Microdosing Table Talk

In conversation with the neuroscientists who is tracking brain activity in microdosers.

On this podcast the Microdosing Institute team interviews guests who make important contributions to the field of microdosing, and today in particular the science of microdosing. We’re sitting here with Conor Murray, who’s a neuroscientist at UCLA, and among the first researchers who found placebo controlled evidence that microdosing acts powerfully on the brain.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Conor Murray is a neuroscientist specializing in psychedelics and altered states of consciousness at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His doctoral thesis centered on neuroplasticity mechanisms underlying cocaine and methamphetamine addiction. At UCLA, he is continuing this work now with psilocybin-assisted therapy for individuals with cocaine use disorder. Conor’s published work also includes the neuroscience of very low, or microdoses of psychedelic compounds, specifically LSD.

His placebo-controlled studies, conducted with Harriet de Wit at the University of Chicago, have shown that despite microdoses being indistinguishable from placebo on most subjective measures, the microdose acts powerfully on the brain, replicating findings from higher doses of psychedelics, while improving brain responses that are blunted by depression and other psychiatric disorders.

Conor’s neuroscience of psychedelics extends from the microscopic to the macroscopic level, with a citizen neuroscience project poised to tackle questions related to microdosing on brain health around the world.

IN THIS CONVERSATION

Conor Murray studied the effects of LSD versus placebo on resting-state EEG and event-related potential (ERP) responses in healthy adults.

The results constitute the first evidence that low doses of LSD increase reward-related brain activity in humans. These findings may have important implications for the treatment of depressive disorders.

In addition to discussing these findings, we talk about:

• How Conor got into microdosing research

🔎 HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH?

Visit httpw://Psynautics.com

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Alan watts - Psychedelics and Religious Experience (1968)

https://lawcat.berkeley.edu/record/1110164

Repeated low doses of LSD in healthy adults: A placebo-controlled, dose-response study.

De Wit H, et al (2022). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35106880/

Low doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) increase reward-related brain activity

Glazer J, et al. (2023). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36284231/

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Become a Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute

Danielle Nova is the founder of Psychedelic Recovery & executive director at San Francisco Psychedelic Society. In this heartfelt, inspiring conversation, she shares her personal story of substance and medication addiction, and how microdosing (and plant medicine journeywork) have helped her in the recovery process, ultimately leading to a mission that is all about empowering others. 

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Danielle is a transformational guide that counsels individuals through addiction recovery, microdosing, psychedelic integration and spiritual metamorphosis. The purpose of her work is to assist individuals with awakening and transcending out of patterns that are no longer serving them - so that they can live free, joyful and empowered lives. She leads trauma-informed medicine retreats with indigenous tribal leaders to honor native medicines and their lineages. Danielle is the Executive Director of San Francisco Psychedelic Society, founder of Psychedelic Recovery, co-founder of Metamorphosis Medicines and was on the founding team of Decriminalize Nature Oakland. She specializes in building a conscious global community where she has provided education into the sacred intentional practice of psychedelics for thousands of people across the globe.

Connect with Danielle via Instagram: @connectwithd 

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Become a Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute

Today’s conversation with Jeanine Souren is about how we can use microdosing for mental health, the value of psychedelic-assisted therapy - and what this means for both clients and therapists in this emerging field.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Jeanine Souren is a licensed psychologist, psychotherapist and sexologist. She works with individuals and couples. Beyond working as a therapist with decades of experience and trained in many popular therapeutic modalities, she became an accredited Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Practitioner at the Integrative Psychiatry Institute, where she is also a lecturer about psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and Retreat Lead. Additionally, she works in her private practice, and she has just launched the Experiential Training Institute, offering hands-on psychedelic training for clinicians in the Netherlands. With, as a first in The Netherlands, being the only accredited training for clinicians. Next to therapeutic trainings, Jeanine and psychiatrist Hans, also offer 3-day retreats for clients.

MICRODOSING TABLE TALK EPISODE 11

In this episode:

💛How Jeanine discovered the therapeutic value of psychedelics

💛Relationships are at the core of mental health and wellbeing

💛Common labels and diagnoses: depression, anxiety, addictive and/or compulsive behaviours, trauma

💛How helpful are these labels?

💛What psychedelics do to a depressed person

💛In which scenarios would microdosing be preferable over high doses?

💛In which scenarios should microdosing NOT be the first action to take?

💛What is needed for psychedelics-assisted treatments to be successful?

💛How to sustain your results beyond therapy or microdosing

💛Other frontiers in the psychedelic renaissance: MDMA, cannabis

💛The need for practical training for psychedelic therapists

💛A message from the psychedelic medicines that deserves to be repeated

CONNECT WITH JEANINE AND HER WORK

Jeanine’s website: https://www.jeaninesouren.com

Experiential Training Institute: https://www.experientialtraininginstitute.com

At the Experiential Training Institute, individuals can sign up for a fully guided, legal psilocybin retreat experience led by accredited therapists. Psychedelic therapists in the Netherlands can obtain experiential training that is recognized with PE credits, for which the ETI is the only accredited institution in Europe.

In this riveting conversation with Andrea Shuman we speak about microdosing as a practice in the context of the quest for healing. How can we use natural medicine to restore balance and reclaim what was lost or oppressed in ourselves, and then in society?

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Andrea Shuman has been in the field of alternative health and healing since 1997 as a bodyworker, Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, Master herbalist, and formulator.

Andrea has been working with psychedelics personally since 1995, and professionally since 2018. She has a specialty in women’s health and a love of Paradox and nuance as well as a deep desire to help the world become more comfortable holding multiple truths at once. Andrea has had her own journey into the watery shadows of motherhood and depression and has made it back to the shore and is on a mission to help others reclaim their joy and sense of self-worth.

Andrea created Mycrodrops as the first of many offerings to make microdosing more effective and use a variety of mushrooms and herbal extracts, to empower people, especially women, and femmes (femz) to take back their mental health-story and narrative.

MICRODOSING TABLE TALK EP. 12

In this episode:

🌿How Andrea’s interest in holistic health got kickstarted

🌿What does ayurveda do well (compared to western medicine)?

🌿Dosing versus microdosing from an herbalist’s perspective

🌿Why herbs are meant to work in symphony

🌿More effective microdosing through a symphony of herbs

🌿The energy of a substance: LSD vs (psilocybin) mushrooms

🌿The epidemic of medication overprescription

🌿Differences in how women and men are diagnosed and treated by doctors

🌿Antidepressants and ADHD medication

🌿How we grow up determines our mental health journey

🌿The need for personalized natural medicine

🌿How can personalized natural medicine favor marginalized communities

TRY MYCRODROPS

Mycrodrops is on a mission to help people make their microdosing practice more impactful and steady through putting together a symphony, or friends group, for your microdoses.

Try Mycrodrops Elixir’s with at $10 off at Mycrodrops.com with coupon code MDI10 or follow this link: https://www.mycrodrops.com?sca_ref=3160695.SJHwQlJ7Ku

With your purchase, you support an LGBTQ owned and founded business, who with their services and products, aim to empower people, and support them as they reclaim their health and their joy.

CONNECT WITH ANDREA AND LEARN MORE

Mycrodrops website: https://www.mycrodrops.com?sca_ref=3160695.SJHwQlJ7Ku

Mycrodrops Instagram: @mycrodrops

Clubhouse Conversation: Psychedelics 101- The Overprescribing Epidemic: https://www.clubhouse.com/room/P0YQ9j13?utm_medium=club_upcoming_event

Pranika Mental Health App: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXlLXc1z8zQ

On this podcast the Microdosing Institute team interviews guests who make important contributions to the microdosing field. With Mama De La Myco, we dive deep into the context in which we microdose and grow our relationship with sacred earth medicines: as parents, as children, as cyclical beings who are longing to remember their origins.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Mikaela De La Myco was born into a first-generation italian, afro-caribbean and detribalized mexican family who lived in unceded Tongva territory, Los Angeles. Her education comes from years walking the paths of sacred intimacy work, temple arts, circle keeping, mexica ceremony, and womb care facilitation, all under the care of teachers and guides.

Mikaela now practices in occupied Cahuilla and Kumeyaay territory, San Diego, California. As a mushroom matriarch, she creates much needed education and spaces for unmet populations in the psychedelic renaissance, with an emphasis on mothers, bleeding people and family communities. Her primary focus is holding community based circles where people can journey through the dark amenta to uncover their ancestor codes, explore and rewrite trauma-wounds and make meaning with mushroom and other earth medicines.

MICRODOSING TABLE TALK EPISODE 11

🪶Mikaela describes her way of life

🪶Growing up with ritual and ceremony

🪶Embodying the wisdom of folk medicine and herbalism

🪶Towards a society that is psychedelically literate

🪶What is mushWOMB consciousness?

🪶Violence against the womb, and the consequences

🪶The role of the womb in the pursuit of liberation of all people, beyond women

🪶Entheogens in the birth world: ergot and LSD

🪶Microdosing and breastfeeding

🪶Leading a family while following the instructions of sacred earth medicine

🪶How to grow a deep, personal relationship with your sacred medicine?

🪶A plea for intuitive microdosing

✨ CONNECT WITH MIKAELA AND HER WORK:

Website: www.mushwomb.love

On Instagram and TikTok: @mamadelamyco

LEARN MORE:

Purchase a replay of Mikaela's Masterclass from March 19, 2023: Microdosing with Entheogenic Medicines Beyond Psilocybin. Register here: https://microdosinginstitute.podia.com/workshop-microdosing-medicines-beyond-psilocybinhttps://microdosinginstitute.podia.com/workshop-microdosing-medicines-beyond-psilocybin

Lecture: Entheogens In The Birth World: The Science and History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDTAo-Q4WDc

Blogpost: Microdosing and breastfeeding: How safe is it? https://microdosinginstitute.com/health/microdosing-mushrooms-while-breastfeeding-how-safe-is-it/

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Train To Become A Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute

In today’s episode, we’re talking with Dr. Felix Blei. As a microbiologist, he takes us on a journey into the fungi kingdom, breaking down what makes mushrooms ‘magic’.

ABOUT DR. FELIX BLEI

Felix is a pharmaceutical microbiologist based in Jena, Germany. He is lead scientist in the first German state on-site drug checking project ALIVE, and the founder and CEO of Miraculix, which provides rapid, affordable testing for alkaloids in food and drugs - such as magic mushrooms. The focus of his research has been the biosynthesis of indole alkaloids in Psilocybe mushrooms. His work has made important contributions to understanding the composition, extraction and biosynthesis of psilocybe; offering insight into effective synthetic production of psilocybin.

MICRODOSING TABLE TALK EPISODE 10

🧫 How Felix got his PhD through researching psychoactive mushrooms

🧫 What makes the fungi kingdom fascinating?

🧫 What are magic mushrooms?

🧫 Psilocybin and other alkaloids

🧫 The most potent in psilocybin strains are….

🧫 How you can avoid your mushrooms to lose potency over time

🧫 An exciting recent discovery

🧫 Microdosing mushrooms for mental health

🧫 Our understanding of mushrooms is actually still limited

🧫 Recently discovered health risks

🧫 Home testing: know your substance, know your dose

🧫 The Stoned Ape Theory

🧫 Why are mushrooms here?

✨ CONNECT WITH FELIX AND HIS WORK

Miraculix: https://www.miraculix-lab.de/en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miraculixlab/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-felix-blei/

Order your psilocybin content test kits: https://shop.miraculix-lab.de/mir_en/miraculix-shop.html

Order your psilocybin test kits (Europe only): microdose.nl/en

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Become a Certified Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute

In this episode we sit down with a guest who is making important contributions to microdosing research: Dutch psychedelics researcher Eline Haijen. She recently published promising research findings on microdosing and ADHD.

ABOUT ELINE HAIJEN, PHD CAND.

Eline is a PhD candidate at the department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, which is known for its pioneering research on microdosing with LSD and other substances. Her background is in psychology, and she obtained her research master degree in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, with the specialization in Neuropsychology.

Right now, she investigates the emotional, cognitive and possible therapeutic effects of low doses of psychedelics in healthy- and patient populations.

With her work, she also aims to get a deeper understanding of how psychedelics impact our biological mechanisms, sleep and well-being.

MICRODOSING TABLE TALK EPISODE 9

📜How Eline found her way into psychedelics research

📜The current state of microdosing research

📜Clinical, placebo-controlled studies versus naturalistic studies

📜Why the research findings are often contradictory

📜Microdosing for more connection

📜The role of our mindset

📜Microdosing as a supportive tool for ADHD

📜How much is a microdose?

📜Taking breaks between microdosing cycles

📜Microdosing and the female cycle

📜Microdosing and sleep

📜Tips for people who want to get involved (microdosers and professionals)

CONNECT WITH ELINE AND HER WORK

Microdosing and ADHD study results: https://microdosinginstitute.com/research-publications/microdosing-for-adhd/

Psychopharmacology research at Maastricht Univerity: https://psychopharmacologymaastricht.com/

Psychopharmacology in Maastricht on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PIMaastricht

Eline Haijen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ehaijen

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Become a Certified Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute

We’ve literally turned the tables for this Table Talk! In this first episode of 2023, Microdosing Institute founders Hein and Jakobien are interviewed by Alex van Binsbergen. We dive into their personal stories and how their journeys collide with the mission of Microdosing Institute to normalize the conscious and effective use of psychedelic medicines - microdosing in particular. Hein and Jakobien also discuss the most relevant developments in the microdosing community, observed through the lenses of community, therapeutic support, ancestral knowledge and modern science.

ABOUT HEIN AND JAKOBIEN

Hein is a microdosing coach and NLP coach, a bridge builder and independent researcher. He has been working with psychedelics for over 30 years exploring consciousness and guiding psychedelic group sessions. Starting Microdosing Institute has been an important step on his quest to learn everything about the healing potential of microdosing.

Jakobien van der Weijden is a certified holistic coach and psychedelic guide. Since 2003, she’s been in service of the psychedelic renaissance. Having worked for a smartshop, a psilocybin retreat center and several psychedelic non-profit organizations before creating Microdosing Institute as a platform for education, community and research in 2017.

MICRODOSING TABLE TALKS EPISODE 8

💙 How Microdosing Institute came to life

💙 Hein’s journey: early psychedelic explorer

💙 A dear friend cluster headaches

💙 Jakobien’s journey: heroic doses with no integration

💙 Ending cycles of people-pleasing and burnout

💙 Microdosing for ADHD, autism, depression, cluster headaches

💙 What continues to surprise us (having guided hundreds of microdosers)

💙 Recommended books on microdosing

💙 Dr. James Fadiman

💙 Microdosing as a tool to deepen connection

💙 Training program for Microdosing Coaches

💙 Amplifying indigenous voices and ancestral knowledge

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Become a Certified Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute

In this podcast, Erik Westerduin from Pure Kakaw offers insight into how anyone can enjoy pure cacao as a sacred drink — including if you want to amplify the effects of microdosing.

☕ Cacao farming in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Peru

☕ The earliest consumption of cacao

☕ The difference between cocoa powder, pure ceremonial cacao, and chocolate

☕ Cacao and microdosing with psilocybin

☕ Health benefits of pure cacao

☕ Microdosing, cacao and yoga

☕ Recipes and ingredients for delicious cacao drinks

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Become a Certified Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute

In this microdosing podcast with Microhuasca founders, Álvaro Zárate and Adolfo Schmitt, we are fortunate to gain their perspective and wisdom on many topics related to microdosing with ayahuasca, and how to successfully integrate full dose or microdosing experiences, so that these can help foster sustained transformation.

🌱 Reasons why people microdose with ayahuasca

🌱 Different ways to understand healing; from traditional to Western modern perspectives and how they influence each other

🌱 Scientific findings on ayahuasca: neurogenesis and neuroprotection

🌱 How to get the most out of your microdosing journey with ayahuasca

🌱 How to microdose ayahuasca: dosing, protocol, dieta

🌱 The role of additional practices, such as meditation, nature-connection and music/sound

🌱 What it means for Alvaro and Adolfo to be involved in building a more collaborative psychedelic space

✨ ABOUT MICRODOSING INSTITUTE:

Microdosing Institute offers education on how to microdose with psychedelics safely, consciously and effectively. We create community and foster healthy conversations in the microdosing space so that we can continue to learn more and expand the body of knowledge on best practices and harm reduction. Additionally, we encourage and promote research by partnering with universities and other organizations across the globe so that the full potential of microdosing may be realized and made accessible to those who can benefit from the practice.

💡 LEARN MORE ABOUT MICRODOSING:

Microdosing 101

How To Microdose Video Course

6-Week Guided Microdosing Intensive

Become a Certified Microdosing Coach

🌳 CONNECT WITH THE MICRODOSING COMMUNITY:

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL: https://discord.gg/62BWv7TxZZ

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/microdosinginstitute