My Experiences Microdosing Psilocybin, LSD, and Iboga

There's a day for everything, isn't there?

May 27th is World Microdosing Day, a celebration of a decade-long movement that started when James Fadiman (whose birthday is on May 27th), published his book, then promptly shared his research protocol with people who had decided to try microdosing - a protocol has been followed by millions (perhaps billions) of people at this point on their quest for mental health support, self-exploration, and general wellbeing.

If you're unfamiliar, microdosing is consuming approximately 10–20% of what a "normal" dose of psychedelics is; as an example, in the case of psilocybin, this is approximately 0.1–0.2 grams.

The Type-A Journey to Microdosing

I think the real gateway "drugs" are depression, anxiety, and the crippling knowledge of general existence in this world - and one gateway* to the path of wellbeing and the ability to mold these things into learning experiences rather than difficulties is through microdosing.

*Please note I said one gateway. There are many. This isn't for all. Some people don't even need a gateway because they've already opened the gates to a yellow brick road of contentment.

I've been in the alternative wellness space for a decent amount of time at this point, and while I definitely wander into the realms of spiritual "woo-woo," I also tend to err on the side of is this scientifically proven caution, especially given my own mental health struggles that I believe all type-As with any semblance of awareness and/or empathy can relate to (cue the ceaseless reels of crappy therapists and drug-pushing psychiatrists here that prompt a reckless, speedy slalom down the rabbit hole of Google upon prescription of *anything* new) - the struggles, of course, that got me into alternative wellness to begin with (read: a horrible breakup in college that threw me into yoga - you know who you are if you're reading this, and I appreciate you for prompting such a wonderful journey).

It's no surprise that it took quite a while for me to warm up to experimenting with psychedelics myself - the idea of losing complete control of my brain? What if I never get it back? It's kind of my only good asset. Don't want to screw that one up.

What if it interacts horribly with the SSRIs I'm on? What if my brain, like, explodes man?! It wasn't until I spoke to a friend regarding this hesitation that I was told she too was on SSRIs and still was finding success with microdosing psilocybin, and no you don't lose your brain, it doesn't explode, and yes you can even drive a car on it.

Well, sold. Anything that maintains my ability operate heavy machinery must be safe.

Since then, I've cautiously explored avenues of microdosing, including psilocybin, LSD, and even iboga.

Here's my take on what they're like.

CAVEAT: every individual will receive what is needed from the medicines, as long as the intention is healing and clarity. Intention is everything. So is knowing that nothing is going to be a quick fix. My intention, usually, is to allow myself to meet ease.

Also note: if you're going into this willy-nilly with reckless abandon, well, that's exactly what you'll experience, amplified.

Microdosing Psilocybin

The experience is exactly what you need, every time, and essentially removes the sludge that you didn't even know existed.

This is the best way I can describe it: day to day, you're doing your thing. Today, you take a microdose of psilocybin. All of a sudden, things just flow more easily. It's as if yesterday, you were wearing 2-pound ankle weights and 1-pound wrist weights. Today, it's like they've been removed - but you didn't even know they were there before. Ah, that's nice.

It makes those back to back to back to back meetings of misery seem… totally fine. It makes the sky just a little bit bluer, and in my case, it actually gives me my appetite back.*

*Most people don't get munchies on mushrooms. That's not a thing. But, I do, and I strongly believe this is because my body is "speaking" to me more strongly - or I'm "listening" more. I tend to have zero appetite because I'm constantly working and, in general, view food as more of an input to achieve an output rather than an experience (yes I have the senses of taste and smell, no I just don't care that much about food) - so, if your body wants you to move more, best believe you'll get antsy - go for a walk if that's the case. And hell, embrace the munchies if you get them, too.

Note: I don't love microdosing psilocybin for focus; it's more for creativity and connection (for me).

Microdosing LSD

This is what I imagine it feels like for people to take adderall when they actually need it.

When I was prescribed adderall and vyvanse (not at the same time - and definitely incorrectly prescribed, both times), I would get beyond irritated and on the come-down I could literally feel myself wanting to kick things. I never did. But. That reasonless rage was there. Plus, when I was on the "high," I was overly loquacious and bubbly (and this is not my nature at all - I'm actually quite shy and quiet, much to my SO's chagrin, I'm certainly not the life of the party) - I could not focus for sh*t, and would find myself logging onto Facebook and chatting with people I hadn't spoken to in literally years.

For me, a microdose of LSD is a much smoother form of focus. It's not a body high. It's a mental clarity - but more for functioning, work-y things. Not really for connecting to nature. Again - I cannot stress this enough - this is my experience, and many others' may be different. You may feel like you can speak to every flower alive on LSD. Not me.

Microdosing Iboga

Think of this as the great revealer, puzzle-piece-fitter, make-sense-of-things medicine.

Getting a little woo-woo here, we know that all things are connected - whether you believe that on an energetic, spiritual, emotional, or all-encompassing level, that's a fundamental truth in some capacity. Microdosing iboga allows you to see those connections more prominently throughout your day - it's like turning up the volume on synchronicity. It's like when you look at your phone right as someone texts/calls you - but, the whole time, the whole day. It reveals the interwoven web that connects all things.

it's like turning up the volume on synchronicity

NOTE: This is a much lesser known plant medicine that I have quite the heart for since my friend Talia and I co-founded Ibogaine Research Institute to bring awareness to ibogaine as a tool (on a macrodose level) to end addiction, and is one of the least studied at a microdose level. As a result, I would say to be extra cautious with this one.

STUDIES TO LEARN MORE:

Studies are incredibly limited due to the legal (rather, illegal) nature of substances. Reddit forums are quite honestly the best place to get the really deep intel, but published studies for my Type-A buds can be found:

1. Exploring the effect of microdosing psychedelics on creativity in an open-label natural settingThis study found microdoses of psilocybin to improve convergent and divergent thinking (both forms of creative thinking) with zero noticeable effect on problem-solving, abstract-reasoning, and rational thinking.
2. Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosersAn open-ended questionnaire (meaning self-reporting) for all microdosers, mostly of psilocybin and LSD. Results showed lower measures of dysfunctional attitudes, lower negative emotionality, and higher creativity and openmindedness compares to non-microdosing control participants.
3. A systematic study of microdosing psychedelics: this study tracked participants over a 6 week period, including mood, attention, wellbeing, mystical experiences, personality, and more - analysis revealed a general increase in reported psychological functioning across all measures, with variation in experiences (no increase or minimal increase) on non-dosing days.
4. Perceived outcomes of psychedelic microdosing as self-managed therapies for mental and substance use disordersA self-reported study (approximately 1100 participants) that includes participants using microdosing for a range of disorders, including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder; a majority of participants reported some form of improvement, regardless of reason of use.

JOIN THE STUDY:

Are you microdosing? Help scientists understand benefits by joining 13,000+ participants in the world's largest study: microdose.me

Please note: Microdose.me Participation is completely anonymous. All data collection will be self-administered and your identity will remain anonymous. You will not be asked to identify your name, email, or date of birth.