The Psychedelic Diaries, Vol X: Mastering the macrodose

Ray Christian
3 min readJun 11, 2021

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“The more one meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be ones world and the world at large”

— Confucius

Free version of this article is here

The Psychedelic Diaries Refresher

This series chronicles monthly macrodosing — full-dose, intentional psychedelic therapy sessions — over a five year period. Challenges, preparation, and overall impact are detailed in the volumes below.

Mastering the macrodose

This all started because of a crush on a girl.

In the process, I had a number of realizations, discovered the Mozart Zone, and met God.

Psychedelics are our best tool for mental health, creativity, and finding purpose.

And yet, an adventure into the mind can be intimidating.

The first nine articles in these Psychedelic Diaries detailed many nuances of macrodosing… this 10th volume will touch on the dosage I used.

Three stages

There are 3 stages of mastering the psilocybin macrodose:

  1. Getting acquainted
  2. Deep cleanings
  3. Mind maintenance

I’ll share my Sasha-Shulgin-inspired approach to each stage, followed by brief thoughts on microdosing and mushroom cultivation.

Stage 1: Getting acquainted

Purpose

Get comfortable with the substance and ramp up to full dosage

How

Three trips of increasing dosage, with proper preparation:

  1. A 0.42g microdose with a walk in the park
  2. Two weeks later, a half dose (1.75g–2.0g) alone or with a copilot, indoors
  3. One month later a full dose (3.5g) alone or with a copilot, indoors

Upshot

  • Illuminations that change the trajectory of life in beautiful ways
  • Mind and body are now familiar with the medicine

Stage 2: Deep cleanings

Purpose

Neural pathways have “gummed up” over the years. A few deep sessions will reset brain connectivity.

How

Alternating full and half doses, 1x a month, for 4 months

  1. Month 1 — 3.5g alone or with a copilot, indoors
  2. Month 2 — 1.75g alone or with a copilot, in nature
  3. Month 3 — 3.5g alone, indoors
  4. Month 4 — 2.0g alone, in nature

Upshot

  • The mind will be reset with tremendous connectivity and a quieter default mode network
  • The effects of the Mozart Zone will be pronounced

Stage 3: Mind maintenance

Purpose

Establish a cadence that gives the mind consistent access to full capacity.

How

A full or half dose on the last Saturday of each month.

Schedule 1 full dose for every 2 half doses. In other words, month 1 is a 3g–4g dose, then month 2 and 3 are half that amount. For example:

  1. Jan — 3.5g
  2. Feb — 1.75g
  3. Mar — 2.5g

Reset the full-half-half cadence each quarter with one caveat: the mind and body may need 6–8 weeks after especially profound trips.

Alternate between these four settings:

  1. Indoors, alone
  2. In nature, with a copilot
  3. Indoors, with a copilot
  4. In nature, alone

Upshot

  • The mind’s EQ and IQ are asymptote-close to full capacity
  • Drastically improved mental health
  • Major impact on problem solving and creativity
  • Raised consciousness with a deep sense of purpose

Too much?

It’s fair to ask whether this is too much psychedelic therapy.

For my body, the clear answer is no.

I experimented with 2, 3, and 4-month breaks… and experienced diminished results.

Some trips are so powerful that a 6–8 week break is ideal. However, the schedule above was the sweet spot for me 90% of the time.

Microdosing and growing

I utilize 2–5 smaller microdose sessions during the month:

  • 0.07g–0.15g for complex problem solving and creativity at work
  • 0.42g for weekend microdosing

I used Double Blind to learn how to grow and Sporeworks for finding research spores.

In an ineffable space like this, it’s tough to handicap how much psychedelics have already done for us.

It’s just as tough to put an upper bound on the future possibilities.

This psychedelic renaissance is a beautiful thing.

If you’re ready, there’s an adventure waiting.

ray@textpert.ai

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Ray Christian
Ray Christian

Written by Ray Christian

Innovator, designer, strategist, public speaker, psychonaut. Engaged in a love affair with cutting-edge mental healthcare, AI, & psychedelics