Welcome to Day 5

Microdosing Foundations

Create a Protocol That Works For You

Intentionally Design it with Devotion.

What Is a Microdosing Protocol?

A microdosing protocol is a conscious rhythm—a pattern of how much to take, how often, and for how long. It’s not just about dosage, it’s about relationship: with yourself, your nervous system, and the sacred ally you’re inviting into your life.

This is the practical container for your intention.

Most people beginning their microdosing journey ask:

  • How often should I microdose?

  • How much should I take?

While these are important questions, they only reveal part of the picture. The deeper inquiry is:

What rhythm honors my body, supports my intention, and supports my life?

Two Well-Known Protocols to Consider

The Fadiman Protocol (LSD or Psilocybin)

Dr. James Fadiman is a pioneer in psychedelic research. His method is known for its gentleness, clarity, and long-term sustainability.

Schedule: 1 day on / 2 days off

Example: Dose on Monday → Rest Tuesday & Wednesday → Dose again Thursday

Benefits:

Prevents tolerance buildup

Provides “comparison” days to assess subtle changes

Integrates well into busy schedules

Ideal for emotional awareness, insight, and cognitive reset

The Stamets Protocol (Psilocybin, Lion’s Mane & Niacin)

Paul Stamets, renowned mycologist, created a “stacking” protocol that combines psilocybin with:

  • Lion’s Mane – A medicinal mushroom shown to support neurogenesis

  • Niacin (Vitamin B3) – Aids in the distribution of these compounds through vasodilation

Schedule: 5 days on / 2 days off

Example: Dose Monday–Friday, rest on the weekend

Benefits:

Designed to support cognitive enhancement and brain regeneration

Especially beneficial for those healing from trauma or burnout

Enhances creativity, learning, and long-term memory

Recommended Dosage for Stamets Stack:

  • Psilocybin: 100–200mg (0.1–0.2g dried mushrooms)

  • Lion’s Mane: 50–200mg

  • Niacin: 100–200mg (may cause a temporary, itchy “flush”—optional to include)

Important Warning About Psilocybin Dosage

A note on the Stamets Stack:
Paul Stamets recommends a wide (and often very high) dosage range for psilocybin in his stacking protocol. Please approach this with caution.

Typical microdose guidelines:

  • A true microdose of psilocybin is 0.1–0.2 grams (100–200 mg) of dried mushrooms

  • This is intended to be sub-perceptual — meaning you should not feel “high” or experience strong psychedelic effects

If you are new to microdosing:

  • Begin at 0.1 grams (100 mg) or less

  • Start low and go slow

  • Gradually increase only if you feel stable and supported

Important: Anything above ~0.5 grams (500 mg) moves into “mini-dosing” territory, where mind-altering effects become much more noticeable.

Always honor your body’s signals, and proceed with patience and care.

A Word of Caution About Niacin (Vitamin B3)

Why it’s included in the Stamets Stack:

  • Niacin is Vitamin B3, and it plays an important role in brain and nervous system health.

  • Stamets includes niacin because it causes vasodilation—it opens the capillaries and may help deliver psilocybin and Lion’s Mane more effectively throughout the body.

  • Niacin deficiency is linked to brain fog, depression, and memory loss.

  • Research supports niacin’s neuroprotective role and its contribution to neuronal development.

Potential benefits:

  • Supports healthy brain function

  • May enhance the distribution of psilocybin and Lion’s Mane

  • Offers neuroprotection for the central nervous system

Important Considerations

Even though niacin has potential benefits, it also comes with strong physical side effects that many people find uncomfortable:

  • Even at 100 mg (the low end of the recommended Stamets dose), it often causes:

    • Skin flushing

    • Redness

    • Itchiness

    • Burning or tingling sensations

  • This reaction becomes more tolerable over time for some, but many people dislike it enough to stop using niacin altogether.

My personal perspective

In my own practice—and in my work with leaders, creatives, and change-makers—microdosing is often used to access flow states.

But flow follows focus.
And if all you can focus on is your itchy, burning skin… it can pull you out of the experience and make it harder to drop into that creative channel.

Tips if you choose to try niacin

  • Start with 50 mg and gradually work up only if it feels supportive.

  • Notice how it impacts your focus, energy, and creativity.

  • Consider rotating your microdosing days—include niacin on some days and skip it on others.

  • Remember: not everyone reacts the same way. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

The Stacking Protocol (Stamets Stack)

Benefits of the Stacking Protocol

Paul Stamets describes his stacking protocol as a formula that may support epigenetic neurogenesis.
Potential benefits include:

  • Enhanced creativity and cognition

  • Support for vision regeneration

  • Support for auditory neuron repair

  • Potential benefits for people with PTSD

Frequency of the Stacking Protocol

  • Stamets recommends: 5 days on / 2 days off

  • This schedule allows for consistent stimulation of neuroplasticity while giving the system time to reset

Determining Your Microdosing Amount

The amount you consume in a microdose depends on several personal factors:

Bodyweight

  • How much you weigh can influence the amount needed to feel subtle effects

  • Generally, those with higher body weight may require slightly higher doses

Tolerance

  • Each person has a different sensitivity to psychedelics

  • If you’re new, your system may be more responsive to smaller amounts

Experience & Desired Outcome

  • Decide whether you want the experience to be sub-perceptual or closer to a mini-dose

  • Beginners often do best keeping doses well below perceptual levels

  • Experienced microdosers sometimes prefer slightly higher doses to enhance creativity

Guidelines:

  • If you’re new, start small and track your experience daily

  • A typical microdose is 0.1–0.2 grams (100–200 mg) dried psilocybin

  • If experimenting with more than ~0.3–0.5 grams, treat it as a mini-dose

  • Avoid driving or high-stakes tasks for at least 3–4 hours after consuming a mini-dose

Example: Fadiman Protocol (1 Day On / 2 Days Off)

Here’s what a 4-week schedule would look like if you start on a Sunday:

Week Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 x O O O X O O

2 O O X O O O X

3 O X O O O X O

4 O O X O O O X

Legend:

  • X = Microdose day

  • O = Off day / integration day

This rhythm creates space to compare your microdosing days with your baseline days, while preventing tolerance buildup.

Your biology, your intentions, and your lifestyle all matter. No protocol replaces your intuition.

Key Questions:

  • What’s your primary reason for microdosing? (Focus? Emotional healing? Creativity?)

  • Are you highly sensitive? Start lower, go slower.

  • Does your week offer space for reflection—or do you need more structure and routine?

  • What rhythm allows you to stay regulated, supported, and spacious?

Customize Your Protocol: Listen, Don’t Just Follow

Alternative Schedules to Explore

Every system is different. Here are flexible options beyond Fadiman and Stamets:

  • 1 day on / 3 days off – Great for highly sensitive individuals

  • 4 days on / 3 days off – A balanced, focused rhythm

  • 1x per week – Deep reset for introspection and creative bursts

  • Cycle-based – Align with your menstrual or lunar cycle for deeper embodiment

The best protocol is the one that works for you. Let data + intuition guide your refinement.

Sacred Practice > Daily Habit

Your protocol becomes more potent when paired with ritual. Microdosing isn't just a supplement—it’s an intentional relationship.

Anchor your microdosing with simple, soul nourishing practices:

  • Breathwork

  • Journaling

  • Mindful movement or stretching

  • Meditation

  • Time in nature

These practices signal to your system that it’s safe to grow, shift, and expand.

Take Integration Breaks

After 4–12 weeks of consistent practice, pause for 3–6 weeks.

Let your system recalibrate. Let your insights settle. Remember: you’re building a relationship with a medicine to build a better relationship with yourself. You are expanding your capacity for resiliency so that you can thrive.

Microdose vs. Macrodose: A Quick Clarifier

Microdose: ~100–200mg dried psilocybin (sub-perceptual, functional)

Macrodose: ~2–5g+ dried psilocybin (full psychedelic experience)

Microdosing is about enhancing your life as it is, expanding our capacity, cognition and strengthening our nervous system.

It supports the nervous system, boosts focus and clarity, opens creative channels, and fosters emotional resilience—when held with respect and intention.

Today’s Invitation

Journal Prompt's :

  • Which protocol feels most aligned with my current intention and lifestyle?

  • Where might I be outsourcing my authority instead of listening inward?

  • What could a morning ritual look like that honors my growth?

Choose your starting point and commit to a 2–4 week rhythm. Track your data (day’s on day’s off and dosage), and track your joy, creativity, softness, and self-trust.

Integration mentor and heart-centered architect of high visions.

Learn to sharpen your self-mastery, unlock deeper creativity, and live unapologetically. Through conscious strategy and soul-aligned guidance, you’ll expand beyond what you thought was possible—within yourself, your work, and your impact.