The story about a research study showing that small amounts of the drug can be safely used for treating mental health issues was first published in October 2020.
The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has found that the drug can be safely administered at 10 or 25mg. Alongside talking therapy can be used as a potential treatment for a range of mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Our story continues.
I have always been fascinated by the idea of giving hallucinogenic drugs to boost productivity. I am easily distracted and chaotic so taking small amounts of recreational drugs to help me is a good idea.
Microdosing for productivity is nothing new. Silicon Valley nerds have been talking about taking small amounts of drugs for a long time and this talk from Paul Austin has always been one of the most popular ones on our channel.
The idea of microdosing sparked real interest at the company and we even set up a dedicated channel for it on Slack. My colleagues and I didn't dare to take the plunge and the idea just fizzled out despite loving his talk.
There is a magical moment.
My dreams of microdosing were sparked again this year when a developer friend of mine wouldn't shut up about how his productivity and problem-solving skills had improved after he started microdosing. He made it sound like a drug from Limitless starring Bradley Cooper.
I decided to take the plunge. I got a tab of the drug, put it in some booze, and started doing small amounts.
I increased my dose until I noticed something. I felt restless instead of the productivity boost I was promised. It was like drinking too much coffee made you feel uncomfortable.
I dropped the idea of microdosing again and moved on with my life until I stumbled across an ad for Earth Resonance, a startup that sells microdosing packages from their website. I had been looking for a streamlined microdosing experience and it seemed I had found it.
How does it work?
They don't sell LSD, but magic truffles. You take a small amount of truffles every day and you get a buzz that helps you focus, organize and work.
The credit is given to the website Reddit.
I contacted them for an interview and asked if I could try their product, because I am a cheap writer. I got a month's worth of truffles, a tiny scale, and a document called the Protocol after a good chat with their two founders.
The Protocol is an extensive guide that helps you with the process, determine your ideal dose, set your goal, and give you some tips on things like meditation.
You start with a relatively small dose every other day, and increase it until you hit your sweet spot, which turned out to be 1.2 grams for me. If you increase your dose every other day, you can figure out what works best for you.
If you want to follow the Protocol the way it is intended, you have to stop drinking coffee and alcohol, stop smoking, and meditate every day.
I did this for the first week, but realized it wasn't doing much for me. I started microdosing because I wanted to be more productive. I decided to finish the month but not do all the Protocol-stuff after spending a week at my mom's cabin without microdosing. It was a great decision.
In the months leading up to the conference, I did a dose every time I had a busy day. In the first half of the day, it improved my productivity the most.
It is difficult to describe the effects of a microdose accurately. Sometimes you have a really productive day, for no apparent reason. Microdosing has a similar feeling. You feel more creative, and tasks get easier to tackle.
It is a relatively minor effect, so I suggest you set your expectations accordingly, but it is a powerful tool once you get used to it. The effect is subdued, but the results I saw in my work were far from it.
Credit: Wikimedia
Earth Resonance wants to give everyone a chance to see what it is like to microdose psilocybin truffles in a legal way.
A recent change in the Dutch tax code has made it possible for me. The legal status of magic truffles allowed companies like Earth Resonance to start selling online without having to worry about repercussions.
Robert Nass, the founder of Earth Resonance, told me that people have begun to use microdosing. People are starting to look for new ways to deal with these weird conditions.
Credit: Earth Resonance
It is not for everyone to experiment with hallucinogenic drugs. Earth Resonance offers online consulting for 89,00 for 1 hour to help people prepare for their microdosing month. I didn't get to try this aspect, but the thought of being experts on staff to guide people gives you an idea of how serious this company is.
The future of microdosing.
The answer Nass gave when I asked about the future of his company stuck with me. Nass' product would be part of the Dutch healthcare package if it was up to him. I admire his ambition and would love to see birth control medication included in our healthcare package.
The Netherlands is the only country that allows over-the-counter sales of the drug. Canada is next according to Nass. He told me that Canada will legalized it within the next three years. I hope they do.
If you have been curious about microdosing, I can recommend you give it a try. We all work from home, so why not experiment with small amounts of drugs? I am confident that more people will benefit from giving it a try because it has been a great experience for me.
It is possible that the future of work is also on drugs.
Before ordering, please read Earth Resonance's healthcare disclaimer. If you have doubts or have any underlying conditions, you should consult with your physician.
