education

Resources and Supporting Literature
Here you will find articles and scientific papers about the latest science regarding microdosing.

"When we're children, our brains are much more flexible and malleable in terms of we haven't really formulated our beliefs about ourselves or how the world around us operates. They're really, really flexible. But as we get into adulthood, our brains become more rigid and we become much more solidified in those beliefs, and it's hard to change them.

When we're on a psychedelic, our brains become much more flexible, or entropic; we get back to that state of childlike wonder and awe. 

I think that that shows a lot of promise in terms of how and why it seems like psychedelics are having some promise for PTSD, other types of trauma, depression, anxiety, negative beliefs about your body, all of these things are being studied right now." 

-Jennifer Chesak, author of The Psilocybin Handbook for Women

Furthering your own research:

Experienced microdosers often experiment with many different protocols and frequently cite advantages and drawbacks to each method; some claim that supplement stacking is a more robust and effective protocol for cognitive function and promoting overall mental health. For those interested in contributing to the body of microdosing research, an experimental app called microdose.me has been developed in collaboration with the health research company Quantified Citizen and the Canadian arm of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

“I’m going to say something provocative, but I believe it to my core:
Psilocybin makes nicer people.. Psilocybin will make us more
intelligent and better citizens.” - Paul Stamets, 2022

The following is the benefits list from our home page, with sources:

Cognitive & Creative Performance

• Sharper focus, concentration, and mental clarity (self-reports; microdose studies mixed) — linked to subjective improvements in microdosing; placebo-controlled trials are inconclusive ScienceDirectSan Francisco Chronicle

• Enhanced memory and cognitive flexibility (self-reports; limited objective data) — early promising signs, but evidence remains anecdotal ScienceDirect

• Increased creativity and problem-solving skills (self-reports; pilot studies) — some pilot data suggest benefit, but not yet confirmed ScienceDirect

• Boosted productivity and sustained motivation (self-reports) — widely reported anecdotally; not yet robustly studied AP News

• Improved psychomotor performance (especially for older adults) (Lion’s Mane; small human RCTs) — supporting evidence from small studies using Hericium erinaceus PubMedAlzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
  
  

Emotional & Mental Well-Being

• Reduced anxiety, depression, and stress (macrodose RCTs; microdose self-reports) — psilocybin therapy shows strong effects; microdosing anecdotal WikipediaPMCAP News

• Balanced mood and greater emotional resilience (self-reports) — widely reported by users AP NewsScienceDirect

• Increased courage and a more positive outlook (self-reports) — common anecdotal mention AP News

• Greater self-compassion and self-awareness (self-reports) — user-centered accounts and journaling outcomes AP News

• Relief from PTSD-related symptoms (pilot studies; mostly macrodose) — emerging interest; anecdotal & exploratory clinical reports Wikipedia+1

• OCD symptom relief (pilot trials with psilocybin; macrodose) — small-scale trial evidence exists Wikipedia+1
  
  

Mindfulness & Connection

• Deeper self-reflection and mindfulness (self-reports) — widely cited in user narratives AP News

• Stronger sense of connection to self and others (self-reports; supported in macrodose trials) — deeply noted in both macro-therapeutic and anecdotal use WikipediaAP News

• Improved communication and social ease (self-reports) — frequently noted by users AP News
  
  

Physical Health & Vitality

• Better sleep quality and appetite regulation (self-reports; Lion’s Mane may support sleep regulation) — limited data; some small trials suggest benefit Verywell HealthAlzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

• May support REM sleep and reduce neuroinflammation (emerging; preclinical + self-reports) — speculative; not yet confirmed in humans Verywell HealthAlzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation

• Fewer headaches and less muscle tension (cluster headache/migraine case reports & pilot data) — small studies show reductions in cluster frequency ScienceDirectHeadache JournalThe GuardianWikipedia

• Potential improvement in visual acuity (anecdotal; no controlled trials yet) 

• Enhances immune, gut, heart, and metabolic function (Lion’s Mane + Niacin; preclinical + small human studies) — early preclinical and minor human findings Verywell HealthAlzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
  
  

Long-Term Brain Health

• Supports neuron growth and overall brain health (Lion’s Mane NGF activity; preclinical + small RCTs) — supported by NGF data and small RCTs Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation+1

• Promotes neuroplasticity and long-term habit change (self-reports + neuroimaging in macrodose trials) — supported by neuroimaging and patient histories arXivWikipedia
  
  

Additional Emerging Benefits

• May support behavior change in alcohol and tobacco use disorders (macrodose therapy RCTs + pilot studies) — RCTs show ~83% reduction in heavy drinking; promising pilot tobacco data JAMA NetworkTIMEWikipedia

• Relief from end-of-life anxiety/depression in cancer patients (macrodose RCTs) — positive RCT outcomes in existential distress trials Wikipedia  https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.05176?

Foundational Voices & Books

• Fadiman, James. The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys. (2011)

• Stamets, Paul. Talks, patents & lectures on the Stamets Stack (psilocybin + Lion’s Mane + niacin).

• Korb, Sophia & Fadiman, James. Ongoing Microdosing Research Study (large self-report dataset).

• Janikian, Michelle. Your Psilocybin Mushroom Companion (2019).

• Waldman, Ayelet. A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life (2017).

• Austin, Paul. Microdosing Psychedelics: A Practical Guide to Upgrade Your Life (2019).

• Hatsis, Thomas. Microdosing Magic: A Psychedelic Spellbook (2018).
  
  

Clinical Trials & Reviews

• Carhart-Harris, R. et al. Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression (Lancet, 2016)

• Griffiths, R. et al. Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer (J Psychopharmacol, 2016)

• Davis, A. et al. Effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy on major depressive disorder (JAMA Psychiatry, 2020)

• Bogenschutz, M. et al. Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence (JAMA Psychiatry, 2022)

• Kuypers, K. et al. Microdosing psychedelics: More questions than answers? (Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2019)

• Polito, V. & Stevenson, R. A systematic study of microdosing psychedelics (PLoS ONE, 2019)

• ScienceDirect Review. Microdosing Psychedelics: Motivations, Substances, Outcomes, Knowledge Gaps (2022)

Specific Compounds (Lion’s Mane & Niacin)

• Mori, K. et al. Improving cognitive functions in older adults: a randomized controlled trial with Lion’s Mane mushroom (Phytother Res, 2009)

• Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation – Lion’s Mane Cognitive Vitality rating

• VeryWell Health — Lion’s Mane benefits & nutrition profile (2023)

• Mayo Clinic — Niacin (Vitamin B3) supplement overview

Condition-Specific Research

• Headache Journal — Psilocybin for cluster headaches: a promising new treatment (2022)

• Wikipedia — Addiction psychology (includes OCD pilot studies with psilocybin)

• Wikipedia — Psychedelic therapy (overview of trials in depression, anxiety, PTSD)

• PMC — Current perspectives on psilocybin-assisted therapy (review, 2022)

• arXiv — Psilocybin, brain networks & neuroplasticity imaging findings

Media & User Reports

• AP News — Why people are microdosing mushrooms (2021)

• TIME Magazine — Psilocybin shows promise for treating alcohol addiction (2022)

• The Guardian — Cluster headaches and magic mushrooms (2025)

Emerging & Anecdotal Areas

• Sleep / REM support & neuroinflammation - VeryWell Health: Lion’s Mane benefits

• Immune, gut, heart & metabolic function - VeryWell Health: Lion’s Mane benefits

• Visual acuity improvements - anecdotal only (no controlled trials yet)