BY AARDE WRITES for WEEKLY VOLCANO 6/27/25 |
Hey Aarde,
I’ve been dealing with some depression and anxiety and have had a few of my hippie friends mention microdosing to me. I’m worried that it’s just a trend, so I’m cautious about jumping on the bandwagon—but I’m still curious if it could actually help me. But even if I wanted to take them, I don’t even know how I would obtain them, let alone how to do them safely.
—Reluctant Psychonaut
Hey Reluctant Psychonaut,
Luckily, the active ingredient, psilocybin, in magic mushrooms has a long track record of human use, which is helpful when feeling fear about the decision to use it personally. Before missionaries destroyed records pertaining to teonanacatl (“god’s flesh”) among the South American Aztec Indians in the 1500s, these magic mushrooms were used in religious and healing rituals for thousands of years. Four hundred years later, experimentation with psychotropic substances had been pushed into the shadowy realm of taboo, regardless of abundant positive anecdotal evidence and compelling scientific data (see Harvard and Johns Hopkins peer-reviewed journals on the topic). It has continuously operated on the periphery of human development.
In 1971, ethnobotanist Terence McKenna had a profound revelation about his view of human consciousness while in the Amazon rainforest of Colombia following the ingestion of psilocybin mushrooms. This experience led him to dedicate his life to understanding and sharing the importance of reciprocal interaction between humans, nature, and everything in between. Google Terence McKenna to find ample information on this subject. Since then, neuroscientists have conducted many clinical studies in which they performed brain scans after administering psilocybin and observed not chaos but a reorganization of neuroplasticity within the brain, specifically in the control center (also known as the part that contains the ego), as abandoned synapses begin to connect as if specifically designed to do so.
McKenna suggested three dosage levels: Low dosage increases vision and concentration. Medium dosage lowers social boundaries and encourages community. High dosage leads to the obliteration of the ego—a necessary death to partake in the reciprocal interaction that is nature—that is, life.
Studies have shown that veterans who have PTSD, cancer patients who are facing a terminal outcome, postpartum mothers, and people who experience depression and anxiety like yourself—as well as artists, writers, and tech gurus—mostly have positive results when partaking, whether they are using it for a bit of creativity, focus, general mindfulness, perhaps to remove the ego from painful memories, to heal addiction, or to overcome the ultimate existential fear of death. Almost all recipients have experienced a net gain.
As with any physical or mental health–related topic, I recommend doing your homework with recent and active clinical studies. The FDA, NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse), and NIH (National Institutes of Health) all have current journals offering a wealth of information on how psilocybin is used to treat a multitude of symptoms.
While psilocybin mushrooms remain illegal under federal and Washington State law, Tacoma has deprioritized their enforcement locally—though individuals can still face arrest by state or federal agencies. As far as obtaining magic mushrooms, I suggest asking the friends who told you to microdose in the first place. If that doesn’t sound enticing, there are online stores where you can make a purchase (www.GoldenEuphorics.com, based in Oregon, offers an easy and safe experience); be sure to research the different strains to see if one better suits your intentions (e.g., I prefer Golden Teacher to Penis Envy). Please do not eat mushrooms you find in the forest unless you are with a mushroom expert who can fully commit and verify with a spore test.
There are numerous online guides to microdosing; find the one that best suits your needs. You will likely see some similarities in the instructions, as well as some suggestions for alterations. It is advisable to have a trusted, non-participating guide if you decide to macro-dose for the first time. Typically, 1.5 grams or less is considered a microdose, while doses of 5–7 grams or more are considered “heroic” and can often change a person’s life forever. Start lower than commonly suggested to determine a personal baseline, and then work your way up to whatever you feel is warranted for yourself.
I believe in a good ego-shattering macro dose at least once in your life, if not every five years or so, followed by a microdose routine to maintain the benefits of connecting yourself to the world around you. My first experience was 2.75 grams, and it changed my life for the better. I’ve found that three months of the year, microdosing 1.5 grams three days a week, I enjoy the benefits that guide me out of fear and scarcity and into alignment with love and abundance. I take a capsule along with my other vitamins and supplements. I go about my day focused, creative, and loving to myself and others.
Knowledge is power, so be sure to check out local groups like the Tacoma Psychedelic Society, which keeps an ongoing calendar with events, workshops, book clubs, and discussions. Additionally, consider attending events hosted by the Key Peninsula Psychedelic Society, whose mission statement is “To provide accessible education, advocacy, and community services that promote the understanding of safe, ethical, and inclusive use of psychedelics for healing, personal growth, and spiritual exploration” and who offer “community-led conversations with honest dialogue about the practice of microdosing for wellness, creativity, mental health, and more.” Their next meeting will cover an in-depth look at MDMA, another trendy but ancient topic, and will be held at the Home Fire Station on Wednesday, July 2.
It’s a summer day, and you can smell the flowers from many feet away. The sky is blue, a hue you haven’t seen since childhood. The leaves on the trees seem to tickle your eyes as they flutter in the wind. While you take in the beauty that surrounds you, you realize that the inner critic has been quieted, the anxious inner narrator hushed. You accept yourself as an integral part of the world that surrounds you. You leave the shadows behind and begin to live.
Disclaimer: Consult with a healthcare provider before trying any unregulated or experimental treatment.
Do you have a question for Ask Aarde? Email her at jdaarde@gmail.com.
