Mixing pleasure and business may seem weird, but that is not the case among Silicon Valley’s young professionals. There is a growing trend where young professionals are taking small doses of psychedelic drugs to boost workplace creativity.
LSD has the potential of alleviating mood and enhancing creativity in microdoses
The practice often referred to as “microdosing” involves taking small quantities of psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin found in magic mushrooms, LSD, and mescaline found in peyote cactus. LSD is a popular psychedelic drug that has been around since the 1960s counterculture. But what is somewhat surprising is that Silicon Valley has a psychedelic drug use history for boosting creativity. For instance, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are notable examples of individuals that tried LSD.
Notably, high LSD doses can alter mood, perception, and other cognitive processes. Interestingly, LSD is one of the psychedelic drugs most commonly microdoses. Usually, an LSD microdose comprises around a tenth of the recommended recreational dose of 10 to 20 micrograms that is potent enough to result in hallucinations. But, a microdose will instead enhance alertness, creativity, and energy.
LSD microdosing become a widespread practice in the workplace in Silicon Valley
It is also important to note that LSD microdosing can help reduce anxiety and stress while at the same time enhancing wellbeing, sleep, and healthier habits. Despite LSD microdosing being a widely reported phenomenon in the media, there is still limited research on the practice making prevalence almost impossible to approximate. According to reports, microdosing began in Silicon Valley as an underground practice but has quickly grown into workplaces.
Low doses of LSD result in mood elevation and enhanced creativity due to serotonin mimicking the psychedelic effects. In recent times there has been a revival of psychedelics research after a halt in the 60s. Research in psychedelics will help enhance insight into consciousness. Imperial College London researchers studied how LSD impacts brain function. The researchers established that LSD disorganizes cortical activity, permitting the brain to be freer and less constrained.
