Magic Mushroom Microdose Might Make Massive Modification
I started to medicate with cannabis, because I was informed of the potential benefits of its use. I have to admit, I was skeptical at first, but I gave it a chance. I medicated daily for 45 days and that was all she wrote, I never turned back. I’ve been medicating daily ever since, some daysdays more than others. I try to stay on schedule at least a little each day.
Since I started talking to other people in the community, I learned the potential benefits of psilocybin. I started reading up on some medical findings from overseas, like the trials run in England. There are some surprising findings coming out of these trials. If you too have issues, like me, with PTSD this article may open your eyes.
-Dabbin Dad
Magic Mushroom Microdose Might Make Massive Modification
Most people are familiar with psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin (the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms) and LSD for the incredible hallucinations they lead to. However, when taken at a low dose, they might have a different impact.
One user, Martijin Schirp, says that using psychedelics at low doses just makes his day a tiny bit better.
Schirp earned a science degree in Amsterdam and has recently been focused on the impacts of these drugs at tiny doses. By taking a small fraction of a normal dose – not enough to have the typical experience of getting high – he can use them for a different purpose.
He has been writing about his findings at HighExistence.com and earned a small cult following of fellow micro-dosing enthusiasts. People who try it often report many of the benefits of a larger dose – improved mood, better focus – without the hallucinations that can be fun, but also scary.
For Schirp, micro-dosing is a way to get even more out of his creative pursuits, such as painting and writing, as well as his more contemplative pursuits, such as yoga. He describes it as having an impact similar to coffee, except for awakening the connection between his body and his mind. He finds that it seems to slow down time and allow him to experience an extra layer of significance.
He chose to begin experimenting with micro-dosing because of positive experiences with larger doses. He wanted to find a way to gain the benefits of a trip without being incapacitated.
Is It True?
It’s important to note that these benefits have not been scientifically proven. Matthew Johnson, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, has been studying LSD and other psychedelics for years, and he notes that neither he nor any other scientist has assessed the impacts of micro-dosing. As with most drugs, taking a smaller dose is clearly safer than taking a large dose, however taking a small dose regularly – most proponents microdose every few days – could have a negative long-term impact.
Of course, taking small doses of mind-altering drugs is not a new idea. Albert Hoffman, who invented LSD, did so regularly as he aged and suggested to a friend that micro-dosing was an area ripe for research. In his 2011 book “The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide,” researcher James Fadiman of Sofia University in Palo Alto, CA, described the practice.
In the years since, fifty micro-dosers from around the world have reached out to Fadiman to describe their experience. For most of them, the practice leads to slight, but positive, shifts in their perception and emotions. They note being just a little bit nicer to the people around them, and slightly more capable of focusing. For some, it’s an inspiration to take care of themselves just a little bit better, perhaps by beginning to exercise regularly or eat more healthily.
The research that has been done on micro-dosing so far has focused on using it to treat mental health issues. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, headquartered in Santa Cruz, CA, has studied the possibility of using small doses of psychedelic drugs to treat conditions including PTSD, OCD, depression, anxiety, and more. By creating small changes in people’s minds, the drug will serve the same purpose as drugs that are more commonly prescribed today, and perhaps more successfully.
Johnson, the Johns Hopkins researcher, said that the results that people claim to have from micro-dosing on psychedelics are certainly plausible. These kinds of drugs activate the serotonin 5HT-2A receptor in the brain, leading to the release of serotonin, the hormone that makes people feel good. That can lead to a number of other changes in the brain.
We know that when people take normal-sized, higher doses of LSD and psilocybin, the brain is radically reshaped, although only temporarily. However, small doses might work more like traditional antidepressants, such as Prozac, and not make quite as significant of an impact.
However, it’s also possible that people are experiencing a placebo effect. With effects that are so small, it’s certainly true that people could simply be convincing themselves that they are more focused due to the drugs since the supposed impact is so small – like the effects from caffeine in a cup of coffee.
More Research Is Needed
To determine whether micro-dosing can make a real impact, researchers would need to conduct a double-blind study, giving drugs to some participants and a placebo to others. Sadly, this experiment probably will not be carried out anytime soon, since these drugs are all currently classified as Schedule I by the United States government and are therefore completely illegal.
Without being in a controlled environment, taking a microdose might be more dangerous than it is worthwhile. Since the desired dosage is so small, it’s very difficult to measure, and because the drug is illegal, it’s difficult to be confident that you’re getting what you expect. Plus, different people react differently to different drugs and different dosages, even in a controlled laboratory setting. Johnson has warned against the possibility of trying a microdose, expecting a tiny change, and then experiencing undesired hallucinations or even a bad trip.
Schirp, the proponent from the beginning of this article, admits that he has had bad experiences. Sometimes, the dose is too strong, and he’s unable to focus at all.
We may not know what the long-term risks of regular micro-dosing are, but small doses are certainly going to be safer than large doses. It’s the fact that people who microdose tend to use the drug more often that potentially leads to long-term side effects.
Would you like to know more about the subject of magic mushrooms? Please visit Trufflemagic.com to gain more insight into the possibilities that this magnificent plant has us to offer.
