Microdosing psilocybin and other psychadelic drugs is becoming more and more popular as a casual practice. Research even shows that psilocybin can be used to treat a number of mental health conditions including anxiety, PTSD and more.
It’s more natural, sometimes cheaper and if you aren’t used to psychedelics then at the start they will most definitely be more effective as well. However, it’s very questionable when it comes to health effects.
What is microdosing?
Microdosing is when you take a very minimal amount of a psychedelic. Because of the potency, the amount varies from drug to drug, however, when microdosing you always take less than the minimum to experience hallucinations and other effects.Experts define it as 5-10% of a full dose. Because of this, you shouldn’t actually feel anything and you shouldn’t notice anything significant.
You might ask: What’s the point then? The point is that you are still taking a mind-altering drug, but not enough of it so that it would impair you. Quite the opposite. When microdosing, the psychedelic messes with your brain just a tiny bit, and it is said that it can help with ADHD, depression, anxiety, PTSD and plenty of others.
When taken regularly microdosing might also help with creativity and overall mood. It might also change how a person sees the world, for example, it can give everything a brighter and fuller color, and even provide people with a “mystical experience”.
What can you microdose with?
The word psychedelic doesn’t say much to people who haven’t tried them. It mostly means a drug that causes hallucinations and feelings of ecstasy. When it comes to microdosing we mostly mean LSD and psilocybin. The latter is the chemical in mushrooms that is responsible for the altered feelings.
Other hallucinogens that can be microdosed include mescaline, peyote and the fly agaric mushroom which contains a chemical called muscarine.
MDMA is another psychedelic many people consider when trying to microdose, however it has less research and it’s also completely synthetic, unlike LSD which is found in a fungus that infects rye and mushrooms which don’t need explanation as to why they would be considered more natural.
What does microdosing do to your brain?
The short answer is that nobody really knows at the moment. People have picked it up because of online trends and because drugs are becoming more and more available (even though they might not be legal).
The research on prolonged psychedelic use isn’t extensive and microdosing is often not even considered. Regular, full dose psychedelic use is very different, but we can at least tell what it does to the human body.
Full dose psychedelic use
When a person uses psychedelics for a long period of time they become more adapted to the drug, making it less and less effective. This doesn’t do well for those who are specifically looking for that high that comes with hallucinating, which is why many people rest several weeks in between uses. However, this habit can cause serious side effects.
The main ones are paranoia and anxiety but after a while a person can develop full blown schizophrenia and psychosis. This can be dangerous, especially if the user only feels safe while under the influence, as psychedelics are addictive by themselves, but this can make a person completely reliant on them. The craving can remain in a person for as long as 36 months after last use.
When it comes to behavioral changes, it is very clear that after prolonged use people become more open towards new experiences and people. Unfortunately, this also results in taking more risks and partaking in dangerous activities, which might cause the person harm and can even be a threat to their life.
However, when it came to people who were already healthy and spiritual the use of LSD seemed to improve their overall well-being. After a 14-month course 79% of people reported that their life satisfaction improved either moderately (50%) or very much (29%). This was followed up with a shorter, one month long study with psilocybin where a shocking 94% of people reported improvement in their life satisfaction.
Unfortunately, this overall systematic review that recounted all previous studies also found that the research isn’t enough. The samples weren’t large or diverse enough before, dosages weren’t standardized, drugs weren’t compared and only the main two psychedelics were studied (LSD, psilocybin).
Microdosing
Once again, there isn’t enough data to cover everything. People have reported significantly better moods, better focus when microdosing, however, these were mostly short term studies. If you want to know more about what microdosing can do for you, you might want to check out specific content creators who deal with psychedelics. They can guide you on your journey and tell you what to expect if you begin taking psychedelics for medical use.
On the other hand, if you want to be guided by professionals and have someone watch over you because of the lack of information, then you might want to join a psychedelic trial. In these places not only do you get psychedelics for free, you will also have plenty of doctors and researchers around to make sure you stay sane and safe. Plus, you would be contributing to future studies about the use of psychedelics.
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