While people have been self-medicating with psychedelics for decades, interest has recently expanded into mainstream medicine, with researchers exploring their potential to treat conditions such as depression and PTSD. At the same time, microdosing has gained popularity among everyone from Silicon Valley biohackers to menopausal moms seeking subtle cognitive enhancement in everyday life. Although anecdotal reports on the topic are abundant, clinical research is still catching up.
Microdosing often involves taking a sub-perceptual dose of psilocybin or LSD, typically 5-10% of a common recreational dose, to produce subtly enhanced effects without cognitive distortion.
By contrast, macrodosing requires perception-altering doses that can induce ego dissolution, a sense of interconnectedness and lasting psychological benefits, particularly in trauma therapy. However, full doses may also cause nausea, anxiety, paranoia and the classic “bad trip.”
Research on microdosing has yielded mixed results, partly because optimal dosing remains unclear. In “Microdosing for Health, Healing, and Enhanced Performance,” authors James Fadiman and Jordan Gruber argue that effective microdosing follows a Goldilocks principle: finding the sweet spot, where the dose is neither too high nor too low.
Psilocybin
Magic mushrooms include over 200 species that contain the psychedelic compound psilocybin. The active psilocin molecule looks very similar to serotonin.
Reported Microdose Effects:
- Enhanced creativity
- Deepened empathy and connection
- Calm and introspection
- Mood elevation
- Chronic pain tolerance
- Increased neuroplasticity to break bad habits
Duration: 4-6 hours
Dosing and Cycling:
A microdose is a subthreshold dose, landing just before a shift in consciousness. When you start to feel that slightly altered state, that is the threshold dose.
Finding your ideal microdose depends on your metabolism and the potency of the mushrooms. Using a digital milligram scale, start with 0.1 grams of dried, ground mushrooms and increase by 0.1g on separate subsequent dosing days until you start to notice effects. A microdose is the amount just below that threshold. For Psilocybe cubensis, most microdoses fall between 0.1-0.5g.
The body builds a tolerance to psilocybin, so a couple of protocols have been proposed to keep the microdose effective.
The Fadiman Protocol: Dr. Fadiman proposes dosing on day one, skipping the next two days and then dosing again on the fourth day, following this for 4-6 weeks.
The Stamets Stack: famed mycologist Dr. Paul Stamets suggests taking doses combined with lion’s mane and niacin for five days, then taking two days off for 4-6 weeks.
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
While psychedelic mushrooms have been used ceremonially for thousands of years, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was discovered in 1943 when its potent psychoactive effects were accidentally revealed during ergot fungus research. Although its mechanisms are not yet fully understood, LSD is also believed to affect serotonin.
Reported Microdose Effects:
- Mental clarity
- Enhanced energy and stamina
- Increased motivation and creativity
- Mood elevation
Duration: 8-12 hours
Dosing and Cycling:
LSD is chemically synthesized, so dosing is easier than with mushrooms. LSD can be distributed on microdots, gelatin strips or blotter paper. A standard microdose is 10 to 20 micrograms. Experiment in incremental doses starting at 5μg to find your sweet spot. Absorbed sublingually, effects can be felt within 30 minutes.
Dr. Fadiman recommended a dosing protocol for LSD as well: Dose the first day, take two days off, then take another dose on the fourth day, following this for 4-6 weeks.
Psychedelics are microdosed in cycles to maintain mental balance, or simply used as needed for a creative boost or to tap into a flow state. Whether choosing psilocybin for grounding or LSD for subtle cerebral elevation, the key is finding the dose that works best for you.
