🫠 Ask a Guide Anything

PRESENTED BY SCHOOL OF PSYCHEDELICS & ALTHEA 🤝

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We're the psychedelics newsletter that knows size isn't everything. It’s about how you use it. (We're talking about doses here, people.) 🫥

One of the most simple yet consequential decisions you'll make before a journey is how much to take.

Go too low, and you might not get the revelatory experience you’re seeking. Go too high, and you could overwhelm your system or end up destabilized. If it’s true the dose makes the poison (s/o to our boy Paracelsus), then threading the needle is necessary.

So for today’s newsletter, we asked our network of experienced practitioners: What factors do you consider when choosing between low (psycholytic) and high (psychedelic) dosages?

We share their thought processes after the jump.

FROM OUR SPONSORS

Wait, legal psychedelic mushrooms? How is that even possible?

After years of selective breeding, Limitless created a mushroom strain with undetectable levels of psilocybin and psilocin, but all the secondary alkaloids that produce visuals, introspection, and euphoria intact.

What’s left is a powerful psychedelic experience that's 100% legal and lab tested. (They’ve got the receipts.)

And before you ask… no, there are no synthetic additives, either.

Warning: these fungi are potent. Start low and test your sensitivity.

Take 20% off with code TRICYCLE.

Know what you’re going for

Our guides generally agreed that dose selection should flow naturally from what you're trying to accomplish. Eliza Collins breaks it down practically: “Are you looking for a mystical experience or to stay more grounded and present? Do you want to have a primarily inner experience, or a more external and conversational one?”

Jodie NewDelman sees intention as “the defining factor.” She says “a psychedelic dose invites deep, often transformative experiences, ideal for exploring profound existential or emotional material,” while psycholytic doses work more gently on “everyday thought loops, rigid perspectives, habitual emotional reactions, and chronic pain.”

Katie Simons puts it simply: “There's a big difference between taking 500mg of psilocybin [mushrooms] to go to a show vs taking 5g to journey at home with a friend nearby. Mismatching the dose and experience would not be a fun time.”

Assess your capacity

Intentions aside, it’s important to be honest about what you can handle. The key, Wallace Murray says, is “to match the depth of the dose to the stability of the person and the support available.” Scott Dean reinforces this point: “A higher dose doesn't guarantee deeper healing. It can just as easily overwhelm or retraumatize someone who isn't ready.”

Several guides listed specific factors to consider. Mary Decker looks at “a person's experience, intentions, emotional state, and the overall set and setting,” while Angela Balboa considers “experience with psychedelics, trauma history, regulation of the nervous system, and intent.” She notes that “if a person is unstable or working through intense or recent trauma, a high dose may be overwhelming.”

Avery Collura offers a guiding principle: “The right dose is the one your nervous system can hold without breaking trust.” If you can’t trust, you resist. And we all know where that leads.

Less can be more

Many practitioners felt lower doses were undervalued. Based on her experience offering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, Gwen Pelfini has developed a principle: “Go low and slow until you know.” She's found that these psycholytic doses tend to “allow for greater engagement and integration of other therapeutic modalities like EMDR and IFS.”

Kari Roe-LaFramboise explains that when you work “with a skilled and trained therapist” under low doses, “you can still use your mind and have the ability to talk.” That sweet spot “may aid in accessing parts of us that are not available in normal states of consciousness” nor “on a really high dose."

Jodie reminds us it’s not always an either/or decision: “A two-tiered approach might include a psychedelic dose followed by a phase of psycholytic dosing to help integrate insights into daily life. The psycholytic range offers a bridge between ordinary consciousness and deeper healing without overwhelming the nervous system.”

Our take

First of all, if you’re not sure what constitutes a low or high dose, this reference chart for mushrooms will help. Just keep in mind everyone’s sensitivity is different.

Now, believe it or not, most people aren’t actually trying to obliterate their egos. (Shocker, we know.)

Maybe they just want to work through a personal issue, gain some clarity, or shift a stubborn pattern. If that’s you, then sure, you could launch yourself into the void and hope for the best. But that’d be like using a flamethrower to light a birthday candle.

In a culture that celebrates extremes, there’s something refreshing (dare we say mature?) about treating dose selection as a practical decision rather than a test of courage.

Maybe it’s time we update our language. In our book, the “heroic” dose is the one that’s right-sized for the job.

Thanks to Satina C. from Burlington, CT for submitting this week’s question. 🫠

Got a question for our guides?

Reply to this email to shoot your shot. If it’s a juicy one, we may select it for a future issue.

Seeking more personalized guidance?

Our directory of vetted psychedelic professionals is a great place to start your search. Find a facilitator on Maria’s List.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

That’s all for today, Cyclists! Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help.

ONE CYCLIST’S REVIEW

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here.

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. The use, possession, and distribution of psychedelic drugs are illegal in most countries and may result in criminal prosecution.