Yes, you’ve read that correctly. I’m going to be taking microdoses of psilocybin, a.k.a magic mushrooms, during the whole month of February as an experiment. Before I get into the why and the how let me explain to you what those experiments are all about.
I’ve decided to become a human guinea pig. That doesn’t mean I will do anything or crazy stupid things, but I will be experimenting new things. Those experiments are a way for me to implement some of the things I’ve read or simply see how I can improve my health and well-being. I’m just curious and questioning if what we’re doing should be the norm or not. We accept things as they are, because we’ve grown into them, but are we really optimizing our health and well-being by living our lifestyle? What if there are ways to live a better life. A more meaningful one. If I stumble upon the happiness pill, I’ll let you know.
Most experiments will last one month and I’ll keep a daily log that I’ll share at the end of the experiment. I have quite a few ideas to test and I’m quite excited to start this.
All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Now to the mushrooms.
I may sound crazy to you as you may think that mushrooms are reserved to the hippies or the junkies, but there’s a ton of new studies coming out on the benefits of psychedelics. And ever since I’ve done my Ayahuasca ceremony, it’s like I’ve entered a new world.
In my short 32 years of life I’ve tested quite a lot of drugs. Starting with the obvious alcohol and weed to the ‘more extreme’ ecstasy and cocaine. I’ve put ‘more extreme’ in quotation mark as the dangerous nature of drugs and the perception we have is often influenced by the media and the laws. The reality, in my opinion, is very different. I believe that alcohol is probably one of the most dangerous of them. And I have some studies to back me up…
Alcohol and Tobacco are both up there. Now, can you spot Ecstasy, LSD and Mushrooms? They are the last 3 on the chart and cause almost no harm to others.
When I was a teenager and curious about testing all the drugs out there, I was reluctant to try psychedelics as I didn’t want to lose control. Probably deep down, I didn’t want to do something stupid or act like crazy. I didn’t want to lose face. It wasn’t about the drug, it was about me being afraid of being judged. Now that I care less about what other people think, I’m ready for it.
And when I started reading about Tim Ferriss, someone I deeply admire, putting money towards research on psychedelics or how Sam Harris talks about drugs and the meaning of life. A question arose in my head.
Could it be that my view on psychedelics is wrong?
I’m now pretty certain it was. My Ayahuasca ceremony made it clear. And I’m reading an exceptional book on the subject: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan. I’m now fascinated by the power of psychedelics. Those little brown mushrooms. Come to daddy!
Did you know that psychedelics have been used by humans for 10,000 years?
Archaeologists have provided fossil evidence that shows humans have used psychoactive plants for 10,000 years during ritual ceremonies. Psychoactives were important in the development of human society and there is historical evidence of cultural use over the past 5,000 years (Merlin 2003).
MAPS.org – THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS
It’s not a new fad. It’s something that most civilizations would have used in the past. The more we move forward in our modern society, the more we lose from the past. The less we are connected with nature. I believe we should nourish the knowledge our ancestors had. Try it out and see for ourselves, instead of discarding it based on the fact that it is ‘spiritual’ / ‘archaic’ / ‘insert your excuse here’.
The Psilocybin Microdosing Experiment
Now to the experiment itself. It will be fairly simple. Every other day, starting tomorrow (1st of February), I will be taking 0.2g of psilocybin. Initially I wanted to do every third day, but I’ll see how it goes.
From what I’ve been reading, it is not recommended to take it every day as you still carry on some effects from the previous day. Moreover, some people say that your body builds up tolerance towards the substance.
Since it is an experiment, things are not set in stone. I might adjust the dosage according to how I feel. I don’t want to start having hallucinations while being home with my 2 small children. That might be awkward. Or not…
How will I track the effects of the experiment?
In order to see if the experiment improves my well-being I need to track how I feel taking the microdoses. For that I’ll use the simple checklist mentioned in this article. I’ll track the following 7 areas:
- Mental
- Creative
- Emotional
- Social
- Body
- Capabilities
- Outlook
And of course when the month is over, I’ll share everything on my blog with you guys! I’m really excited about this and hope you are as well. After all, it’s by becoming a better person that I’ll be better to people I interact with on a daily basis.
