Microdose Pro dual-extracted Lion’s Mane
3. Microdose Pro Protocol
This microdosing protocol was created by our resident neuropsychologist Djai Baaten and introduced during our group coaching calls. The Microdose Pro Protocol is similar to the Fadiman Protocol, however in this case the days of the week are set and pre-defined.
The main downside of the Fadiman Protocol is that one microdose cycle consists of three days (1 day on, 2 days off), which means that if you start the protocol on a Monday, in the following week you will start on a Wednesday. This can make it a bit confusing.
With the Microdose Pro Protocol, you can decide to microdose only on Monday and Thursday. These days are not evenly spaced out due to the odd number of days in the week.
In this case, some prefer to preselect their days of the week for planning and consistency. It’s easier to remember if it’s a microdosing day or not with the Microdose Pro Protocol.
4. The Intuitive Protocol
By definition, this protocol is solely defined by you and therefore specifically tailored to your specific needs. You decide when to microdose and use your intuition as your guide.
There is only one rule to the Intuitive Protocol: you always leave at least one day between the days you take a microdose.
People who have followed any kind of microdosing protocol for one or two cycles tend to naturally switch to a more intuitive way of microdosing.
After a few cycles of the Fadiman Protocol, many microdosers notice that they naturally fall into a more intuitive approach. With time we learn to notice how we are feeling and when it’s a good time to microdose.
An example I often use is if I tend to forget my microdose, I probably don’t need it. If I notice myself reaching for it and seeking it out, then it’s likely a good time to start again. Any microdosing protocol, by definition, means that there are breaks in between.
5. Nightcap Protocol
The Nightcap Protocol is for those that prefer to microdose psilocybin just before bed.
A nightcap microdosing protocol can be applied to the Fadiman Protocol or to any other protocol in theory. The dosage days remain the same with the exception that the time of dosage is right before bed instead of first thing in the morning.
The difference between microdosing at night rather than first thing in the morning is that we experience five different brain waves during the day.
Our brain goes into theta brainwave state just before we fall asleep and just before we wake up and are fully alert again. Theta is also the state of our brains when we almost automatically drive somewhere familiar but can’t exactly remember driving there.
Optimizing this brainwave state via the neuroplastic properties of psilocybin can be deeply beneficial.
So far, the benefits of microdosing just before bed are based on anecdotal reports as there is currently not enough research yet. Microdosers say that the quality of sleep is greatly improved, waking up feeling fresh and bright while avoiding any mild nausea that some can experience when microdosing psilocybin.
6.The Asha Sultana Protocol
The Asha Sultana Protocol is created by me. It is the addition of a cooking spice to your psilocybin microdosing protocol.
Saffron works on the 5HTP receptors and can be a great mood-boosting supplement.
A 2018 medical study found that:
“One of the most established findings regarding the benefits of saffron is its antidepressant activity. There are clinical trials conducted, evaluating the efficacy of saffron in mild-to-moderate depression. The studies reported that saffron was more effective than placebo and at least equivalent to the therapeutic doses of imipramine and fluoxetine.”
Eating a few strands of saffron with your microdose in the morning can potentially lift your mood in rather surprising ways.
How to add saffron to your microdosing protocol? Combine it with the Fadiman Protocol or the Intuitive Protocol.
Whether you microdose every third day, as per the Fadiman Protocol, or perhaps you microdose on specific days of the week; saffron is a great addition to either protocol.
Saffron can be found in any grocery store and only a few strands are needed. It can be chewed but if the flavor is too bitter can be added to drinks/smoothies.
7. Functional Mushroom Stacking Protocols
Next to the Stamets Stack, more and more people are adding other functional mushrooms to their microdosing routine.
Instead of stacking only with Lion’s Mane when doing a Stamets Protocol, here we also combine mushrooms like Chaga, Reishi, and/or Cordyceps with psilocybin.
There is a synergy that becomes available when mushrooms are combined. Our bodies welcome their potentially healing compounds and work together seamlessly.
Chaga, Reishi, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane each have such specific yet overlapping potential effects that supplementing with them while taking psilocybin can be a great ally to optimal health.
What do functional mushroom stacking protocols look like?
Functional mushrooms can be taken daily without interruption, 7 days a week, and are applicable to any of the protocols chosen from the list mentioned above.
Based on our confidence in the benefits of combining functional mushrooms with psilocybin, we’ve created our own Mushroom Essentials Complex. A product that blends Chaga, Reishi, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane into convenient capsules.
Check out our Mushroom Essential Complex here.
