Microdosing Reddit and the best microdosing forums

When I first started out with all this, I was searching for the best microdosing forums to find out more about it and get reliable and trustworthy information about dosage and the effects of various psychedelics.  There are now a variety of microdosing Reddit subreddits on these subjects.

I thought I’d post the link to some of these discussions, and some other sites/forums that I’ve found useful.  You do have to separate the wheat from the chaff a little bit, and it’s obvious many people come at it from different angles, but there is useful information and ideas shared here.

Whether you do or don’t use Reddit, I highly recommend you check these links out.  It is the most bullshit-free information network out there in my opinion.  If you’re going to engage in discussion yourself, you may want to protect yourself by using an anonymous account as well as a VPN.  This is good practice anyway, and depending on your country of residence it can be especially important to research this subject anonymously and invisibly.  Always use protection!

Microdosing Reddit Links

https://www.reddit.com/r/microdosing/  – The main microdosing subreddit where you can ask questions and engage in the discussion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/PsychedelicStudies/ – Subreddit about psychedelic studies.

https://www.reddit.com/r/shrooms/ – Magic mushroom subreddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/psilocybin/ – Psilocybin subreddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LSD/ – LSD subreddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Psychedelics/ – General psychedelic subreddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/askdrugs/ – Q&A for all questions about drugs, massive pinch of salt needed though from some contributors.

Other microdosing and psychedelic forums

https://www.bluelight.org/xf/threads/microdosing-psychedelics.857433/  – Interesting thread, worth reading.

Erowid – Found some individual microdosing trip reports:

https://erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=110358 – About seasonal depression.

https://erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=108178 – About anxiety and depression.

https://erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=107822 – Healing with microdosing.

Please contact me if you know of any other microdosing forums, blogs, or links to share and I will post them on here.  You may also be interested in my post with a dosage guide for microdosing with LSD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking breaks from microdosing

It’s been a couple of months since my last microdose.  This wasn’t a conscious decision, but just how things have gone.  Despite it being a while, I’ve found that the insights, feelings, and ‘smoothing’ effect of microdosing has remained.  Does that mean I don’t need to do it anymore?  Maybe, maybe not – with psychedelics it’s never quite as simple as that.  I’m sure the positive effects have firmly taken hold, in a positive way.  But who knows what else could unfold from future microdosing or psychedelic experiences – that is always the clincher, that little bud of curiosity waiting to bloom under the right conditions.

One of the great things about psychedelics in general, and microdosing with LSD, or psilocybin, is that there is no addictive effect (for the vast majority of people).  They’re almost the anti-addictive drugs.  When you take them too often, you will soon be put in your place by the drug itself, in a way that is unambiguous and easy to work with.  Of course there is also very strong evidence that they can help those suffering with alcoholism and opioid addictions – both notoriously difficult to treat.

I believe that this characteristic of these compounds makes the dosage and frequency of microdosing quite self-regulating.  You may notice from reading studies, anecdotal experiences, and information from organisations that are facilitating microdosing experiences, that a specific dosage/routine is established.  Whilst I don’t doubt this can work, it isn’t necessary and I believe more to do with the fact that their studies or facilitation services need to be carried out in a scientific way, or a way that seems professional to the paying subject.  You don’t need to worry about that at home.  Whilst some people love routine, structure etc, if psychedelics have taught me anything it’s that if you can do away with it as much as possible, life feels much more natural, and things actually end up coming together surprisingly easily – sometimes to the irritation of the more ‘organised’.

So, during this break there have been many days where I felt I was microdosing even though I wasn’t.  I remember one particular day when I was taking a flight, and felt an almost ego-death type feeling the entire day, without any trippiness – a kind of constant flow state.  As often as once a week at a miminum, I’ve began to notice this effect, and I end up reminding myself that I have not dosed that day at all, despite that familiar feeling.  Likewise, when microdosing I often feel as though I am not under the influence of anything at all, so my normal state of being has changed over time, and it seems that microdosing is responsible for this positive change.

This leads me to an obvious conclusion that it may not be necessary to microdose forever, and as time goes on it becomes less important to dose regularly, or as regularly as in the beginning. Even once a month can be enough after the main benefits have taken hold.  When psychedelics do eventually become a legal/prescription medication, it will be interesting to see what doses are prescribed, along with frequency and duration of the course of ‘medication’.

I suspect a common consensus will be reached, however, I believe the optimum dose, frequency and course must depend on the individual, which is why I hope the patient/client will be afforded a real say in the matter as this could be closely linked to the success of any treatment.  It seems all too common that once one ‘expert’ has discovered something that works, it can be decades before it is realised that other approaches also work, or even work better.

It will be interesting to see the science that eventually proves this, but I’m convinced that what microdosing is facilitating is the formation of new neural pathways much quicker than normal, speeding up the process of change happening within the psyche.  The breakthrough here for medicine, mental healthcare, and wellbeing in general is that the cost and speed at which a person could be helped and even transform their lives could be accelerated beyond anything that any other clinical treatment has ever managed before.  It may also yield results that are consistent across the vast majority of subjects, I predict a success rate way above 70%.

What times we are living in, with many ideas from the past finding their place in society once again.  Whilst some of these ‘old’ ideas are certainly not progressive, I find it interesting that some of the most progressive ideas are also not new either, so maybe it’s a bit of a question of what aspects of the past we’ll return to and stick with, and which parts will be thrown out once again.  The psychedelic revival though is alive and kicking, and I have a feeling it will not be silenced this time.

What are the long term effects of microdosing?

At the moment, most of the information available about microdosing is anecdotal, self-reported by individuals, as science catches up to what psychedelic community has been exploring for decades.  It will be some time before medical research proves the basics of what many of us already know to be true.  Perhaps we will get lucky with some unexpected findings, but I suspect it will be another 5-10 years before the more intricate effects of microdosing are fully understood, and backed up with scientific evidence.  A prospective study on the long term effects of microdosing would also be very useful.

In the meantime, we can share experiences and personal journeys to try to ascertain what the long terms effects of microdosing LSD, psilocybin, and other psychedelics are.  We may already know the many self-reported benefits of microdosing, and it’s interesting to note the absence of reports of long term negative effects of microdosing with LSD and magic mushrooms.  Sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics are extremely low, with physiological effects barely noticeable by the user, and for this reason we tend to assume that they are not causing damage to our brain or body.

We must also consider what bearing our individual values have on whether or not an effect is perceived as negative, positive, or somewhere in between.  Like with full-trips, personal preference plays a part.  To paraphrase Terence McKenna, it’s an aesthetic inclination whether or not you enjoy having your world deconstructed before you.  I can think of nothing more therapeutic, but others seem to have suffered as a result of a similar experience, and take a long time to recover/integrate it.

The long term microdosing effects that I’ve experienced

Since I started microdosing around 3 years ago, I’ve noticed various changes that have occurred in the way I experience life and the way I engage in different aspects of it.  These include changes in relationships, exercise, reaction times, hand-eye co-ordination, mental focus, energy levels, sleep, and decision-making, amongst other things.

There are a few long term effects of microdosing that I want to go into more detail about.

Deep meditation and microdosing

Perhaps most importantly, the way I experience altered states of consciousness (such as meditation) has changed significantly.  Deep meditation has become much easier to initiate and I can now slip into a deep meditative state within 5-10 minutes, whereas it used to take me at least 30 minutes (and didn’t always work).  Now, it is more like a switch I can flip when I need to.  I should probably take advantage of it more. but it’s very reassuring to know it’s there when I need it.

I believe the benefits of meditation are strongest when you can move beyond technique, or practices.  Zazen meditation was always my preference, and I don’t feel that meditation practices that encourage focusing on any particular thing, are conducive to comfortably entering deeper states – but that’s me.

The interesting thing about the long term effects of microdosing on meditation is that it seems to help program the body/mind to do this naturally, rather than need to follow a formula.  It’s just as natural to be fully relaxed, without trying to direct the experience and control what the mind is doing.  When this happens, deeper states happen quicker, because the ‘self’ is not getting involved trying to control the experience.

Deeper states of meditation are a mystical experience, comparable to psychedelics at lower doses, and very different to a mindfulness approach to meditation.  At a certain point, conceptual thoughts, feelings, and emotions disappear, and the experience moves more towards flowing sensation, symbols, energy, light, and the lack of feeling contained within the human skin.

Adrenal responses, fear, and social interactions

I’ve never been someone who suffers with anxiety, it’s not a routine state of being for me. I’m aware that for some people it is, although when people say they suffer from anxiety, I feel it lacks detail and clarity about what’s really going on.  But that’s another topic.

We do all experience fear and apprehension, in different situations.  How fear is experienced is interesting, because it can either be experienced by a person who is trying to bring an end to the fear as quickly as possible (and usually making it worse), or in a way in which the fear arises and dissipates without the person trying to direct it, and bring it to an end.

In the most simple way, since microdosing, I feel fear or apprehension far less often than before – and when I do, it is nowhere near as intense as it used to be.  It now feels more like a smooth energy wave rather with appropriate reactions from my mind and body, rather than a jolt followed by a series of overreactions.

In the past, I may have found that in stressful situations, my heart rate would rise and the physiological response would be quite strong.  Now, I still get stressed sometimes, I still get angry sometimes, but the anger is more channelled and focused.  When anger or other heightened emotions get the better of you, it’s often due to fighting the fact that the emotion/feeling has arisen and feeling that somehow that feeling isn’t right.  Every feeling we experience is natural, because we are capable of it.  It’s how we respond to the original stimulus that can make the biggest difference, and microdosing seems to help smooth this process.

Other things of note, and permanent effects of microdosing

I tend to take a microdose when it feels right for me, rather than following a specific schedule.  Microdosing every third day has become a popular starting point that many recommend, but I’m not convinced it is necessary or the best thing for everyone.  Over time, microdosing weekly, or even bi-weekly or monthly can produce very good results, and it has worked well for me.  Eventually, if the benefits hold, you should not feel you need to microdose forever, or at least as often.  I wrote more about this in my microdosing without microdosing post.

Other permanent effects I’ve noticed include more enjoyment of cannabis, better sex (not necessarily whilst microdosing), and I’ve become better at making decisions/not regretting decisions.  Bizarrely, my reactions times have improved massively, as has my hand-eye co-ordination.  I’m not sure how this happened, but I often find myself catching objects before I’ve completely registered that they’ve fallen – the research definitely needs to look into this!

There are so many other benefits that I can’t go into detail about them all in this one post – I might focus on some others at a later date.  As for negative effects, I’m yet to notice any I could really class as negative, although I’m sure there are some old-school psychologists that would disagree, at least I hope so..

Difference between microdosing psylocibin and LSD

As more and more people experiment with microdosing, there are lots of questions to consider about the different effects of the various psychedelics when taken in low doses or microdoses.  In this post I’m going to explain some of the key differences I’ve noticed and the benefits of different substances and doses, and when I find they are best taken.

What’s the difference between microdosing LSD and microdosing magic mushrooms?

Quite a bit.  For me, and it’s always important to say ‘for me’ because I don’t for one minute think this will apply to everyone..  but for me LSD gives more of an energetic and creative feeling where I feel I want to do things (even things I don’t like doing normally), and also motivates me to go out, work, exercise, be sociable, play etc.

That’s not to say it’s not relaxing in its own way – microdosing can be a paradoxically energising and relaxing experience all at the same time.  But microdosing with LSD is in my experience less conducive to relaxation compared to microdosing with magic mushrooms.  Depending on what you’re doing on the day you microdose or take a low dose, you may not be looking for relaxation anyway.

Psilocybin/magic mushrooms are known for their dreamy qualities and this is also true when taken in low doses.  I’ve found that they are great for Sunday afternoons, rainy days, listening to music, looking at art, watching films etc.  Again, LSD can be great for these things too, but mushrooms work for me better with these activities.

Likewise, I probably wouldn’t choose to go to work on a low dose of magic mushrooms, but it may depend on the kind of work you do.  You have to explore to find out.  Maybe I should see how my blog posts come out depending on whether I’ve microdosed on mushrooms or LSD..

Meditation and microdosing

I’ve written about this in another post in more detail but I wanted to mention it here as well.  Meditation works even better when combined with psychedelics and microdosing.

There are some differences between LSD and magic mushrooms for meditation.  I love LSD for the way it helps me explore my own mind, it’s a bit like having a psychotherapist in my own head which is really helpful as thoughts and feelings arise.  When meditating with LSD these thoughts and feelings seem to stick less, and move on freely.  I also feel like I understand more where they are coming from and what they signify.  I suppose what the microdose of LSD is really doing is enabling me to go into a deeper state of meditation quicker than I would normally be able to.

Mushrooms meanwhile also allow for deeper and more relaxed meditation although I have managed to accidentally fall asleep a couple of times which is something I rarely do when meditating.  I’d say their effects on the mind are less analytical and perhaps more transcendental in a way, perhaps why the high feels generally more dreamy compared with LSD.

It’s important to say that these differences between magic mushrooms  and LSD are not huge when it comes to microdosing.  They are both psychedelics and work in similar ways for this reason.

Sleep

If you want to sleep within a few hours of taking a low dose of either LSD or psilocybin mushrooms, then take the mushrooms.  They are less likely to keep you awake due to active thoughts and also seem to help relax the body physically in a way that LSD doesn’t.

I used to sleep badly after taking LSD but this has since improved to the point where I now sleep better than normal. I’d still opt for magic mushrooms though if I plan on sleeping within 5-6 hours of dosing, otherwise it probably wouldn’t matter too much.

Sex

Sex and psychedelics are another interesting combination that people seem a bit too shy to mention for my liking.

I can’t say I’ve experimented loads with microdosing and sex, but I’ve definitely noticed that magic mushrooms put me in quite a horny, primal mood.  It’s not necessarily a really strong feeling that I feel the whole time, but I definitely notice it throughout the day.  With LSD, I don’t notice this so much and my interest in sex is more mental rather than sensual.

Some people might think that feeling more primal or animal when it comes to sex is not a good thing, but we are animals whether we like it or not.  Sometimes our worldview in relation to what it is to be human can prevent us from enjoying our bodies in the most simple of ways, especially when it comes to sex.  I believe that microdosing can help us bypass cultural filters just enough to make a difference when it comes to exploring or enjoying our sexuality.

I think I’ve mentioned the main things that come to mind when thinking about the differences between psilocybin mushrooms and LSD but I’ll add more as and when I think of anything significant.

As always, questions and comments are most welcome 🙂

Thanks for reading.

Microdosing and weight training

I’ve been wondering about how microdosing could help with weight training for a while now, so I thought I’d give it a go since I recently got back into weight training again after a few years out.  I’ve given it a few weeks of regular training without microdosing so that I have normal training sessions to compare the effects to.  I will not make any changes to my normal program, to ensure a fair comparison and will update this post with further results.

My theory is that microdosing with LSD may help with weight training for two reasons.  Firstly, LSD seems to produce a much more stimulating and energetic effect than other psychedelics.  Secondly, weight training is an activity that requires intense mental focus and resilience, where distraction and taking the easy route are the enemy of a productive session.  Microdosing with LSD is highly effective at improving focus on linear (but difficult or strenuous) tasks, and also seems to help diminish negative or self-defeating thoughts.  Whilst also a drug that’s great for creativity, I feel that LSD shouldn’t be overlooked for its ability to make certain essential (but not particularly enjoyable tasks or activities), more enjoyable, and therefore more likely to get finished!

Weight training with a 15ug microdose of LSD

I’ve chosen 15 micrograms mainly for safety reasons because I want to make sure that during this experiment I keep a watchful eye on my heart rate, hydration, thirst, sugar levels, and also my hand-eye coordination.  A 15ug microdose of LSD is definitely a microdose rather than a low dose and is pretty much sub-perceptual most of the time (for me).  At some point I may update with a 25ug low dose, but I want to see how 15ug works first.  I suspect that whilst 15ug is normally sub-perceptual at least when it comes to most physical sensations, this may change during intense exercise, so I’m being a bit careful here with my first weight training and microdosing session.

For reference, my usual routine includes various free weight exercises, bodyweight based exercises, and machine assisted exercises.  A few examples include pull-ups, dips, bench press with dumbbells or barbell, dead lifts, leg press or squats, some core exercises, and around 30 minutes of cardio per session.  For this experiment, I didn’t deviate from my normal exercises.

Results

Surprisingly, during my cardio warm up, my heart rate did appear to be 10-15 bpm lower than normal, although I think I would have to do this experiment several times to get an accurate average.  My sweat levels were around the same, even though my heart rate was a bit lower (obviously, I’m not measuring this very scientifically).

On to the weight training – I started with barbell bench press.  To begin with I didn’t notice a huge difference to normal.  Physically, it didn’t feel either easier or more difficult.  By the time I got to the third set though, I would say that I struggled less than normal at this stage, and my mental focus to power through was stronger – perhaps I achieved a rep or two more in the final couple of sets due to this mental intensity.  It was a similar feeling to when I’m doing something when microdosing that I don’t really enjoy doing, but need to do anyway (I often complete linear tasks quicker or easier).  The best way to describe it is that I was less doubtful of my ability to complete a rep or set, and this is hugely important for this kind of exercise.

Throughout the rest of my workout, the results were similar.  There was a sense of being on autopilot without having to work as mentally hard to get it done as I normally would have to.  I could watch what my body was doing, and instruct it with my mind, without feeling the ‘burn’ so intensely.  Paradoxically, this also lead to more of a sense of oneness with the body and mind, despite the way that I just described it because there was less of a flight between the two.

Of course, there could be a certain amount of a placebo effect here, but either way, I accomplished slightly more in the last couple of sets, even towards the end of my workout.  With weight training, these small improvements are important both for building/maintaining muscle, and staying motivated.

There are supplements, and other natural performance enhancers that are almost certainly more beneficial for improving weight training performance, especially long-term.  However, the important thing here is that microdosing didn’t make things more difficult, and I also had a productive couple of hours at work before the gym, thanks to the LSD.  Knowing that it’s not going to interfere negatively with a high-energy gym routine is reassuring to know.

I’d recommend that if you’re thinking about trying this, take a dose that you feel very comfortable on normally, because exercise does feel more intense than normal, despite in some way seeming easier – it’s hard to explain this contradiction, but if you try it yourself I think you’ll see what I mean.

Using a sauna whilst microdosing

I wanted to add that following my microdose + weight training workout, I spent 30 minutes in an 85 degree (centigrade) sauna, and felt absolutely fine.  I’m quite used to saunas followed by cold showers, but because extremes in temperature or feeling can make a microdose feel different, it’s good to know that there’s very little difference.  As I’ve found generally with microdosing, it seems to be quite easy to do what’s best for my body in that moment without overdoing it.

Update 6/2/19

My second session of weight training whilst microdosing went better than the first.  My heart rate was the same as normal, so I suspect the first session was an anomaly.  I also was less aware of the microdose effects, pretty much forgot I’d taken anything and completed my workout fully without any issues.  Again, I found it easier to get through it mentally, but physically I still couldn’t notice much difference.  I think that with these kind of activities, the mental benefits are going to be where microdosing is most helpful, if at all.  The good news is that at least it shouldn’t interfere with exewrcise routines in a negative way.

Note:  I am not a medical expert so please procede with caution if you try this.

Please feel free to comment with your own experiences or questions, as they may be helpful to other readers.

Cannabis and microdosing

My journey with cannabis and LSD

Cannabis is considered by many to be a relatively light psychoactive substance, perhaps mildy psychedelic at times, but it is not really in the same category as psychedelics such as LSD or psylocibin.  I first smoked cannabis a few years before I began experimenting with psychedelics (or microdosing with cannabis and LSD), and had both positive and negative experiences.  At the time I mostly enjoyed marijuana for its sensual effects and the way in which it enhances music, sex, art, film etc.

I wasn’t ever really a daytime smoker, and I preferred it as a winding down substance at the end of the day or at weekends.  I never had any major problems with cannabis, but never really loved it either.  Sometimes I could go down a mental wormhole and find it difficult to pull myself back, but in time I learnt to go with the flow more and also found some of the difficult thoughts ultimately helpful for uncovering aspects of my psyche that I’d previously not been aware of.  The more I faced up to some of my difficult sessions with cannabis, the more I started to enjoy it, and it started to feel like the teacher plant I’d read it to be.

The very first time I took LSD was a full, ego-death inducing dose. At the end of an intense and totally mesmerising 10 hours, I decided during my comedown that cannabis was needed.  As it turned out, a whole joint was the last thing I needed and it completely ruined my crystal clear, wonderfully clean trip I’d had up until then.  Comedowns can be difficult, and the feeling of not knowing whether you’re coming or going is tiring after a while, especially if you just want to sleep at the end of your trip.  Adding another substance into the mix was risky in hindsight, although I’ve heard from some people who find cannabis enhances their trips in a very positive way.  The problem is, you don’t know whether you’re one of those people until after you’ve tried it.  Then again, that’s also the case for psychedelics, with or without cannabis added.

Following my acid trip becoming somewhat tainted by cannabis, and feeling quite disturbed by it for a couple of weeks, I decided to stay away from cannabis for a while.  I figured that since I’d felt so comfortable with LSD, it was much more my kind of drug than cannabis anyway, and maybe I could gain more insights through exploring psychedelics.  It’s important to note that not being great with cannabis does not mean that you should avoid psychedelics, even though many believe that’s a logical conclusion.  The reason for this is that most people see LSD or other psychedelics as stronger drugs than cannabis, and I don’t think they should be compared in this way – they are too different.

Effects of microdosing LSD and cannabis

After I’d properly integrated and processed my first LSD trip, I gradually started to enjoy cannabis much more.  I feel that it started working in my brain differently, gave me a much clearer high, and I rarely got stuck in thought patterns or loops like I used to.  It also helped me to tap back into the psychedelic experience, which I was very grateful for.

I noticed when I started microdosing with LSD, that there comes a point (normally about 6-8 hours in) where I feel stimulated but also a little tired and in more of a mood to relax.  I decided to try smoking a small amount of cannabis when I had that feeling, to see how it steered the experience.  It’s now become something I do regularly at the end of a microdosing day.  I find it more useful combined with LSD than with mushrooms, mainly due to the more actively stimulating effects of LSD.  In my experience, microdosing with LSD and cannabis together makes for a very clear and enjoyable high.  At low doses they work brilliantly together, which is interesting because it seems at higher doses the results are very mixed, depending on the individual.

At the end of a microdosing day it’s possible to have a really interesting and insightful 3-4 hours from microdosing cannabis.  It also helps prepare you for sleeping, which some people find more difficult after microdosing.  A little goes a long way, which I think is especially true for cannabis.  The modern desire for the strongest weed can be counterproductive and lower amounts of THC, taken regularly tend to work better than an instant peak.  I’ve found that too much weed can prevent me from benefiting from the clean insights that I get from the psychedelic microdose.  It’s a fine balance, and the secret to getting the most out of all this is not trying to maximise effects, but fine tune the experience so that it works just right for you.

Note:  I’ve also found that smoking a couple of hours after taking a microdose of LSD works well, but is better if you don’t have too much else to do.  Microdosing LSD has a very clear effect that makes it possible to go to work and do other things that many people wouldn’t be comfortable doing with cannabis.  For this reason, I prefer to mix the two when I have no other obligations and can decide exactly what I want to do in the moment.

Taking LSD for the first time

Taking LSD for the first time can be a daunting prospect, and is often years in the making.  For many of us, our cultural conditioning has prevented us from exploring psychedelic compounds, especially LSD.  More so than mushrooms, government propaganda has made many people fearful that they may go out of their mind on LSD and never be the same again.  It may be true that you will never be quite the same as before, but not for the reasons the powers that be would have us believe.  I’m quite sure my 13-year-old self never thought in a million years that he’d be writing about his psychedelic experiences now…

Whether taking a microdose, low dose, or full dose of LSD, there are a few things to consider if, when, how, where and with who you take your first dose of LSD.

How to take LSD for the first time

Set and setting is often talked about and for good reason, however, first I want to talk about dosage because it seems to be an aspect of the beginner experience that is not mentioned enough.

Dosage

Most people, when they take their first dose of LSD, mushrooms etc, tend to go straight in with a moderately high, ego-death inducing dose.  That’s what I did, and when you’re doing your initial research, reading trip reports etc, higher doses are much more talked about.  I have no regrets about my first trip, and for that reason I can’t say I wouldn’t recommend it (180-200ug).  Knowing what I know now though, it makes sense that getting a little taste of the nature of psychedelics through microdosing, as preparation, might increase the chances of a positive experience when it comes to a higher dose.

If you are more sensitive to altered states of consciousness, or drugs in general, it makes sense to consider lower doses of psychedelics to begin with.  I’ve written other posts which attempt to somehow put into words, the effect of different doses – 50 micrograms, 20 micrograms, and an overview of various doses here.

For those who prefer to jump straight in, there’s something to be said for that too.  There are things that microdosing just doesn’t do, and a full ego-death is something that I believe we are all longing for, and fundamentally need, at least once in our lives.  Lower doses can only prepare you a certain amount, before the inevitable lifting of the veil entirely.

People

There are very, very few people I would want to take LSD with.  Because many have their first psychedelic experience after being introduced by people they know, it can be difficult to control this aspect.  Sourcing LSD is not easy, and will remain that way all the while it’s illegal.

The obvious things to be aware of are the motives or agenda of the person offering you any kind of psychedelic substance.  And even if they are well-meaning, there are few with the skills to help if you run into difficulties, which is why a guide would be preferable if you can find one you can trust.  An experienced trusted friend is also a good option, and I’d avoid tripping on higher doses with people I don’t know well.  At the peak of a psychedelic trip, you are vulnerable and totally open, and the potential for manipulation or abuse is there.  This is more likely to be a problem for inexperienced psychonauts, in my opinion.  Equally, being in a state of complete openness with the right people can lead to deep connections unlike what you’ve ever experienced before.

I always trust my instinct for whether or not I feel a good vibe from somebody or not, or whether I think they’d be the kind of person I’d want to experience an ego death with.  It could be compared to sex in the sense that whilst we may like someone, respect, find them interesting etc, it doesn’t mean that we want to have intimate experiences with them.  In terms of intimacy, the psychedelic experience is on a par with the sexual experience and I’d use the same caution.

Your state of mind

Perhaps the most important aspect of all to ensure a safe and positive experience with LSD – you must be very mindful of your current mental state.  It’s not a good idea to dive into psychedelics at the peak of a stressful period in your life, or at times of extreme emotional instability.  Sometimes psychedelics can help greatly in terms of improving our mental health, but the risks are also higher during difficult times, and until you start to get a feel for how you operate with psychedelics, you should be careful here.

As time has gone by, I’ve learnt better and better when and how much of a substance to take.  Preparing with meditation, yoga, and healthy food, adequate sleep etc. are all likely to improve the chances of a positive trip as well.  Taking a full dose at the end of a busy week when you’re yet to fully wind down, is more risky, although it’s not to say there’s not a chance it could be just what you need.  Psychedelics are strange like that, they’re known for giving and showing you what you need rather than what you want, or what you think you want.  If you don’t respect the power of psychedelics, you’ll swiftly be reminded.

If you’re just starting out with psychedelics, tread carefully, do your research, read/listen a lot to/from multiple sources, and you’ll soon get a feel for what is right for you.  Trust your intuition above all – an ‘expert’ won’t necessarily know what’s right for you.

Location/setting

Almost as important as your state of mind, location is essential to influencing the type of experience you will have.

I almost always go into nature when I take any psychedelic and there’s no replacement for it as far as I’m concerned.  I’m always surprised when I read other people’s trip reports full of things that I would absolutely never do on acid, but each to their own I suppose.  Nature is neutral, unadulterated, and where we organically emerged from.  I’ve never felt more alive, never felt the miracle of the whole thing more than I did on my first acid trip walking through the forest.  I was so mesmerised that I couldn’t speak, such was the futility of my attempt to try to put it into words.  When I arrived back home, I found my kitchen overly stimulating and the general feeling of being surrounded by walls very restricting compared to how I felt outside.

Being inside can be of benefit for activities like listening to music, but apart from that I’d suggest spending most of your trip outside, somewhere you know well, and away from unsuspecting members of the public who are liable to get a contact high when entering your vicinity!

If you have to be indoors, it’s definitely better to trip somewhere you know well, rather than a new setting that could cause confusion and potentially a negative reaction.

Quality of the substance

Last but not least, make sure that you are obtaining your substance from a reliable source, test it if possible, and be aware of warning signs that it’s not what you think it is.  For example, LSD is tasteless and odourless so if it tastes of anything at all, it’s either something else, or impure (or mixed with something else) – either way it’s not what you want and could be dangerous.  Be very careful here, no matter how excited you are to try it in the moment.

Physically, LSD is one of the safest drugs known, but it’s only safe when you know for sure it’s LSD, and when taken with respect for its effects.

 

 

Microdosing 20ug of LSD

20ug (20 micrograms) of LSD is a little more than a sub-perceptual dose of 10-15ug, but I’d still consider it a microdose despite its stronger effects.  As I’ve become more comfortable with microdosing, and my mind has adapted to it, 20 micrograms of LSD is a useful catalyst for pretty much any activity I can think of.  I now get more out of a 20ug dose of acid than I used to, mainly due to being more comfortable with its effects than I was when I started microdosing.  I’ve found with time I now have more trust in social interactions whilst under the influence so to speak, and no concerns about whether or not anybody suspects that anything is out of the ordinary.  For this reason, once you’re used to how you respond to it, it’s perhaps more than suitable for work and other situations where you need a certain amount of mental stability.

I’ve also written a post about 50ug of LSD, which may be of interest.

Effects of 20 micrograms of LSD

These are some of the positive effects I have experienced and/or observed in others:

• Increased enjoyment of music, art, film etc.
• More creative thoughts and solutions to problems
• Better conversations
• Enjoyment of shit weather such as wind and rain
• Increased mental and physical energy – ability to concentrate for much longer periods on mundane tasks such as cleaning, financial planning, doing household chores, paperwork etc. (effect is similar to a lower dose of 10ug, just slightly increased).  Note: Some familiarity of the task in hand might be helpful at this dose level – new tasks with time-limits may not fare so well.
• Increased enjoyment of being in nature or around animals
• Increased ability to tolerate difficult or annoying people, or ability to challenge them on their bullshit without causing a situation to escalate

Of course, many of these observations are personal to me, and may not be the same for you or anyone else, I’m just noting things I’ve noticed in case they are things you’ve wondered about, or thought about trying when microdosing.  I believe that for everyone there are benefits unique to them, and what works best for us is the thing we must all aim to discover when working with psychedelics.  It may take time, and a few not so helpful experiences to enter the flow states that we would like.

Difference between a sub-perceptual dose of LSD (such as 10ug), and 20ug of acid:

For most people, with 10ug of LSD it is easier to forget that you’ve taken anything at all, especially when you are just starting out with microdosing.  Because of this, the effects of 10ug seem to happen automatically, without necessarily observing one’s reaction to those effects until later on when you may reflect on your day.  In contrast, with 20ug it is easier to observe your mental and physical response to stimuli, whilst simultaneously experiencing the benefits of an altered state of consciousness.  There seems to be a perfect dose (which may well be different for different people), which facilitates these effects, and it’s worth experimenting even with very subtle difference in dosage until you find what works best for you, just like is the case for many pharmaceutical drugs.

What to do on 20 micrograms of LSD?

• Going to work (as long as it doesn’t involve dangerous machinery) – once you’re used to this dose, it can be highly productive.  You do need to learn how to plan different tasks, and be mindful of interactions that you may need to have.  Intense situations may not be ideal.
• Social activities – LSD at low doses can enhance social interactions and lower inhibitions without diminishing self-awareness.  Perhaps one day it will be a popular alcohol replacement.  It also helps us to form meaningful connections through a natural feeling of empathy and understanding (not just on an intellectual or cultural-conditioning level).
• Painting, drawing and other artistic endeavours – this dose is ideal for creative activities, as it enables solid concentration whilst also opening and expanding your mind at the same time.
• Walking – I wouldn’t recommend more strenuous exercise (although it may work for some people), but long walks in nature are ideal at this dose.  It’s difficult to get overburdened in nature, so for anyone who has found microdosing in any way stressful or difficult before (or who is nervous about their first microdose) may benefit from this activity as a gentle introduction.
• Meditation and yoga

Activities for after the peak

With microdosing 20 micrograms (LSD) I have observed that there is a peak around the 3-4 hour mark.  Sometimes for an hour prior to this there can be a little ebbing and flowing going on that makes it difficult to gage exactly what’s going on, and during this time I recommend putting on some music, stretching, and re-orienting yourself without attempting to distract from these feelings.  Many will likely not notice it at all, but the more sensitive will, so it’s something to be mindful of and is unlikely to cause any distress.

After I reach the peak, I usually experience a very enjoyable flow state for 3-4 hours which is often very productive.  I sometimes use this time to write about my experiences on this blog.  Again, finding out what you do/don’t do best at this time is essential to getting the best out of microdosing.

I also recommend the usual yoga, meditation, hot bath/shower, massage etc. as a way of winding down once the effects have fully worn off.  It’s good to take care of yourself at this time, because your body has been in an altered state for most of the day, and whilst it may not feel like a big deal, integrating any altered state experience will help keep you in good mental and physical health.  This is a good idea no matter what your experience level with psychedelics and microdosing, in my opinion anyway…

Microdosing for depression

I’ve been meaning to post about this for some time, as my journey with depression has certainly been influenced by psychedelics/microdosing and I feel others may benefit from psychedelic alternatives to prescribed medication, or as a supplement to good psychotherapy.  It’s my firm belief that microdosing for depression will be a prescribed (and legal) treatment within a maximum of twenty years.

Without going into too much detail, my journey with depression started at the age of fourteen, and I was twenty-one before I eventually started to deal with it with any degree of success.  It was a slow journey of coming to the realisation that I could no longer continue as I was, and the death of a close family member was what gave me the final nudge to seek help .  I was very fortunate to discover a psychotherapist who understood my way of thinking and wasn’t trying to diagnose me with a psychological disorder.  This could have easily happened with a different kind of therapist and I often wonder where I’d be now had that happened.  I’d always advise to be careful and do some research when looking at therapy options as some therapists have the potential to do more harm than good, no matter what their qualifications are.   

Shortly after starting therapy, I realised my depression was largely existential and I began to explore yoga, meditation, as well as looking at nutrition in order to look after myself physically and spiritually.  This helped a lot and although I still suffered darker episodes I was gradually finding my way (along with regular psychotherapy).  Importantly, I was finding my way without following a path, method, or set of rules.  I’m not a person who works particularly well with goals, routines or structure, although I’m well aware of their effectiveness for many people.

During this journey I was becoming more and more aware of psychedelics, from various sources, and I felt a strong suspicion that all the scare stories I’d heard in my youth were total bullshit.  The experiences I were hearing about sounded very appealing to me, and something I could do with.  My psychedelic journey began with 185 micrograms of LSD, and it was a truly life-changing 12-14 hours.  I was mesmerised, in love with the world, and everything in it.  More than that, I realised how life continues on in this beautiful way, and does not require ‘me’ or any other ego – it simply goes on in a kind of pulsing, orgasmic continuation.  I felt, as many do, the inter-connectedness of EVERYTHING more than words could ever possibly describe.

When I eventually came down, I was a little heartbroken that the trip had come to an end.  I’d finally had the answer to all of the questions I’ve ever had about the world, existence, my ‘self’, and now I had to integrate this into my everyday life.  It was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do, and this is despite it being a ‘good’ trip.  Integrating psychedelic experiences properly is often overlooked by ‘seeking’ types and failing to integrate these experiences can cause problems later on.  I’ve met many people who bounce from one experience, trip or relationship to another, never stopping to give themselves the time orientate themselves before the next one – this kind of behavioural pattern can often be responsible for sowing the first seeds of depression or burnout.  Then, by the time the person realises they are depressed, it’s often reached a point where it is much more difficult to deal with and can manifest along with severe physical illnesses as well.

Microdosing for preventing depression

Following my various psychedelic experiences including mushrooms, LSD, and Ayahuasca, I discovered microdosing.  I was at a point where my depression had massively reduced because I knew how to manage it and what I needed, but I was not in a position to trip with high doses regularly, hence experimenting with microdosing.  I generally microdosed with between 15 micrograms to 25 micrograms of acid.  I took a dose on days where I felt I needed it, I didn’t follow a schedule.  Some people might find a schedule works better depending on the severity of their depression and how their mind works, personality etc.  A low (but not micro) dose of 50 micrograms can also be helpful for a more introspective journey, but I’d advise caution if you are unstable.

Some days I would dose up to three days consecutively, sometimes once/twice a week and sometimes only once a month.  Even dosing once a month was an effective re-set tool for me, especially when  I found that I was able to tap into the insights that come with high doses, whilst still doing day-to-day activities.  This was helpful for highlighting to me how I really felt about different things I was doing in my life, the people I was around, the job I was doing etc.  It helped me to relate to people easier, with more empathy, and therefore respond in healthier ways that didn’t drag me down.  It also made me aware of habits, patterns, and put me more in touch with my body.  When I was depressed I felt lethargic, slow, heavy, like I wanted to curl in a ball and fall asleep forever.  The physical feeling of depression in the body, is not understood by those who haven’t suffered from it and I believe that this is where microdosing has the potential to transform the way depression is treated with prescribed medication.

When I take a microdose my body feels more alive, energetic, less restricted, and crucially, less separate from the world.  Surely, this is why it is unique compared to any other type of drug used to treat depression before.  I’ve yet to find negative side-effects to microdosing, after over three years of regularly self-medicating with low dose psychedelics.  They are essential to my future mental wellbeing, and I believe they hold that potential for  many who are still suffering with depression.  I predict that 50 years from now, we’ll wonder how we ever lived without them.

 

Music for LSD

Music for LSD, microdosing psychedelics, and meditation

Listening to music is by far one of the best activities for microdosing with LSD, and can help facilitate mild synesthesia and also some other feelings and sensations experienced with a full acid trip. Below are some links and recommendations for music that I’ve found conducive to a good microdosing session.  I’ve picked music that I find calming, but you may prefer something different for your sessions.

Personally, I’m not particularly into beat driven music under the influence of psychedelics.  It’s a personal thing though, and you have to the find the activities, music, food etc. that you enjoy when taking LSD and other psychedelics.

1. Love scene by Jerry Garcia from the film Zabrieski Point – beautiful, free-flowing – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awYm\_pDO4WI. There are some other versions that didn’t make the film soundtrack that are also good, as well as some Pink Floyd.

2. Alpha waves music – more ethereal, but good for meditation and yoga under the influence of low dose psychedelics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPni755-Krg (there are many other similar videos with a similar effect).

3. Monsoon Point by Al Gromer Khan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rag-bAROcME – also ideal for gentle yoga or meditation.

4. Almond blossom day by Al Gromer Khan – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltvyzMSgQOg.

5. Jerry Garcia and Howard Wales – Hooteroll? – particularly tracks One A.M Approach and Evening in Marin – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWg7pQMrUbA.

6. Blue Cheer – Peace of Mind – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTFaOxLlJCA

I need to add much more but it will take me time to find everything so will add to this list as I go.