Self-blinded Microdosing with Dr. Balázs Szigeti

This episode features our interview with Dr. Balázs Szigeti. Dr. Szigeti is a neuroscientist from Imperial College London who recently published a study (https://elifesciences.org/articles/62878) with his team investigating the placebo effect in psychedelic microdosing. In this interview, we talk about how this unique ‘self-blinding’ microdose study was designed, the benefits of using a citizen science approach in psychedelics research, and ultimately what his findings reveal about microdosing. We even discuss how the effects of microdosing might be similar to the positive experiences reported with homeopathic medicines. This episode was produced and edited by Brendon Campbell. Original music and audio engineering by Andrew Illmann. We’ll be back on June 21st with our first Canadian History of Psychedelics episode! MAPS Canada is a registered non-profit; we rely on the generosity of our supporters to fund our life-changing research. Please visit mapscanada.org/donate (https://mapscanada.org/donate/) to become a monthly donor or to make a one time donation today! Feedback? Feel free to email us at: podcast@mapscanada.org (mailto:podcast@mapscanada.org) Links: Self-blinded microdosing paper: Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing (https://elifesciences.org/articles/62878) MDMA imaging study Dr. Balázs mentions he critiqued at a conference in 2016: The Effects of Acutely Administered 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine on Spontaneous Brain Function in Healthy Volunteers Measured with Arterial Spin Labeling and Blood Oxygen Level–Dependent Resting State Functional Connectivity (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4578244/) Published reinterpretation of those MDMA imaging results: Are ecstasy induced serotonergic alterations overestimated for the majority of users? (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269881118767646) MyDelica app: MyDelica | Charting a path to wellness (https://mydelica.com) Ayelet Waldman’s book on microdosing: A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30212082-a-really-good-day)