A Really Good Day summary

Microdosing is such a new concept that Waldman had to teach her computer’s spell-checker to recognize it.

The principle of microdosing is simple: The patient takes a tiny dose of LSD on repeating three-day cycles. On day one, you take your dose and monitor your mood, physical sensations, productivity and general experience of how the day went. On days two and three, you take no LSD but continue to monitor. On day four, you take your microdose and repeat the process.

On her first day of microdosing, Waldman felt a little different, as if her senses had been heightened. She was more aware than usual of the scent of jasmine in the air and how beautiful the trees in the garden looked. She realized that she felt mindful – able to notice her thoughts and the feelings of her body. Thinking of her family prompted no annoyance, only a sense of love. She had a far more productive day than usual, and for the first time in a long while, felt happy.

On her second day, a transition day when she took no LSD, she felt a little more like her usual self again, but still had the sense that it was easier than usual to ignore her bad mood.

LSD was first synthesized by a Swiss research chemist named Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1938. He consumed the drug throughout his entire life and lived to be 102 years old.

Hofman’s longevity might surprise the many people who believe that LSD is a dangerous drug. The truth is, despite its bad reputation, LSD is extremely safe.

If you’re reading this on an iPhone, iPad or MacBook, you might just have LSD to thank. Steve Jobs, the legendary co-founder of Apple, took LSD and said that it was one of the most important things he ever did.

While microdosing, Waldman experienced far greater flow – the experience of being immersed in, and fully concentrating on, her work. And Waldman and Steve Jobs are not the only ones to credit LSD for helping with their work.

What’s the worst possible side-effect of microdosing LSD? The risk of getting arrested.

Although Waldman only ever had a tiny quantity of LSD in her possession, it was still enough to face a sentence of up to three years from a state court.

Researcher James Fadiman once believed that Sandoz Pharmaceuticals – the company that originally discovered and synthesized LSD – could’ve released a microdose version of LSD to the marketplace that could compete with the likes of Ritalin and Adderall. Unfortunately, after the drug was made illegal in the 1960s, that became an impossibility.

Nonetheless, informal research into microdosing LSD has continued, largely led by Fadiman. Already researching the use of psychedelics, he once came across a woman who told him of her experiences with microdosing. Interested, Fadiman put together a protocol based around the same three-day model that Waldman used and published it in a 2011 book. Since then, Fadiman has received around 300 requests for his protocol, and 50 reports back from people who’ve used it.

At the end of 30 days, and ten tiny doses of LSD, Waldman reflected on her experiences.

The only days when she had felt any abnormal sensations – mental or physical – were the days she’d taken a dose. She occasionally felt dizzy or nauseous on the day of a dose, and sometimes felt more likely to become irritable on a microdose day. On the following days, she simply felt happy, optimistic and relaxed – far better than she usually felt before her microdosing experiment.