Cameron and colleagues(2019) tested the effect of repeated low doses of DMT in rats. They gavea dose for 2 months every third day and assessed behaviour with a broad range oftests. In a cued fear extinction learning test, they showed that animals frozesignificantly less than a control group, suggesting that DMT facilitates fearextinction memory. No change was observed in dendritic spine density in the layer V pyramidalneurons, and no changes were observed in gene expression (EGR1, EGR2, ARC, FOS, BDNFand 5HT2A). However, an impact on metabolism was observed in male rats; the weightincreased by 182%, compared to 165% with vehicle (Cameron et al., 2019). Lastly, itshould be emphasized that there is a need to conduct more research on long-termeffects in order to assess the long-term safety of repeat doses.
Using a MonitorRating Questionnaire with a 5-point scale, they found that a dose of 5 mg/70 kgincreased stimulation, distance from ordinary reality and sense of peace. Existing dosing categories for psychedelics when used in research are verylow dose, low dose, medium dose, and high dose (Table 1). A microdose hasbeen defined as approximately one-tenth to one-twentieth of a recreational dose,varying within and between substances, so it can be seen as being somewhat below avery low dose. Although microdosing of psychedelics does not have an agreedscientific definition, we have decided to continue to use the term because of itsprevalent societal use.
Reduced Stress
Although microdosing became prominent due to the belief it improved cognition, agrowing number of individuals the ultimate guide to microdosing psychedelics began to microdose psychedelics to improve conditionsof pain (Johnstad, 2018),cluster headache or migraine (Andersson et al., 2017). It seems that the efficacy of microdosing mayderive from its non-psychedelic dose range, which provides treatment withoutaffecting cognition. Individuals also reported relief of pain with a long-termpsychedelic microdosing regimen (Johnstad, 2018). Thus, psychedelic microdosing might constitute adifferent paradigm to single psychedelic therapeutic sessions withmacrodoses where the nature and content of the experience playsa key role in predicting therapeutic outcome (Roseman et al., 2018; Schenberg, 2018). However, many questionsremain about the definition, safety, potential mechanism and future researchinvolving microdosing.
How Should I Properly Microdose Cannabis?
- You may have one bottle of ayahuasca that provides an effective microdose with just 2 mL of liquid, but another bottle may require 5 or 6 mL instead.
- Marijuana isn’t psychedelic, but it does have psychoactive effects due to an active ingredient called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
- Success with microdosing often comes down to thoughtful integration with your existing routines and goals.
- Before starting your microdosing journey, educate yourself about the specific substance you intend to use.
Following structured protocols, such as the Fadiman method (see below), and pairing microdosing with mindfulness practices like meditation or journaling can help maximize its effects. The neuroplasticity hypothesis suggests that psychedelics may promote the growth of new neural connections and increase brain flexibility. This could explain why many users report lasting positive changes even after stopping their microdosing regimen. More seriously, even small doses of psychedelics can amplify current emotions and mental states, so assessing your mindset is always important.
The problem with all psychedelic microdosing studies is how to do it legally andethically, and this is the big question that needs answering. Maybe a change in theregulations to exclude microdoses from the list of controlled drugs could be sought? After all, when used singly they are below the threshold for subjective effects andso are not psychoactive. I definitely do not see the Fadiman protocol (5–15 µg LSD every third day) as themost used approach.
Success with microdosing often comes down to thoughtful integration with your existing routines and goals. The goal is to find your “sweet spot”—the minimum effective dose that produces benefits without noticeable impairment. Here is a basic overview of the microdosing protocol laid out by James Fadiman, Ph.D., based on microdosing research he has carried out since 2012. If you aren’t careful in measuring your microdose, you might end up taking more than intended. While this is highly unlikely to cause you any ongoing problems, it can be extremely inconvenient if you intended to have a solid day of work but instead find yourself being one with the Earth.
However, their methods ofinvestigation might not have been sensitive enough to detect damage. It is alsotrue that just a very small part of the patient population taking ergotcompounds (e.g. methysergide) do in fact develop valvulopathy. It is also worthmentioning that if a valvulopathy is detected in a patient, in all cases itdisappears within a short time after stopping the medication. There is just onecase documented in the literature where surgery was necessary (Graham, 1967). Psilocin begins to appear in the plasma approximately 25 minutes after oral dosage,with peak levels reached after approximately 105 ± 37 minutes (Brown et al., 2017). A typical userresponds to a full active dose for approximately 4 to 7 hours.
Starting a micro-dosing regimen is an excellent time to dial in your ideal habits and routines. However, if you want to be more involved and take a proactive approach in your self-growth and discovery — there are plenty of ways to do that. For a more specific calculation based on your individual weight and experience level, use the calculator below.
The most used dosing regime and effects of micro- and minidosing
- A microdose is a very low dose of a psychoactive substance — most commonly LSD or magic mushrooms.
- This alsomakes it very questionable what effects can be/are felt or not, especially whenit comes to taking 10 µg just a few times per year (which is apparently whatmost users do).
- If you microdose too frequently without breaks, your body may become accustomed to the substance, leading to reduced effects.
- In early reports itwas shown that although aortic insufficiencies disappeared in most cases afterarrest of the methysergide therapy, the mitral insufficiencies remained unchanged(Graham, 1967).
It’s celebrated for its safety and effectiveness, with a reputation for boosting mood, creativity, and emotional strength. Side effects are rare and usually mild, like a touch of nausea or anxiety. However, if you have a history of mental health issues, especially psychosis, it’s wise to tread carefully. While many pharmaceuticalshave a given activity and that more or less of a dose leads to more or less of thesame activity, this is not true for psychedelics at higher doses and far less so formicrodoses. One size does not fit all, so that the identical dose, howevercalculated, will not yield the same results across individuals. This may be a hardproblem, especially given the few research models popular in pharmacology ingeneral.
UCLA football breathing easier as QB Nico Iamaleava practices
However, more research is needed to understand whether MDMA is safe long-term. MDMA is technically classified as a psychedelic, but its effects are unique from any of the other psychedelics on this list. It activates the same serotonin receptors as magic mushrooms and LSD but with a different focus. The bottom line is that we simply don’t have enough long-term data to make any definitive claims about what we can expect to gain from using microdoses 3. Most of the evidence we have at the moment comes from anecdotal reports and survey-based studies. Microdosing is the practice of taking very small doses of a psychoactive substance — usually LSD or magic mushrooms.
For a recent review ofpast research with psychedelic microdosing, please see Passie (2019). Psychedelics are a class of psychoactive substances that induce complex behavioural,psychological and physiological effects primarily through activation of serotonin5-HT2A receptors. In the past few years, the issue of ‘microdosing’psychedelics has been openly discussed in the public arena with several books (Cruz, 2017; Kumar, 2016; Waldman, 2017) claimingvalue to the authors who tried this concept. However, there are very few scientificstudies that have specifically addressed this issue, and there is no agreedscientific consensus on what microdosing entails (Cameron et al., 2019; Horsley et al., 2018).
The study ofProchazkova et al.(2018) claimed (under weakly controlled conditions in respect todosing and environment) increased lateral thinking, which has been discussed asa marker of creativity. This study employed doses of psilocybin that were abovethe perceptible level (4–8 mg p.o.). However, increased lateral thinking doesnot mean that the drugged subjects have shown increased creativity in a validsense, e.g. creating more original painting. These changes included increased aggression, scruffy appearance,anhedonia and hyper-reactivity.
Psilocybin mushrooms are the most often used among psychedelic drugs, according to a report by the nonpartisan Rand research group. Rand estimates that 8 million people in the U.S. used psilocybin in 2023 and half of them reported microdosing the last time they used it. These self-experimenters take a very small amount of psilocybin mushrooms or LSD to try to reduce anxiety, stress and depression. Some claim the practice gives them access to joy, creativity and connection they can’t get otherwise. Plant/fungal material is generally quite unreliable for calculating a dose. I donot agree with the author’s statement that 3.5 g P. cubensis is‘a usual recreational dose’.
Pairing microdosing with grounding practices like breathwork or time in nature can further enhance its effects, helping to build long-term mental resilience and a greater sense of inner strength. Microdosing refers to the practice of consuming very small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelic substances on a regular schedule. These doses are typically 1/10th to 1/20th of a full recreational dose—just enough to produce subtle positive effects without impairment or noticeable alterations in consciousness. Microdosing psychedelics has moved from underground experimentation to mainstream wellness conversations.
It might be viewed as the most widely known, but by far (!)the most ‘microdosers’ use one occasional dose, not a regular intake. This alsomakes it very questionable what effects can be/are felt or not, especially whenit comes to taking 10 µg just a few times per year (which is apparently whatmost users do). LSD is inactivated to iso-LSD depending on temperature, solvent and pH and thus maybe unstable in certain formulations.