Understanding Micro-Dosing Magic Mushrooms

The idea is to begin with a small dose and slowly increase until you find your own personal sweet spot. From our extensive research and speaking with over 100 people who have all used magic mushrooms in different ways the empirical data has shown us the following averages:

1. We have never had a person report a high or psychedelic experience with 100mg ( 1/10^th of a gram ) this is a good micro dose.
2. The average dose for most people to experience some type of alteration seems to be 1 gram or 1,000mg ( 10x the above )
3. The average dose for people to “trip” seems to be 2 – 4 grams or 2,000 to 4,000mg.

There are many ways to Micro Dose.

1. Consume your micro dose in 50mg am and 50mg pm
2. Consume your 100mg dose in one day on and then one day off
3. Consume your micro dose in 3 days on and 3 days off
4. Consume your micro dose in 5 days on and 5 days off
5. Consume your micro dose in 7 days on and 7 days off

This methodology is really up to the individual so a trial and error period will allow you to tailor your micro dose experience to what you want to achieve. Some people need stress relief on a daily basis due to a high stress job. Others like busy moms need to de stress from a long day with the kids. Others want to reduce alcohol consumption and use micro dosing to relax and use less wine at night an still others just need to be able to sleep without the use of dangerous or addictive sleep aids.

Fresh

Psilocybin mushrooms are naturally occurring, and while they can grow out of the ground outdoors it is more controlled with better yields to cultivate them in controlled indoor settings from mycelium spores. Different strains of psilocybin mushrooms grow naturally all over the world. Picking these mushrooms, yourself outdoors can be dangerous. There are over 10,000 species of known mushroom, some of which are “highly” poisonous to humans. Without extensive knowledge of the different species and dangers of various types of fungi, it can be easy to confuse one mushroom with another and pick one which will leave you very sick, as opposed to one which will give you anti-anxiety effects or a psychedelic elevation.

How It Works

Psilocybin and psilocin are known as psychedelic tryptamines and they have very similar molecular structures to a key chemical messenger called serotonin. Serotonin has some very important functions in our brains and digestive systems, including large influences over-regulating our mood, sleep, anxiety and stress-coping mechanisms. Due to this similarity in molecular structure, psilocin molecules activate the same receptors in the brain that serotonin activates just like cannabinoids like CBD and CBG the non psychotropic molecules in Cannabis and Hemp. Just as with CBD, the receptor site known as 5HT2A is a G-protein coupled receptor that stimulates Serotonin and mediates anxiety.

This particular receptor also mediates many different functions in our brains; like mood, imagination, learning and perception. A large portion of these 5HT2A receptors are located in cells in the cortex; an area of the brain associated with reasoning and rational thought. These cells are also quite long — they span an area of the brain larger than many other cells and therefore have a wider influence over brain activity. This is why so much research is underway on Psilocybin for chronic depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Psilocin is an agonsit into these receptors and activates them, thereby producing the characteristic ‘mind elevation’ of a magic mushroom experience, which can include changes in mood, imagination and perception. Recent research has also shown psilocin has an effect on a part of the brain known as the Default Mode Network (DMN) and can also rebuild neurotransmitters in the neurotransmitters.

Our DMN’s are like our brain’s main information highways. They act as consolidation centers while we go about our daily lives, compiling information quietly in the background. They also allow us to ‘time travel’ in our minds, giving us the ability to think back to the past and plan into the future by stimulation short term and long term cognitive thinking.

Psilocybin temporarily disables one or more of the DMN’s ‘connector hubs’. This temporary shutdown of our brain’s main information highway means the brain cannot connect with the different parts of itself like it usually does, and is instead, forced to connect in ways it does not usually do opening up new pathways. This means the brain starts communicating with parts of itself it doesn’t normally ‘talk’ to, which means the brain creates new connections while under the influence of psilocin. Some people have said that as little as one event in a safe environment with a coach changed their perception and view of the world in a better way. Our understanding of exactly how psilocin affects the brain is not yet complete, and scientific research continues.

Effects

Psilocin temporarily disables one or more of the DMN’s ‘connector hubs’. This temporary shutdown of our brain’s main information highway means the brain cannot connect with the different parts of itself like it usually does, and is instead, forced to connect in ways it does not usually do opening up new pathways. This means the brain starts communicating with parts of itself it doesn’t normally ‘talk’ to, which means the brain creates new connections while under the influence of psilocin. Some people have said that as little as one event in a safe environment with a coach changed their perception and view of the world in a better way. Our understanding of exactly how psilocin affects the brain is not yet complete, and scientific research continues.

This means things which a person would normally find aesthetically pleasing (art, nature, music etc) can become far more beautiful on psilocybin than when sober, but it can also mean that normal sensory experience can become overwhelming. Being in a crowded place like a street or a nightclub, for example, can become difficult because of the sheer amount of sensory input which can easily overwhelm the mind and the senses. We cannot express this enough: The optimum physical setting for a psilocybin mushrooms experience is somewhere comfortable and familiar, where the amount of sensory input is low or can be controlled, like at home or in a peaceful open space free from any danger, and not at a concert or rave with high stimulation. Key effects of the experience include thinking in new, interesting or peculiar ways; having emotions far more connected to sensory experiences; having your gaze directed inward toward your own emotions or character; experiencing time distortions; experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations; and, at very high doses, experiencing ego death.

Given that psilocybin seems to connect parts of the brain in novel and interesting ways; different, fascinating, odd and sometimes scary ways of thinking can present themselves to some users. There is little one can do to predict the ways a psychedelic event will go, and the best practice is to ensure a positive mindset and comfortable setting prior to the trip. Hallucinations can occur based on the potency, type and dosage of the magic mushroom consumed and can include changes in perception of sounds, closed-eye visuals and open-eye visuals. Closed-eye visuals can range anywhere from seeing fractal patterns and vivid colors to experiencing dream-like sequences and deeply-set memories, all with your eyes closed. Open-eye visuals can include hallucinations of your environment, like colors becoming much more vibrant, surfaces seeming to ripple or ‘breathe’ before your eyes, patterns forming, moving or rotating as you observe and much more. At higher doses objects and environments may morph into different things and you may experience things that are not really there, hence the danger for some at high dosages. Auditory hallucinations can include sounds becoming clearer, crisper or more distorted or layered with meaning. The perception and appreciation of music or words/language can also change and become more meaningful.

At very high doses users may experience something known as ego death. This is an intense experience when your sense of self can (seemingly) cease to exist, which can be frightening, strange, or enlightening, or all three. A high dose is not recommended, especially to first time users or those not overly familiar with the trip, as ego death can be a very intense experience. For this reason, more people are using MICRO DOSING to ease into the experience slowly.

Medicinal Uses

Psilocybin mushrooms have potential medical uses in the treatment of mental illnesses and disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcoholism and PTSD, and potential therapeutic uses for things like counseling and even grief. Numerous studies have been carried out (most notably by David Nutt and Imperial College, London) into the usefulness of psilocybin mushrooms, particularly in the treatment of depression. The findings of these studies show a high correlation between controlled psilocybin experiences and the lessening of depression in subjects, sometimes from as little as one psilocybin experience. Studies have also shown a correlation between micro dosing psilocybin (consuming a dose far smaller than that which would produce psychedelic effects) and the treatment of smaller conditions like migraines and cluster headaches. More research is underway in many countries all over the world.

Risks

The main risks of psilocybin are experiencing a ‘bad trip’. A bad trip can encompass various negative experiences but can include feeling incredibly uncomfortable within yourself or your environment, not being able to properly communicate with others, and losing touch with reality, among a whole host of other potential factors. The most dangerous of these is losing touch with reality somewhere which could have dangerous consequences. It can become almost impossible to think or act ‘normally’ under the influence of psilocybin, and if a person is somewhere which requires their mental faculties to stay safe, for example on a busy street, a crowded area or high-up somewhere, there can be a serious risk to life.

HPPB and ‘FlashBacks’

HPPD is a very unusual and poorly understood harmful effect of having taken hallucinogenic drugs. It is extremely rare for psilocybin to cause HPPD (LSD is more commonly the cause) but it is possible, and could go unrecognized. It is most often experienced as re-appearance of some of the effects experienced during the previously occurring hallucinogenic drug experience after some time without the drug. In most cases HPPD follows a traumatic hallucinogenic drug experience (‘bad trip’). In some cases, sufferers may feel detached from normality or the world. HPPD has been reported occasionally as longer-lasting, though complete or partial recovery usually occurs after weeks or months. Lingering HPPD has been associated mostly with LSD rather than psilocybin, and often involves higher doses and mixing drug combinations. This kind of HPPD may occur in people with underlying psychiatric conditions or genetic vulnerabilities, but the evidence is very incomplete.

Mixing

Psilocybin should not be mixed with any other drugs, alcohol or nicotine. Drug combinations can be unpredictable, dangerous and potentially even fatal. Psilocybin should not be mixed with any psychiatric medication or any anti-depressants such as SSRIs or MAOIs. Psilocybin molecules are theorized to affect the same neural receptors as some prescription drugs and they should not be mixed to exclude any potential for adverse drug-drug interactions.

Addictive

Psilocybin mushrooms seem to have a very low potential for addiction in humans. There have not been any significant cases of people becoming detrimentally addicted to mushrooms. Psilocybin molecules have not been seen to change the supply of any endogenous neurotransmitters, nor do they affect activation of neural receptors through the use of the brain’s existing supply of neurotransmitters (like cocaine or MDMA do).

Instead, psilocybin molecules seem to mediate their effects through activating 2A serotonin receptors while leaving the brain’s existing supply of serotonin untouched. This prevents the potential for up regulation or down regulation of neurotransmitters, and therefore strongly negates the potential for physical addiction. The body has a high tolerance for repeated use of psilocybin mushrooms. A user consuming psilocybin one day would have a far diminished effect consuming the same amount the next day. The body’s ability to quickly create a high tolerance for psilocybin means there is a low potential for addiction. Magic mushrooms have relatively low risks to physical health compared to many other drugs because they are not considered addictive and are rarely used regularly. However, tripping on a psychedelic drug has the potential to produce overwhelming and intensely unpleasant experiences so caution is advised.

If a person is going to consume Psilocybin there are some safety practices which should be followed.

Dosage and Measurement

Dosage is extremely important when taking any kind of substance as dosage directly affects the intensity of a trip and/or health risks of a substance. As psilocybin mushrooms have a very low potential for adverse physical health risks, taking too high of a dose may not do any physiological harm but it will often cause a very intense, unsettling or uncomfortable experience which could leave psychological damage. The dosage of psilocybin mushrooms differs depending on whether the mushrooms are fresh or dried. As mushrooms are composed of about 90% water, dried varieties will often have a dosage of 10x less than fresh varieties.

For example, if an average dose of fresh psilocybin mushrooms is 20g, the dosage of the same variety of dried mushrooms would be 2g. Before consuming any psilocybin mushrooms (fresh or dried) it is very important to accurately weigh them to ensure the correct dosage. Accurate gram and milligram scales are widely available and should be used to ensure the dosage is correct.

Set and Setting

After ensuring you have the correct type of psilocybin mushroom and accurately measuring the dosage, your set and setting has a strong impact on whether you have a good or bad experience.

Set refers to your mindset. A common effect of the substance is the exaggeration of what you are already feeling. A positive mindset or, at the very least, a neutral mindset is key to the psilocybin experience. If a user is in a highly anxious, fearful or in an otherwise negative state of mind before consuming mushrooms, it is likely these emotions will spill over into the psychedelic experience and cause a negative experience. Conversely, if you are in a positive mood the psilocybin is likely to lift that mood and reflect more of what you are feeling, leading to a happy, insightful and even euphoric experience.

If you are in a bad or negative frame of mind, psilocybin may magnify what you’re feeling, which is an almost surefire way to have a bad event (if you’re not under the supervision of a professional). Tripping on psilocybin mushrooms when in a negative state of mind may lead to strong feelings of anxiety, discomfort, fear or even terror.

Setting refers to your environment. Common effects of psilocybin can range from visual distortions and hallucinations to deep-diving into one’s mind or personality. The substance seems to make the brain open to all and any sensory experience during the trip. This means if you are in a loud, crowded, unfamiliar or otherwise uncomfortable environment it is very likely to lead to a bad trip, even if you begin with a positive mindset. It is very important to ensure your environment is familiar, comfortable and you are with people you trust before embarking on a psilocybin trip. Not doing so will almost certainly lead to a negative experience.