What reasons are there for microdosing LSD or psilocybin?

[Innerpeace]

What exactly happens when you do the micro dose for about a month every third day or so?

Been researching a bit says LSD is better for more extroverted things psilocybin is more for introverted , it introspective things? like if you got a day to yourself . LSD is more when you're around people and out and stuff like that, does that sound correct?

Does it help anxiety or if you've been through a recent failure even if it's been a month and a half ago and you replay it over into your head and think back to, at different scenarios , sometimes imagining things you rather not feeling jealous but sometimes it's too much and know it's beneficial to replace focus on an event you failed at. Does microdosing LSD help with a different way of looking at the situation, moving on with more creatively with another perspective where the same repeated thoughts are thought about many times, like you've programmed them in and want to rid of them , play more useful thoughts, like present moment enjoyment ? What about psilocybin?

Has anyone been through anything similar , microdoses about a month, we're there any negative ,undesirable effects, positive, creative effects that encouraged you to overcome an experience , a failure that felt traumatic, faster than you thought you would have without microdosing, and changed your perspective so it doesnt feel traumatic anymore?

 

[Keif' Richards]

Hey there,

I'm going to move this over to the Psychedelic Drugs sub-forum. You will probably get some better answers there.

I'm no expert on Psychedelics. I've had probably a dozen real psychedelic trips in the course of my life. There are people who have done psychedelics with much greater frequency though. They can hopefully guide you through the differences between LSD and Psilocibin, as even a dozen times still doesn't feel like enough for me to accurately describe what it's all about to another person.

Psychedelic experiences are often overly stressful for some people. This can be due to a poor choice of environment (like tipping in a revolution-era graveyard), bad mindset etc. Psychedelics are often grouped together with all recreational substances. I think they're in a league of their own. Failing to prepare by making yourself comfortable, planning and getting the dosage right can make or break a good experience.

I think a lot of people microdose because they don't want to overdo it, as a more powerful trip often correlates into a greater chance at having a bad trip, but they're not totally tied together. Microdosing is a good way to experience the effects of psychedelic drugs without having to worry about the potential negatives of a too-powerful experience.

Also, microdosing allows people to go about their normal lives while under the influence in many cases. I'm going to guess that you wouldn't want to try this until you've had a lot more experience. I can see going in to work and doing my job fine while under the influence of a small amount of LSD.

As far as the benefits of using LSD in general, it appears to have a lot of potential. There are a lot of people who have benefitted from its usage. I wish I knew enough to make a more compelling argument. I really don't. I have had positive personal experiences with Psychedelics. I can see how this same positive experience could be had by others. I also don't think that there is any great risk involved with trying it out so why not?

 

[Ismene2]

Never got much from microdoses - I think a big part of any benefit is the trip itself.

 

[pupnik]

I only really do mini-doses, lsd or lysergamides - between 12 and 25 mics - are my go to dose every 3rd or 4th day.
taken only when I sense all clear for driving - i.e. when it is unlikely to have to get behind the wheel and run a machine in public. however I totally can drive on microdoses but I think it is irresponsible (for me especially 25 mics and over)

it is a great sensory enhancement, adds vigor and clarity, and if I have a bit of thc or alcohol socially the boost is substantial.
sometimes I take 50 mics which are CEV and OEV for me provided it is not back to back.

If there is some trauma or psychological hurdle, I do not rely on micro, mini, or other drugs, but I try to clear away distractions, and bring together a few notes and artifacts that relate to the difficult issue, and observe where my mind goes, and how I feel about it - if I become agitated or emotional I use breathing awareness to calm down and continue working towards having a calm perspective that encompasses the artifacts of the painful parts of my life journey (represented by the artifacts collected). In that way I am my own silent talk therapist for an hour. This is not a ceremony, I am just at my desk with my computer, and a few tzatchkas on the table (casinas?) and maybe a photo or two on screen with some notes. I guess it coudl be done while spiked or not. A blank book and pens and crayons also helps.

 

[Keif' Richards]

@pupnik clearly is a wise person to consult on this. I was going to talk more about my own experiences, but I'd only be standing on the shoulders of the giants that populate Psychedelic Discussion.

I think if you're using psychedelics to better yourself, they work very well as part of a more comprehensive solution. I mean that a psychedelic trip(s) can be a huge, possibly the hugest part of a person's recovery, yet "success" is usually greater when you accompany this trip with other life changes.

This is gonna be different for everyone. Maybe it means therapy. Maybe it means quitting habits like drugs, sex or gambling. It could be anything. Just don't count on trips being a cure on their own. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I also know that some kind of mindfulness exercise like therapy pairs well with this sort of thing. Talking about your trip afterward can help you get better acquainted with what feelings ffom the trip were "positive" and what these positive feelings mean for you and your happiness in the real world.

I am a lifelong user of Opiates whom only recently started trying to get truly clean. I would go on trips throughout my addiction and come away with thoughts like "man, I'm so grateful for the people I have in my life, I need to cherish them, as maybe my loving them will teach me to feel loved", but these revelations can be easily lost in the day to day of our lives. Something as profound as "perhaps I need to love people more" can easily be derailed from your consciousness by... oh no, the dog is sick.

If I had taken those thoughts, thoughts that I had pushed down both because of and for drugs were brought up through my use of psychedelics, but it was only when I coupled that with change in the real world and dedication to what I knew was a positive feeling that I was truly able to start healing.

I don't know if this makes sense at all. Again, I'm not the master here and I'm struggling to get my words out on the topic. I hope you find the answers you're looking for dude!

 

[pupnik]

@Keif' Richards
Most likely there are no masters here, but some of us have done spirals around the issues - that is true!
good luck with managing to be present for your "loved-ones" and your self where ever you find it.

 

[Innerpeace]

If there is some trauma or psychological hurdle, I do not rely on micro, mini, or other drugs, but I try to clear away distractions, and bring together a few notes and artifacts that relate to the difficult issue, and observe where my mind goes, and how I feel about it - if I become agitated or emotional I use breathing awareness to calm down and continue working towards having a calm perspective that encompasses the artifacts of the painful parts of my life journey (represented by the artifacts collected). In that way I am my own silent talk therapist for an hour. This is not a ceremony, I am just at my desk with my computer, and a few tzatchkas on the table (casinas?) and maybe a photo or two on screen with some notes. I guess it coudl be done while spiked or not. A blank book and pens and crayons also helps.

what does it mean to be spiked?

what is the blank book, pens and canyons for?

are these ^^for a few notes and artifacts , that are in the first sentence, you type, written and drawn, in a notebook, surrounding the issue youd like to change from mind replaying it?

 

[pupnik]

I use the term spiked to mean (metaphorically) that I can reach higher or jump higher or have extra cognitive ability.
I use pen and crayon extensively in art and note taking my approach to it is habitual but nonstructured.
when I was in a local (downtown Toronto street level) business association (using Robert's rules of order) I was the secretary - I prefer note taking to politics.
notes and drawings are great souvenirs too.

 

[pupnik]

...

are these ^^for a few notes and artifacts , that are in the first sentence, you type, written and drawn, in a notebook, surrounding the issue youd like to change from mind replaying it?

oH - in context yes, you can write down one or two simple ideas as well as contextual guides in case you glance at them or to help maintain focus.

 

[perpetualdawn]

There's been a lot of research now showing that psychedelics probably promote neural plasticity through neuritogenesis, spinogenesis, and even limited neurogenesis (in the hippocampus or something?). I think this is why psychedelics seem to hit the "reset" button, give you fresh perspective, and can get you out of a rut. They put your brain into a more plastic state: open, pro-learning, they turn on your brain's ability to rewire. They thaw out the crystallized pathways in your brain somewhat (habits, reflexive behaviours, default perspectives) and give you a chance to move them to a more productive/beneficial route. From the previous local maxima, to higher local maxima. I think we've all observed these characteristics anecdotally and subjectively - to put it much more simply, that psychedelics can make you a better person. For a few years now research has been showing a physiological counterpart to these characteristics, and to me this validates (to some extent) what we've been suspecting and hoping was true - but sometimes sounds like fanciful hippie thinking.

Anyways, that was a long-winded way to say that microdosing and mini-dosing might be a good way to tap into a steady flow of a gentle mental loosening, learning, directed re-wiring. Rather than tearing the whole house down with the kind of heroic dose trips that make you question the very fabric of reality, these smaller doses are a more practical way to just loosen up preconceptions and soften your brain into being more open to learning again. A series of nudges, instead of an atom bomb.

As we age, our brains tend to get more hard wired and fixed. Our brains prune less-used pathways, and reinforce the most useful ones. This is how training and learning work, and you definitely want this - it's how you "never forget how to ride a bike". But on the flip side it means we can get stuck in some un-useful or outdated perspectives even as the world around us is changing rapidly. Or for another example, some people can get caught in cycles of self-reinforcing depression, as the grooves of depression get more and more well worn in the mind.

To me, taking psychedelics is a way to hopefully age more gracefully, to keep my mind a bit more young and flexible and creative than it might be otherwise. I think a little bit of microdosing here and there might be useful for that, as well as mini doses and more occasional full-fledged trips.

 

[SpiralusSancti]

I met people mini dosing LSD on parties instead of doing amphetamine. Some combined it with amphs too but kept doses of both low. I used to think it’s a stupid practice but it’s still surely better than doing shitloads of amphetamine.

 

[Foreigner]

The main goal of microdosing is to enhance neuroplasticity and novelty without having to endure the challenge of navigating an intensely altered reality. Novelty and neuroplasticity contribute to insight which can help someone view life differently, thus providing mental health benefits. Furthermore, microdosing allows you to engage in normal, day-to-day situations, which is more practical if you want to use those new insights to make active changes. Compare that to a heavy dose, where it's really hard to go out and mingle with the world. You definitely can't go to work or interact with people in a normal way on higher doses.

They also have other medicinal properties. For example, psilocybin acts on NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex which has implications in memory recovery and PTSD. This may be part of its antidepressant action. LSD agonizes the 5hta system in a broad spectrum way which, among other things, has anti-inflammatory properties; though, to be fair, I don't know if microdosing accesses that potential.

 

[Neuroborean]

What exactly happens when you do the micro dose for about a month every third day or so?

Been researching a bit says LSD is better for more extroverted things psilocybin is more for introverted , it introspective things? like if you got a day to yourself . LSD is more when you're around people and out and stuff like that, does that sound correct?

Does it help anxiety or if you've been through a recent failure even if it's been a month and a half ago and you replay it over into your head and think back to, at different scenarios , sometimes imagining things you rather not feeling jealous but sometimes it's too much and know it's beneficial to replace focus on an event you failed at. Does microdosing LSD help with a different way of looking at the situation, moving on with more creatively with another perspective where the same repeated thoughts are thought about many times, like you've programmed them in and want to rid of them , play more useful thoughts, like present moment enjoyment ? What about psilocybin?

Has anyone been through anything similar , microdoses about a month, we're there any negative ,undesirable effects, positive, creative effects that encouraged you to overcome an experience , a failure that felt traumatic, faster than you thought you would have without microdosing, and changed your perspective so it doesnt feel traumatic anymore?

I've never microdosed for a month every third day...
it would be too strong for me to be honest.

I personally don't see the point in microdosing tryptamines, it's not my thing, it feels like you're about to trip, but not there. I don't like to feel on the verge of tripping but not tripping. Instead with lysergamides I think it's different, the microdoses of LSD makes a better nootropic in my opinion. You think a bit differently, more fluently, more crisp, everything it's more crystal clear, even your mood. It makes a better day, perhaps more adventurous, more self-analytical, more energized.
None of those things I get microdosing tryptamines, but perhaps for some people it's the opposite...
in anycase I tend to dose higher than normal with LSD microdoses as the typical 10ug-15ug feels too boring and useless for me, 20-30ug it's more like my microdose, which for some it's not even a microdose...
Maybe because of that I don't think about microdosing often as it tends to be satisfying enough to do it only in special days.

 

[G_Chem]

The main goal of microdosing is to enhance neuroplasticity and novelty without having to endure the challenge of navigating an intensely altered reality. Novelty and neuroplasticity contribute to insight which can help someone view life differently, thus providing mental health benefits. Furthermore, microdosing allows you to engage in normal, day-to-day situations, which is more practical if you want to use those new insights to make active changes. Compare that to a heavy dose, where it's really hard to go out and mingle with the world. You definitely can't go to work or interact with people in a normal way on higher doses.

They also have other medicinal properties. For example, psilocybin acts on NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex which has implications in memory recovery and PTSD. This may be part of its antidepressant action. LSD agonizes the 5hta system in a broad spectrum way which, among other things, has anti-inflammatory properties; though, to be fair, I don't know if microdosing accesses that potential.

You hit it on the head. It’s the goal of accessing the benefits without having to deal with that pesky trip. Research does show the neurogenesis occurs with lower doses, but we’ve yet to really hone in on the ideal dosage for peak neurogenic effects.

My personal experience and researching this matter, I’d say a “low” dose has more potential than a microdose. For me that’s a quarter hit of LSD or .5g Psilocybin Mushrooms, Cubensis.

-GC

 

[Merek]

I micro dose LSD every 3 days there are benefits to it you won’t get access your inner level of thinking and gain insight on yourself with a micro dose 20-30ug but it can have stimulating effects to it kind of like if you smoked a little bit of sativa cannabis and took 10mg of adderall, I have adhd and micro dosing LSD calms me down while also giving me some stimulating effects, it makes me more productive and functional, if I take it before working out at the gym, working, school, or if I’m just chilling at home watching tv I get more shit done and find it more enjoyable, now if you wana gain insight on yourself learn your strengths & weaknesses, what you like and don’t like about yourself, you should take a trip dose for me I find one hit usually doesn’t get me there but if I take 2-3 and take some time to myself and do some meditation I can really access the deepest parts of my brain and think deeply about things I normally wouldn’t think about, if you guys have never taken LSD before it would probably be best to start with half a tab and ease your way into it you can always take more but you can’t take less once you’ve consumed it.

 

[TripSitterNZ]

microdosing LSD makes you very productive and creative. It helps to grow new neurons aswell so you feel more happy and chilled out.

Take it easy though and have some few months breaks between periods of microdosing or you might off the deep end and believe in lizard people

 

[Innerpeace]

microdosing LSD makes you very productive and creative. It helps to grow new neurons aswell so you feel more happy and chilled out.

Take it easy though and have some few months breaks between periods of microdosing or you might off the deep end and believe in lizard people

I work with someone who micro doses six days out of the month. From the "possible research" and going by peoples experiences, I've seen after a month or so of doing this, a break was recommended. I mentioned this, reply was, its not needed. I said something like it might be too much to keep it going for too long.

 

[Merek]

microdosing LSD makes you very productive and creative. It helps to grow new neurons aswell so you feel more happy and chilled out.

Take it easy though and have some few months breaks between periods of microdosing or you might off the deep end and believe in lizard people

If all you’re doing is micro dosing (taking 1/8th of a tab or less every 3-4 days) you’re not gonna start believing in aliens, but if you take 1/4 of a tab or more twice a week or more for a while then that could be possible espicially if you miss out on sleep and meals cause of it.

 

[SpiralusSancti]

Well once you end up in drug induced psychosis chances to have it again from what normally seems counterintuitive, like from benzos or opiates is possible; same as that, if you are at risk from going nuts from two trips a week, you are probably in risk from microdosing too.

Let me tell you about real life example. She ate like 3 – 4 tabs and said it was at best strong as 1 okish tab (meaning altogether no more than 100mics), he ate ½ and was hospitalised for weeks cuz vampires n stuff. Btw. he’s no more

Dude kept getting back to MDMA, psychedelics and weed even tho it landed him in hospital on x occasions. Idk if he was high when, or prior time he offed himself

 

[Merek]

Well once you end up in drug induced psychosis chances to have it again from what normally seems counterintuitive, like from benzos or opiates is possible; same as that, if you are at risk from going nuts from two trips a week, you are probably in risk from microdosing too.

Let me tell you about real life example. She ate like 3 – 4 tabs and said it was at best strong as 1 okish tab (meaning altogether no more than 100mics), he ate ½ and was hospitalised for weeks cuz vampires n stuff. Btw. he’s no more

Dude kept getting back to MDMA, psychedelics and weed even tho it landed him in hospital on x occasions. Idk if he was high when, or prior time he offed himself

This doesn’t happen with everyone, like for me I have unique brain chemistry, I took mushrooms, LSD and a bunch of weed over the course of 3 years didn’t get any psychosis at all then I picked up Xanax, Kratom and what I thought was perc30s which turned out to just be fentanyl, I didn’t get psychosis while on the drugs but when I quit opiates/kratom cold turkey I barely slept and ate and had severe psychosis that I had to be hospitalized for a month for, 6 months after the hospitalization I took 6 hits of LSD and smoked a good amount of wax, it outright stupid I know but I was in a depressed state of mind and was thinking impulsively, to say I tripped super hard is a major understatement but I didn’t get any psychosis from it what so ever, when it comes to micro dosing LSD it actually calms me down and feels like the opposite of what my psychotic episode felt like.