Microdosing involves consuming tiny amounts of psilocybin mushrooms. You can also use psilocybin truffles, or sclerotia. Even though the effects are subperceptual, or subtle, they can still have a positive impact on your life. Microdosers often make the shrooms part of their weekly routine. These people believe that microdosing might give them improved levels of creativity and a higher level of focus and energy. Some people take tiny doses because they want to try to treat anxiety or depression.
About Microdosing
Many countries have outlawed substances like psilocybin. That means it has been hard to study their effects. There is little research still on microdosing. However, researchers do know what large amounts of psychedelics can do to your brain.
Serotonin is a chemical in your brain that helps it work properly. This chemical is an important neurotransmitter, and it affects everything from how you process information to how you feel. Psilocybin has a structure that is like serotonin, and it works on a similar path.
The way that antidepressants work is by making more serotonin in your brain to try to improve the way that you feel. Psilocybin takes a more direct approach and tries to mimic serotonin. It may stimulate your brain’s serotonin receptor, which is in your prefrontal cortex. This receptor is called 5-HT2A.
Stimulating it causes Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) to be produced, which stimulates activity, connections, and growth. That causes more glutamate to be transmitted. That is responsible for learning, memory, and cognition. Having more BDNF and glutamate may lead to the effects of microdosing. This can also cause parts of your brain to communicate, even if they usually do not.
Entering a Flow State
Everyone has most likely experienced a flow state at some point or another. Think of a therapist who is in sync with their client or a surfer who is riding a big wave effortlessly. It is thought that small doses of shrooms may make you more likely to enter a flow state.
The shrooms can imitate serotonin when they enter your brain, and there is more serotonin when you are in a flow state. In the same way, psychedelics can increase your brain’s dopamine levels. This is another important neurotransmitter that you can find in higher amounts in flow states.
Using Psilocybin Shrooms and Truffles
With microdosing, you are taking very tiny doses of psychedelics. That means that the dose will not be high enough to cause any deviations from reality for you. The ideal dose will also not change your mindset, mood, or disposition. Instead, you will notice a subtle but present effect.
Truffles have the same chemical composition that shrooms do. The compounds are the same — baeocystin, psilocybin, and psilocin. A truffle is an underground bud that forms out of the mycelial strands that have not grown out.
Measuring the Dosage
Just like with different strains of shrooms, you can find different strains of truffles that have varying levels of psilocybin. Often, you can get 15-gram boxes, which may be one to five doses, depending on the level of potency. Determining a standardized level of potency is harder for truffles than for shrooms, which are fully grown.
However, you can assume that 1 gram of truffles will have about 0.75 to 1.75 milligrams of psilocybin in them. That means that the most precise way to take microdoses is with mild to moderate batches of truffles.
Get the dried type and grind them into a fine powder. Then, measure out about half of a gram to begin with. You can always take more at a later time. Unlike with shrooms, truffles often do not have an unpleasant earthy flavour.
You should try to use the same kind of truffle. If you have fresh truffles, then you should use a food dehydrator to dry them out. Or you can also bake them at a very low temperature in the oven. Then, you can use a coffee grinder to form them into a powder. This can be placed into capsules, so all you need to do is take a pill at breakfast. You can also sprinkle the powder in your food if you would rather not take a pill every few days.
Dosage Timing
If you want to take a microdose so you will be more productive at work, try to take it early in the morning. This dose should be taken as soon as you wake up. Remember that if you wait until too late in the day to take your dose, you might have difficulties falling asleep.
On the other hand, if you want to have a fun night out with your friends and maybe want to improve your dancing skills, you would want to wait until the evening or late afternoon to take your dose.
It is recommended to pay attention to the spiritual, physical, or cognitive effects that you might experience. In general, the first time you take a dose should be on a free day. Once you have gotten used to the dose, you will likely not have any psychedelic effects. If you do, then you might want to cut back on the dose for the next time.
What Is the Best Schedule?
Remember that there is no set time for the best way to microdose. But you might want to start out by taking a dose every three days. On Day 1, take your first dose. On Days 2 and 3, do not take anything. You can have your next dose on Day 4.
Consider keeping a journal to observe how you feel after each dose. That will let you better determine if the dose is working for you. Continue this process twice a week for the next several weeks. Make sure that you keep up your journal to document the long-term and short-term changes you notice in your behaviour, energy, and mood.
Take five or 10 minutes each day and check in with how you are feeling. Don’t judge, but write down all of your thoughts and feelings, instead of what you did that day. This is similar to meditation, except you have a tangible item to show for your efforts. You can gain a greater understanding of your mind by doing this, and you can increase your awareness of your internal state.
Of course, you can still do meditation along with your journaling and your microdosing. You might choose to do this one to three hours after first taking the dose to allow it time to affect your body. But you can also choose to journal at the end of your day to review how it went.
If you want, then you can also incorporate some data collection. Depending on what you want to track, you might score yourself on tranquillity, mood, presence, creativity, or focus. If you want to quit something like sugar or nicotine, you might also rate how strong your cravings are.
If you want to begin a new habit, then you can track how easy it was to do it that day. That way, you can review the effects of the dose with just a glance. But keep it simple, so you don’t dread doing this every day. It should be enjoyable, not a chore for you.
Be vigilant when you are observing the microdosing effects, especially between your doses. Some users perceive that they enter a flow state and feel more energetic and creative right after their doses.
While you are microdosing shrooms, follow your normal routine. Do not change what you do. The idea is to enhance your everyday life by using microdoses. However, if this is your first time trying microdosing, consider taking off a day from your social commitments or work. That way, you can better observe any unusual effects before you take them publicly.
Should I Microdose Every Day?
You should not take truffles every day. The more that you use psilocybin, the more of a tolerance you are likely to build up. This is true even with microdosing. After a few days, you may notice diminishing returns. That is why you want to leave a bit of a gap between your doses.
There may even be health concerns if you take microdoses each day. Taking too much psilocybin may cause certain health risks. It is better to avoid doing it too often.
Potential Positive Effects
There are two main reasons that people will microdose. First, they might want to reduce the intensity or frequency of undesirable mental states. Secondly, they may want to improve the intensity or frequency of a desirable mental state.
An example of reducing an undesirable mental state is when someone wants to try to reduce the symptoms of a mental illness. That could include:
- Depression
- PTSD
- ADHD or ADD
- Social or Generalized Anxiety
- Addiction
You might also want to increase desirable mental states. That might include energy, flow states,creativity, focus, and improved relationships. Some users find that microdoses make them feel more empathetic and improve their athletic coordination.
Entering a Desirable State
Many people decide to microdose because they want to improve themselves or focus on their personal development. Some users find that they are more creative after taking small doses, and they also feel more energized and productive. That increased focus can be directed toward creative pursuits or for work.
One reason for the potential creative effects of microdoses is because it can enhance your flow state. It is easier for you to enter a flow state after using a microdose of magic mushrooms, which means you can explore new types of consciousness.
You can microdose to solve problems at work, reduce your procrastination, or come up with new concepts. It can even be helpful outside of work because it may improve your social interaction skills or your spiritual awareness.
Are There Any Microdosing Risks?
Remember to look at your local laws before you decide to start microdosing. Besides the legal aspects, microdosing magic mushrooms is generally considered to be safe. This is a good way for you to be introduced to psychedelics.
Many people have successfully used psilocybin with no issues in the past. Combined with the fact that the dosage is very small, this is a measurable, safe way of exploring a flow state.
Of course, you might still notice some negative side effects. For example, some users notice increased anxiety or emotional turbulence. This is because of the amplifying effect of psilocybin. The psychedelic can amplify the mood that you are in. It is not a numbing agent or a stimulant. That means you should carefully look at your mindset before taking microdoses.
If you are feeling anxious or depressed, you may do well to wait to take a small dose. And if you have severe anxiety, schizophrenia, or psychosis, you should talk to your physician first. They can help you see any potential risks. If you overdo it, then a microdose may actually cause a state of mania, which may make any of your underlying conditions worse.
Is It Safe?
You should always be aware of the laws in your area before you decide to try microdosing. There are no studies on how microdosing may affect humans. However, using psilocybin truffles is likely safe to do.
What researchers still do not know is how microdosing may affect your body. You should err on the side of caution and consult with your doctor before deciding to do microdosing. You might want to limit it to only a few months each time.
If you have to undergo routine drug screenings, you will want to take care. Typically, psilocybin is not included in standard drug tests. However, some types of extended screenings do look for psilocybin. Do your research before you decide to microdose magic mushrooms.
Closing Thoughts
No matter what you decide, you can rest assured that you will not have a bad trip or have undesirable psychedelic effects. With a microdose of magic mushrooms, you can introduce yourself to psilocybin comfortably and safely. You will probably enjoy feeling more creative and bolder.