The effects of a low psilocybin dose, with and without caffeine, on mood and social behavior at a social event.

Abstract

Anecdotal reports and observational studies point towards the potential benefits of consuming microdoses of psychedelic substances (1/10th of a recreational dose) during daily routines for mood and cognition (Polito et al., 2019; Anderson et al., 2019). Placebo-controlled research has reliably shown that low doses, i.e., doses which are slightly larger than a microdose, indeed induce some of the expected changes in mood and cognition (Hutten et al., 2020; Bershad et al., 2020; De Wit et al., 2022; Sanz et al., 2022; Cavanna et al., 2022). In line, analyses of anecdotal reports suggest that selective groups of people consume up to 1/4th of a recreational dose of psychedelics, deeming this dose their 'sweet spot' for experiencing benefits that do not interfere too much with their everyday functions (Lea et al., 2019). Interestingly, even though people who take micro-to-low doses tend to do so within their regular routines, the effect of micro-to-low doses on social experiences and behaviors is understudied. A few notable findings point towards such effects. Specifically, a low dose of LSD reduced negative mood during social rejection (De Wit et al., 2022) and increased friendliness (Hutten et al., 2020), and a low dose of dried psilocybin mushrooms increased the number of words spoken in a free speech paradigm (Sanz et al., 2020), indicating that microdosing could make people more associative and talkative. In sum, in society some people regularly consume small doses of psychedelics and anecdotal observations indicate that these make people more social, but these effects have not been empirically evaluated. Thus, the current study is motivated by the lack of research into the effects of low doses of psychedelics and the effects of micro-to-low doses on social experiences and behaviors. Next to this, while the extra-pharmacological role of expectations is much discussed both in relation to microdosing and to placebo-controlled clinical trials with larger doses (Aday et al., 2022), only one study by Kaertner at al. has specifically assessed such effect of expectations and found that positive expectations predicted beneficial mental-health outcomes within an observational microdosing study (2021). As such, the current study also seeks to investigate the extent to which specific expectations can predict the acute effects of low doses of psilocybin. The company Microdose Together (https://www.microdosetogether.com/) has invited us to carry out observational research at their upcoming Happy Tea promotion events taking place at Kokopelli Smartshop in Amsterdam on Dec. 1 and 2, 2023, each from 19:30-22:30. We may carry out this study at more similar events in the future depending on the number of participants that we collect at these four upcoming events. Happy Tea is a herbal tea product developed by Microdose Together which combines caffeinated tea with a low dose of psilocybin truffles (2 grams). The company promotes Happy Tea as a social drink and an alternative to alcohol. Their promotion events allow us to investigate the effects of low psilocybin doses on social experiences and behaviors and to assess the role of expectations prior to the event on these effects. Throughout the event, guests are allowed to request up to three drinks, which may allow us to compare effects of psilocybin truffles across three low doses (2g, 4g, and 6g.) given sufficient power. Next to this, Happy Tea is typically prepared with caffeinated tea, however guests at these events are given a choice between caffeinated and non-caffeinated tea, which allows us to also investigate the effect of psilocybin truffles when combined with caffeine as compared to psilocybin truffles alone. Previous findings regarding the acute effects of caffeine in healthy, rested subjects have reported increased positive mood but also anxiety, increased alertness, recall and reaction time, and reduced fatigue (Ruxton et al., 2008). Interestingly, habitual caffeine users were found to experience greater effects on mood and cognition as compared to non-habitual users (Ruxton et al., 2008; Smith et al., 2011). Next to this, a study focusing on mice found that acute caffeine reduced social contact (Lopez-Cruz et al., 2016) while a study with rats found that acute caffeine did not affect time spent in social interaction but did increase the number of social partners (Nadal et al., 1993). It appears that studies into the effects of caffeine on social behavior in humans are lacking, and thus the current study will also contribute to this field of research.

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