In this comprehensive guide, early psychedelic researcher James Fadiman and co-author Jordan Gruber take readers on an in-depth exploration of microdosing, blending the latest scientific research with compelling personal experiences from around the world. The authors delve into the history and evolving science of microdosing, uncovering how carefully measured doses of psychedelics are being used to support physical health, enhance mental clarity, and foster overall well-being. Through engaging discussions, the book examines how this innovative practice may help alleviate challenges such as depression, chronic pain, and lingering symptoms from illnesses, while also improving focus, physical performance, and everyday habits like sleep and nutrition.

Beyond exploring potential benefits, the authors thoughtfully address how microdosing can play a role in easing the transition away from traditional pharmaceuticals and in heightening personal awareness of one’s environment and emotional patterns. With a rich tapestry of historical context, contemporary research, and practical insights, this guide offers a balanced perspective on how microdosing might complement a holistic approach to health and performance. Readers are encouraged to view the insights provided as part of a broader conversation on wellness and to consult with healthcare professionals before making any changes to their health routine.

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Excerpt from Microdosing for Health, Healing, and Enhanced Performance © Copyright 2025 James Fadiman, PhD, and Jordan Gruber, JD

Chapter 1: Overview

What’s Here – Q: What will I find in this book?

A: You will find what you need to know about microdosing, from the most basic practical and safety concerns to specific suggestions for special conditions. We bring you the most effective ways of doing things by presenting the best available information we know of, collected from many sources. Current research on microdosing is highlighted, along with its history and related controversies. We focus on the many reports from people who have shared their microdosing experiences to help others.

We have reviewed thousands of peoples’ experiences, and all the research studies to date, plus lightly drawn on worldwide indigenous microdosing today and in the past. Note that some of the information covered in Chapters 3, 4, and 5—“Enhanced Wellness, Abilities, and Flow,” “Major Findings,” and “Additional Health Conditions A–Z”—has not been reported elsewhere. Despite our best efforts, some of what’s put forward in these pages may prove to be partially or fully incorrect. More complete information and new pathways of discovery will continue to emerge.

Some of the more unusual primarily physically-based conditions we cover—like shingles or Lyme disease—are not yet formally researched. Any book about healing practices is a snapshot of what is currently known, filtered through the existing culture’s set of beliefs and assumptions. This book is no different. Check for other sources if you can before exploring microdosing for yourself or recommending it to anyone else.

Mainly using a Question & Answer (Q&A) format, we’ll be covering the following areas:

  • Chapter 1—Overview: Starting with our qualifications, definitions, and safety concerns, we consider why people microdose and why it has become popular, the value of hesitation, and some of the legal and sourcing issues involved.
  • Chapter 2—Basics: We describe different substances, how they’re taken and what they’re taken with, how much to take, different protocols, contraindications, safety concerns, and best practices.
  • Chapter 3—Enhanced Abilities, Wellness, and Flow—Here we look at positive areas that microdosing can help make better, from academics to work quality improvements, with everything from music and sports to sex, coding, and generating reports.
  • Chapter 4—Major Findings: We take a close look at five areas where microdosing can possibly make a major difference—ADHD, depression, tapering off medications, pain, and women’s health. Each of these areas is potentially of major interest and significance to many.
  • Chapter 5—Health Conditions Positively Affected (A–Z): We report on of over 30 physical and mental medical conditions that have seen some—and in some cases a lot—of healing and improvement, from anorexia, anxiety, and asthma relief to shingles, stroke, and traumatic brain injury.
  • Chapter 6—Science and History: We look at some of the science and history relevant to modern microdosing, from neuroplasticity, inflammation, and the placebo effect to citizen science, observational science, and heart valve safety concerns. We also briefly lay out the origins of the term “microdosing,” the story of how modern microdosing came into being, and the relationship of modern practices to indigenous ones.
  • Chapter 7—Conclusions: We say a few things about how things look to us, and a little bit about what directions we look forward to and a few we worry about

Now as for what you won’t find in this book, there won’t be any specific information about sourcing psychedelics, nor will there be recommendations for microdosing coaches or courses. You’re necessarily on your own for both of these, so be prudent and make good choices. (There’s also a short treatment of what’s left out of the book in the closing chapter.)

While this book contains a good deal of information, it isn’t (and couldn’t be) fully comprehensive. Microdosing results keeps coming in from all over the world, from personal reports, surveys, and media interviews to academic and commercial research.

So if you don’t see what you’re interested in—a physical or mental condition that you or someone you care for is suffering from—please don’t lose heart. More information flows in daily about conditions treated, abilities enhanced, substances being used, different special protocols, and more.

Also, to the degree microdosing apparently—

  • accelerates the placebo process
  • releases natural healing factors that return us to a healthier equilibrium
  • decreases inflammation
  • increases neuroplasticity

—it is potentially helpful for any physical or mental condition. That is, feeling better and more balanced generally benefits nearly any kind of physical or mental concern, and supports enhanced abilities, wellness, and flow. Like better sleep or a healthy diet, microdosing gives the body a leg up toward healthier functioning.

Finally, if you are interested in a specific health condition or a potentially improved ability not mentioned here, we encourage you to go online and do your own research. You can go to Reddit’s r/microdosing subreddit, do a general online search, or perhaps query an up-to-date psychedelically-informed AI trained on the latest research findings and anecdotal reports. If you decide to do your own research, including self-study, let us know what you find; that’s how most of what you’re reading came to be included in this book.

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