Third Eye Microdose Mushroom microdose refers to the self-administered consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin mushrooms (magic mushrooms) or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD or “acid”) in order to achieve positive effects on mental health and wellbeing.1 Mushrooms and LSD both act as neurotransmitters that modulate serotonin receptor activity in the brain,2 which can impact mood and feelings of well-being, sleep patterns, eating habits, cognition, body temperature, and a host of other processes.3 Mushrooms and LSD have also been shown to produce hallucinations and altered states of consciousness.

A previous study of a smaller cohort of participants found that psilocybin mushroom microdosers were able to reduce their levels of depression and stress, and improve their overall wellbeing.3 However, this study lacked a placebo control group and therefore it’s difficult to distinguish whether improvements were due to placebo effects or pharmacological action.

Mindful Mini-Dosing: A Practical Guide to Mushroom Microdoses for Well-being

Interestingly, the most commonly reported benefit of mushroom microdose was increased creativity and meta-creative process such as perspective-shifting and divergent thinking. This finding aligns with prior research showing that psychedelics can enhance creativity and open-mindedness, as well as with studies of binocular rivalry and visual perception that show psilocybin can help to shift attention from an incongruent percept to a more integrated percept.

Overall, these results suggest that the majority of motives for microdosing are therapeutic or wellness-oriented. Considering the stigmatization and criminalization of psychedelic substance use, it’s encouraging to see that people are using microdoses of psilocybin and other mind-altering substances for wellness-oriented purposes.