Microdosing has entered mainstream culture in a big way. A report issued by the globally prolific RAND corporation last year estimated that eight million Americans consumed psilocybin mushrooms in 2023, with the vast majority of them choosing to “microdose.” Microdosing is the practice of taking minuscule amounts of psilocybin, LSD, or other compounds to access the purported benefits of these substances, such as improved mood, heightened focus, and more conscious living.
The purported benefits of microdosing mushrooms and LSD are primarily informed by the functionality of the practice and its ability to confer the benefits of these substances upon a person while being integrated into everyday life as a means of amplifying wellness and creativity in a sustainable way.
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With the rise in the double-blind controlled investigation into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, the lion’s share of research has been conducted in controlled clinical environments that are hermetically sealed off from the world and which use synthetic psilocybin or LSD as the active compound in the study. This approach has yielded much valuable information into the mechanisms of action in regards to how microdosing may impact an individual’s neurocognition and the topography of the brain, but it is also profoundly limited by the very control mechanisms that are in place to validate the scientific rigor of the research in accordance with modern clinical norms.
The reality is that 99.9 percent of psychedelic use – especially microdosing – happens outside of a clinical context. People microdose outdoors on hikes, at concerts, and increasingly as a regular routine integrated into their messy, chaotic everyday lives. People report tremendous breakthroughs in their lives after taking up a microdosing protocol, and for the first time ever, there’s a retreat in a natural setting using psilocybin mushrooms that’s going to analytically test and measure these claims.
Microdosing Research Retreat set to change the face of psychedelic inquiry
On March 21st through 23rd in Santa Cruz, California, the first IRB-approved microdosing research study in a naturalistic retreat environment using two varieties of fruiting body psilocybin mushrooms will be conducted as part of the Microdosing Research Retreat by Flow State. Top experts in the emerging field of microdosing and psychedelic science will be conducting this research among a population of healthy volunteers, mapping their brain states via wireless EEG while participants are under the influence of a psilocybin mushroom microdose in a retreat setting.
“IRB-approved” means that this study has been evaluated and approved by an Institutional Review Board composed of scientific professionals who have ensured that the study design meets ethical standards and adequately protects the rights of the subjects.
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“This is more than just a retreat—it’s a historic moment in psychedelic research,” said retreat co-leader Adam Bramlage. “For the first time, participants have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a groundbreaking microdosing study while actively contributing to the future of mental health science.
“What makes this research retreat truly unique is that participants can choose their level of involvement. They can opt into a Double-Blind Placebo Group for a true scientific experience, join the Expectancy Group where they know they’re microdosing so we can study the power of belief, or be part of the Control Group, where their brain scans will provide critical baseline data.”
The effects of microdosing mushrooms will be tested as retreat participants enjoy yoga, meditation, and nature immersion during this landmark study, giving deeper insights into how psilocybin mushrooms can amplify “flow states.” A flow state is defined as a mental state where individuals experience deep focus, connection, and intrinsic motivation in their activities.
This study is being conducted by such esteemed researchers as Dr. Connor Murray, PhD, psilocybin mushroom analytical testing pioneer Reggie Harris of Hyphae Labs, and Flow State founders Danielle Nova and Adam Bramlage, with additional advisory support from the godfather of microdosing himself, Jim Fadiman, PhD. Jim Fadiman has advocated for the benefits of psychedelics since the early 1960s and recently published his 21st book titled Microdosing For Health, Healing, and Enhanced Performance in February of this year.
“A landmark event…”
This research retreat is a landmark event for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the data is being collected in an environment that is far more attuned to how people actually engage with microdosing – outside, in the community, and as part of a healthy lifestyle rather than isolated to control for every imaginable variable in a sterilized setting.
Research using psilocybin mushrooms rather than synthetic psilocybin is rare, yet not unheard of in the “psychedelic renaissance’”- a recent study in New Zealand investigated the potential of a native variety of psilocybin mushroom to disrupt methamphetamine addiction in the indigenous Maori population.
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Two different varieties of psilocybin mushrooms that have been analyzed for potency and minor alkaloids by Hyphae Labs will be compared and contrasted in regards to their effects on microdosers during the retreat, further distinguishing this study as the first one in the world to do so. Hyphae Labs has conducted extensive research on various psilocybin mushroom strains over the last five years, documenting the active compound profiles in different mushrooms and creating a database of info that describes and documents the potencies and effect ranges of various mushrooms in order to better understand the impact that different strains have on the human brain.
The proof of concept for microdosing research conducted outside of standard regulatory settings has been demonstrated elsewhere as well: In Australia, Mindbio Therapeutics conducted clinical trials testing LSD microdosing as a prescription that participants took in their homes, outside of standardized clinical, regulatory norms. Though the practice has exploded into the global cultural mainstream, scientific analysis of microdosing in real-world settings stands to evolve a tremendous amount as more data is collected and archived around the practice.
“We are merging cutting-edge neuroscience with the lived experience of microdosing, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a study that could reshape how we understand psychedelics, consciousness, and personal transformation.” continued Bramlage.
Limited spaces are available to apply for this three-day retreat in the coming weeks, with Saturday day passes now on sale. There has never before been a study of this caliber and quality that specifically focuses on microdosing mushrooms in a retreat setting, and the implications of this impending research are shaping up to be profoundly transformative for the growing field of microdosing and psychedelic research.
As microdosing is set to continue to be further embraced by the general public due to its proven efficacy and low-risk profile, the Microdosing Research Retreat stands to be a major milestone in the evolving field.
*This article was submitted by a guest contributor. The author is solely responsible for the content.
