highly Western perception.

“Microdosing is a skill, not a magic pill,” Nova said. “The results people experience with the microdose are directly related to the changes they’re willing to make in their lives.”

People exploring microdosing often find themselves deciding whether to experiment alone or seek guidance from a coach or facilitator. That dynamic will be the focus of an upcoming DoubleBlind webinar featuring Nova and Fadiman, where the two will discuss emerging insights into microdosing, how guidance can shape the experience, and what researchers and practitioners are learning as the practice of microdosing becomes more popular. The event also coincides with the launch of Nova's Microdosing Facilitator Training Program, a new cohort developed in partnership with DoubleBlind.

As microdosing continues to become a mainstream practice, more people are trying it for the first time with little context about how it works. For some, the process remains a solo exploration. For others, guidance may provide the structure needed to make sense of subtle changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Fadiman says that, at its core, coaching is less about directing someone's experience and more about helping them refine it. "A coach doesn't run with you," he said. "The coach is observing what you're doing and improving your capacity and your way of working."

Is the psychedelic industry’s growing presence in Washington colliding with federal ethics rules? Two newly filed complaints — one with the Office of Congressional Conduct and another with the Department of Justice — allege that two former well known lawmakers engaged in potentially improper lobbying and misuse of congressional data tied to psychedelic policy efforts.

The accusations raise questions about the rapidly expanding influence of biotech companies, advocacy groups, and lobbyists shaping psychedelic legislation on Capitol Hill. In this week’s main feature, journalist Jack Gorsline unpacks the allegations, the political players involved, and what the unfolding investigations could mean for the credibility of psychedelic reform efforts in the United States.

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