Magic Mushrooms, Macrodosing, & The God Experience

Key takeaways.

So you want to know what the psychedelic experience is all about? We applaud you. It’s a curious venture. For the record, there is no real manual for how to take psychedelics. A lot of it boils down to personal preference. But there are safe ways to take psychedelics if you want to be macrodosing magic mushrooms (3g and above). In this article, we’re talking about how to create a safe and healthy environment for a magic mushroom macrodose so that if the God Experience happens, you’re prepared.

There are lots of legends that have laid out founding principles; Timothy Leary, Terrence McKenna and Carlos Castaneda just to name a few. Everybody has their tips, tricks, and suggestions. 

Many curious psychonauts came before you, inquisitive mushroom explorer. It’s only right to draw on the knowledge of those who came before us and those who were brave enough to jump in without any guidance. Luckily, we don’t have to do that. So let’s have look at the advice and findings of the magic mushroom veterans of our life times.

What is a macrodose and The God Experience?

Pretty much anything over 3g can be considered a macrodose. The God Experience is something that a lot of psychedelic users report when they use a psychedelic substance at a high dose. It’s otherwise called a “mystical”, “spiritual”, “ultimate reality” or “religious” experience. In case you’re wondering how much is a lot, there’s a number of scientific surveys about this mystical occurrence. In one study, researchers found that two thirds of psychedelic users who self-reported as atheist said they stopped carrying that view after a mystical psychedelic experience.

It’s an uncannily common thing to happen under the effects of psychedelics. It’s also what a lot of people happen to be chasing when they take larger doses of mushrooms.

According to Terrence McKenna, the heroic dose exists at 7g and above, but we never recommend actually taking that much until you’ve had a lot of practise using magic mushrooms. Anything over 3g is a macrodose through and through, and if you’re brave to start somewhere on the macrodosing spectrum, we recommend you start at 3g.

The set and setting is...everything.

People talk a lot about “set” and “setting” when it comes to taking psychedelics. The “set” is your own internal landscape and psychology, whereas the “setting” is the physical environment such as the location and the people you’re with. It’s important to create, above all, a safe set and setting in which you can take a macrodose.

So let’s break it down. What’s safe?

In a safe environment, you should:

• Feel trust for the people around you
• Feel confident in your surroundings
• You know your environment well (it’s your house, a friend’s house, an area you know very well)

We don’t recommend taking your first macrodose at a music festival, for example. Lower doses might be more appropriate in those settings.

Timothy Leary talks about the set and setting in his book, The Psychedelic Experience. He mentions that the most important thing about your setting is that you are removed from the daily games and distractions of everyday life. It’s important that during the time of your dose, you won’t be bothered by visitors, phone calls, and electronic devices. You should create a space that is conducive to quietude and meditation.

It can be helpful to keep creative, meditative tools around such as musical instruments or drawing supplies. These tools can help you feel into the expressive moment of the experience and connect with the potential of the mystical experience.

The reason it’s important not to take a macrodose and involve yourself in the games of everyday life (exchanging money, social niceties) is because these can cause hallucinatory activity that is a distraction from the God Experience or the “ultimate reality” experience.

Terrence McKenna recommends taking magic mushrooms in a dark room with music on to induce an ultimate reality experience. He suggests that the body itself can be a distraction, and laying still and focusing on music can remove the physical body as a distraction.

Preparation for your mind and body.

You shouldn’t just walk into a magic mushroom trip the same way you walk into a movie theatre. For lots of people, the psychedelic experience turns into one of the most powerful in their lives. You should dedicate a couple of days preparation to the experience and at least one or two days to recuperate afterwards.

The cleaner/simpler your diet is leading up to a magic mushroom journey, the less nausea you can expect to experience. This means minimising alcohol, cigarettes, red meat, and sugars. Magic mushrooms are best consumed on an empty stomach or on a very light, simple breakfast. Nausea can occur, so an empty stomach minimises this.

It’s good to have at least one day prior to your journey to spend in a quiet headspace. You can use the time to meditate on your intentions for a macrodose or you can simply take a day for self care, whatever that may be for you. This preparation gives your mind a chance to “detox” so that there isn’t too much mental interference with your journey.

Taking care of yourself after a macrodose.

Timothy Leary puts a strong emphasis on the “re-entry”. As we mentioned, psychedelic experiences can be really powerful. The more time you have after your journey to integrate and understand the experience, the better. In The Psychedelic Experience, Timothy Leary goes to great lengths to explain the re-entry and the different ways it can occur. It all starts when the psychedelic journey is coming to an end. Essentially, you emerge as a new person and that is a delicate thing in the days that follow.

You shouldn’t have to go to work, social events, or do “life admin” kind of tasks in the 2 or 3 days after your journey. You should stay quiet, do self care, meditate, take baths, drink herbal tea, eat good clean food, and in general, stay simple. You can imagine how confusing it could be to have “The God Experience” and then go to a stressful work meeting. 

Eat lots of fruits. Drink lots of water. And be very kind to yourself.

It can be very difficult to talk about and describe the psychedelic experience and sometimes it’s not met with the most openness. Part of taking care of yourself after your experience is to be understanding of this. It’s great to talk about your journey with others who have used mushrooms or reach out to those who you shared your journey with. 

We would love to hear the religious psychedelic psilocybin experiences of our audience. Drop your story in the comments!