Microdosing is the act of ingesting a tiny amount of a psychedelic substance. This dose is meant to be so small that it results in no psychoactive effects and most definitely no high. Typically, microdosers choose between using LSD (Lysergamide) and psilocybin (Tryptamine) for their microdosing practice. Both of these substances have the same list of common benefits. However, many microdosers still have their preference.
Microodsing is all about optimization as there are no one-size fits all. Different individuals require different doses, schedules and substances to ensure they get the most out of each dose. However, we are not here to analyze different options for your microdosing journey. Instead, we will be looking at what one very important individual in the microdosing community has to say about the topic.
Meet Paul Stamets
If you are a fellow mushroom lover, then you have most likely heard this name before. Paul Edward Stamets (born July 17th, 1955) is a beloved American mycologist. He is also a speaker, activist, author, medical researcher and entrepreneur! Stamets is an advocate of medicinal fungi and mycoremediation. Paul is considered an intellectual in the industry-leading in fungi: habitat, production and medical usage.
He is well-known for his way with words and iconic quotes. Stamets lectures extensively to deepen the respect and understanding that we have of the intelligent organisms around us and below us. His presentations cover a huge range of mushroom species while displaying all the research showing us how mushrooms can not only heal us but also planet Earth. He is a master connection-maker, reviving our evolutionary relationship to fungi and nature.
Not only is Stamets an advocate for medicinal mushrooms, but he also openly speaks on the powerful benefits of psychoactive fungi. He has a long and personal history with psychedelic mushrooms and isn’t shy about his experiences and how they impacted him. He has shared multiple stories about magic mushroom hunting, growing and consuming! One particularly fascinating story he shared on Joe Rogan’s podcast and other platforms is how he cured his chronic stuttering problem by accident with 1 magic mushroom trip, which previously got in the way of him being able to reach his full potential and share his ideas with the world.
Paul Stamets and microdosing
Not only is he a loud and proud supporter of magic mushrooms and the power they harness in large doses, but he is also an advocate for the impact that smaller doses can have on an individual. It is believed that if larger doses of psychedelics have the ability to ‘rewire the brain’, then smaller doses can ultimately do the same, only to an different level/extent. Paul Stamets, a world-renowned mycologist believes that microdosing can have a positive impact on brain function and well-being.
He believes in microdosing so much that he developed an app called microdose.me in combination with Quantified Citizen in British Columbia, Canada which he announced during his appearance on Joe Rogan. It wasn’t long before there was over 14,000 individuals who had subscribed to this app.
Essentially, microdose.me is a free app designed to collect data on microdosers. It is a meta-study that is specifically designed to measure the effects of microdosing on an individual level. The app allows you to register on one of the three levels.
- Those who consume less than 00.10 grams of magic mushrooms on a dose day.
- Those who consume between 00.10 – 00.30 grams of magic mushrooms on a dose day.
- Those who consume 00.40 grams or more of magic mushrooms on a dose day.
All personal information is kept private on the app. You can basically begin to track your journey right away after installing the app and starting a profile.
A few things they found after collecting and processing all the data from the observational study is that memory, coordination and reaction time improved after individuals had been experimenting with microdosing for more than 30 days. The completed paper also states that microdosers who suffered from symptoms of depression and anxiety experienced a noticeable decrease in their symptoms. I urge you to read the completed paper if you have the time. There is a lot of interesting perspectives that we can gain from this data.
This is currently the largest observation microdosing study in history! We can thank Paul Stamets for playing a massive part in putting the plan into action, as well as everyone else involved in the study.
“We now know that psilocybin mushroom microdosing works. It is indisputable that there are benefits.” — Paul Stamets
What is the Paul Stamets Stack
There are a few different microdosing protocols known in the community. One of the most well-known ones is the Stamets Stack. This is essentially Paul Stamets recommended microdosing protocol. Here is what it looks like:
- Lions Mane Mushroom
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms or Magic Truffles)
Stamets came up with the idea of combining psilocybin mushrooms with Lion’s Mane for its dual capacity to create new neural pathways in the brain whilst simultaneously repairing existing neurological damage. Paul believes the two mushrooms work synergistically when taken alongside one another! He added niacin to the stack due to its potential of effectively distribute the psilocybin and Lions Mane into the brain, therefore enhancing the brain-boosting benefits of each substance. Genius! As with all microdosing protocols, he suggests microdosing alongside a healthy and active lifestyle for the best results.
Final thoughts
I think it is fair to say that Paul Stamets is an important person in not only the mushroom community but also the psychedelic community, of which microdosing is a part of. His microdosing study does not concrete any facts about the ins and outs of how microdosing works on the human brain/body. However, it does give us some direction for which way to go with future microdosing studies.
He has created so many leaps in the timeline of our scientific understanding of fungi and is all-around inspiring. His passion and knowledge shine through everything he does. Paul Stamets has given us a lot of needed motivation and hope for the future. His insights are precious, his perspectives are limitless and his heart is full of so mush love for the Planet. We should be happy to exist at the same time as Paul Stamets. A true legend!
Start microdosing with Psilocybin today!