Microdosing is the practice of administering small doses of psychedelic drugs instead of taking the normal dose. The basis of taking these small doses of psychedelics is to attain positive results without getting the negative results that you would get from taking higher dosages. In “Microdosing: ‘Smart’ Psychedelics Explained”, Carmen R. H. Chandler breaks down the idea of microdosing and dives into why and how it should be used to gain positive feedback throughout the long run. Through various rhetorical strategies and writing techniques, Carmen R. H. Chandler uses her platform as an attempt to educate and share knowledge on what microdosing is, whilst shedding light on benefits and possible drawbacks that can occur when microdosing.
Carmen R. H. Chandler opens up her article by presenting a piece of visual rhetoric of a hand pressing a dropper, releasing what looks like to be a liquid. Above the hand, a plus sign is present with a droplet surrounding the symbol. The unknown liquid that is being released from the dropper can be interpreted as a small dosage of a psychedelic. Furthermore, the symbol of the addition sign appearing next to the dropper can allow the audience to assume that this article is going to be presented in a positive light. The wash of light blue and white both complement each other and gives the audience a sense of calmness within the image. The colors are known to be calming in a way––Chandler probably uses these colors to illustrate that taking small dosages of psychedelics can be alleviate one’s self without being harmed. She is using this image as a way to claim that psychedelics have a positive outcome when taken correctly––she’s guiding the audience to have an optimistic outlook to microdosing.
As the article dives into the definition of microdosing and what it does, she also introduces to the audience that even though microdosing can have positive outcomes, it is also “…illegal. In addition to the obvious risks of breaking a law — think fines, jail time, getting fired from your job, even losing custody of your…” (Chandler). Her goal isn’t only to show the good side of microdosing, but to also mention that most psychedelics aren’t legalized and could potentially impact your life if caught administering them. Chandler approaches the topic of microdosing by defining it whilst elaborating that there are both positives and negatives to approaching psychedelics. The defining of what microdosing is helps target the audience to comprehend that it isn’t something that is tried for mere entertainment or pleasure. She follows up with the statement that people are using psychedelics as a way to improve their state of mind and overall mentality.
Microdosing has peaked drastically due to the overwhelming presence of social media platforms. She briefly mentions the “rapid spike of popularity” (Chandler) microdosing has been receiving on social media and successful magazine outlets. The mention of social media seems to be a way to spark the audience’s attention considering it is being spoken in a somewhat positive attitude. Usually, the word microdosing scares most people because it engages with drugs. However, the addition of immensely popular outlets covering microdosing grabs their attention more. The genre of this text is to educate those who wish to know about microdosing and for those who wish to try it. The targeted audience would definitely be those who are interested in the idea of microdosing and wish to do so in order to improve their state of mind. It can also target the younger generations that see microdosing frequently on social media sites. They don’t know what microdosing really is, so they wish to learn more and understand the consequences that can happen when taken incorrectly. In order for the targeted audience to fully understand microdosing and the different substances that can be used, Chandler mentions specific types of drugs one should be aware of before further approaching the article.
In this article, the exigence can be interpreted in many ways. One way it can depicted is that people are misinterpreting the idea of microdosing, so Chandler wrote this article to educate them in what microdosing truly is. Considering that the world is evolving, and technology is becoming more advanced, microdosing can be interpreted in the wrong way. People may assume that microdosing is a way to get high without being affected negatively. The results you would get when taking higher dosages would decrease if you take smaller dosages. That may be true, but if you fail to follow the steps in microdosing incorrectly, it could lead to something detrimental. That’s where Chandler comes in––she uses her article as a building block to reach out to those who are interested in microdosing or confused as to what it is.
In this article, Chandler appeals to emotions by displaying a visual rhetoric. The picture shows a woman sitting on top of a white box, her gaze afar and deep in thought. At the very top of the image, bolded words spell out “Potential Microdosing Benefits.” Surrounding the woman are words like “better focus”, “relief from depression”, and “less anxiety in social situations,” (Chandler). One can depict that from the facial expression of the young women that she’s in a very calm state. Considering that the positive outcomes of microdosing are encircling her, it shows how microdosing has put her in a relaxed state of mind. The background colors of light blues establish a sense of healing and tranquility––the colors were chosen on purpose to exhibit how microdosing has changed her physically and mentally.
This article appeals to ethics and credibility by using scientific research journals and articles to further prove her evidence. Chandler begins to list the different substances that can be used for microdosing, warning the audience that these drugs have negative risks or effects. She clearly defines each substance but strengthens the definitions more from approved scientific journals that are more knowledgeable in this area. When mentioning the substance Psilocybin, the reader can click on a scientific study that is a part of the definition, showing “changes in brain function before versus after psilocybin in patients with treatment-resistant depression…” (Carhart-Harris et al. 2017). Not only does she explain what the substances are in her words, but also links credible articles and journals that dive deep into the substances and certain studies done previously.
Carmen R. H. Chandler appeals to logic by addressing the negative sides of microdosing. Even though the article was appealing to the positive outlook of microdosing, it was important for Chandler to touch base on the negative drawbacks. She didn’t sugar coat the words, but rather state the obvious. Microdosing could lead to a person’s state of mind being warped and could “even trigger past trauma,” (Chandler). The author is trying to make the audience be aware that even though microdosing may give a person a positive state of mind and mentality, it could be the complete opposite for another person.
All things considered, Chandler’s article was a success in regard to providing knowledge to those who misinterpret microdosing or wish to know more about it. The article properly defined and identified microdosing and different substances being used, whilst using credible sources to back up her statement. Visual rhetoric’s played into the emotions of the audience by portraying a young woman who feels at ease when microdosing properly. She also appeals to logic by laying out pointing out that even though microdosing provides positive feedback, it could result in negative outcomes too.
Works Cited
Carhart-Harris et al., Robin L. “Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression: FMRI-Measured Brain Mechanisms.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 13 Oct. 2017, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-13282-7.
Chandler, Carmen R. H. “Microdosing: ‘Smart’ Psychedelics Explained.” A Breakdown of Microdosing – Healthline, 27 Aug. 2018, www.healthline.com/health/beginners-guide-to-microdosing#12.
