Microdosing For Beginners

Over the past several years, the practice of microdosing psilocybin mushrooms has ballooned in popularity. With purported benefits of improving mental health, creativity, and focus, many people are looking online to determine if the practice works, what exactly it does, and how they can start Microdosing themselves.

Unfortunately, the internet can be a dark and scary place, rife with misinformation. So here is a beginner's guide to microdosing mushrooms, to help people who want to learn more about the practice in a safe and accurate manner. Take a look through these easy steps to see if this practice lives up to the hype and if it may be right for you.

What Is Microdosing and What Are the Benefits?

In simple terms, microdosing is the practice of taking a very small dose of a drug—in this case psilocybin. The dose should be small enough that it won’t cause any perceptual changes, meaning you won’t have any hallucinations or even feel high. This will allow you to continue to go to school, work, or operate in social settings as if you had taken nothing at all.

So then, if you don’t “feel” anything, what is the point of microdosing?

Well, according to thousands upon thousands of anecdotal stories over decades, microdosing psilocybin is purported to:

•   Mood enhancement

•  Decreased stress

•  Emotional stability

•  Mindfulness, presence, and peace

•  Openness and self-forgiveness

•  Conversational fluidity

•  Alleviation of persistent conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, and PTSD

•  Increased motivation (e.g. to make positive lifestyle changes)

•  Increased flow states

•  Clearer, more connected thinking

•  Improved memory Increased creativity

•  Easier meditation

•  Enhanced athletic endurance

•  Increased energy overall (without anxiety or a subsequent crash)

•  Slight amplification of mood, positive or negative

Measure Your Microdosing

This is actually the step that most people mess up. 

Often, someone will attempt to microdose mushrooms, but will take WAY too much! It is essential that you remember the “micro” in microdose.

Frequently, people will think to themselves, “Oh, I don’t feel any different, I must not have taken enough, I’ll have some more.” And then be operating on a low, not-microdose. If you do this frequently it will nerf your tolerance, and you may not get the long term benefits of microdosing.

If you have never microdosed before, a good starting point is 0.1 - 0.2 grams of dried mushrooms.

Plus it is essential that you take the same amount on each dosing day.

It is important to store your mushrooms in a dry, cool environment, where they are not in direct sunlight.

Schedule

The Fadiman protocol is one of the most popular microdosing protocols. If you ever read a quick how to microdose guide but did not see “Fadiman” referenced, it is very likely they were using the Fadiman protocol, nevertheless.

This protocol is named after Dr. James Fadiman, who created it to study the effects of microdosing by having microdosing days and non-microdosing days.

Instructions: take a microdose every 3 days.

• Day 1: Microdose

• Day 2: Rest

• Day 3: Rest

• Day 4: Microdose

The Nighttime Microdosing Protocol

A side effect of psilocybin microdosing some people experience is slight fatigue or drowsiness. Because of this, it may be better to microdose at night.

You can modify your microdosing protocols and take your microdose at night instead.

Listen to Your Body

It is important that you stick with your original schedule for at least a month to give your body and mind time to adjust, and for you to have had enough time to make adequate reflections on the effectiveness of your microdosing journey in your journal.

However, after your first month, depending on how you feel, you can rejig your regime. Every person is different, as is how their body reacts to a drug.

Just listen to your own personal body and emotions to figure out what is right for you. Microdosing mushrooms is an inexact science, so you just have to do what is right for you personally.

For more protocols CLICK HERE.

Improve Other Aspects of Your Life

Remember, if you are microdosing, it should be to improve specific aspects of your life, such as your concentration, ability to speak in social settings, etc. You are not just taking magic mushrooms to get high. In fact, if you are getting high, you are doing it wrong.

The entire time you are microdosing, you should keep in mind your goals, and be recording daily in your journal how much progress you have made towards said goals.

Something that can help is that when you are journaling, set a checklist of things to try to do the next day. Take it slow, take baby steps. Don't have as your first goal become a billionaire. But maybe, work for 3 hours straight without taking a break.

While you are microdosing, you may also try to become healthier in your day to day life. Not only will microdosing make this easier, but by being healthy, the positive benefits will multiply. Some examples of areas you can try to become healthier in are: eating better, exercising at least a couple times a week and having a better sleep schedule. Meditating is also a fantastic way to boost your microdosing experience.

Something important is to remember that microdosing mushrooms is not a magic bullet (pun very much intended). At best it will help you achieve your goals, it won't achieve them for you. 

You still have to put in work. (I know, oh the horror!)

Happy Microdosing!

Credits Psychedelic Spotlight