Micro-Dosing: My Personal Experience on Mushrooms (& How I Feel About Them Now)

If you think of mushrooms as a drug, the idea of micro-dosing will be problematic. But if you don’t then you might be somewhat curious.

I’m not here to agree or disagree with anyone or try and convince or persuade anyone either. I’m simply here to share my personal experience of micro-dosing on mushrooms so you have an honest account of what it is, how it works, and what to expect if you also want to give it a go.

Why I wanted to micro-dose in the first place

For as long as I can remember, I’ve suffered from anxiety. However, I never knew or wanted to admit that it was what it was. I much preferred thinking it was someone else’s problem, thank you very much.

However, once I couldn’t ignore it any longer, I decided to scoop up my shame, anger, and frustration and look anxiety directly in the face.

* This deserves a disclaimer here as looking at anxiety in the face is actually looking at the darkest, ugliest, and most secretive parts of the psyche, and it’s not all that pretty. It’s even painful at times. I had to console my cowering inner child that it would all be over soon just to get myself through it on occasion. I told myself that a little white lie can never hurt anyone, right?

So, continuing to fake it until I make it, I decided that instead of trying to push anxiety away, I would pay attention to what was making me anxious, why, and even when. This included activities, people, social events, etc…

I then started to explore and experiment with different techniques to see if/how they might help. One incredibly powerful way has been through breathing which I wrote about recently. Another has been micro-dosing.

Along this journey of understanding what anxiety is, I’ve come to discover that although it definitely exists in the present moment, it actually belongs to the past or the future. What I mean by that is that whenever I fear something repeating itself from the past or when I’m trying to avoid a specific outcome in the future, I feel anxious in the present.

This was a holy sh*t moment for me.

So much so that I went on a mission to dive into my past and re-imagine my future.

At this time, I was living an incredible life. I was SCUBA diving all over the world, I was living in Central America, dancing through the night, and feeling more free than ever before.

But, and it’s a big but, all I was searching for was peace. And because of that gaping hole, what persisted was (you guessed it) anxiety.

So, after owning up to the fact that I did have this called anxiety, I started finding more holistic ways to live with it. That’s when I slowly began to move my life from the ocean to the mountains and where I began to study ancient texts, learn different meditation techniques, immerse myself in yoga, live in community, sit in ceremonies with plant medicine(s), and start to explore the vastness of the breath.

Throughout those years I have had beautiful friends who were micro-dosing on mushrooms and they loved it. I also had many great friends and teachers that recommended it to me as well but out of pure stubbornness, I declined. I didn’t want to be beholden to anything outside of myself so I steadfastly held my ground and explored other ways.

I love this about myself but I also see the shadow side of it too.

Then something shifted….

I started working with mushrooms in a ceremonial capacity last year and I kept meeting people who had overcome serious mental health conditions through micro-dosing. One person came through a psychotic episode, another dragged herself out of the depths of depression, and another through severe anxiety (with the latter piquing my interest).

These people were testament to their own stories and I was moved by each of them.

So after seeing all the evidence I needed, I humbly allowed myself to seek help and turned to them myself. Here’s how I did it:

Dosage

From a gram of powder, I micro-dosed on a small fingernail’s worth.

Roughly 0.1 grams or less is a good rule of thumb here.

If you feel the mushrooms, you’ve taken too much.

Micro-dosing works on an extremely subtle level.

My friend recently told me that she overdid it (she took 0.2g) and she reported feeling sleepy, tired, and even mildly anxious so be aware of taking the right amount.

How long

I did 5 days on, 2 days off for one month. And I plan to repeat this again soon (stay tuned for round two!)

From what I have read up on this though, there really is no wrong way to do it. Micro-dosing every day is also fine. It’s more on the amount that’s being taken and how the body and mind respond. Our own experience is what counts.

When

I was advised to take it in the morning on an empty stomach.

After a month of doing just that, I completely agree.

How

I took mine with my morning coffee. My friend put it in her tea, my lover in her smoothie, and friends take it in capsules. They all work.

You don’t need to change your routine here, you just have to find a way to incorporate it into your day(s).

So, after the dust has settled — what do I think about it now?

As you might have guessed, I’m fully on board. I have never felt clearer, my present and calm. There’s a natural flow to my days now and a more energised feeling all round. And because it works on such a subtle level, I often forget that I’m even micro-dosing. I just enjoy feeling upbeat, clear, present, calm, and thankfully, less anxious.

Oh, and one more thing…

I combined micro-dosing with another mushroom called Lion’s Mane.

Here are some of the benefits:

• Helps to protect against dementia
• Relieves mild symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Supports the nervous system to speed up recovery times
• Protects against ulcers in the digestive tract
• Reduces heart disease
• Helps manage diabetes symptoms
• May help fight cancer
• Reduces inflammation and oxidative stress
• Boosts the immune system

After seeing the results and how these two mushrooms combine forces, there’s no going back.

You can either eat Lion’s Mane fresh for its delicious flavour or take it in a capsule for medicinal use as I do.

If you’ve been inspired by mushrooms and would like to learn more, check out the Godfather of mushroom exploration — Terence McKenna on Youtube, watch Fantastic Fungi on Netflix, or start with Lion’s Mane to see for yourself.

If you’ve also been inspired by the healing capacity of the breath, check out my favourite breathwork technique here to see if it can support your journey too.