“Oh no, microdosing psilocybin won’t do a thing for me!”
he exclaimed, in total disbelief during our initial discovery session. He went on to tell me he was wrestling with grief and depression from his partner dying a couple of years ago and trauma from an abusive childhood. “I need something stronger to knock all that out!” he declared.
In our take-a-pill-and-feel-better culture, people just want relief by taking that pill – or a whole bunch of them. Of course, if that was an approach that worked, we wouldn’t have an epidemic of anxiety, depression and despair in our Western world.
And this is where so many are confused in believing that magic mushrooms are going to sweep all their bad feelings away. It can help, but I have found in my practice that this miraculous plant medicine offers its greatest benefits when paired with a proven method of integration – technologies that include various techniques and practices to condition the nervous system, which heightens awareness of how we’re feeling and why we’re feeling it.
When painful emotions arise in our head, pleading, “I just want you to see me and be with me!” …it’s easier said than done. So, my work is to make it as smooth as possible for people to feel what they’re feeling. Let me say, it’s never a walk in the park learning to be with the emotions that are tethered to trauma in the body and the energetic system.
That’s why when “difficult” emotions arise… anxiety, sadness, depression, shame and the like, the standard approach is to push them back. That is force them out of your mind – trying to think “pleasant” thoughts or at least distract ourselves from the pain. But, as you probably have observed, when we do this, those yucky feelings usually shove back with a vengeance, throwing us into further emotional turmoil.
The answer is not to try to “erase” difficult emotions in favor of more pleasant ones but to understand that those emotions are here to heal us. And when we know this and meet them, it’s the key to the kingdom of peace, clarity and centeredness. And psilocybin microdosing can enliven and accelerate this process.
Macrodoses or Microdoses … a little or a lot?
So often I hear from people who regularly do full-on psilocybin trips in order to “reset” their depression and anxiety. Yet in 2-to-4 months the symptoms most often begin returning. What’s pivotal to optimizing the benefit of the plant medicine are practices and techniques that will “set” the changes. Hence, a well designed “integration” framework can catalyze the medicine to go deep, making enduring changes at both physical and energetic levels – remodeling nerve cells, rewiring the brain and creating shifts in our awareness. Starting with small amounts (rather than macrodoses) offers the opportunity to carry on with our daily life while being present with the changes that are happening. Once cultivating a confident mindset with the small amounts, the macrodoses can always come later, if even needed by then.
It’s reported that “properly conducted” psilocybin therapy can lead to lasting improvements in mood, insights, and creativity. Yet the science around this is in its nascent stages and the interpretation of “properly conducted” is an evolving and moving target. Not to mention psychedelic therapy sessions costing as much as $3000 per session in Oregon, where it’s now legal.
As an emotions therapist I’m invested in helping people discover their spectrum of emotions – as it’s the only way to embrace what we’re feeling so that we can be with it, process it and release it. And a small amount of psilocybin on a regular basis over a period of time amplifies this entire process and can create permanent changes in self-regulation and self-healing.
I believe microdosing can be an important tool, along with everything else we do, to rewire your relationship with life while breaking free from habitual negative thought patterns. If you have thoughts on this, I invite you to drop down to the comments section and let me know.
With Love,
Becca
P.S. If you’re curious to experiment with microdosing and my Emotional Liberation method, I invite you to consider joining me for personal 1-1 sessions. Click this link to connect with me for personal sessions or feel free to set a time with me to find out more.