The World of Microdosing
If you have heard of microdosing, yet you are still skeptical or aren’t quite sure how/where to get started, then this page is for you. First of all, what is microdosing? Essentially, it is the act of ingesting a micro-amount of a psychedelic substance with the motive of increasing one’s quality of life in one or more aspects. This ‘microdose’ is so small that it offers no psychoactive effects, meaning you will not get high! The effects are very subtle, yet have been used as an effective tool for individuals across the globe to create positive change in their lives.
We will be going over the ‘ins and outs’ of this topic in hopes to bring clarity to those who are curious.
Microdosing Psilocybin
Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound that occurs naturally in over 200 species of fungus! Psilocybin has an ancient history with humans and even other species. Thanks to findings in Spain, we know that psilocybin has been used by humans as far as 6,000 years ago! When taken in larger doses, this psychedelic compound will offer an intensely mind-bending, reality-altering, psychedelic experience. These impactful experiences also referred to as ‘trips’, can result in immensely positive benefits for one’s mental health, spiritual growth, or quality of life. However, did you know you can also reap many amazing benefits by taking micro-amounts of psilocybin? Just as taking larger amounts can provide life-changing perspectives, so can smaller ones. Microdosing psilocybin is a great way to gain some of the benefits that this compound has to offer without having to commit to a full-on trip. We are going to take a look at microdosing psilocybin with both mushrooms and truffles however, we will be focusing on truffles further down the page.
Microdosing Magic Mushrooms
Magic Mushrooms is a vague umbrella term for all the different species of mushrooms that contain psilocybin. Due to the unfortunate laws against these sacred spores, it makes it very difficult to legally practice microdosing magic mushrooms. Since microdoses are so small and have to be very specific and consistent in dosage, microdosing mushrooms can be very difficult since their potencies vary. One batch of mushrooms can be significantly more strong than the next. Unless you get them lab-tested, which is difficult due to their prohibition, the only way to find out their strength is by consuming them! If you wish to microdose at work, this makes microdosing magic mushrooms very difficult as you are taking the risk of consuming more than a microdose. If you are microdosing mushrooms, you will likely be purchasing them from someone who had nothing to do with the growth of them and is only selling them with little to no actual information on the potency of them. If it is so difficult to microdose mushrooms, then how can you do it with less risk? The solution: magic truffles!
Microdosing Magic Truffles
Technically speaking, magic truffles are not classified as ‘mushrooms’. They are bunches of mycelium, which is essentially an ‘underdeveloped mushroom’, but not quite a mushroom! However, they do contain the same psychoactive compound, psilocybin, as magic mushrooms. Due to their growth, harvest, and category of fungi, they are legal in some areas of the world since they do not fall into the same class as mushrooms! This means that legally microdosing magic truffles in some places is possible! More specifically, microdosing truffles are legal across the whole of the European Union. They are grown primarily in the Netherlands in controlled settings that allow the potency to be surprisingly consistent. They are sold with more exact analytics and accurate dosing suggestions, which you don’t really get from buying magic mushrooms. This is why many individuals in Europe have begun microdosing truffles instead of mushrooms. Although magic mushrooms have their time and place, microdosing magic truffles seem to make more sense to a lot of people, and for good reason, too.
Benefits of Microdosing
So, now you know more about the differences found when taking microdoses of magic mushrooms vs magic truffles, but what benefits does this practice actually offer? It seems to affect everyone very differently, meaning everyone seems to get their own benefits out of it. One person may notice a helpful benefit while another person doesn’t notice any changes in that area of their life. However, there are some commonly reported benefits that we can look over. This doesn’t mean that you will necessarily reap these specific benefits from your microdoses, although, it may be helpful to learn about what changes other microdosers are seeing in their lives. Let’s go over the 5 top benefits microdosers experience:
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1. Boosted Creativity
The number one benefit you hear individuals raving about is their increase in creativity! If you are familiar with psychedelics, you may have already heard about the magic they can work on your creativity levels. Taking psychedelics promotes neuroplasticity in the brain, which is essentially your brains elasticity. Increased neuroplasticity gives your neural networks the ability to change through growth and reorganization. This is why microdosing is known to ‘rewire the brain’. These neural changes range from new neural pathway connections being made to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping. This can provide a strong ‘think outside the box’ approach to creative ideas and projects, which is what creativity boils down to in one way or another! Microdosing psilocybin is an exceptionally effective way to keep those creative juices flowing around your brain!
2. Enhanced Focus
Psilocybin can result in a sharper and more focused brain. Taking magic truffles reacts directly with our serotonin receptor, 5-HT2A. When a compound such as psilocybin reacts with this receptor, it can leave you feeling energized and ‘happier’! This is why taking a microdose will provide subtle stimulation for the brain. This slight stimulation can dissolve general brain fog and potentially enhance your focus and alertness! With the fast-paced nature of society in which we have been placed, it is okay to require some assistance and need an extra ‘boost’ here and there. Microdosing truffles can really help you wake up in the morning in a natural way. Truffles are one of the many naturally occurring organisms that can promote the body to produce and release energy in a natural way by working with the pathways of the body. If you deal with a fuzzy brain in the morning, yet your day is going to require you to use more energy than you naturally have, microdosing magic truffles will likely be an effective tool to help you get going!
3. Stabilized or Elevated Mood + Wellbeing
This third benefit somewhat ties in with the above in regards to psilocybin reacting with our serotonin receptor, 5-HT2A. This serotonin receptor plays a huge role in the regulation and release of serotonin, which is known as the ‘happy chemical’! Serotonin is a hormone that is responsible for stabilizing our mood, happiness, and wellbeing. This hormone provides a strong impact on your whole body. Taking microdoses of psilocybin is a great way to help stabilize your general mood and in some cases even boost it significantly! This is a huge plus to this practice that nearly every microdoser reports! If you are feeling down and drained, then your serotonin receptor may need some love, a microdose may be able to provide just that! If you generally experience a sense of wellbeing before trying a microdose, then microdosing may boost your mood and wellbeing more than you thought possible via a natural method!
4. Improved Brain Functions and Confidence
There hasn’t been many studies conducted on microdosing, however, the few that have been done show that it can boost brain function(s). More specifically, it can increase cognitive function(s) in the brain. Cognitive functions are brain-based skills that are needed in the acquisition of reasoning, knowledge, and manipulation of information. Having high-functioning cognitive skills is key for a happy and healthy brain. This will give you some additional sharpness when processing thoughts, solving problems, and learning/holding information. Increasing brain function could potentially also affect your confidence in a positive way! When we perform well, it makes us feel good about ourselves and it makes our capabilities more clear to us. When begin to truly see the potential that we hold, we will often become more confident in return! This is an exceptional benefit to reap if you use microdosing as a tool in the workplace or academics! However, brain health should be a high priority to all individuals with any lifestyle. You know what they say… A happy brain = a happy life!
5. Fresh Perspectives and Deeper Connections
Microdosing has the potential to help you find fresh perspectives that you didn’t realise you had. Thanks to the ‘think outside the box’ effect we mentioned above, it can widen your horizons and change the way you look at things, big and small. When we are more open to considering new perspectives, it can leave a lot of room for deeper connections with those around us. Stepping outside of the concrete self we have created over the years can give us a clearer view of the different ways to approach our thoughts as they come and go. When you exercise open-minded thinking, you will find you naturally gravitate towards more understanding and patience. When thinking about speaking to/about others, it is clear that we will create deeper connections more effortlessly when we go into interactions with a more open mind. One of our minds most helpful functions is its ability to see other perspectives, yet it is something we often have a hard time doing. However, the more we practice it, the more naturally it occurs. Microdosing is a great tool for adopting new ways of thinking and deepening our capacity to understand ourselves, the world, and those around us.
Dosage and Timing
When it comes to magic mushrooms, it is nearly impossible to get an accurate dosage unless it is first tested in a lab as the potency is very unpredictable. However, magic truffles that are sold legally are tested for potency before hitting the market. This makes it easier to determine an appropriate microdose. However, it does still differ from species to species, even with truffles. Our microdosing product (MicroMush) is dosed at 0.5 grams as we believe that is the optimal dosage for those specific truffles.
When it comes to timing, always make sure you take your microdose in the morning! Since it is slightly stimulating and can last roughly 8-10 hours, it is important to take it shortly after waking up to ensure it does not disrupt your circadian rhythm. This is especially critical for those who have trouble winding down at the end of the day. Although it is not necessary, it is always recommended to take with nourishing food as well, especially if you have a sensitive stomach. Truffles can make you nauseous, especially in psychoactive doses. Although microdoses are really small, they can still result in slight nausea. This is why we recommend consuming alongside nourishing food if you are prone to nausea.
Finding your microdosing schedule
A microdosing schedule is a timetable or plan that determines what days you microdose and what days you take off. Humans build a tolerance to psilocybin very quickly, which is why it is important to take breaks between ‘dose days’ in order to get the most out of your doses. Here is the most commonly used dosing schedule:
Day 1: Dose Day
Day 2: Day Off
Day 3: Day Off
Repeat
Although one day on and two days off works for most microdosers, it is not suitable for everyone. We all have our own reasons why we want to microdose and we all lead unique lifestyles. Determining why you want to begin to microdose will help you create your ideal schedule. Perhaps you will not follow a schedule and you want to do it randomly or when you simply feel like it. Here are some examples of lifestyles/microdosing motives that don’t require a schedule:
-Only microdosing for creativity but your creative schedule is constantly changing? Then maybe it is best for you to only microdose on days when you are working on creative projects instead of sticking to a strict schedule!
-Only microdose because it helps you study? Perhaps it is only necessary for you to microdose when you’ve got a test or exam coming up!
-Only microdose for increased productivity? You may only need to be microdosing during busy periods or when you are experiencing tight deadlines!
Your microdosing schedule should align with your lifestyle and your needs. Assessing why you microdose and what it does for you can help you pinpoint which dose days are most effective for you. If you want an overall effect and just simply love what it does for you in many aspects of your life, then perhaps sticking to an actual schedule will be very helpful to you! Always make sure you are giving yourself at least 2 days between dose days to get the most out of your practice. Some individuals may require 3 days between doses. Make sure you pay close attention and stay in-tuned with yourself. This is your microdosing path. Only you can truly optimize it!
Final thoughts from Sacred Spores to you
Although microdosing has already helped many individuals all over the globe overcome various obstacles, we know that this is just the beginning. At Sacred Spores, we believe there are so many different ways we can effectively use psychedelics to improve humanity as a whole. Microdosing could be a successful way of normalizing psychedelics in society in a casual practice. The psychedelic movement is in full swing and the casual act of microdosing may be what is needed to take a step in the right direction.
We always say that true change starts from within. Some may say that microdosing is an act of self-care, making it one of many ways to work on yourself. When we actively do the internal work, external change follows. Mother Earth gives us all that we need and we are beginning to get back in touch with her medicines more and more.
Thank you for taking the time to educate yourself on one of the many applications of psilocybin. As you wonder down your microdosing path, we are sending you ALL the love as you return to your roots.
-Heightened Senses-
-Deeper Connections-
-Endless Reflections-
