Frequently asked questions about microdosing

Psychedelics (also known as hallucinogens) are a class of psychoactive substances that produce changes in perception, mood and cognitive processes. Psychedelics affect the senses and alter a person's thinking, sense of time and emotions. They can also cause a person to hallucinate: see or hear things that do not exist or are distorted.

There are many different types of psychedelics. Some occur naturally, in trees, seeds, fungi and leaves. Others are made in laboratories (New Psychoactive Substances, LSD and others). They come in many forms, including pill, blotter, dried mushrooms and powders.

The drug wheel (psychedelics)

Common/used types of psychedelics

• LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) is made from a substance found in ergot, a fungus that infects rye.
• Psilocybin is a naturally occurring substance found in mushrooms and found in many parts of the world.
• Mescaline is derived from the Mexican Peyote and San Pedro cactus and has similar effects to LSD.
• DMT (Diemethyltryptamine) is structurally similar to psilocin, an alkaloid found in psilocybin mushrooms. It can be synthesized in the laboratory, but is also a naturally occurring constituent of several plants.
• 2C-B (4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine) is a psychedelic drug first synthesized in 1974. 2C-B is considered both a psychedelic and a mild entactogen. "Entactogenic" means "touching inside" and is a term used by psychiatrists to classify MDMA and related drugs.
• Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is the best known and most powerful psychedelic cactus, although the smallest and slowest growing. Instead of growing upward into a column, it grows as "buds" low to the ground. It has been used for more than 5,000 years by Native Americans

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See also:
What are psychedelics?
What is 1P-LSD?

The word “psychedelica” is a contraction of the Greek words“psyche”and“deloun,” which literally means “to makethe mind visible.”

Although "psychedelics" is the most commonly used name today, these substances have also been known by many other names throughout time. The variety of terms shows that the range of effects that psychedelics can cause is broad and complex.

Phantastica
One of the first names was “phantastica”—coined in the early 20th century and derived from the same root as “fantastic.” It emphasized the visionary and mystical nature of psychedelics.

Hallucinogens
The term “hallucinogens” first appeared in the 1950s. It emphasizes that psychedelics can induce hallucinations (which are sensory perceptions not directly linked to an external stimulus; for example, you see, hear, or smell things that aren’t actually there, or that distort physical reality).

Psychotomimetics
"Psychotomimetics" literally means "mimicking psychosis." It is a very limiting term, as it emphasizes only one aspect of psychedelics. The word "psychosis" conjures up a negative image. Although psychedelics can briefly induce such states, equating the experience with psychosis is misleading.

Entheogens
The term “entheogens” emerged in the 1970s, meaning “to generate the divine within oneself.” This term emphasizes the ability of psychedelics to produce spiritual, religious, and mystical experiences. Entheogens refer directly to these experiences.

Empathogens and entactogens
Finally, in the 1980s, the terms “empathogens” and “entactogens” emerged. These were (and are) used to describe substances such as MDMA. Although not classic psychedelics, they emphasize the ability to achieve or feel a deeper connection with others.

There is no perfect term to encompass the full breadth of psychedelic substances.

Psilocybin and psilocin are substances found in magic mushrooms and certain types of truffles. Psilocybin produces mind-altering effects. The effects vary from person to person, but hallucinations are common, and it can affect your mood and thoughts. The experience is often positive, but sometimes it isn’t. In that case, it’s referred to as a “bad trip.”

The effects of psilocybin and psilocin last about 4 to 6 hours.

Lysergic acid di-ethylamide (_C20H25N3O), also known as LSD-25, is an organic compound with hallucinogenic effects. It was first synthesized in 1938 by Swiss Albert Hofmann from the ergot alkaloids of the cereal fungus ergot.

LSD is an abbreviation of the German word Lysergsäure-diäthylamid. In Dutch, it is translated as lysergic acid diethylamide.

A special property of LSD is that it exhibits psychoactive effects even when taken in very small amounts (25 micrograms - 25-millionths of a gram). In the 20th century, LSD was used worldwide by psychiatrists to treat mental illnesses such as psychosis (e.g., schizophrenia).

The popularity of lsd peaked in the 1960s and declined rapidly after the drug was first criminalized nationally and then by the United Nations in 1971. The 21st century has seen a rise in interest in the microdosing and therapeutic application of lsd.

LSD was classified by researchers at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in 2009 as a relatively harmless drug; addiction or overdose is virtually impossible and the risks are mainly limited to the possibility of a very unpleasant bad trip, which can be prevented by proper preparation(set and setting).

Please note: The possession, use, and production of LSD are prohibited in almost all countries. LSD is not recommended for people with (a predisposition to) psychiatric disorders or during pregnancy.

See also:
Is microdosing safe?
What is 1p-LSD?
Possible side effects
How psychedelics were banned