Descriptive assemblage of psychedelic microdosing: Netnographic study of Youtube™ videos and on-going research projects

Hupli, Aleksi; Berning, Moritz; Zhuparris, Ahnjili; Fadiman, James

doi:10.1016/j.peh.2019.01.001

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Our interviewees were rarely aiming to directly enhance cognition, but to enhance other areas reported to improve general performance. This was especially the case with their use of cannabis and psychedelics, drugs that are usually not discussed in the pharmacological neuro-enhancement literature (Franke, Roser, Lieb, Vollmann, & Schildmann, 2016; Hupli, Berning, Zhuparris, & Fadiman, 2019). Steponas (male, Lithuanian, undiagnosed) recalled how he used to smoke cannabis to improve both the ease and quality of his work in menial employment and customer service.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While we mainly focused on stimulants in our discussion of the literature—prescription stimulants being the most prevalent in our sample (Hupli et al, 2016)—other substances like psychedelics (e.g., Elsey, 2017) would require similar attention. The so-called psychedelic microdosing is often compared to using drugs like Ritalin (Hupli et al, 2019) and is an emerging trend among young people in Amsterdam (Nabben, Luijk, & Korf, 2018). Similarly, blurry boundaries have been found for cannabis, which some of our interviewees used as an “indirect cognitive enhancer” (Franke et al, 2016; Hupli et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond Treatment Versus Enhancement: A Qualitative Study of Pharmacological Neuro-Enhancement Among Dutch and Lithuanian University Students

Hupli

Didziokaite

Ydema

2019

Contemporary Drug Problems

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This article examines the ambiguous relationship between treating illness and enhancing normalcy through the use of “cognitive enhancement” drugs. Although the literature on pharmacological neuro-enhancement generally differentiates between the “licit/therapeutic” and “illicit/enhancement” use of substances, in-depth interviews with 35 university students in the Netherlands and Lithuania—both with and without formal medical diagnoses of (mainly) Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder—reveal the fluidity of these categories. Our study of the perceptions and experiences of people who use such drugs further suggests a much broader range of substances, motives, and sought-after effects than are commonly acknowledged in the “cognitive enhancement” literature. We need a more inclusive and context-sensitive approach to study pharmacological neuro-enhancement, for instance, by approaching both licit and illicit drugs as tools or instruments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Treatment Versus Enhancement: A Qualitative Study of Pharmacological Neuro-Enhancement Among Dutch and Lithuanian University Students

Hupli

Didziokaite

Ydema

2019

Contemporary Drug Problems

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“…Among the different categories of substances, psychodepressors were the most commonly associated with the use of prescription drugs, whereas only a small percentage of psychodysleptic users reported such habit. The typology of subject using psychodysleptics such as LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca, and other plants, is characterized by the search for a strong inner experience, spirituality, and high level of emotionality ( 47 , 48 ). The use of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics can inhibit or temper the perception of these experiences and therefore may not be chosen by users.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prescription Drug Misuse in “Clubbers” and Disco Goers in Ibiza

et al. 2020

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Background: Prescription drug misuse and its related risks are considered a worldwide public health issue. Current trends show that the extent of such phenomenon may not be limited to subjects with psychiatric disorders, as it also spreads to dance party and nightclub attendees, who often consume prescription drugs in combination with alcohol and psychoactive substances. This study aims to report the sociodemographic data and the psychiatric and clinical features of a sample of clubbers reporting prescription drugs use.Methods: Patients admitted to the psychiatry ward of the Can Misses Hospital in Ibiza were recruited for the study during a span of four consecutive years (2015–2018). The inclusion criteria were age 18–75 years old and the intake of psychoactive substances or more than five alcohol units during the previous 24 h. Substance use habits, psychopathological features, and use of unprescribed pharmaceuticals were investigated. Urine samples were collected and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.Results: A total of 110 subjects with psychoactive substance intoxication were recruited for the study. Among these, 37 (40%) disclosed the use of prescription drugs without medical supervision. The most common compounds were benzodiazepines (66%), antiepileptic drugs (8%), antidepressants (6%), opioids (6%), antipsychotics (6%), stimulants (6%), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, 2%). Prescription drug misuse was negatively associated with the use of psychodysleptics (two-tailed Fisher's exact test p = 0.018, ρ = −0.262).Conclusions: The use of prescription drugs is also common among clubbers, usually characterized by low propensity to be prescribed benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, or antidepressants. Prescription drugs may be an alternative to classic and novel psychoactive compounds or may be used to tamper and self-medicate the effects determined by the use of substances. Party goers should be adequately informed about possible risks of co-intake of psychoactive substances and prescription drugs to prevent serious medical and psychiatric consequences.

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“…Video reports of experiences with microdosing are also posted on YouTube, a platform that makes it easier to share the material aspects of "doing" microdosing and "real time" effects. Aleksi Hupli and Moritz Berning, who both participated in the ChemicalYouth project as ethnographers, used the YouTube Data Tool developed by the Digital Methods Initiative of the University of Amsterdam to explore these visual demonstrations of users' techniques (Hupli et al 2019). The search, conducted in June 2016, resulted in 115 videos-six of which accounted for 92% of approximately 1 million total views.…”

Section: Microdosing Narrativesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, for example, examined the narratives of microdosers in Amsterdam, and followed their collaborative self-experiments over time. Some members of our team have also reviewed reports on microdosing in popular media and online, a form of "virtual ethnography" (see Krieg et al 2017;Hupli et al 2019). A second way of understanding the effects of microdosing is through the gathering of data that can aggregate users' experiences; such data has been generated through collaborations between researchers and users, and is reviewed here.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Creativity

Hardon¹

2020

Critical Studies in Risk and Uncertainty

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The microdosing of mind-altering substances, like LSD and magic mushrooms, is a trend among young creatives, who report enhanced creativity, improved focus, and other productivity-enhancing effects. This chapter, Chemical Creativity, describes how both users and researchers have been exploring the range of effects of microdosing, including through more experimental ethnographic research. Using virtual ethnography, we analyzed drug users’ narratives of their personal experiences, practices, and motivations with microdosing. We also collaborated with participants using online platforms focused on drug experimentation to generate data, combining their collective experiences while acknowledging individual expertise. Finally, we reviewed research on clinical trials that compare the effects of psychoactive substances, like LSD, with placebos. What emerges is a clearer picture of the benefits of microdosing, how dosages are tweaked, and how users engage in “harm reduction from below” by spreading their cautionary tales within the microdosing world. In so doing, we offer a glimpse into how this relatively new practice develops, as it gains popularity with both laypeople and the academic and scientific communities.

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Descriptive assemblage of psychedelic microdosing: Netnographic study of Youtube™ videos and on-going research projects

Cited by 17 publications

References 48 publications

Beyond Treatment Versus Enhancement: A Qualitative Study of Pharmacological Neuro-Enhancement Among Dutch and Lithuanian University Students

Beyond Treatment Versus Enhancement: A Qualitative Study of Pharmacological Neuro-Enhancement Among Dutch and Lithuanian University Students

Prescription Drug Misuse in “Clubbers” and Disco Goers in Ibiza

Chemical Creativity

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