Whether you eat dried magic mushrooms, drink shroom tea, or use magic mushroom capsules and edibles, you’ll experience a range of fascinating effects. These effects are due to the chemicals inside magic mushrooms which interact with your body to produce physical and mental changes. While shrooms can contain many chemicals, the most common is psilocybin.
When you consume psilocybin, your body converts it to psilocin – its active form. It’s known for inducing euphoria, heightening your senses, opening your mind, and even causing some minor physical changes. Higher doses can even give you hallucinations, distort your sense of time, and deliver experiences that feel spiritual or life-changing.
Since the effects of psilocybin can be so powerful, it’s important to know the difference between macrodosing and microdosing. Macrodosing involves taking a high dosage to induce potent, long-lasting effects, including hallucinations and perceived spiritual experiences. Microdosing won’t give you the same kind of experience, but it can enhance your mood, senses, and creativity without feeling too overwhelming.
Some users prefer microdosing to macrodosing or vice versa. Many people even try both of these approaches out at different times. Whichever way, you might want to know the perks of macrodosing and microdosing and how much you should take. Here’s our psilocybin 101 guide to macrodosing vs. microdosing.
Pros Of Macrodosing Psilocybin
When it comes to taking psilocybin, the kind of experience you’ll have will differ greatly depending on your dosage. Many people take low dosages to avoid overpowering effects. On the other hand, some people prefer to take enough psilocybin to induce a classic psychedelic trip, complete with hallucinations and perceived spiritual experiences. The latter approach is known as macrodosing.
Macrodosing is beneficial for recreational psychonauts who want to experience the power of psilocybin. After taking a macrodose of psilocybin, users often report a wave of euphoria and open-mindedness. Many users start to feel connected to everything around them, including nature.
It can also lead to experiences that change your perspective on life or even make you feel more spiritual. A study on using psilocybin for smoking cessation found that, on top of helping users counteract their nicotine addictions, subjects reported that taking psilocybin was one of the most meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives.
A long-term study on the effects of psilocybin also found that a single high dose can cause long-lasting personality changes. After macrodosing psilocybin, users were more open-minded and imaginative. These effects lasted for up to a year after using psilocybin. Additionally, research suggests that macrodosing psilocybin can help with anxiety and depression.
Cons Of Macrodosing Psilocybin
Although macrodosing psilocybin can often induce enjoyable and beneficial experiences, it’s not without its disadvantages. Using any kind of hallucinogenic substance can be dangerous – especially for those who aren’t prepared for the effects. This is especially common when you take higher doses, which is why many people prefer to microdose psilocybin.
One of the biggest disadvantages of macrodosing psilocybin is that it can cause a bad trip. While many users end up feeling happy, euphoric, and open-minded, others may feel anxious, paranoid, and fearful. They may even experience disturbing thoughts and scary hallucinations that make their trip worse.
What’s more, while 3.5 grams of magic mushrooms is recommended for a classic psilocybin trip, taking more can be too overpowering. Taking too much psilocybin can cause you to lose touch with reality temporarily. On top of that, you’ll likely experience uncomfortable physical effects such as nausea, sweating, and an increased heart rate.
Many of these disadvantages can be avoided by avoiding taking too much. Many users start with 1 or 2 grams before building up to 3.5 grams. Although any kind of macrodose can still lead to a bad trip, you can avoid this by ensuring you’re in a safe, comfortable environment and a positive state of mind. It also helps to take shrooms while you’re with a friend or “sitter” who can watch over you and keep you in a good mood.
Best Dosage For Macrodosing Psilocybin
If you want to macrodose psilocybin, it’s important to be careful with your dosage. Taking too little won’t give you the kind of experience you’re looking for. However, taking too much can result in a bad trip with various unwanted mental and physical effects. As such, you need to get your dosage just right.
Generally, 3.5 grams of dried magic mushrooms is recommended for a classic psychedelic trip. At this dosage, you’ll likely experience fascinating hallucinations, euphoria, heightened senses, and other enjoyable effects. It can also lead to perceived spiritual experiences and positive long-term changes in your mood and behavior.
Taking 3.5 grams might be overwhelming if you’ve never taken psilocybin before. As such, many people start with 1 or 2 grams. At this range, you’ll still experience many of the same effects such as euphoria, heightened senses, and improvements in your mood and creativity. However, it won’t be quite as overpowering as a classic psychedelic trip. Plus, some strains of magic mushrooms are stronger than others, so starting with a lower dose is a smart way to get accustomed to the effects.
If you’re using magic mushroom capsules or edibles, calculating your dosage is a little different. Each capsule or edible usually comes with a fixed dosage of magic mushroom extracts in milligrams. So, for instance, if you want the equivalent of a 2g dose of magic mushrooms, you’ll need to take 2000mg of magic mushroom capsules or edibles.
Pros Of Microdosing Psilocybin
Microdosing psilocybin has become extremely popular as it provides many of the same benefits as macrodosing with fewer disadvantages. Although the effects of microdosing are much milder, it’s also an excellent way to avoid bad trips while still experiencing certain perks such as improvements in your mood and creativity.
A 2021 study found that, compared to macrodosing, microdosing psilocybin resulted in greater observed improvements in mood and mental health after one month. Another study found that microdosing psilocybin helped users enhance their creativity. Microdosing psilocybin can also help counteract symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The main benefit of microdosing over macrodosing is that it allows users to reap these benefits without tripping. Although a strong psychedelic trip can be an incredible experience, it’s something that should be enjoyed in moderation. In contrast, you can microdose psilocybin regularly without worrying about a bad trip or losing touch with reality for hours.
When you microdose psilocybin, you can experience improvements in your mood, senses, and creativity while remaining alert and focused. As such, some people even microdose psilocybin to help with their work performance. It can also help your creative abilities – some people microdose psilocybin before writing, creating music, or other creative pursuits.
Cons Of Microdosing Psilocybin
Compared to macrodosing, microdosing psilocybin is much safer. Since the effects are more subtle, you’re less likely to experience a bad trip. What’s more, you won’t feel out of touch with reality and can still go about your day while enjoying the benefits of psilocybin. However, microdosing can have a few disadvantages.
Although microdosing is ideal for those who simply want a boost in their mood and creativity, other users may want a stronger trip. If you’re interested in magic mushrooms due to their ability to induce perceived spiritual and life-changing experiences, microdosing psilocybin won’t do much for you. In these cases, macrodosing is a better option.
Microdosing psilocybin too often can also be detrimental. If you take a microdose of psilocybin every morning, this will quickly increase your tolerance to psilocybin. As such, you may end up needing higher doses to maintain the same kind of effects you’ve been enjoying. Most users avoid this by only microdosing every few days.
While microdosing psilocybin is much safer than macrodosing, it’s important to keep in mind that psilocybin is still a very strong substance. Everyone responds to psilocybin differently, so you might still experience unwanted effects such as anxiety or paranoia even if you only take a small dose. Plus, if you’re eating dried magic mushrooms, you might inadvertently take a stronger dose than you need and end up having a bad trip.
Best Dosage For Microdosing Psilocybin
Microdosing psilocybin involves taking low doses to avoid overwhelming effects while still reaping various benefits. For many users, 1 gram of magic mushrooms is enough to induce a potent and long-lasting high. As such, it’s best to take less than 1 gram of magic mushrooms if you’d rather microdose psilocybin.
Many people microdose psilocybin by taking 0.5g to 0.7g. This is usually enough to induce noticeable changes in your mood and senses but not enough to induce an overpowering psychedelic trip. However, some users may prefer to take even lower doses of 0.2 to 0.5g. Going lower than this isn’t recommended as the effects usually won’t be strong enough.
The ideal dosage for microdosing psilocybin varies between users. As such, it’s best to adapt your dosage to your needs. You might want to start with an 0.5g dose then increase it or decrease it by 0.2g accordingly. If you’re using dried magic mushrooms, you’ll need to chop them into very small pieces and weigh them before eating them or brewing them into shroom tea.
Using magic mushroom capsules and edibles makes it much easier to microdose psilocybin. These products usually come with a microdose of magic mushroom extracts in each serving. For example, you can simply take a 500mg shroom capsule or 700mg shroom gummy instead of using 0.5g or 0.7g of dried magic mushrooms.
How To Use Psilocybin
Whether you want to macrodose shrooms or microdose shrooms, there are many effective ways to get the effects of psilocybin. Eating dried magic mushrooms is the most straightforward method, but products such as magic mushroom capsules and edibles are arguably more convenient. Here’s a breakdown of how to use psilocybin.
Eating Dried Magic Mushrooms – Eating dried magic mushrooms is a simple and effective way to get the effects of psilocybin. You’ll first need to chop your shrooms into small pieces and measure them to get your desired dosage. You can eat them by themselves or mix them with food. Although it’s easy, the taste can be unpleasant.
Drinking Magic Mushroom Tea – Drinking shroom tea helps mask the bitter taste of dried shrooms. You can also add lemon juice to your shroom tea to speed up the onset of effects. You can. If you want to try it, you can read our guide on how to make magic mushroom tea and get the most out of it.
Using Magic Mushroom Capsules – Magic mushroom capsules offer an easy and convenient way to manage your dosage and get the effects of psilocybin. Each capsule contains a small dose of psilocybin in milligrams. Simply take as many as you need to get your desired dosage and wash the capsules down with water.
Using Magic Mushroom Edibles – Magic mushroom edibles are another highly convenient option. Like capsules, each serving will give you a fixed dose of psilocybin. The only difference is that these servings are in the form of tasty gummies, chocolates, or other food products. You can get the effects of psilocybin simply by eating as many as you need for your desired dosage.
Macrodosing vs. Microdosing Psilocybin: Which Is Best?
When it comes to macrodosing vs. microdosing, the best approach depends on the user. If you’re looking for a powerful psychoactive trip, complete with hallucinations and spiritual feelings, macrodosing is the best option. With that said, it’s important to be prepared as the effects are especially strong and long-lasting.
If you’d rather experience improvements in your mood, senses, and creativity without overpowering effects, microdosing is ideal for you. You can microdose psilocybin regularly and even use it to enhance your cognitive and creative abilities. However, you shouldn’t expect to experience any life-changing trips.
Many users try both approaches at different times. For instance, you might want to microdose psilocybin regularly for a mood boost but take an occasional macrodose for an intense trip when you have the time.
Keep in mind that, whether you’re microdosing or macrodosing psilocybin, the effects usually take at least 20 to 40 minutes to kick in. Make sure you don’t increase your dosage until the effects have come on and worn off – doing so can result in you taking too much and having a bad trip.
Conclusion
Macrodosing and microdosing psilocybin both have their perks. Many users try both approaches to experience the many incredible effects and benefits of psilocybin. Fortunately, you can find plenty of magic mushroom strains along with various microdosing and macrodosing products at Magic Mushrooms Dispensary.