MASTERING MICRODOSING

A guide argues that psychedelics aren’t just for recreational drug users anymore.

People are, according to Austin, currently in the midst of “the Third Wave” of psychedelic drug use in the West (the first two being pre-modern dabbling and the rediscovery of hallucinogens in the 1950s and ’60s). “Psychedelics can provide people with tremendously powerful, transformative experiences,” he writes. “Of course, not everyone is seeking a complete ego death and subsequent rebirth. That’s why the Third Wave of psychedelics is built upon a unique approach: microdosing.” The author sees microdosing as part of the broader personal wellness movement that includes the mainstreaming of yoga, meditation, hiking, veganism, and functional fitness, and he argues it can be a helpful therapeutic tool for treating everything from social anxiety to PTSD. With this book, Austin explains how the trend came about, the philosophy and science behind it, and the broader applications it can have in the consumer’s life. He also discusses the taboos, stigmas, legal restrictions, and potential side effects that have kept microdosing from becoming fully mainstream in America. It’s an elucidating read, especially for those who have not been following the microdosing discussion. Even so, the author—a microdosing enthusiast—is perhaps a bit too immersed in the lifestyle to be a fully persuasive ambassador to the masses. His prose is generally smooth, though he does sometimes lapse into a kind of jargony business-speak: “Whatever your goals for microdosing and whichever protocol you choose, you will eventually finish your initial experiment. Do you continue or not? What is the best way to proceed if you decide to go on? How soon do you start your next microdosing protocol?” There’s an entire chapter devoted to how microdosing can improve one’s leadership skills, and many chapters end with QR codes that encourage readers to “go deeper” in the Microdosing Mastery portal. Even so, the book functions as a helpful introductory guide to the topic.

An informative and fast-moving primer on the current state of the microdosing movement.