While I have been working with plant medicine for nearly a decade, 2024 marked the year I started developing, using, and recommending psilocybin microdoses (in Colorado, where the practice is legally protected).

At first, I was skeptical. Sure, I'd heard the stories - tech workers in Silicon Valley taking minuscule doses of LSD to boost creativity, and people I'd met casually claiming that similar tiny amounts of psychedelics had freed them from anxiety, depression, and even chronic headaches. But could doses so small you can't even feel them do anything meaningful?

For context, when people "microdose" psychedelic mushrooms, they take between one-tenth and half a gram - about the weight of a small paper clip. Having previously experienced these substances' effects at much larger doses, I wondered: How could such a tiny amount, just three-tenths of a gram in my case, produce the remarkable benefits everyone was talking about?

My skepticism is not unfounded. As an often-cited paper surveying 60 years and 44 scientific microdosing studies states, "there is no consensus on the subjective effects (or lack thereof) that should be associated with microdosing." When it comes to sub-perceptual (or, more properly, sub-hallucinogenic) psychedelic compounds and their utility, there's much we don't conclusively know.

The lack of consensus, however, is largely due to the challenge of conducting studies around the person-dependent, subjective nature of microdose experiences and their impact over time while isolating for expectation bias and the placebo effect.

Should you start or continue practicing microdosing until a groundbreaking study conclusively clarifies the benefits that can be attributed to it (lending credence to anecdotal evidence)? That's what I intend to clarify (or at least shed some light on) with this article.

What Do People Microdose?

Microdosing encompasses a variety of substances often tailored to individual goals. Drawing on many reports over decades, here’s a detailed look at popular and emerging microdosed substances, some of the reasons people reported using them to help address, and potential risks associated with them.

Identifying which substances and at which dosages work for any one person is both science and art and demands some patience and openness to iteration. Take magic mushrooms, for instance: while many try microdosing with them to improve mood, some people have found they help with their migraine headaches. Similarly, tiny doses of THC have helped others manage debilitating anxiety as well as ease day to day stress

For Further Reading

The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys

by James Fadiman

In this guide to the immediate and long-term effects of psychedelic use for spiritual (high dose), therapeutic (moderate dose), and problem-solving (low dose and microdose) purposes, Fadiman outlines best practices for safe, sacred entheogenic voyages learned through his more than 40 years of experience.

Common Microdosing Amounts

Microdosing usually involves consuming doses that are sub-hallucinogenic (not necessarily sub-perceptual, as commonly believed), meaning they don’t produce noticeable psychoactive effects.

However, most respondents report “perceiving” effects after taking them. The most common amounts of each substance, as reported in the previously mentioned 60-year survey involving 44 studies, are outlined below. In my experience, for psilocybin mushrooms, .3 grams straddles the line between no effect and overwhelming effect quite effectively. But your experience may (and likely will) vary.

These amounts are usually taken two to four days following a schedule or protocol to prevent tolerance buildup and maintain the desired effects.

For Further Reading

The Science of Microdosing Psychedelics

by Torsten Passie

At a time when microdosing is being lauded across the media as a potential panacea, this carefully researched and scientifically presented work provides an objective and clear perspective, covering key areas such as tolerance, toxicity, and placebo.

Popular protocols, which I'll discuss in another article, include the Fadiman protocol (one day on, two days off, one day on while mindfully noticing how you feel on off days), the Stamets Protocol (four days on, three days off) and the Intuitive Protocol, which involves creating a routine cycle that suits you while always remembering to include two days off in any given week to prevent tolerance.

Finding the right substance and dose is like solving a puzzle unique to each person - part scientific method, part personal discovery. For me personally, I've found that an intuitive check-in each morning while loosely adhearing to the Stamets protocol serves me well.

Every 2 months, to reset my system, I take two weeks off (and, for science, expirement with a new strain--albino golden teachers are my jam but I'll be moving to Psilocybe Natelensis soon thanks to a bountiful grow and a recent powerful macrodose journey with them).

What Does the Science Show Us Microdoses Do?

Scientific findings on microdosing remain inconclusive but intriguing.

• Creativity: A 2020 study in The Harm Reduction Journal found a 13% improvement in creativity among psilocybin and LSD microdosers and a 26% improvment in mood.
• Anxiety: In a clinical trial conducted by Dr. Daniel Karlin of Tufts University, 48% of participants suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) experienced resmission from symptoms after 12 weeks.
• Quote: Dr. Daniel Karlin, lead researcher, states, “The clinical improvement for many patients was more than double what we see with today’s standard of care. This occurred at all levels of anxiety, from moderate all the way up to severe.”

What Role Does Placebo and Expectation Play?

The placebo effect plays a critical role in microdosing outcomes. What is this effect? Consider the placebo as "a mental rehearsal," where the belief in improvement triggers neural responses mimicking actual pharmacological effects.

That being said, researchers surveying over 40 microdosing studies over multiple decades recently concluded: "With these issues in mind, we suggest that claims that microdosing is largely a placebo-driven effect (e.g., Siebert, 2021) are premature. The above studies show that expectancy does contribute to the overall effect of microdosing, but we cannot yet be confident about the magnitude of the expectancy effect, or its relative importance compared to the pharmacological effects of microdosing."

Balancing Benefits with Informed Decision-Making

Microdosing will continue to captivate the public’s imagination, and rightly so, as it promises enhanced creativity, emotional balance, and improvements in cognitive sharpness. While anecdotal reports and emerging studies highlight potential benefits, consider as well as the risks, the role of placebo effects and the lack of conclusive, long-term research.

Until then, individuals interested in microdosing should proceed with caution, but also with cautious optimism while assessing their own potential risk factors before proceeding.

If you want to learn more about whether microdosing might be a good fit for you, I offer a 30-minute introductory conversation to assess risks and discuss various approaches and protocols.