TL;DR: Microdosing mushrooms involves taking small, sub-perceptual doses to gain cognitive or emotional benefits without the full psychedelic experience. While research is still ongoing, many users report improved focus, mood, and creativity with minimal risk.
- Typically 1/5 to 1/20 of a regular dose
- May enhance clarity, creativity, and mood
- Effects vary—journaling helps track outcomes
- Best used on a consistent schedule
- Products like gummies and capsules support easy dosing
Mushrooms can deliver both functional benefits and psychoactive experiences. For psychoactive mushrooms like amanita muscaria, the standard way to enjoy them is to take a dose that offers pronounced effects.
Microdosing mushrooms turns that standard approach on its head.
When users microdose, they don’t want a full or deep psychotropic experience. Instead, they’re looking for more functional benefits from what’s generally considered a recreational or spiritual substance.
So, what is microdosing, exactly, and what are the potential benefits of microdosing mushrooms? Keep reading to find the answers to those questions and more!
What is Microdosing and How Does it Work?
The basic idea behind microdosing is to take a very small amount of a substance, and often many such doses on a fixed schedule, to feel certain effects of a substance while avoiding others.
It works by giving users a borderline or marginal dose. That is, a dose that leads to some effects but not the full experience that a standard dose would provide. Serious microdosers usually fine-tune their routines, adjusting the time between doses (usually a few hours) and the exact size of the dose (often 1/5 to 1/20 of a standard dose) for optimal results.
The difference between microdosing and standard dosing is especially clear with psychoactive substances – chemicals that change your mood and perceptions. The difference is even clearer when discussing mushrooms and other substances that have psychedelic effects – altering not just mood but what you hear, see, and otherwise perceive.
People who use magic mushrooms, like amanita muscaria, in a regular way want to experience some level of psychedelic effects. These include vision trails and a sense of expanded consciousness. That’s the foundational reason why they use these substances.
With microdosing, the intent is to avoid the intense effects of psychedelic substances and tap into more functional benefits. The desired effects of microdosing are often benefits like improved concentration, enhanced creativity, and sharper focus.
Specific Benefits of Microdosing Mushrooms
The benefits of microdosing mushrooms are generally changes that sharpen the mind and encourage more productivity in one way or another. However, some users also enjoy the social benefits of increased creativity or better focus. And, some users try microdosing to treat mental health conditions.
Keep in mind that, while psychedelic substances are common for microdosing, they’re not the only option. Cannabinoids like Delta 8 are also used for microdosing. So is CBD, which has no psychoactive properties.
So, there’s a major difference between regular use of psychedelics and psychedelic microdosing. When taking mushrooms, microdosing benefits are far different than the desired experience of someone taking a full dose.
Is Microdosing Legit?
There isn’t any concrete evidence that microdosing psychedelics or other drugs works, as Harvard Health Publishing explains. Some studies show positive results, while others show little or no effect. There could be a placebo effect or expectancy effect in play, where users who expect certain results feel them even though the substance itself doesn’t affect them.
However, microdosing is also relatively safe in the sense that the doses are very small. Outside concerns like allergic reactions, drug interactions, and triggering existing mental health issues, which occur with many substances, taking very small doses of a well-tolerated substance doesn’t appear to present any significant and unique risks.
A Practical Guide to Microdosing Mushrooms: Benefits, Timing, Dose & More
If you want to try micro dosing mushrooms, the benefits are best experienced by finding the dose and timing that work best for you. Because the advantages are always more marginal than extreme, consistency is key.
Once you choose the type of mushroom supplement you want to use, the next steps are picking a dose and a schedule.
In general, a microdose is 1/5 to 1/20 of a regular dose. So, a key recommendation is to choose a product that is easily divided into equal, or at least roughly equal, doses.
A mushroom edible or capsule is probably easier to consistently split up than a mushroom vape or dried mushrooms themselves. You may want to use a scale that can accurately detect very small weights, on the level of 10ths or 100ths of a gram.
Our suggestion is to start with a smaller dose, closer to 1/20 of a regular dose than 1/5. Use a journal or note-taking app to track the size of each dose and if you notice any benefits of microdosing mushrooms. You can then scale your dose up or down, depending on the results.
Eventually, you’ll land on a good dose for your needs and only have to make minor adjustments every so often.
Setting a schedule is also important for many microdosers. Part of the goal is to consistently feel these relatively minor effects consistently throughout the day.
A relatively easy way to find the right schedule is to keep track of when you take a dose and when you feel the effects are wearing off or have completely ended. You can do this along with tracking your dose by using a journal or note-taking app. You may want to check in with yourself every few hours to start.
Over time, you’ll find the schedule that keeps you feeling the benefits of microdosing mushrooms, and you only have to make an adjustment every so often afterward.
Also, think about cycling on and off of a microdosing routine to better understand how it makes you feel. It’s a good idea to take a break every so often in general. And, doing so can help you notice the benefits of microdosing mushrooms compared to your baseline.
Finding the Best Mushroom Supplements & Products
Delta 8 Resellers is proud to offer mushroom gummies, capsules, chocolates, and more from the industry’s leading brands. Whenever available, we share the results of third-party lab testing on individual product pages so you can see the potency, purity, and quality of our offerings for yourself.
Check out our full range of mushroom gummies, perfect for microdosing!
