The Seeker’s Guide to Microdosing Magic Mushrooms

The Seeker's Guide to Microdosing Magic Mushrooms

Microdosing with magic mushrooms is one of the easiest ways to get familiar with psychedelics, or to deepen your current psychedelic or spiritual practice.

Microdosing means taking small, sub-perceptual doses of a psychedelic, usually every few days. Microdosing with magic mushrooms is a good way to get some of the benefits of a higher dose, without having to make the commitment to doing a full-on session.

Whether you’re a newbie to psychedelic, or already very familiar with the effects of psilocybin, microdosing with magic mushrooms is a worthwhile practice to try. This guide includes everything you need to know to start microdosing magic mushrooms and top tips on making the most of their potential benefits.

Art credit: Emily Balivet

painting of green woman with shroud of mushroom goddesses

What is Magic Mushroom Microdosing?

A microdose is a “sub-perceptual” dose, i.e., a dose low enough to not notice its immediate effects, allowing you to go about your daily life without any major perceptual differences.

You might notice the effects when it’s the end of the day and you reflect on how things have played out. Perhaps it was easier for you to communicate with a certain person, or you were more focused on your work. Maybe you found yourself being more creative or eating healthier. Whatever the benefits, they’re subtle and won’t result in any disruption to your life.

Although microdosing with magic mushrooms may look very different from one person to the next, microdosers usually take a dose two or three times a week, for a period of a month or two.

Some people take larger doses of magic mushrooms (sometimes called minidosing or ‘museum’ dosing) and leverage the enhanced state for spiritual purposes. Other people will microdose with tiny amounts that are well below the threshold of noticeable effects, and are happy to just experience a subtle background glow of enhanced connection and feelings of wellbeing that may take weeks to surface.

Thanks to the proven clinical benefits of psilocybin, many people are interested in microdosing with magic mushrooms to help treat mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. Some hope to revisit a spiritual experience they had during a full magic mushroom ceremony. Others are just seeking that special spark missing in their daily life.

Countless numbers of people everywhere are reporting significant health, wellness, and spiritual benefits from adding tiny amounts of magic mushrooms to their day-to-day life.

Why Microdose With Magic Mushrooms?

Microdosing with magic mushrooms is a great way to introduce yourself to natural psychedelics, without having to travel, pay for an expensive retreat, or endure hours of challenging introspective experiences. It’s also beneficial for those who already have a few psychedelic experiences under their belt and want to incorporate more spiritual practices into their daily lives.

Microdosing with magic mushrooms may be ideal for you if you are:

  • Looking for an effective, natural way to address anxiety or depression (in conjunction with conventional mental healthcare).
  • Interested in natural psychedelics, but apprehensive about taking a larger dose or participating in a full-blown ceremony or trip.
  • Unable to travel to a country where legal magic mushroom ceremonies take place, or afraid to join an illegal ceremony.
  • Looking for natural spiritual and medicinal support in your life that is more gentle than intensive courses or retreats.
  • Wishing to steadily introduce yourself to magic mushrooms before attending a ceremony.
  • Want to maintain a connection to magic mushrooms during times when ceremonies aren’t available.

But don’t just take our word for it. Scientific research suggests that magic mushrooms have both spiritual and physical benefits, that could potentially be carried over into microdosing...

The Benefits of Magic Mushroom Microdosing

Although there is barely any research on microdosing itself, there is a large collection of research into full doses of magic mushrooms and their medicinal properties.

Magic mushrooms have been designated a “Breakthrough Therapy” by the FDA for their potential to treat severe depression, meaning that future research will be fast-tracked. Studies have repeatedly shown that giving people moderate doses of magic mushrooms, in conjunction with basic therapy, dramatically reduces symptoms of serious depression.

It’s thought that the antidepressant effects of magic mushrooms are in part due to their ability to help people break out of harmful patterns of thought, and gain a fresh perspective on life. This is backed up by the neurological research showing that magic mushrooms can help to ‘reset’ some of the brain’s most inflexible mechanisms, and potentially increase neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.

Although we don’t know how much of these antidepressant effects will carry over into magic mushroom microdosing in the same way, it’s possible that small doses also help to break us out of harmful thought patterns. We also know that even small doses of magic mushrooms will increase serotonin levels in the brain – this is how most typical antidepressant medications work. 

As well as the antidepressant effects of magic mushrooms, research has shown that they could be used to treat anxiety, OCD, addiction, and cluster headaches. For a more in-depth exploration of the healing effects of magic mushrooms, click here.

Magic mushrooms also hold the potential for great spiritual healing – although this is harder to prove in a lab! Research shows that full dose magic mushroom trips can often be among the most meaningful experiences in people’s lives, and that this is directly related to the intensity of healing effects.[1,2]

When it comes to microdosing with magic mushrooms, the spiritual benefits are likely to be much more subdued, as you won’t be going on a full mystical journey into the depths of your psyche. However, preliminary research into microdosing shows that over half of people experience improvements in wellbeing after microdosing with magic mushrooms – most commonly in terms of mood, focus, energy and creativity.[3]

So overall, although microdosing and full dose magic mushroom trips are very different, it seems highly likely that at least some of the medicinal and spiritual benefits of magic mushrooms can be encountered during a microdosing protocol. This is reflected in the accounts of positive experiences that can be found online, and the growing popularity of magic mushroom microdosing.

The Risks of Magic Mushroom Microdosing

While magic mushrooms have been shown to be safe in moderate doses, microdosing is a different matter.

Although there’ll be no risk of having a bad trip or experiencing psychological trauma with microdosing, there are still many unknowns about this practice. No long-term studies on the effects of regular microdosing have been conducted – so it’s sensible to be cautious if considering trying it out.

Microdosing with magic mushrooms does come with a theoretical risk of heart disease if you maintain the practice for too long. Psilocybin and psilocin (active compounds in magic mushrooms) activate 5-HT2B receptors, and these receptors have been implicated with valvular heart disease. Taking high or frequent doses of substances that activate 5-HT2B receptors may increase the risk of heart disease.[4]

Although we can’t determine with certainty what the effects of microdosing mushrooms are for the heart, it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid microdosing altogether if you have a cardiac condition, or only microdose for a few weeks at a time, with substantial breaks between each period.

In addition to the potential heart risk, there are some known dangerous drug combinations with magic mushrooms, which could potentially still be dangerous with regular microdosing. Lithium and Tramadol can cause seizures when mixed with serotonergic psychedelics like magic mushrooms – so to be safe, avoid taking them while microdosing too.
The most likely risk of microdosing is feeling negative effects like anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, and nausea. If you feel any of these negative effects, stop microdosing and take a few weeks off.

Most people who encounter these side effects find that stopping for a while, and then lowering their dose, is enough to stop the problems. Make sure to keep a journal to track your doses and the effects on your body and mind both during and after your microdosing protocol. This will allow you to hone in on your ideal dose, and recognize both positive and negative effects – helping you minimize the risks.

What Effects of Magic Mushroom Microdosing Can You Expect?

The effects of microdosing with magic mushrooms can depend on a huge number of factors personal to you, including:

  • Your prior experience with psychedelics

  • Your tolerance to psychedelics

  • Your familiarity with spiritual practices

  • Your diet and health

  • Your intentions

  • Whether you are on any medications


But some of the most common effects of magic mushroom microdoses can include:

  • A general reduction in anxiety or symptoms of depression

  • Increased feelings of lucidity or vividness

  • Feelings of warmth or buzzing

  • Boosts in motivation and creativity

  • Reductions in pain and inflammation

  • More connection to the world around you

  • Fluent and comfortable interactions with friends and loved ones


You may also encounter some negative effects, such as:

  • Sleeplessness

  • Anxiety

  • Nausea

  • Restlessness


If you encounter any of these downsides, make sure to reduce your dose or stop altogether until the effects stop.

Where to Get Magic Mushrooms for Microdosing

Magic mushrooms can be acquired from all sorts of places – but be sure to check your local laws first! Read our below section on legality for more information.

If mushrooms are legal where you live, here are the best ways to obtain them:

  • Order magic truffles! Magic truffles, a dormant form of magic mushrooms that contain the same psychedelic ingredients, are legal in the Netherlands. Some companies ship them worldwide (such as Microdose Bros) – but check your local laws first.
  • Pick them in the wild! There are dozens of species of magic mushrooms that grow pretty much anywhere that it’s damp, dark, and wooded. Foraging for them is easy and fun – just make sure you have an identification guide so you pick the right species.
  • Grow them at home! Mushroom spores and grow kits are often available to purchase online. Make sure it’s legal where you live, then set up your own mushroom culture! They only take a few weeks to grow and don’t require any specialist equipment. Read our full guide on growing your own mushrooms at home.
  • Make some psychedelic friends! Attending your local psychedelic society events and making some friends is a surefire way of coming into contact with magic mushrooms eventually.

All of these approaches will depend on the legality of magic mushrooms in your country or state. Make sure to do your research, and don’t risk straying into a legal grey area...

Must Read: The 4 Easiest Ways to Get Magic Mushrooms for Microdosing

Learn to grow your own medicine with this amazing course by our friends at DoubleBlind:

Advert for the DoubleBlind mushroom growing course

The Legality of Magic Mushrooms

Under the UN Vienna Convention of 1971, the psychedelic compounds in magic mushrooms are illegal worldwide. However, the convention did not specify whether the mushrooms themselves are illegal, meaning that every country has developed its own unique laws regarding magic mushrooms.
While most countries have made possession, purchase/sale, and cultivation of magic mushrooms illegal, there are some notable exceptions:

  • In Brazil, magic mushrooms are legal to buy, possess, consume and cultivate.
  • In Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands, drug laws are unclear – but you’ll often find tourists being sold magic mushrooms in public with no repercussions. 
  • In the Netherlands, although magic mushrooms are illegal, magic truffles are not. They are openly sold online and in shops, and contain the same psychedelic ingredients as magic mushrooms.
  • In Austria, you can grow your own mushrooms as long as you don’t eat them. 
  • In Canada you can legally buy spores, but you may be breaking the law if you use those spores to grow mushrooms.
  • Costa Rica operates a number of magic mushroom retreats – so despite some uncertainty, magic mushrooms appear to be somewhat legal.
  • You can grow small amounts of mushrooms in the Czech Republic, but it’s unclear what constitutes a “small amount.”
  • In Italy, magic mushrooms are partly decriminalized, but you may still face administrative punishments for using them.
  • In Mexico, sacramental or traditional use of magic mushrooms is tolerated by authorities.
  • In Portugal, magic mushrooms are decriminalized, but you may face administrative punishments for being repeatedly found with them.
  • In Spain, personal use of small amounts of magic mushrooms has been decriminalized.
  • In the United States, you need to check your state laws! In most states it’s legal to buy spores, but illegal to use them to grow mushrooms. You can grow magic mushrooms in New Mexico, and they have been effectively decriminalized in the cities of Denver, Oakland, and Santa Cruz. 

It’s important to be informed of the laws in your own country, as they aren’t the same everywhere and are subject to change. EntheoNation does not condone unlawful behavior, nor do we want anyone to undergo stress or suffering as a result of taking magic mushrooms.

It’s also worth remembering that some countries may be extremely strict when it comes to importing plants and fungi, even if they’re not strictly illegal. In some cases, the shipments might simply vanish, while in others, you might get hit with a hefty fine.

In countries with especially draconian drug laws, it’s not unheard of for people to find themselves held by the authorities and extorted for cash to avoid jail. Even if the substance is legal, it would be a case of their word against yours.

When in doubt, purchase the product with the more obscure name, choose discreet packaging, and abstain from importing ethnobotanical products into particularly draconian or corrupt countries.

How to Microdose With Magic Mushrooms

Once you’ve got your magic mushrooms, it’s time to start microdosing! There are a few steps of preparation and logistics you will need to think about before diving in...

What Microdosing Protocol Should You Use?

The Fadiman approach is the most widely used method of microdosing magic mushrooms.

The Fadiman method recommends taking three days off between dosages. That means that, on a typical week, you might microdose on Monday and Thursday and then take an extra day off on Sunday. Alternatively, if you want to keep it consistent, take a dose every fourth day. It's advisable to dose with your breakfast in the morning.

The Fadiman regimen was created for people microdosing serotonergic psychedelics like LSD and magic mushrooms, as a three-day gap is essential to avoid building up a tolerance. You can also use the Fadiman approach to reflect on the effects of each single dose. Many people report an “afterglow” lasting throughout their non-dose days!

Outside of this technique, microdosing protocols are varied! Some people microdose once a week, some even less often… and some people just microdose whenever the mood suits them, not sticking to any particular routine. Experiment and figure out what works best for you!

Generally, people will microdose for a period of 4-6 weeks, before taking a break of a few weeks to re-acclimatize and decompress. This is the perfect time to reflect on your microdosing experience and think about what to change in future.

Microdosing Magic Mushroom Dosage

Typical microdosing wisdom is that a good microdose should be between a tenth and a twentieth of a full dose. For magic mushrooms, this is roughly 0.1-0.3g of dried mushrooms and 1-3g of fresh mushrooms. If it’s your first time, start with the lowest dose!

To microdose with dried mushrooms, make sure they’re really dry (you can do this with a food dehydrator) and then ground them up into powder. You can either distribute this powder into capsules (this makes it easy to keep your dose the same!) or mix it into smoothies or tea to mask the taste. Here’s our full guide to preparing mushrooms for microdosing!

Microdosing with fresh mushrooms is a little harder because you’ll have to eat them whole – we recommend washing them down with cocoa or ginger tea with lemon and honey.

The ideal microdose is considered to be a dose that gives you some subtle benefits, without significantly impacting your daily life. However, you can make microdosing work for you in pretty much any way. If you enjoy taking a dose that you feel constantly throughout the day, that’s cool! If you’d rather not notice anything until you reach the end of a really successful week and realize it’s thanks to the microdosing – that’s great too!

As with any psychedelic, it’s best to start small and work your way up until you find your comfort spot.

What Does a Typical Magic Mushroom Microdosing Routine Look Like?

The effects of microdosing magic mushrooms will vary from person to person, depending on the individual’s preferences and intentions for microdosing. 

Some people may microdose according to the Fadiman protocol for several weeks, while others may microdose once every month or two, or whenever they feel a need to do so. 

Also, while some people will incorporate microdosing with spiritual practices and deep reflection, others will carry on with their normal lives, or use microdosing to enhance recreational activities.

Regardless, the following three things will usually appear in the most effective magic mushroom microdosing routines:

  • Preparation. Being mentally prepared for microdosing is crucial to having a positive experience! Take time to set your intention, cultivate your mindset, and set aside enough time in your schedule to microdose attentively.
  • Structure. A regular dosing routine is an excellent way to make the most of magic mushroom microdosing. Decide on the time and frequency of your dose, when you will stop microdosing, and other practices you may integrate during your protocol (such as exercise or meditation). 
  • Mindfulness. If you’re not paying attention to the effects of microdosing magic mushrooms, you’ll be less likely to see the benefits. It’s hugely helpful to keep a journal of each dose and note down anything that comes up as a result.

While each magic mushroom microdosing regimen will differ, remember to take a break and cut your dose if you notice negative side effects, and take extended breaks every three months.

The End Goal of Magic Mushroom Microdosing

 Rather than becoming reliant on microdosing magic mushrooms, the ultimate goal of taking these tiny, sub-perceptual doses should be to understand the ways in which you can enhance your life without frequently ingesting a substance.
Microdosing can help point you in the right direction and give you a boost to make beneficial changes to your life. But, just as you wouldn’t want to have an ego-dissolving high-dose psychedelic experience every week for the rest of your life, you shouldn’t aim to microdose indefinitely either.

While a big psychedelic journey can help you make major, transformational changes in your life, microdosing is there to remind you of the small tweaks that you can make on a daily basis to enhance your wellbeing and feel more fulfilled.

For instance, you might feel fit, strong, and healthy after a few weeks of microdosing, and when you refer to your journal, you realize that you were eating better and exercising more regularly than usual. The realization here is that you can adopt these healthy habits without needing a substance to give you a little push.

When done mindfully, microdosing magic mushrooms has the power to help you live a happier and healthier life, without the need to do it forever.

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FAQ


What if I’m new to psychedelics?

If psychedelics are completely new to you – great! Microdosing magic mushrooms is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the medicine, especially if you feel like a full ceremony is daunting or inconvenient for you at the moment. The whole idea behind microdosing is that you don’t notice any changes in your perception, and if you do feel uncomfortable at any time, simply stop taking them.


What if I’m experienced with psychedelics?

 Microdosing is a great option even for experienced psychonauts. The practice of taking small doses differs in its effects from full-blown ceremonies, so you can simply see it as another tool to add to your spiritual arsenal.

It’s not uncommon for people to microdose with magic mushrooms to connect once again with the energies and the lessons that came from high-dose sessions. It’s also much more convenient than having to carve a few days out of your schedule to do a big psychedelic journey.


Where do I find magic mushrooms for microdosing?

There are several different ways to get magic mushrooms for microdosing, and there are often legal options depending on where you live. Check out our full guide for more info.


Can I take magic mushrooms while I’m on medications?

Lithium and tramadol are the only medications that are seriously dangerous to combine with magic mushrooms. It’s likely safe to continue taking antidepressants and other medications while microdosing, and we don’t recommend discontinuing any medications without checking with your healthcare provider. If in doubt, always check before starting a microdosing regimen.


Can magic mushrooms cure my (addiction/depression/trauma)?

Magic mushrooms will not cure anything, especially in microdoses. Research into the therapeutic effects of shrooms are focussed on larger doses in therapeutic environments. If you are microdosing to help treat a condition, you should not stop any current treatments, or expect microdosing to be a miracle treatment. Microdosing may help to lessen symptoms and help you to address problems in your life – but you have to keep doing the work yourself.


Will I have a bad trip?

Microdoses of magic mushrooms are so small that there is no chance of you having a bad trip. You may feel restless, anxious or nauseous if you accidentally start with too high a dose, but this will fade after a few hours.


Will magic mushrooms make me sick?

Some people report feeling a little nauseous after taking magic mushrooms, even in small amounts. To reduce this risk, take your mushrooms with some ginger tea, or something else to calm your stomach. If the microdose makes you vomit, you have probably taken too high a dose, or have an intolerance or allergy – check with your doctor.


What are the longterm effects of microdosing with magic mushrooms?

The short answer is – we don’t know! However, many people have been microdosing with magic mushrooms for years and haven’t experienced any immediately observable dangers. However, as mentioned above, there is a theoretical risk of an increased chance of heart disease if you microdose for too long without taking a break. To be safe, only microdose for a few weeks at a time, and take long breaks in between your microdosing periods.

References

  1. Griffiths et al (2016) Psilocybin Produces Substantial and Sustained Decreases in Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Life-Threatening Cancer: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology 30(12), p1181-1197.
  2. Garcia-Romeu et al (2015) Psilocybin-occasioned mystical experiences in the treatment of tobacco addiction. Curr Drug Abuse Rev 7(3), p157-164.
  3. Anderson et al (2019) Psychedelic microdosing benefits and challenges: an empirical codebook. Harm Reduction Journal 16, 43.
  4. Hutcheson et al (2011) Serotonin receptors and heart valve disease--it was meant 2B. Pharmacol Ther, 132(2), p146-57.

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