Microdosing has gained tremendous traction, yet very limited research exists on this topic.1

Self-reported results from existing studies demonstrate its efficacy for improving mood, creativity and cognition.

One study also demonstrated that older adults who received microdoses of psilocybin reported improved psychomotor performance on an innovative smartphone finger tapping test and felt more connected, energetic and happy afterwards.

Substances
DMT is a naturally-occurring psychedelic shroomsdirect.io compound that, at high doses, may produce hallucinogenic effects; at lower microdoses it has been reported to produce feelings of enhanced focus and intuition as well as improved resilience and optimism. Psilocybin (the active chemical component in magic mushrooms), another popular substance to microdose with, may reduce anxiety and depression as well as leading to greater feelings of openness, curiosity, shifting perspectives and increased creativity.

Though microdosing psychedelic compounds is possible, respondents typically combine them with other substances in a practice known as stacking. LSD and psilocybin may be combined with ingredients like chocolate or herbal supplements in an effort to enhance their beneficial effects; similarly, mescaline, found naturally in peyote and San Pedro cacti, can sometimes be mixed with psilocybin mushrooms to evoke an experience similar to what Aztecs called cacahuaxochitl.

Dosage
Microdosing of psychotropic substances involves multiple self-administrations within a short time window of doses that do not interfere with normal functioning and in most studies this has involved either Psilocybin or LSD.

Goal of psychedelic use should be to achieve positive benefits without experiencing anxiety and paranoia associated with full dose use, including altered perception, increased interest in one's environment, creativity, happiness and enhanced focus and concentration. These advantages could include altered perception, increased environmental interest, creativity and increased happiness as well as enhanced focus and concentration.

At a recent randomized controlled study, participants were assigned to either an experimental group who were given low doses of psilocybin mushrooms, or control groups who did not. Those assigned to take low-doses reported improvements in well-being, creativity and cognitive function as measured through questionnaires and brain wave changes detected with EEG machines; those given microdosed mushrooms frequently noted enhanced creativity (i.e. perspective shifting, divergent thinking), openness and curiosity - consistent with findings from earlier psychedelic research showing higher levels of creativity from full dose psilocybin research.

Safety
Anecdotal reports from microdosers suggest that this practice can bring significant psychological and cognitive benefits, though these results could also be affected by expectation or placebo effects. Therefore, placebo-controlled studies must be performed in order to accurately evaluate microdosing mushrooms' therapeutic potential.

Finding an optimal dose to achieve therapeutic outcomes while maintaining day-to-day functioning can be challenging, and researchers refer to this ideal dose as "finding that sweet spot," where "everything appears normal, yet you know something is happening inside".

At times, finding that ideal nootropic combination involves combining psilocybin with other natural substances, like mushroom lion's mane. This nootropic stack, known as Stamets Stack, has been shown to enhance absorption while simultaneously increasing effectiveness - many researchers are exploring its use as an antidepressant and anxiety treatment option.

Challenges
Microdosing poses several unique challenges, with the primary being accurately defining how much psilocybin should be consumed. Determining the dose can be challenging due to needing to function normally while microdosing; exact amounts will depend on factors like mood, desired effects and environmental conditions - therefore making microdosing something that must be approached carefully by each person attempting it.

Studies indicate that people take microdosing of psychedelics for various purposes. Common motivations include treating mental health concerns and improving wellbeing and cognition. Individuals also report reduced stress, improved mood and attenuated depression anxiety or PTSD symptoms.

Many individuals who microdose mushrooms also combine them with other substances believed to augment their therapeutic effects, for instance combining psilocybin with non-psychedelic mushrooms such as lion's mane to combat cognitive impairment and depression or supplementing it with vitamin B3 commonly referred to as niacin to improve absorption.