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WHAT IS MICRODOSING

Psilocybin

THE ULTIMATE
GUIDE TO MICRODOSING

Mush, Magic Mushrooms, Shrooms, Micros

Psilocybin is a potentially illegal substance, and we do not encourage or condone the use of this substance where it is against the law. This guide is designed to ensure the safety of those who decide to use the substance legally.

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THE PROCESS

HOW TO MICRODOSE

Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms is a fairly straightforward process. Essentially, you need to source your medicine or grow your own. If you’re new to journeying, you may want to consider sourcing Golden Teachers due to their massive popularity and relatively mild effects. You can find mushroom grow kits online, but most will require you to obtain psilocybin spores first.

Once you’ve grown or acquired the medicine and then prepared your microdoses, consume the microdose at the appropriate time. Consider the recommendation from James Fadiman to consume microdoses in the morning, no later than 10am to avoid disrupting healthy sleep patterns. Follow a month-long protocol to ensure you experience lasting benefits. We outline each one of these elements in more detail below.

SOURCE YOUR MUSHROOMS

Sourcing your mushrooms is something to take seriously. Finding clear, honest information is the first part of the process. You can source your mushrooms through resources like garden shops, websites, pharmacies (located where psychedelic mushrooms are legal), and even eBay. You can also grow your own with mushroom grow kits that are perfect for beginners.

PK TEK METHOD

People use several methods to grow psilocybin mushrooms, but the “PF Tek” method is the most common. This method revolutionized growing mushrooms indoors because it adds vermiculite to a grain-based substrate (as opposed to using grain alone), mimicking natural conditions and giving the mycelia more space to grow.

OTHER METHODS INCLUDE:

Growing mushrooms on straw

Growing mushrooms on straw or sawdust as a substrate, which can be more forgiving and easier to work with than the PF Tek method.

Automated Mushroom Growing Kit

Using a fully automated mushroom growing kit, which you can do with minimal technical knowledge.

While some wish to forage for psychedelic mushrooms, it’s crucial to be aware that identifying the correct mushroom species can be difficult and dangerous, since many mushrooms look similar but can have toxic effects.

Growing mushrooms from scratch is worthwhile but can be challenging to get right. If you’re interested in a more manageable method for home growth, check our Grow Kits and Course, which includes instructions for sourcing mushroom spores.

PREPARING YOUR MICRODOSE

Preparing psilocybin mushrooms for microdosing is pretty straightforward. The trickiest part is estimating how much psilocybin is in a particular mushroom. The strain of the mushroom and whether it’s fresh or dried will impact the quantities of psilocybin. Even different parts of the mushroom contain slightly different amounts.

MUSHROOM MICRODOSING SWEETSPOT

We recommend drying a batch of mushrooms, grinding them into a powder, and measuring out around 0.1g as your starter microdose. From there, you can adjust the amount accordingly. If you take a dose that makes you feel some changes (most notably drowsiness, the first effect in a psilocybin trip), roll it back to a dose just less than that amount. That’s your mushroom-microdose sweet spot.

PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOM TYPE

You can use any type of psilocybin mushrooms for microdosing. The most popular ones are Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe azurecens, Psilocybe cyanescens, and Psilocybe panaeolus, but you can find over 180 different types in nature.

Just be aware of how much psilocybin content your strain contains. For example, Penis Envy is one of the most potent magic mushrooms, whereas Golden Teachers are a more approachable medium strength. You can learn about the potency levels of different Psilocybe strains at Erowid.

HOW TO TAKE YOUR MICRODOSE

Once you have your mushrooms prepped in doses and decide on your regimen, it’s time to take your mushroom microdose. Just like many steps in the mushroom-taking process, you have several options for how to consume.

THE MOST COMMON PRACTICE

The most common practice is to precisely measure your dosages into empty capsules. This will ensure even distribution and also mask the taste. It also makes it easy to travel with and schedule doses.

You can also make a psilocybin tea by taking your desired dosage and dissolving it in hot water, just like you would loose-leaf tea. Keep in mind the mushrooms will dissolve if they’re in the form of a powder. But if they are full pieces of mushrooms, they will steep just like regular tea.

We wouldn’t recommend you try Lemon Tekking (mixing psilocybin mushrooms with citrus juice) because this concoction is primarily for high-dose psilocybin trips and may intensify the experience beyond the sub-threshold level. By briefly soaking the mushrooms in citric acid before taking them, users can eliminate the delay of feeling the effects of magic mushrooms while also cutting down on the nausea that can precede the experience.

THE MOST COMMON PRACTICE

Microdosing experts suggest different microdosing regimens, but our microdosing course follows Dr. James Fadiman’s system. Fadiman recommends taking a microdose once every three days:

You take a microdose on Day 1.
Then, do not take a microdose on Day 2 or Day 3.
On Day 4, take another microdose.

You can continue this process for one to two months before taking a break from microdosing for two to four weeks.

Morning is the best time for microdosing, since the beneficial effects will last throughout the day without interfering with sleep. It’s also helpful to take daily notes in a journal to observe the effects throughout this process and adjust accordingly—or just notice the positive changes.

It’s also important to follow your usual routine while microdosing mushrooms. The purpose is to enhance your day-to-day existence by integrating microdoses into your routine, so don’t change what you usually do. However, when you try microdosing for the first time, take a day off from work and social commitments. This will allow you to notice any unusual effects before microdosing in a more public situation.

While it may seem like you would only feel the microdose effects on the days you take it, try to observe the effect on the two days between the doses as well. Many people perceive increased feelings of flow, creativity, and energy the day after they microdose, in addition to the day of microdosing.

BUILDING UP A TOLERANCE

It’s always important to record how you feel before your microdose, so you know what changes once the drugs take effect. Once you have consumed the mushrooms, try to monitor how you are feeling throughout: Are you feeling a spark of motivation? More creative? The same as usual? You may even experience a “flow” state with better focus, more presence, and deeper enjoyment in your activities.

No matter how you’re feeling, make sure to document the effects thoroughly before, during, and after your experience.

BUILDING UP A TOLERANCE

Increasing your microdose may be a good idea if you are feeling little to no change in your state of mind. However, it is always good to take too little to begin with, rather than too much.

Make sure to continue monitoring how you feel even after your dose has worn off. The day or two in between doses can be interesting. Some people continue to feel similar to how they felt while actively using the psychedelics. Some experience a comedown, and some just return to how they usually feel. This is all important information for knowing how to microdose successfully.

Lastly, microdosing mushrooms can affect your tolerance for psilocybin. If you start feeling fewer effects than when you first consumed your microdose, it may be time to increase the dosage.

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