Key takeaways.
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What is a macrodose?
A magic mushroom macrodose is anything over 3g.
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What's the God experience?
The God experience is a mystical or religious experience that many mushroom users report having. It is often accompanied with divine revelation and long-lasting effects on emotions and psychology.
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Our tips for setting up the right environment for a macrodose?
Feel trust for the people around you, feel confident in your surroundings, and know your environment well (do it at your house or a friend's house but not in a completely foreign public environment).
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How can you take care of yourself after a macrodose?
Take a few days off work and keep your diet clean and simple. Avoid alcohol and heavy foods and this can extend the feeling of peace and euphoria that comes after a macrodose.
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.
At My Supply Co., we describe a macrodose as any dose exceeding 1g of magic mushrooms. However, for this guide, we're talking about bonafide psychedelic experiences of 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.
Many legends have laid out founding principles for the macrodosing experience: Timothy Leary, Terrence McKenna, and Carlos Castaneda, to name a few. Each has their own tips, tricks, and suggestions.
There is a long and celebrated history of intrepid psychonauts that 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 take a leaf of faith without any guidance.
Luckily, we don’t have to do that.
So, let’s take a look at the advice and findings of the magic mushroom veterans of our lifetimes.
What is a macrodose, and what is 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 "a lot" is, there are a number of scientific surveys about this mystical occurrence. In one study, researchers found that two-thirds of psychedelic users who self-reported as atheists said they stopped carrying that view after a mystical psychedelic experience.
It’s an uncannily common occurrence under the effects of psychedelics. Not coincidentally, 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 practice using magic mushrooms. Anything over 3g is a macrodose through and through, and if you’re brave enough to start somewhere on the macrodosing spectrum, we recommend you start at 3g.
Set and setting are...everything.
You've probably heard that you should be mindful of your “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 is 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)
For example, we don’t recommend taking your first macrodose at a music festival, where anything can happen and you're surrounded by the unfamiliar. Lower doses, like a museum dose, might be more appropriate in those settings.
Timothy Leary discusses 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 tap into the expressive moments of the psychedelic experience and connect with the potential of the mystical experience.
It’s also crucial not to take a macrodose and involve yourself in the games of everyday life (exchanging money, social niceties), because these can cause hallucinatory activity that distract 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 becomes one of the most powerful events in their lives. Instead, you should dedicate a couple of days to preparing for the experience and at least one or two days to recuperate and integrate afterwards.
It’s good to take at least one day before 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.
Read: The "Bad Trip" – Why It Happens and How to Avoid It
The cleaner and simpler your diet is leading up to a psychedelic magic mushroom journey, the less nausea you can expect to experience. This means minimizing alcohol, cigarettes, red meat, and sugars. Magic mushrooms are best consumed on an empty stomach or after a very light, simple breakfast. Nausea can occur, so an empty stomach minimizes this.
There are other ways you can prepare your mushrooms to minimize nausea. Lemon teking, the practice of creating an magic mushroom extract using lemon juice, is a popular method for consuming magic mushrooms. This method has the added benefits of reducing nausea while increasing the potency of the trip. At the same time, it reduces the overall length of the trip. However, we don't recommend lemon teking for beginners, as it can make the trip 2 - 5 times more intense.
Making shroom tea can also reduce the nausea, and makes for a beautiful and meditative pre-trip ritual that creates space to set intentions and ease into the psychedelic experience.
You can also incorporate other herbs to reduce nausea and enhance the overall effects of your trip. At My Supply Co., we formulated Balanced High (aka Scooby Snacks) with magic mushrooms plus powerful adaptogens, nootropics, and superfoods to promote emotional balance, enhance mental clarity, and reduce digestive issues. The result? A better trip without the unwanted effects.
Read: Scooby Snacks Mushrooms: Everything You Need to Know First
Read: Meet My Supply Co.'s Take on Scooby Snacks Mushrooms
Taking care of yourself after a macrodose.
Timothy Leary puts a strong emphasis on “re-entry”. As we mentioned, psychedelic experiences can be deeply impactful. 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. To him, re-entry starts when the psychedelic journey is coming to an end. Essentially, you emerge as a new person — like a butterfly emerging from the cocoon, you're somewhat delicate in the days that follow.
You shouldn’t have to go to work, social events, or do “life admin” tasks in the 2 or 3 days after your journey. You should embrace quiet, practice self-care, meditate, take baths, drink herbal tea, eat good clean food, and, in general, keep it 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.
Read: Taking Psilocybin Helps Promote Other Healthful Behaviours
It can be awkward and tricky trying to describe the ineffability of the psychedelic experience to people who haven't tried it or weren't there, and it isn't always met with openness; understanding this is crucial to taking care of yourself after your experience. Instead, it can be helpful 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!
