Microdosing & Mushrooms for Mental Health

Learn about magic mushrooms, the benefits and risks of microdosing with magic mushrooms and how it can help in improving your mental health.

First of all, this article is for information purposes only. In NO way, am I, the author, suggesting you to take this or go get some from some black market. Psilocybin and psilocin are both listed as Schedule 1 Drug under the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Magic mushrooms (as we will discuss in more details in this article) are considered illegal in almost all countries worldwide except Bulgaria, Brazil, Jamaica, Samoa (way to go!! these countries!!) and Netherlands (allowed only as truffles). For more, click the reference 1 below at the end of this article. Ok. Let's start now.

Microdosing is not a new art for self-healing; it has been around since centuries and ​has been used by our ancestors before. However, it is now again gaining attention as the world rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and such mental problems is on the rise. This is called psychedelic renaissance - interest in psychedelic drugs by the research community in treating mental disorders. 

History of microdosing?

Human usage of psilocybin predates modern history. This is evident by images found on rock paintings and murals in Spain and Algeria. Spiritual and religious ceremonies used these magic mushrooms in MesoAmerica. It was in 1959 that Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman isolated psilocybin from Psilocybe mexicana and it was sold worldwide to be used in psychedelic psychotherapy.  Despite restrictive drug laws of the 1960s, the popularity of these mushrooms grew as people learned how to cultivate and harvest psilocybin mushrooms.

What is microdosing?

Microdosing is the administration of psychedelic drugs (or just drugs) in such low doses ("sub-therapeutic" or "sub-perceptual") that they are unlikely to produce whole-body effects but high enough to allow the cells to respond and be studied. The drug of choice is given about 100 times lower than the therapeutic dosage.

Relationship between microdosing and magic mushrooms?

Magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, a compound that have similar properties to our body's serotonin. Psilocybin works by stimulating the serotonin receptors (5-HT2A) in the brain - thus mimicking serotonin. Microdosing with psychedelics like magic mushrooms is therefore a great way to combat mental problems like depression, anxiety, grief, brain fog, etc.

What is psilocybin and psilocin?

To clarify once again, psilocin is the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms a.k.a psilocybin mushrooms. Psilocybin is the name of mushrooms used specially for microdosing and psilocin is the compound responsible for taking the brain to transcendence level. Psilocybin is the psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms. The genus Psilocybe is the most potent and includes members such as P.azurescens, P.Cyanescens and P.semilanceata.

How does it work in the human body and how long the effects last?

Once consumed, psilocybin in converted into psilocin by the body. Psilocin is the one that has the capability to alter the state of the brain. This is done by psilocin reacting with seratonin receptors in the brain. Psilocybin has very low toxicity and is generally considered safe. 

The mind-altering effects of psilocybin usually last between 2 to 6 hours. This is subjective to the user as it all depends on individual physiology, dosage, the quality and potency of the cultivar and the species being used. Another aspect to it is the set and the setting - the term coined by Timothy Leary in 1961 and used in psychedelic community. Set describes the state of one's mind like thoughts, mood, and expectations before taking the compound. Setting describes the surrounding where it is performed - is it a ritualistic ceremony? where there is lot of social support and spiritual aspects or is it in a disagreeable surrounding full of anger and discord? Stressful environment may result in bad experience with the drug ("bad trip") whereas supportive environment will result in good results.

Directly from Wikipedia -

Of course, the drug dose does not produce the transcendent experience. It merely acts as a chemical key — it opens the mind, frees the nervous system of its ordinary patterns and structures. The nature of the experience depends almost entirely on set and setting. Set denotes the preparation of the individual, including his personality structure and his mood at the time. Setting is physical — the weather, the room's atmosphere; social — feelings of persons present towards one another; and cultural — prevailing views as to what is real. It is for this reason that manuals or guide-books are necessary. Their purpose is to enable a person to understand the new realities of the expanded consciousness, to serve as road maps for new interior territories which modern science has made accessible.

— Timothy Leary, The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead

What are the benefits of microdosing?

• Boosts mood - Many people who have experienced with microdosing claim better mood and the benefits that have come with better mood such as saving their marriage, being a better employee or employer, helping mend other strained relationships in their life and so on.

 

• More mental clarity & focus - One of the greatest struggle of the modern society is that of focus; with so many distractions like social media around us, it is getting harder to retain our focus for long on things that matter. Microdosing has been praised for this aspect - for its ability to bring clarity to the situation and help one focus better.

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• Increased creativity & productivity - With better focus, it is inevitable that you will have better creativity. People who microdose on mushrooms or LSD report seeing more creativity in their life as well as being more productive with their time.

 

• Euphoria & feeling of general well-being - Due to its mind-altering capabilities, magic mushroom users report feelings of euphoria upon consumption and this is the reason why scientific community to researchers to public populations want access to these mushrooms in hope of treating depression, PTSD, grief and similar heavy emotions.

 

• Spiritual Highs & Compassion - Spirituality and compassion go hand-in-hand and this is not any different when experiencing with magic mushrooms. Users report heightened awareness, changes in perception, more compassion as well as higher incidences of spiritual awakenings. Users feel more connected to Nature and the Universe. This heightened state of awareness, called as mystical experiences, is observed by almost all users of magic mushrooms or LSD. 

• A much healthier, safer, better alternative to SSRIs - SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) have dangerous side-effects and usually don't work for most people. Magic mushrooms, on the other hand, have very low toxicity and are considered very safe. This is why they have been used since centuries to boost cognitive function and brain health.

• NO physical dependence - We know how so many youths are falling victims to drugs in their adulthood. This is due to the fact that most drugs and psychedelics have the tendency to be addictive. Overdose, addiction and death due to addiction or overdose have become the norm. The good news with psilocybin is that it does not create any physical dependence unlike cocaine, cannabis, modern day drugs, etc. You can take psilocybin for a longtime and still be a very healthy, functional member of the society while having no overdose issues or addiction to it.

So, how much is a micro-dose?

Microdose is generally considered to be 0.5 gms for magic mushrooms. And of course, this is subjective and it's better to self-educate on this matter by researching more and reading some helpful books on such topics (more on this below). Generally, you start with lowest dose possible (0.5 gms) and see if you feel drowsy or too 'heady'. In that case, you would go lower and see how it feels. Similarly, if you take the lowest dose but it does not give you the desired results, you increase slightly and observe. This is how you work with microdosing mushrooms (or LSD).

The microdose is taken once every three days - so NOT regularly. So, your schedule would be like Day 1....then Day 4....then Day 7 and so on (this is Dr.Fadiman's recommendation). This regimen also has the benefit of not producing tolerance in the  body - a characteristic of psilocybin. 

How is it taken?

Dried psilocybin mushrooms are grind into powder and either filled in empty capsules or the powder can be mixed in warm tea or a beverage of your choice. You are free to work with the taste.

Side-effects?

Side-effects reported generally are nausea, headache, change in perception of time (as in inability to tell time - how many hours have passed), hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, convulsions, psychosis and panic attacks. Studies have indicated that users are unable to tell time intervals longer than 2.5 seconds. Another important point to remember is about subjectivity here - if a user takes this substance and it doesn't work with them for the benefit, then the user may feel fear, anxiety, and may display dangerous behavior. This is also dependent on the set and the setting. Last but not least, consuming such psychedelic substances like magic mushrooms should never be with alcohol or any pre-existing level of alcohol in the body.

More tools for you to explore:-

1. Book - Dr. James Fadiman’s The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys 
2. Book - Ayelet Waldman’s A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in my Mood, My Marriage, and My Life.
3. Or, you could just go visit The Synthesis Retreat in Amsterdam!!

​Finishing thoughts -  Early civilizations used psychedelics drugs like magic mushrooms without reading a single scientific study - they knew the wisdom and sacredness these magic mushrooms want to bring to our health but all this has been oppressed by the people who claim to be caring for us - the corrupt government, the pharma and medical institutions that are supported by these two. More awakening, more peaceful thoughts and spiritual aspects to our well-being are possible - if we wake up now and realize that Earth has given us everything we need to live and feel euphoric. Articles like this one are powerful for they are a wild testament that public is learning and we are not stopping - we are over-riding corruption and spreading the truth like magic. Soon a revolution is granted - it is already happening and soon, we will see the Truth prevail and win and healthcare will be in our hands and free for all. 

This is it! This article was created to empower you by bringing this topic to the forefront of your 'health-cabinet'. If you enjoyed learning and if this article has been useful, plz. leave some comments below.
Ref (1). Ref (2). Ref (3). Ref (4).

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Questions & Comments? - If you have any questions, plz. do NOT e-mail me; post your questions/comments in the comment section and I will reply there only.
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To 'Great Vibrant Mental Health' - till next article.

-Somyata.

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