Microdosing refers to the practice of using small amounts of psychedelics The idea is not to get high but to achieve a better equilibrium. As a general rule, a typical microdose is anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of a normal dose. For example, a typical dose of mushrooms is one to two grams. A microdose would be anywhere from 50 to 250 milligrams (or 0.05 to 0.25g).

Through microdosing, you may feel a sense of calm energy, better focus, and a lighter mood. There should be no visual or physical side effects other than those mild enhancements. You may even completely forget that you have taken anything at all.

Macrodosing means taking large doses of psychedelic drugs that are enough to induce intense, synesthetic hallucinations. Often, those who macrodose on psychedelics have profoundly meaningful experiences that change their lives forever. The higher the dose, the more likely you are to experience ego dissolution or an out-of-body sensation. Set and setting are extremely important for this type of trip. If you are not an experienced psychonaut, it is recommended that you bring along a trip sitter or guide.

Plan ahead.

SET – Mindset is important

SETTING – Pick a location that feels safe and comfortable. Whether it is in your own home, out in the woods, or at another location. Declutter, gather what you will need for the hours that you are tripping so you don’t have to look for them during the experience. Choose your music beforehand also, ideally you’ll like something that will relax and guide you on your journey. Your company is equally important. Be sure who you have your psychedelic journey with makes you feel comfortable, whether it be your best friends, your partner, or a trip sitter/guide.

To integrate means to combine one thing with something else to form a new whole. This is precisely the focus of the post-psychedelic or plant medicine journey.

After a psychedelic experience, there is a window of time where mental flexibility is enhanced and you can more easily turn your thoughts and attention to things more in agreement with the new life you are trying to create.

Plant medicine can reflect back to you the power of compassion (for oneself and others) and it can show us how to cultivate it. It can open the door to creativity. It can heal deep rooted traumas, which have caused a sense of unworthiness or toxic behaviours. One of the benefits of working with psychedelics is that they can shed light on those dark places within you and give you the clarity to work through the blockages.

Whether you are microdosing or macrodosing, it is always important to integrate. The psychedelic substance is not, in itself, what is creating the change. It is the fundamental paradigm shift, it is the expansion of consciousness, it is the new awareness you have cultivated, and the deep inner work you will continue to focus on, long after your trip is over.