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One of the most dramatically psychoactive chemicals known to mankind, so naturally the top comment on HN is the placebo one. Which is always the top comment abo

by psyc 10y ago

One of the most dramatically psychoactive chemicals known to mankind, so naturally the top comment on HN is the placebo one. Which is always the top comment about things that are thought to have real effects.

jgys 10y ago
Isn't skepticism a wholly appropriate response?
vidarh 10y ago
This is about microdosing. I don't think anyone here would claim that LSD has no effect - that'd be crazy. But that does not mean we can say whether or not microdosing achieves anything. Especially not in the face of experiments like Gwerns.
daddyo 10y ago
Micro-dosing with substances seems very related to homeopathy. Placebo effect has real effects. Micro-dosing: Unverified.
- blacksmith_tb 10y ago
  Well, not exactly, in the sense that many homeopathic preparations don't even contain any molecules of the substances they supposedly 'remember'[1] while the studies being discussed in the article are using doses of LSD about 1/10th what a typical full-strength dose might be. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy#Dilutions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy#Dilutions
- shakil 10y ago
  Well, yes and no. Its true once you get beyond about 12C potency on the centesimal or "C scale", there may not be a molecule of the original substance left. However lower potencies, specially in the decimal scale definitely have enough of the original remedy in them as to qualify as a microdose. If you start with a gram, then a 6x potentization will result in about a 1 micro-gram dose, which is about the same as being discussed in this article. And a lot of homeopathic remedies are administered at the 3x or 6x potency as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathic_dilutions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathic_dilutions
got2surf 10y ago
Parent commenter here - I don't doubt that LSD has real effects. I think it's plausible that microdosing has real effects. But I also think that said effects are difficult to measure, because studies typically use subjective mood assessments, which are going to be pretty heavily impacted by the placebo effect. But even if most of microdosing is just a placebo effect, I think that's still amazing in itself. Even if you're not "physically tripping", you've willed yourself into a "more open" mental state, creating your own positive side effects.

by psyc 10y ago

jgys 10y ago

Isn't skepticism a wholly appropriate response?

vidarh 10y ago

This is about microdosing. I don't think anyone here would claim that LSD has no effect - that'd be crazy. But that does not mean we can say whether or not microdosing achieves anything. Especially not in the face of experiments like Gwerns.

daddyo 10y ago

Micro-dosing with substances seems very related to homeopathy. Placebo effect has real effects. Micro-dosing: Unverified.

blacksmith_tb 10y ago
Well, not exactly, in the sense that many homeopathic preparations don't even contain any molecules of the substances they supposedly 'remember'[1] while the studies being discussed in the article are using doses of LSD about 1/10th what a typical full-strength dose might be. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy#Dilutions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy#Dilutions
shakil 10y ago
Well, yes and no. Its true once you get beyond about 12C potency on the centesimal or "C scale", there may not be a molecule of the original substance left. However lower potencies, specially in the decimal scale definitely have enough of the original remedy in them as to qualify as a microdose. If you start with a gram, then a 6x potentization will result in about a 1 micro-gram dose, which is about the same as being discussed in this article. And a lot of homeopathic remedies are administered at the 3x or 6x potency as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathic_dilutions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathic_dilutions

got2surf 10y ago

Parent commenter here - I don't doubt that LSD has real effects. I think it's plausible that microdosing has real effects. But I also think that said effects are difficult to measure, because studies typically use subjective mood assessments, which are going to be pretty heavily impacted by the placebo effect. But even if most of microdosing is just a placebo effect, I think that's still amazing in itself. Even if you're not "physically tripping", you've willed yourself into a "more open" mental state, creating your own positive side effects.