Reports Q&A zur «Hype um LSD Microdosing» | Reportage | rec. | SRF
Dear community, thank you for your reactions to the report "LSD Microdosing Hype – Stimulants, Brain Doping, and Self-Medication" (👉 • Hype um LSD Microdosing – Aufputschmittel,... ). Reporter Samuel Konrad addresses these in the Q&A.
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The consumption of LSD in tiny amounts is said to make you happy, creative, and balanced. However, microdosing is prohibited in Switzerland. Nevertheless, students are using the hype as illegal brain doping, self-therapy for depression, or for relaxation.
"rec." reporter Samuel Konrad wants to know what's behind the hype and starts his search for clues where he encounters the practice himself: in Zurich's nightlife scene. It quickly becomes clear, however, that these microdosing self-experiments to enhance performance often take place in everyday life: Psychology student Rea (name changed) uses the substance to study, while 43-year-old culture editor Sarah (name changed) uses it to relax.
"Once you've looked behind the curtain, you can have trouble finding your way back into everyday life," says Felix Scholkmann. The neuroscientist participated as a test subject in an LSD study in Basel and describes near-death-like experiences with macrodoses.
His experiences with the high doses demonstrate the substance's potential, but also its dangers. LSD, as its discoverer, Albert Hoffmann, experienced firsthand 80 years ago, can have disturbing effects and strain the psyche.
38-year-old Anna (name changed) has been microdosing regularly for two years: "When daylight becomes scarce in winter, it's simply nice to go through the day with more pleasant feelings."
The Basel native believes in the effectiveness of the practice but also that microdosing can lead to psychological addiction: "We are all searching for happiness. I even believe we are all addicted to happiness and well-being."
Microdosing is said to have, among other things, activating, performance-enhancing, creativity-stimulating, antidepressant, and anxiolytic properties. Hallucinations do not occur when consuming five to twenty micrograms of LSD.
In Switzerland, however, hallucinogens are prohibited even in very small quantities. Universities and research institutions have received special permits for research purposes in recent years. The same applies to selected specialists who successfully use LSD in psychotherapy to treat depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorders.
"The substance enables new thought patterns and unblocks the mind," says psychiatrist Daniele Zullino from Geneva University Hospital. He has already treated over a hundred people with macro-doses, i.e., high doses. American psychologist James Fadiman provided a corresponding guide for everyday life supported by LSD in his 2011 book "The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide," triggering a veritable microdosing boom in performance-oriented Silicon Valley.
00:00 Intro
00:30 Why not try it yourself?
02:40 Few long-term examples of microdosing
03:35 Questions for Daniele Zullino
04:12 Since when has therapeutic LSD been legal?
04:44 LSD compared to other drugs
06:38 How do negative experiences with LSD occur?
10:33 What are the positive aspects of microdosing?
11:29 Self-optimization trend
12:25 Closing remarks
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▪ A film by Samuel Konrad
▪ Production: Christine Rindisbacher
▪ Senior Producer: Vanessa Nikisch, Ilona Stämpfli
▪ Director: Anita Richner
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"rec." stands for "record." Our reporters report on topics that move people and stimulate discussion. They seek answers to questions that concern them and the community. With their cameras, they go where life takes place, showing the world and its people as they are: real and unfiltered.
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