Truths You Need To Hear Before Trying Mushrooms
The truth about microdosing psychedelics that no one talks about.
A word of warning: don’t ignore my advice—and be sure to read until the end.
I’ve been microdosing psilocybin and LSD for just over two years now, and the journey was not smooth sailing.
When I first started, I knew a little about the medicine, but not nearly enough as I’ve learned with time. I’ve taken a large dose of the medicine twice in my life: once when I was in college and another time after several months of microdosing.
Like anything, I think experience is the best teacher. You can learn all you want about psychedelics from books, articles, podcasts, or mentors, but until you actually get into bed with them, it’s just an alternate reality of knowledge.
I watched “Fantastic Fungi” on Netflix when it first came out years back, and I was mesmerized by Paul Stamets and his journey with the medicine.
He had a severe stutter his entire life, which directly impacted his confidence, levels of self-esteem, and social interactions. When he took a macrodose of psilocybin, he experienced a profound moment of realization, in which he decided he would no longer stutter going forward. He was caught in a tree during a massive rainstorm, where he yelled at the top of his lungs, “I NO LONGER HAVE A STUTTER.”
He repeated this mantra several times until the storm passed.
After the storm came and went, so did his stutter.
He attributes this miracle to his journey with psychedelics, and honestly, I would, too.
Of course, not everyone has this experience with the medicine, as it’s a subjective experience.
But from that moment on, I was intrigued about how and when I could get my hands on some of this magic myself.
Unfortunately, it wasn't until years down the road that I was able to get my hands on some of this sacred medicine that I’d heard had been a game-changing alternative to many.
I stumbled upon Golden Rule, and my microdosing journey began.
I made many mistakes during my practice of microdosing, but I regret none.
The only regret I have is not embarking on this soul-awakening journey sooner.
I’ve made many mistakes during my practice, but it’s with trial and error that I’ve learned more about myself—and the medicine.
Now, I’m here to share the mistakes I’ve made so that you don’t have to.
Mistake #1
Don’t confuse a microdose with your antidepressant.
They are not the same.
I repeat: they are NOT the same.
Your brain has these little tiny gaps between neurons (brain cells) called synapses. When your neurons communicate with each other, they release chemicals into these small gaps, like serotonin.
Serotonin is your body’s “feel-good” chemical. It’s the chemical that’s released after you have a positive social interaction, practice meditation, spend time in nature, move your body and exercise, or connect intimately with your partner.
Once serotonin is released and completes its role in your body, it gets reabsorbed back into the neuron that released it. This process of reabsorption is called “reuptake.”
And if you don’t know what SSRIs stand for, they stand for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.
This is why SSRIs are called this because they work to prevent the serotonin from being absorbed back into the neuron so quickly. By doing so, it helps to improve your mood and keep you feeling good for longer, which is why it helps to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety—because there are more “feel good” chemicals hanging around your brain and body.
The difference between psychedelics and SSRIs is that psychedelics work to create more serotonin in the body, whereas SSRIs simply work to keep the serotonin hanging around a bit longer.
See the difference?
Psychedelics work to mimic serotonin in the body by binding to the serotonin receptor, specifically the 5-HT2A receptor (which is simply a type of receptor in the brain), and mimic the effects of serotonin in the body.
The increase in serotonin in the brain actually ends up boosting neuroplasticity, where you start to feel good naturally, even when you’re not taking the medicine. The psychedelics help to create lasting change in the brain by rewiring old pathways to create new ones that serve you.
I’ve taken antidepressants twice in my life, and all they did was numb me from the “good” AND “bad” sensations.
I realized that I would rather feel everything than nothing at all, and microdosing psychedelics has not only allowed me to feel everything much more deeply, but it’s also helped me release what no longer served me.
A recent study conducted in 2022 involved scientists comparing fMRI recordings of brain activity between a group of volunteers. The volunteers underwent two brain scan sessions, one where they had taken LSD or psilocybin and the other where they had taken a placebo.
After reviewing the two data sets of the brain scans between the placebo and the psychedelic effects on the brain, they found that the psychedelic drugs lowered, or “flattened,” normal energy barriers within the brain, allowing the brain to transition from one state to another, one thought to another, one feeling to another, or one sensation to another much more efficiently and sustainably.
In other words, when individuals struggle with depression or anxiety, their brains tend to have a “rigid” landscape, where it requires a lot more energy and force to maneuver through specific thoughts, behaviors, feelings, or states. This leaves the individual feeling overpowered by the depression because it requires more energy for them to do simple tasks like getting out of bed, thinking more positively, drinking a glass of water, or even going for a walk—really anything that will make them feel better feels harder.
However, when individuals consume a psychedelic, the “rigid” landscape of the brain begins to soften, allowing them to start thinking, feeling, and showing up differently, because the amount of energy to move through the landscape is reduced. Over time, the brain’s landscape begins to change permanently, softening the weight of depression and anxiety, and helping the individual to experience lasting transformation—from the inside out.
No scientific evidence has been found on SSRIs creating these same benefits within the brain.
“Ongoing clinical trials of psychedelic drugs for neuropsychiatric disorders are showing promise, and there’s a lot of excitement about these drugs’ medical potential,” said Dr. Amy Kuceyeski, Department of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Mistake #2
Microdosing doesn’t do the work for you; it assigns the homework.
Unlike SSRIs, which just mask your symptoms, psychedelics will actually highlight what your issues are.
Before I started microdosing, I never classified myself as an “anxious” person.
Depressed? Oh, absolutely.
My eyes were like Niagara Falls due to the amount of tears I cried on a weekly basis.
But anxiety? Nah, no way.
I had heard people’s stories with anxiety—panic attacks, mental spiraling, or insomnia, and it never related to me.
However, when I started microdosing, I started to notice myself feel more anxious, urgent, overwhelmed, and restless—like I had to move and I had to move now.
(If you were curious about microdosing but now feel hesitant because you don’t want to experience more anxiety than you already do, take a slow breath, let it out with a sigh, and keep reading.)
Experiencing heightened anxiety when you first begin microdosing is relatively common, and here’s why:
Psychedelics, specifically psilocybin, which is what I started with (now I’m working with LSD), work heavily with the body. Psilobyin is body-based, so it heightens your sensory experience, allowing you to become incredibly more in tune with your senses. You become more aware of the sensations happening in your internal and external worlds.
This means that if you have any unaddressed, lingering anxiety, grief, anger, or stress being held within your body. The medicine will highlight it, not to scare or alarm you, but to gently show you that a part of your inner world needs some TLC.
For me personally, the medicine showed me that my nervous system was wildly dysregulated, and I was living in a Dorsal state, the protective nervous system state where you feel dissociated, disconnected, depressed, and withdrawn. I had been so disconnected from myself, my body, and my emotions that I hadn’t even realized I was experiencing a constant fluctuation between dissociation and urgency, living in an ongoing freeze state.
At first, it was uncomfortable facing this anxiety, because it felt so unfamiliar to me—to feel something so palpable when I was so used to feeling numb. As time progressed, and I continued working with the medicine, slowing down, and regulating my nervous system, the screams of anxiety turned to whispers, and now, when I experience anxiety, I know how to approach it from a compassionate, non-critical place.Psychedelics not only impact your serotonon receptors in your brain, but they also impact a part of your brain called the Default Mode Network (the DMN). The Default Mode Network is a part of the brain that plays a role in your sense of self—aka your ego. It becomes active when you’re not focused on the outside world (so think when you’re lying in bed at night, daydreaming about the past or the future, or replaying an old conversation in your head). In other words, it’s the part of the brain that is self-focused—always thinking about or ruminating on something related to you—and only you. It’s the part of the brain that reminds you what you’re afraid of, what you’re worried about, what happened to you, what could go wrong, what mistakes you’ve made, and it reminds you that you’re you, every single day. Since it plays a role in your ego, it plays a role in protecting you. The brain’s primary function is to protect you and keep you alive. So, the DMN works to keep your protective walls up—reminding you of your problems, what emotions need to be avoided, what’s safe and what’s not—and it keeps you in a bubble of comfort.
When you begin consuming a psychedelic, whether a macrodose or a microdose, the walls of the DMN begin to deteriorate. That’s why most individuals who work with psychedelics, especially in larger doses, report having an “ego-death” where they feel disconnected from themselves and connected to the world around them. The same thing happens with microdosing, just in smaller increments that are less noticeable at first. As the psychedelics reduce the control of the DMN over the brain, your protective mechanisms, your relentless grip for control, and your fears begin to soften.
This means that what you are avoiding, due to fear, begins to surface. The things that you suppressed as a way to protect yourself at one point in time begin to arise because they finally feel safe to do so.
Again, it’s not coming up to haunt, hurt, or frighten you—only to shine a light upon what you’re still holding onto that needs to be released so you can finally come back home to yourself, your true self.
PS. For more information on the science behind microdosing and what to expect on your journey, keep reading to grab my free microdosing guidebook, and check out my podcast, Advice My Friends Ignored, for more valuable insights on microdosing.
Mistake #3
Don’t take too much.
The motto is start low and go slow.
You can always take more of the medicine, but you cannot take less.
Microdosing is the sacred practice of consuming a sub-perceptual amount of a psychedelic over an extended period of time, following a specific protocol.
Microdosing requires precision. Taking too much can push you out the beneficial zone and back into overwhelm, anxiety, or even dissociation.
I’ve learned this the hard way, one too many times.
When I first started my microdosing journey, I started off taking 250mg (.25g), which was an absurd amount for someone with minimal experience with the medicine.
I ended up experiencing some sensory shifts, some heightened anxiety, and it threw a wrench in my day. I had to work, but my mind and body were overwhelmed by what I was feeling, making it impossible for me to focus or center myself.
A microdose can be anywhere from 50mg to 500mg, depending on your body size, personal experience, and other factors.
I know people who can take 350mg and not feel any sensory shifts other than a subtle sense of presence and euphoria, while other people find their microdosing sweet spot to be around 100mg.
As you work with the medicine, you will build up a tolerance. After my mishap with taking too much at the beginning of my journey, I found my personal sweet spot to be around 125mg, but now, since much time has passed, I can take 250mg and not experience any sensory shifts.
Too many people have been miseducated on psychedelics, believing that if you consume any amount of a psychedelic, you’re going to trip, get high, or have hallucinations—and that is the furthest thing from the truth.
Yo really shouldn’t feel anything at all. The benefits are meant to be subtle and compound over time, like clearer thinking, creative flow, emotional regulation, and enhanced intuition—not a “high.”
If you’re looking to get high, microdosing isn’t for you.
A true microdose is sub-perceptual, meaning that your senses shouldn’t perceive it. If you have any sensory shifts, the dose is too high and must be lowered. You should be able to work, drive, cook, clean, exercise, and do all the regular activities you normally engage in daily.
A true microdose is sub-perceptual. The benefits are subtle and compound over time, like clearer thinking, emotional regulation, and creative flow—not a “high.”
You may need to experiment with the medicine to determine the right dosage for you, as it is a subjective experience.
The rule of thumb: Start low and go slow. You can always take more, but you can’t take less once it’s in your system.
Mistake #4
You should take it every day.
If it wasn’t clear before, a microdose isn’t your antidepressant. It’s not a pill that’s meant to be popped every day mindlessly. It’s not here to do the work for you. It’s not intended for daily consumption.
Think of your microdose as the most powerful and intentional wellness supplement you’ve ever taken, but one you don’t need to take every day.
When microdosing, it is essential to follow a protocol.
There are numerous protocols to follow, and only you can decide which one feels the most practical and sustainable for you and your current lifestyle.
The Fadiman Protocol
The Fadiman protocol, also referred to as "the beginner's protocol", is the most popular microdosing protocol.
It consists of consuming the microdose every 3rd day.
DAY 1: DOSING DAY
DAY 2: OFF
DAY 3: OFF
DAY 4: DOSING DAY
DAY 5: OFF
DAY 6: OFF
DAY 7: DOSING DAY
DAY 8: OFF
The Stamets Protocol
The Stamets protocol is a great fit for anyone seeking to enhance cognitive performance.
It consists of consuming the microdose 4 days in a row, then taking 3 days off.
DAY 1: DOSING DAY
DAY 2: DOSING DAY
DAY 3: DOSING DAY
DAY 4: DOSING DAY
DAY 5: OFF
DAY 6: OFF
DAY 7: OFF
DAY 8: DOSING DAY
These are the two most popular protocols, but there are several others, including the every-other-day protocol, the 2:1 protocol, and the intuitive protocol.
I started with the Stamets protocol, but now I work with the medicine intuitively. I don’t take it every day, as I don’t need to. I only take it on the days I feel inspired to, which is seldom these days—I feel good with or without it.
The intention of microdosing isn’t to find another wellness supplement to become dependent on. It’s slowly and subtly creating new neural networks in the brain to help release addictions, change thought patterns, build new habits, improve mood, enhance cognition, boost creativity, and come back home to yourself where you don’t need an emotional “crutch” or something to “take the edge off” after a long day of work. You rewire your brain and body to create more emotional regulation, trusting yourself to handle life and its obstacles with ease and grace.
That’s why you shouldn’t take it every day—you’re not meant to become dependent on it. And frankly, you won’t—because it’s not addictive.
Since microdosing, especially when I first began, I noticed myself become increasingly more disinterested in habits that didn’t serve me, such as binge-watching TV, overeating, or smoking weed. Microdosing actually helped me to quit smoking weed, which was something I did for nearly a decade of my life.
I haven’t smoked in over a year, and I haven’t missed it.
Additionally, by following a protocol, you reduce your chances of developing a tolerance to the medicine too quickly. Over time, you will begin to increase your tolerance, but it’s best to ease your way into it rather than overdo it.
Mistake #5
You don’t need to do anything differently.
You might think that if you just take the medicine, your life will improve.
But hopefully by now, if you’ve read this far, you understand that this medicine is not just a quick fix.
It’s a co-creative process.
Microdosing is best when paired with something, because since the DMN slows down and neuroplasticity is boosted, this means the brain is more malleable for change and rewiring.
If you continue doing the same things every single day, you’re only going to strengthen those old neural pathways that you are so desperate to change.
Instead, try pairing your microdose with something new and different.
This doesn’t mean you have to go join a stand-up comedy class, go skydiving, run a half-marathon, or start a new job. It means gently allowing yourself to acclimate to something new, such as practicing a short meditation or breathwork session, going to the gym, taking a walk, sitting in stillness, writing in your journal, studying or learning something new, or even starting therapy.
This medicine is magic, but it’s not magic without effort.
You have to meet the medicine halfway.
When you begin pairing your dose with something new, you learned to integrate the medicine and its wisdom into your life, creating lasting, sustainable changes in your body and brain.
Overall, microdosing is a deeply personal journey. It’s not linear. It’s not always clear. And sometimes, you’ll feel like you’re doing it “wrong.” You’ll wonder if you missed the mark, took too much, took too little, or didn’t integrate enough. But the truth is—healing doesn’t follow a schedule. And your growth might not always look the way you expect it to.
There were days I thought I had regressed.
Days when my emotions felt louder than ever.
But instead of spiraling, I learned to see those moments as invitations—signposts that something within me was asking for attention. And when I met myself there with gentleness instead of judgment, that’s where the transformation really happened.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present.
Give yourself permission to be a work in progress.
Give yourself permission to work with the medicine, not against it.
If you’ve made it this far, take this as a sign: this path isn’t for everyone—but it might be for you.
Microdosing has been one of the most profound tools in my healing journey, but only because I was willing to meet the medicine halfway. I didn’t just take it and wait for my life to change—I showed up for myself differently, one small choice at a time.
There is no quick fix. No one-size-fits-all. No magic pill.
But there is a way to come back home to yourself.
To feel more present in your body.
To trust your intuition again.
To feel safe, creative, and emotionally grounded in your life.
And if that’s what you’re looking for, I’m here to walk with you.
I’ve been partnered with Golden Rule for over two years because I genuinely believe in the integrity of their medicine, their team, and their mission. You can use my code AUDREY10 at checkout for 10% off every order.
And keep an eye out for their 4th of July sale from July 4–6—when you add any full-priced item to your cart, you’ll unlock a surprise 30% off on one of their birthday favorites. Don’t miss it!
Lastly, if you want even more information on microdosing, protocols, the science behind it, what product to order, and what to expect on your journey, grab my free microdosing guide, or check out my Podcast on, Advice My Friends Ignored, available on Apple and Spotify, for numerous episodes on psychedelics and vital information you need to know for your practice.
Until then, take care of your body, your mind, and your nervous system. The medicine can guide you—but only you can do the work.
And you’re ready for it.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve worked with the medicine, are curious about trying, want insight on what product to try, or if you have any additional questions.
xx, Audrey
Advice My Friends Ignored