How to Microdose Mushrooms: A Beginner’s Guide
Doctors and patients are increasingly interested in psychedelic drugs because of their potential to improve mental health for people with conditions like treatment-resistant depression. The microdosing method of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and psilocybin, involves taking a fraction (or subperceptual amount) of the regular dose. This is much lower than what one would need to experience a “trip” or hallucination.
People believe that if you microdose psychedelics like mushrooms it can improve mood, creativity, and productivity. It is also thought to enhance empathy. However, could the benefits be due to an “expectancy” effect? This means that people who take daily pills, which they fervently expect will make them feel smarter and happier, may indeed feel smarter and happier just by taking the pill.
What Is Microdosing?
It is difficult to conduct consistent research on microdosing psychedelic drugs because there is no single definition for it. According to one definition, a microdose is 1/5 to 1/20 of the recreational dose. This is based on anecdotal evidence. For example, a medium dose of psilocybin contains 2 to 3 grams of dried mushrooms, while a microdose is typically around 0.3 grams. The potency of the mushrooms is not regulated, and it can vary greatly. LSD, on the other hand, is an invisible substance with no taste or odor that comes in either liquid form or as paper embedded to be placed under the tongue.
Due to its illegality and lack of regulation, it is impossible to determine the dosage unless you work with a trusted supplier. LSD is a powerful, long-acting substance that should not be taken in excess. Additionally, psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD can cause physiological tolerance. This suggests that even if microdosing helps, the benefits may diminish if you continue to use them at the same dose.
Is Microdosing Safe?
The War on Drugs has curtailed a lot of research on psychedelics since the late 1960s. However, in the past five to ten years, this research has been renewed, and many medical centers are now conducting studies on psychedelics. Psilocybin, often taken as microdose mushrooms, has been used by indigenous cultures for centuries and is considered safe at low doses. However, if you take too much, it can lead to a traumatic experience.
Psilocybin is a compound produced by nearly 200 species of mushrooms (fungi) and must be obtained from a reliable source. The wrong mushroom can poison you. Many different types of mushrooms look similar but can be poisonous. They can cause severe illness and even death.
Can Psychedelics Be Made Safer by Legalizing Them?
Experts in the field predict that psilocybin and MDMA (ecstasy) may be fully legalized for medical use, under supervision, within the next few years. Public health and policy experts think that decriminalizing these psychedelics and monitoring and regulating their production and cultivation would improve safety. Many cities in the United States, including those in Oregon, have decriminalized the use of psychedelics.
Decriminalization advocates anticipate a safer product and wider access. This could include the ability to use psychedelics without a doctor’s prescription or medical supervision. However, skeptics worry that uncontrolled access could affect people with mental illnesses or even trigger psychosis.
All psychedelics should be used with extreme caution, if at all, by patients with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. These patients are usually excluded from psychedelic drug studies for safety reasons.
The Evidence for Microdosing Psychedelics Has Mixed Results
Does the method to microdose mushrooms really work? The jury is still out. While some studies show significant benefits, others are less convincing and show no benefit. One study compared 953 microdosers to 180 non-dosing participants over 30 days. The results showed “small to moderate improvements in mood and psychological health, which were consistent regardless of gender, age, or mental health concerns.” This study, and others like it, seem to confirm the anecdotal accounts of people who swear that microdosing has brought them benefits.
Other studies on microdosing have been far less impressive. For example, researchers conducted a randomized-controlled study, the strongest kind of evidence, which eliminates the placebo effect. Researchers randomly assigned half of 34 patients to receive psilocybin and the other half a placebo.
Although there were interesting subjective effects (people reported feeling happier and more creative), as well as some changes in brain waves recorded by an EEG device, they concluded that low-dose psilocybin mushrooms did not demonstrate objective evidence of improved creativity, wellbeing, or cognitive function.
This study supports the idea that psychedelics have a largely expectancy-based effect at subperceptual dosages and that a higher dose is needed to achieve a therapeutic effect.
Explore a New Dimension of Wellness with Utoya Organics
Are you curious about the potential benefits of microdosing psychedelics? At Utoya Organics, we offer premium mushroom products that cater to your wellness journey. Whether you’re new to the experience or a seasoned enthusiast, our products are designed with you in mind.
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