Further research is needed to fully understand the potential risks and benefits of this use. A search on Pubmed can provide more information on the current state of research. This is in stark contrast to indulging in what we call a “full dose” (also known as tripping), which launches you into an immersive psychedelic realm filled with profound introspection and colorful geometric patterns. However, microdosers who practice microdosing psychedelics with serotonergic psychedelics have reported experiencing subtle yet positive effects on their mood and creativity.
Microdosing LSD and Mental Illness
As we get into the medium, higher, and hero’s dose, this is where you can expect to trip, hallucinate, and potentially have some out-of-body experiences, especially when you approach higher levels like 5 grams (50mg of psilocybin). For reference, most clinical trials have been done giving patients around 25mg of psilocybin to go on a spiritual journey. From my experience, often times the feelings we’re suppressing in our day-to-day lives come to the surface when taking a higher dose. It’s my opinion that when someone says they had a “bad trip” it’s because those suppressed feelings come to the surface and that person hasn’t ever learned how to deal with them. While microdosing mushrooms is generally considered safe, there are potential side effects and risks to consider. Many people who microdose report improved mood, creativity, and productivity, as well as a greater sense of connection to themselves and others.
How Microdosing Works
Interestingly, some of the more advanced microdosers reported that they’ve found that some strains and species make them more tired than others, but it can be subjective to the individual and dose-dependent. As more research on the effects of different magic mushroom strains and species emerge, we’ll likely have more info on strains that are better or worse for microdosing. However, as of now, the most popular species for microdosing (and shrooming in general) is Psilocybe cubensis, with the majority of my survey participants reporting to use the strain Golden Teachers. If you’re interested in trying psychedelics, consider talking with a healthcare professional about options for psychedelic-assisted therapy in your area. A few states have loosened restrictions on certain psychedelics, and others are in the process of doing so. Ketamine-assisted therapy is currently the most widely available form of psychedelic therapy.
Urine tests for magic mushrooms
By keeping a journal of your experiences and reflecting on the effects, you can gain a deeper understanding of how microdosing mushrooms can impact your mood, creativity, and overall well-being. However, the effects can global news: busting myths on alcohol and covid-19 vary from person to person, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to what microdosing mushrooms feels like. The same effects you’ll get on a larger dose of MDMA, you’ll get to a lesser extent with a microdose.
- We become more stressed, we may choose unhealthy solutions to try to help, and eventually, before we know it, it can lead to a lack of energy, lack of creativity, lack of motivation, and more.
- A search on Pubmed can provide more information on the current state of research.
- In my experience, microdosing psilocybin mushrooms can enhance creativity for microdosers.
- Similarly, Danielle Simone Brand, author of Weed Mom (Ulysses Press, 2020), explains that microdoses of mushrooms make her feel “amplified,” and so her focus is increased, but so is everything else.
Are There Any Risks Or Negative Side Effects Associated With Microdosing Mushrooms?
However, there is a notable study that weighed in on categories of benefits of microdosing magic mushrooms. However, it’s important to note that there are still many unknowns about the long-term effects and risks of microdosing mushrooms, and much more research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and risks of this practice. Because of the promising potential seen in research on standard doses of psychedelic substances, the potential of microdosing as a mental health and substance use treatment warrants further research. Some research suggests that psychedelics (at full doses) may help relieve some mental health conditions including anxiety and depression.
It’s best to look at the improvements of microdosing as a long-term, gradual gain. It takes at least 2 weeks to develop new habits, and it can be even longer before you’re able to get into productive flow states on command. In general, you should avoid taking your microdose at least 8 hours before your regular bedtime.
Much of the existing research relies on self-reported data, which is difficult to validate. If you drink brewed ayahuasca, it generally lasts for approximately 4 hours. That fact should be taken as a rough guide, though, due a potential case of acute ketamine withdrawal to the unpredictable nature of the components that make up ayahuasca brew. Although concoctions of ayahuasca may be bought, cultivated, and consumed, it’s probably a good idea to leave all that up to experienced shamans.
Yet, if I let go to that “come up” feeling and don’t have a lot of obligations, it passes eventually and I start to feel more open and creative. So I like microdoses in the 0.25 to 0.3 gram range for a day off from work when I can go to the local park with my dogs and come up with new story ideas. Secondly, everyone’s biology is slightly different, so what might be a microdose for one person might be way too strong of an experience for another and vice versa. Lastly, different levels of microdoses can produce different effects, which can be better or worse for specific types of activities or obligations. Unlike a full dose of psychedelics, a microdose is meant to be “sub-perceptual,” or barely noticeable.
At some point in our lives, most of us have likely experienced “flow,” or the mental state in which a person is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, presence, and total enjoyment in the process of an activity. This can be the surfer effortlessly riding a big wave, the salesman elegantly working the room, or the writer who looks up from the page to realize night has fallen. It’s hard to say if microdosing LSD will for sure cause your pupils to dilate—it varies from person to person. The general consensus on Reddit seems to be that 20 micrograms of LSD is the threshold where most people’s pupils will start expanding. However, there are reports by people who have this happen at nine or even seven micrograms. This is another reason we advise you not to start microdosing LSD on a day when you need to be in a socially saturated environment.
The Beckley Foundation is also committed to researching the potential therapeutic applications of microdosing LSD. The organization’s first study investigated the short-term effects of singular microdoses on creativity, cognitive function flexibility, and wellbeing. Soon, the foundation will conduct a study involving consistent microdoses of LSD over a period of four weeks. Psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin share a similar structure to serotonin and mimics the chemical’s effects. This is why these substances have comparable effects to a full dose when microdosed, at least in the most important aspects described in the Benefits and Risks section of this guide.
Little is known about the prevalence, effects, safety, and long-term impacts, so more research is needed to fully understand the potential help or harm that microdosing may hold. The legality of the practice depends on the substances used—two of the most popular substances are illegal, but some others can be legally microdosed. The more popular psychedelics to microdose include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin mushrooms (magic mushrooms). Of course, not everyone looks to microdosing cocaine addiction as a productivity hack, and not everyone is as sensitive to the come-up as I am and the handful of my survey participants who reported a similar sensation. While there isn’t much evidence to support the effectiveness of microdosing, psychedelic-assisted therapy shows some promise for certain mental health conditions. Before harvesting the sub-threshold benefits ayahuasca offers, know that it is one of the most powerful entheogens (a substance that gives you a spiritual experience) in existence.
Because your body produces a tolerance to LSD, you might see diminishing returns after a few days if they are taken every day. Plus, the fact that positive effects can sometimes be felt many days after a microdose is a good reason to space out your doses. Whether you’re looking to tap into your creativity, improve mental health, or get more stuff done, microdosing mushrooms might be the ticket. On the day after a microdosing you don’t take a dose—this is called a transition day. The microdosing substance will be present in the brain and body for two days. Be conscious on these days about what you are feeling, experiencing, and thinking, but try not to judge or overthink.
LSD has a long track record of safe use, and there are a number of benefits to using LSD when done safely. Aside from the legal qualms, if you microdose LSD, there is a slight risk that someone around you will notice that you’re “on something.” Increased alertness, productivity, and creativity can be explained away, but not dilated pupils. Much of what we understand about how psychedelics work involves serotonin, a chemical that is among the brain’s most important neurotransmitters. Serotonin affects nearly everything we do, from how we feel to how we process information.
This means if you take them too late in the day they can interrupt your ability to fall asleep. Your daily journal is used to track how you’re feeling, and how you’re progressing towards those goals. You can add as many prompts as you want here, but I’ve found it’s better to keep it short or you simply won’t fill them out every day. Setting a few goals or intentions before you begin can make a big difference in seeing these improvements manifest.
Even just taking a mental note of the kind of things you want to gain from your microdosing regimen is enough. The motivation to use these substances depends on your individual situation. Whether that’s to help you live more presently, perform better at work or school, or to assist you with your creative endeavors is up to you. In a 2019 study, around one-fifth of participants who completed an online survey reported experiencing negative side effects, mostly psychological ones, while under the influence of LSD. In general, health experts do not consider LSD in very small or recreational doses as addictive.
