Before starting to microdose, I consulted Red Light Holland’s therapist and microdosing expert, Jeff Hamburg. I’m sensitive to psychedelics, so I decided to start with 0.5 grams of truffles. I also decided to follow what is known as the Stamets protocol (4 days of microdosing and 3 days break). I added 2g of lion’s mane functional mushroom, and 100mg of niacin (vitamin b3) (niacin opens up blood vessels — presumably allowing psilocybin to be better absorbed). I was a little worried about the “niacin flush” (the phenomenon when blood vessels dilate people experience a red itchy/burning sensation. I’m not sure if I’m an outlier but I had no such experience.
In an attempt to ritualize and make the microdosing a fun experience, I tried to make chocolate balls. Grinding together the truffles, some chocolate, peanut butter, coconut oil, and lion’s mane. While the balls look and smelled tasty, their taste was strongly influenced by the large quantity of lione’s mane, so I dipped them in apple sauce or honey before eating.
The first day, I tried eating the ball before breakfast and felt some nausea. The next day I ate the ball after breakfast and felt less nausea. The first two days I felt a little anxious, this pent-up energy making it harder to work and a slight barely perceptual visual sensation of “too much”. Thanks to my talk with Jeff, I was prepared for this and made sure I gave my body time with a punching bag and some extra climbing. On the third day, I reduced the dose to around 0.35 grams. The negative side effects disappeared and I was left with an energized feeling throughout the day.
I’m not sure if it’s because of my intention setting and expectation but I did have a change in sugar cravings; when encountering some sweets, I was easily able to not eat them instead of my usual pouncing. On the non-microdosing day, this didn’t seem to last (so far).
The most fun surprise I had while microdosing was when I kissed my partners. Sparkling closed-eye visuals filled my perception showing me the love and connection I felt in my body.