What is Microdosing Mushroom?
Mushroom microdosing is a practice in which an individual takes doses of psilocybin mushrooms for which the perceptual effects are not apparent. Microdoses of psilocybin mushrooms typically range from 0.1 to 0.3 grams of dried mushrooms (approximately 1ā5 mg of psilocybin), not 5ā30 mcg/70 kg.
Dr. James Fadiman described the microdosing protocol as a starting guide for new microdosing users. It consists of a microdose every three days for weeks to months.
History
Mushroom intake as part of mystical procedures was a part of everyday life in different ancient cultures. Subjects who participated in those practices experienced several effects resulting from the hallucinogenic power of their active compounds.
Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 and later isolated psilocybin and psilocin from Psilocybe mushrooms in 1958; early research into psychedelics included both substances but halted due to the 1970s scheduling laws. He was accidentally exposed to a minimum amount of the substance and experienced its hallucinogenic effects.
Later in the 50s, psychedelic drugs were tested to address their potential benefit for treating psychiatric disorders. Research into psychedelics, including psilocybin, was curtailed in the late 20th century due to legal and regulatory restrictions, but earlier research did explore their potential psychiatric benefits.
Since the early 2000s, research has re-emerged on psychedelics like psilocybin for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction, under FDA-approved trials.
What is the Purpose of Microdosing Mushrooms?
In the 50s, scientists hypothesized that psychedelics could be used to treat psychiatric conditions such as alcohol-related disorders, anxiety related to life-threatening diseases, depression, and opioid addiction.
Recently, some studies have focused on the potential benefit of microdosing mushroom practices on mood, cognition, and performance in daily life activities.
Studies on microdosing motivations, including those by various authors, have found that individuals microdose psilocybin for reasons such as mental health improvement, enhanced creativity, and better focus, but attributing these findings to a specific study by Rootman et al. without proper citation may be inaccurate.
The Rootman et al. (2021) study reported that microdosers self-reported lower levels of anxiety and depression than non-microdosers, but results were correlational.
What is the Mechanism of Action of Psilocin?
The exact mechanism of action of psilocin is still under active research. It is believed that psilocin acts on brain serotonin receptors, activating them, a process known as agonism.
Serotonin is a well-studied neurotransmitter involved in several functions such as sleep cycles, mood regulation, metabolism, cognition, and gastrointestinal physiology. Many disorders are associated with dysfunction of serotonergic pathways, including depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, addictive disorders, Parkinsonās disease, and gastrointestinal issues.
Is it safe?
Although generally well-tolerated, microdosing has been associated with side effects such as anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and physiological discomfort in some individuals.
Reports of adverse effects include gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort.
Some studies have reported adverse reactions, including anxiety and psychological distress; however, no serious adverse events have been confirmed in controlled microdosing studies. However, in those cases, patients had a prior history of such conditions, and it was understood that they resulted from individual predispositions to those disorders.
Individuals with known cardiovascular conditions are typically excluded from microdosing trials due to potential risks such as increased heart rate and blood pressure.
In Actuality, What are the Clinical Trials on Mushroom Microdosing Investigating?
A search was performed on clinicaltrials.gov for the term āpsilocin.ā
As of 2025, several U.S. clinical trials on microdosing psilocybin or LSD are active or completed, investigating safety, mood, cognition, ADHD, and neuroimaging changes. It should be verified through current searches on clinical trial registries. Four are enrolling or about to enroll healthy individuals to address the effects of several dose regimens, safety, route of administration, and diagnostic imaging changes in the brain during consumption of psilocin.
The rest of the clinical trials will address psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, mood changes and disturbances, sleep disturbances, and toxicity.
Summary
Microdosing mushrooms is a technique used primarily for mood and cognitive enhancement. Several clinical trials, to date, have addressed the effects on psychiatric conditions, yielding positive effects, especially in alcohol-related disorders.
Although some studies have reported severe adverse reactions such as epileptic seizures and psychotic disorders in predisposed individuals, most have concluded that microdosing mushrooms are usually safe. Several ongoing clinical trials aim to address and clarify missing data about psilocin, its effects, and potential health benefits.
See Also
Free Dental Implant Clinical Trials
