A little magic from the humble ‘shroom

Productivity is under the microscope at Macquarie University where a new study seeks to discover if ‘magic mushrooms’ have an impact on how we think.

The groundbreaking research is one of the world’s first neuroimaging studies to independently evaluate the influence of small amounts of hallucinogenic drugs on the brain, led by Dr Vince Polito from MQ’s Department of Cognitive Science.

Test subjects – people who already use a low-dose hallucinogenic as part of their normal routine - will go through a series of test designed to assess their neurobiological, physiological and performance responses to a microdose of the psychedelic mushroom.

“We will get people to do some psychometric tasks and behavioral tasks while we use a scanner to really look in detail at what's happening in people's brains,” says Dr Polito.

“We expect to find if there is really something physiological happening, or if it is all just people's expectations and beliefs that are driving their responses,” he says.

The study is looking to recruit up to 80 participants – more information available at the study’s website.

What is microdosing?

Microdosing, while relatively new, is a process where the patient takes very small amounts of psychedelic substances on a semi-regular basis.

However, the desired response is not your typical ‘magic mushroom’ high, but more long-term improvements that increase the patient’s ability to think more clearly and helps them be more creative and productive.