WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM MICRODOSING FOR 2 YEARS
Embodied Lessons from The Mushroom Black Market
HIGH POINTS | Top Takeaways
We are living in the wild wild west of microdosing. There aren’t a ton of science-backed protocols and regulations. Research, take referrals wisely and most importantly, check in with your unique body and intuition.
Microdosing is not meant to interfere with your daily routine, but acutely attune your perception, enhancing your mood, creativity, productivity and more.
Be sure to relay your gratitude for the microdose and set an intention.
I liken microdosing to coffee — another conscious-altering substance. If you overindulge, it can propel you into slight dissociation…
Microdosing can improve neuroplasticity — the ability to rewire neural pathways in the brain helping you release subconscious patterns that are no longer serving you (AKA heal).
Microdosing can produce diminishing returns over time, which can increase addictive, escapist behavior.
Integrate, integrate, integrate. Microdosing is meant to be an intentional intervention, not a daily ritual. Don’t fall into an unconscious routine.
This is a first-hand account of my personal experience microdosing over the past two years. Please consult your doctor, therapist, and/or healer if microdosing is right for you. All minds, bodies and souls are divinely unique.
THE FIRST DOSE
After a couple of clicks and a few business days, a box of “magic pills” arrived at my door. The box resembled any other package, and the pills looked like any other supplement. There were no iridescent rainbow hues in sight. I’ve been a relatively fearless test bunny for spiritual health and wellness experiences for over six years now. I’ve gallivanted across the globe to cover transcendent travelogues through a journalistic lens due to a one-in-a-million wake-up call. The only reason I felt confident with this cheeky black market purchase is because they were referred to me by a loved one.
I awaited a sunny Saturday afternoon, full of white space in my calendar, to give the 3-pill, .27g dosage a test drive — a microdose is about a tenth of the normal dose, or 0.2-0.5 grams of mushrooms. Note, each pill was also laced with supportive adaptogens like: Lion’s Mane (brain health), Rhodiola (a natural xanax), L Theanine (another soother) and Alpha GPC (cognition support).
I put the trio in the palm of my hand and closed my eyes as I said a little prayer, thanking the plant medicine for being here and setting a heart-forward intention for my experience. I’ve never considered myself religious and wasn’t raised blessing the food on thy dinner table, but I picked up this ritual when I realized that our words (and all that is) do indeed hold powerful energy.
After popping the pills, I proceeded to have a slow, leisurely stroll around the park with my then boyfriend, now fiancé. We eventually sat down at a cafe for brunch and indulged in good food and even better conversation. Within approximately an hour, a wave of euphoria expanded from the core of my being. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was as if my body was flooded with a rush of happy endorphins. I felt acutely more attuned to the mundane world around me — everything looked more vibrant and felt more resonant. It wasn’t until after we ate that we were sitting on a sun-drenched bench outside and both confessed that the apparent microdose felt a littleeee more macro than we expected.
Microdosing is meant to be “subperceptual” or below the threshold of perception. It’s not meant to interfere with your daily routine, but enhance your experience: mood, creativity, productivity, wellbeing etc. I like to compare it to coffee — if you overindulge, it can propel you into slight dissociation.
We’re living in the wild wild world of microdosing — there aren’t a ton of science-backed protocols, regulations or even certified practitioners to guide us through these journeys. The majority of doctors are still green to these theories. Thus, research, referrals, and connecting with your intuitive instincts are deeply encouraged. One common schedule I discovered through research is to microdose every three days with two rest days in between. The idea behind this regimen is that there may be a residual effect from each microdose that lasts one to two days afterwards.
Like the lightweight that I am, but never admitted during college, I proceeded to drop my dosage down to 1 pill — or 90mg. Again, every body is divinely unique. Pair that with our careers, environments, current mental and physical health and even the people we surround ourselves with regularly and this dosage can vary widely.
My body spoke to me loudly my first day microdosing and I listened. The key to finding the dosage that aligns best for you is trusting and not contorting your gut into thinking what you *should* be taking. Tune in.
I proceeded to take one 90mg pill 1-2x per week for 4 months over the past 2 years. There were plenty of weeks that I took off completely and I took 2-3 months off after I wrapped the 4 month cycle.
THE INTEGRATION
Over the course of two years, I’ve worked with both a shamanic and traditional therapist to ensure I was fully releasing and clearing emotions, while embodying lessons learned and healing. Axis Mundi is a good resource and place to start if you’re looking for support.
I also have an incredibly rich morning routine which acts as substantial integration support across all of the modalities that I experiment with. I meditate, journal, move my body and connect with nature pretty much daily. On days I was microdosing, I ensured that I was connecting with nature at least once and also diving into something creative, rather simply sitting behind a screen.
For me, the most impactful integration ritual for microdosing has been journaling. I track the days I microdose in my Magic of I planner, the full month calendar page (use code: “KARA”) and vision dump regularly, allowing any and all thoughts to overflow without judgment.
THE IMPACT
THE LIGHT
Within the first month of microdosing I did feel a very palpable unbounding of mental tension in my body — and thus, emotional, physical and spiritual bodies as well. I felt lighter, more at ease, empathetic, and open all while feeling my feet firmly planted on the ground. In fact, I felt body’s weight more deeply rooted to the earth.
According to Dr. Jerrold Rosenbaum, the director of the newly created Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics at Massachusetts General Hospital and former psychiatrist-in-chief at MGH, "Psychedelics induce the brain to change transiently in ways that appear to allow a reset to take place and permit alterations in previously 'stuck' ways of feeling and thinking about things." This is also known as neuroplasticity.
I began to connect more intimately with my daily routines — shopping for food, eating my food, noticing nature and wildlife more during my daily walk, and admiring how the amber afternoon light cascaded through my living room window.
I felt more creatively tuned in. I was able to curb fear and channel a flow state with more ease. I also felt any rigidity in my relationships begin to soften. I was able to embody a more compassionate and empathetic nature, for myself and others.
THE SHADOW
After a few months, it felt as if my body was metabolizing the mushrooms differently. Like anything practiced consistently, taking 90mg felt more integrated, as if it was an extension of my now-normal operating baseline. This is where I found myself on a slippery slope — do I take more…? I have a fairly addictive personality so I took an intentional pause and created a boundary (a few weeks) to reset.
During this reset, I definitely felt a slight dip in my mental and emotional state. I wasn’t flying so high or had as much pep in my step. With that being said, there are many other factors that could have contributed to this dip.
THE BIG AHA
While healing is nonlinear, full of backtracks, leaps forward and even loopty-loops, this shift backwards made me realize that mushrooms aren’t meant to be used ongoing. Plant medicine of any kind or any conscious-altering substance is meant to be a sacred experience — an intentional intervention.
After nearly two years now experimenting on-and-off with microdosing, the integration and boundaries we must have with the mushroom movement is abundantly clear to me. Conscious commercialization and connecting plant medicine to the masses is filled with polarity — profound healing that’s eclipsed by spiritual materialism, an insatiable desire for moreness.
How are we keeping these mushrooms out of extinction? Are we going to over-consume until the sacredness is lost? Just look at the overharvesting of Ayahuasca or Burning Mud. Just like our bodies speak to us, the earth does too.
Microdosing no doubt has the ability to crack open our heart centers and has been a beautiful catalyst for me across so many facets of life, specifically creatively. Alas, just like any tool or healer, we cannot outsource our own power and magic to mushrooms.
May they simply awaken us to the magic that already lies within.
Take what resonates and leave the rest.
Big love,
K
I loved this part so much:
"How are we keeping these mushrooms out of extinction? Are we going to over-consume until the sacredness is lost? Just look at the overharvesting of Ayahuasca or Burning Mud. Just like our bodies speak to us, the earth does too."
Thanks for always bringing such a high level on consciousness to your work!!
Hi Kara
I'm curious that you started off by comparing microdosing to coffee, yet eventually found out it wasn't something to do everyday. Do you have experience with alcohol or cannabis that may be more relevant comparisons? What, if any was the downside/hangover effect. I'm not interested in microdosing as I've quit drinking and found that sobriety is a gift in it's own way. I'll learn vicariously!
John