Finding Flow: Navigating Your Creative Block with Microdosing
For many who walk the path of creativity, the dreaded ‘creative block’ is a periodical occurrence that all artists know too well. Amidst deadlines,
DISCLAIMER
* We do not condone the use of any illegal substances whatsoever. This piece of writing was created strictly for educational purposes only. Please read with caution and use this information responsibly. *
Microdosing is taking sub-perceptual doses of a psychedelic, like LSD. This means you won’t feel high or experience a “trip,” but you will notice subtle changes over a few weeks and months. However, you may begin to experience benefits within a few days. The benefits of microdosing include cognitive enhancements, improvements in mood, creativity, productivity and more. But is there any science behind these claims? Indeed, there must be some downsides to microdosing? And what about the legality of LSD?
How to microcrodose LSD
To microdose effectively, you must take a fraction of a regular dose. A regular dose of LSD, for example, tends to be around 100 micrograms. If you wanted to microdose LSD, you’d aim for 5-10 micrograms. Getting the dosage right is perhaps the biggest challenge when first starting out. Figuring out your dose can result in feeling a little more of the substance than expected. This is where microdosing companies come in handy. However, this makes it tricky for those who live in a location where such companies are unavailable.
Microdosing is sub-perceptual, so you shouldn’t feel effects and you certainly shouldn’t experience any hallucinations, no matter how mild or trivial. If you’re unsure, err on the side of a lower amount and gradually increase as you see necessary. Additionally, you can build a tolerance to psychedelics. That being said, if you microdose every third day, as many recommend, you’ll find an optimal dosage you can stick to for the long term.
Day 1: Dose Day
Day 2: Day Off
Day 3: Day Off – Back to Baseline
Repeat!
What to microdose
Many people choose to microdose LSD because it’s easier to ration than a substance like Psilocybin mushrooms. But as these substances are banned in virtually every country globally, there is the problem of legality. Fortunately, there are legal options that are similar to LSD. Some Lysergamides are legal in many jurisdictions. These LSD-like compounds are psychedelic and produce similar effects in large trips. Likewise, microdosing said Lysergamides result in the same cognitive and mood-enhancing benefits that LSD does. Microdosing legal Lysergamides are your best option if you’re worried about legalities.
Why microdose LSD?
Why microdose psychedelics like LSD? It’s illegal in most places, and, in the beginning, figuring out a correct microdose could result in some unwanted effects. A large double-blinded study concluded that microdosing was “almost certainly placebo.” So why bother? Well, that study wasn’t the be-all, end-all of microdosing research. And it wasn’t without its criticisms.
A far better answer to “why bother with microdosing” can be found in Dr. James Fadiman’s book The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide. Although not exclusively about microdosing, the book does spend a considerable amount of time on it. Dr. Fadiman collected reports from people who’d been experimenting with microdosing.
Fadiman writes, “As these reports are the first to appear in the literature, I’ve avoided coming to any general conclusions about these low doses beyond noting that all the reports in my files indicate, as these individuals have, that low-dose use has been positive.”
A lot of people report positive benefits to microdosing. They claim it can fight anxiety and depression, help improve focus and creativity, and reduce brain fog. Microdosing may even physically grow the brain’s neural network. Studies suggest LSD repairs neuron pathways in the brain. Improved neuron pathways allow people to make connections that promote better mental health, allowing new perspective to come to light.
When should I microdose?
As mentioned above, the general recommendation has been to microdose every third day. This comes from Dr. Fadiman’s microdosing protocol. Day 1 is the administered dose. Fadiman recommends you stay alert and keep a journal documenting your experience. Because the effect lingers into the next day, Fadiman recommends no dose on the second day. Day 3 is the actual no-dose day, essential to prevent a tolerance buildup.
Fadiman’s protocol uses 0.1 – 0.3 grams of Psilocybin mushrooms, but you can substitute this with low doses of LSD or legal Lysergamides. Again, you only need a fraction of a recreational amount. For LSD, that may be between 5 and 10 micrograms. Fadiman’s protocol categorizes the microdosing schedule as a cycle. So one dose every third day over 30 days constitutes one cycle. How many cycles per year you want to schedule is entirely up to you.
Fadiman suggests that microdoses start before 10:00 am and that participants “keep to their daily schedule: work, leisure, meals, medications, exercise.” Microdosing is a sub-perceptual effect, so it shouldn’t dissuade you from regular activity. But based on your age, body weight, and metabolism, you may wish to first experiment on a weekend just in case you dose yourself incorrectly.
Is microdosing LSD safe?
As far as we are aware, microdosing is a safe practice. However, Dr. Fadiman does warn about microdosing for people who are colourblind, have a preexisting psychotic disorder, or are on the autism spectrum. If adverse effects worry you, we recommend you speak with a health care professional before experimenting.
Regardless of your circumstance, we recommend thoroughly researching the topic until you feel comfortable with the details. While still in its infancy, plenty of people have relayed their experiences with microdosing, and this remains a valuable treasure trove of information.
Curious to start microdosing LSD?
Due to lawful limitations, microdosing LSD is not legally possible. However, we do have a legal option for you!
Questions? Contact us now
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