A guide on how to microdose

Microdosing is when a person takes a small amount of a hallucinogenic substance seeking a positive effect on the mind without a psychedelic experience. Although experts vary in what constitutes a microdose, most believe it is ten to twenty percent of the dose that delivers a psychoactive response. In general terms, a microdose is a fraction of a psychedelic substance so small that it does not significantly alter consciousness.

For centuries, people have experimented with microdoses of psilocybin (“magic” mushroom) and peyote to relieve physical ailments and enhance feelings of well-being. Microdosing expanded in the 1960s to include LSD as people sought to improve cognitive functions and creativity. Today, microdosing includes other drugs, such as DMT and ketamine, which are all potentially hallucinogenic in higher doses but do not deliver a psychedelic response in microdoses.

Effects of Microdosing Hallucinogenic Substances

Most experts consider microdosing to be safe, with few, if any, adverse side effects. Some individuals may be more sensitive to the substance than others and experience fatigue, mild discomfort, and increased anxiety.

Beneficial effects of microdosing may include:

• Heightened focus, creativity, productivity, and energy.

• Decreased anxiety, depression, or stress.

• Less social anxiety.

• Reduced menstrual pain.

• Emotional openness.

• Increased spiritual awareness.

• Reduced cravings for addictive substances.

Before you commit to microdosing, it's essential to do your research and make some decisions. Questions to ask and answer include:

• Why do you want to microdose?

• Why have you chosen a specific substance?

• What do you hope to gain from the experience?

• Is the substance you’ve chosen legal for personal or medically supervised use in a clinical trial? If not, do you understand the potential legal ramifications?

A microdosing protocol

A microdosing protocol lays out your plan for taking the substance, including how much to take and when and how often to take it. Experts recommend you carefully track the process. Note the specifics of how much and when you took the dose, any food, drinks, or other substances you consumed with it, any side effects, and the physical and mental sensations you experienced.

The Fadiman Protocol

Step 1. Obtain the substance you wish to microdose. Do so in the knowledge that these substances remain illegal with the exception of clinical research in the UK. Obtain your chosen substance from a trusted source.

Step 2. Take the first dose. The Fadiman protocol urges beginners to start the protocol on a day with no significant obligations scheduled and no children who need your supervision. Dr. Fadiman considers a standard microdose to be one/tenth (10 micrograms) of a full dose. If you're working with a microdosing specialist, they will help you determine your best starting dose.

Step 3. Relax and observe the experience. Pay attention to how you feel physically and emotionally – are the feelings meeting your expectations? Start a journal to track your microdosing experience, noting as much detail as possible and how long the effects last. These details will be vital in identifying the optimal dose that meets your goal. The results may vary according to the substance used.

Step 4. Adjust the dose if necessary. If the first microdosing experience gave you the desired results, that might be the best dose. If the results fall short or you experience unwanted side effects, you will want to adjust the amount up or down. Again, if you're working with a microdosing professional, they will help you determine the best dose for your next experience.

Step 5. Once you determine the dose that fits your needs, proceed with regular use. To avoid building up a tolerance to your dose, which decreases effectiveness, Dr. Fadiman recommends a regimen of one day on and two days off. This approach means you take a dose on day 1, no dose on day 2, but note if you are experiencing after-effects from the previous day, no dose on day 3, then a dose on day 4.

The Fadiman protocol suggests continuing the cycle of one day on, two days off for four to ten weeks, then abstaining from the drug for two to four weeks before resuming the process, especially for high-dose psychedelic experimentation. Although he recommends this cycle for high-dose and microdosing, Fadiman believes it is safe to microdose every day without taking regular breaks.

There are many other microdosing protocols. Your microdosing professional will help you find the best one for you, or you can experiment independently.

If you opt to experiment, Dr. Fadiman offers the following guidelines, noted in his book The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, suggesting you microdose:

• Daily for general cognitive enhancement.

• Every other day for psychological management of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

• Every weekday, abstaining on weekends for business and professional work-life enhancement.