Microdosing: when hallucinogenic mushrooms improve performance at work

“I even recommended it to my mother!“Aurélien Fache is a 42-year-old Parisian dad. He is both an artist and developer. He notably distinguished himself by his performance”in bed with Thomas Pesquet“in 2017. The artist had succeeded in synchronizing sextoys with the passages of the ISS above the earth, making them vibrate in rhythm. What this artist recommended to his mother has nothing to do with a perfume of ice or a brand of jam, but with drug use in small amounts, microdosing of psychoactive substances.

Whoever describes himself as a “tech creator” has been interested for more than one microdosing. This method involves taking psychedelics – psilocybin via hallucinogenic mushrooms or LSD – in mini doses to activate parts of the brain that are normally at rest. The goal ? Act on our state of consciousness and modify it. In short, to be more efficient and more creative, without completely getting high.

Shrooms and protocol

“I did a lot of research before starting the microdosing“, explains Aurélien Fache. No question for him to take the experience lightly. For the effects to be both optimum and controlled, scrupulously respect James Fadiman’s protocol. This psychologist published in 2012”The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: A Safe, Therapeutic and Sacred Journey“(” The Psychedelic Explorer Guide: Safe, Therapeutic and Sacred Journey “). The author states that the use of low doses of LSD”improves cognitive functioning, emotional balance and physical endurance“. He recommends a dose ten times lower than a normal price, and over a period of not more than a month and a half.

Rules followed to the letter by Aurélien. “I take one gram with each dose. Be careful, this is the weight of the plant, not the substance contained in the fungus. It’s the right dose for me, but it’s different for everyone“. This small amount of psychotropic drug is enough for Aurélien to alter his consciousness, while continuing his daily activities, and in particular work.

For a month, Aurélien took a micro dose every three days. “You have the effect on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesdays you don’t take it, otherwise your body is saturated and it no longer works“, he explains. And this somewhat special treatment does not exceed the duration recommended by Fadiman: six weeks.

The artist is delivered at home via a site which has “storefront”. “Some people decide to grow their mushrooms themselves, I don’t.“For 14 euros, Aurélien receives 6 doses of one gram. A completely illegal practice in France, but which does not prevent Aurélien from receiving his packaged package in a week.

Psychological and physical boost

The reasons that prompted the artist to test microdosing were primarily about work. “I am passionate about augmented reality and new realities. I saw in microdosing a bridge between immersive tech and psychedelic drugs. For me, it is a reality among othersThe daddy of a three-year-old boy didn’t want to attempt too ‘hard’ experiences like a normal dose of LSD, ayahuasca or mescaline which required more preparation, and isolating himself for several days.

Positive effects were quickly felt. “At first I wasn’t sure what to expect. And very quickly, I saw that it calmed me down. I, who smoked firecrackers almost every day, quit after a week, along with the alcohol that I had mundane.“

The Parisian felt a “psychological and physical boost” and a markedly improved concentration. “I tended to have dark clouds and a lot of anxiety. Within days, my mind cleared and the clouds cleared. I was much better in my skin. My ideas were much more fluid. I speak more, and more quickly. I am no longer present “.

It is, according to him, the dissipation of anxiety that has improved the quality of his work. On the other hand, Aurélien subscribes to the belief that psilocybin makes you more creative. “It didn’t make me more creative, but more focused. And I found the motivation to come up with my ideas.”

A micro consumption to be taken with a grain of salt

While some are already seeing the advent of “corporate shamans”, a kind of spiritual guides in companies, who improve the well-being of employees, microdosing remains risky. On the one hand, the scientific study and monitoring of the phenomenon remains timid for the moment. And the results are mixed. For example, a 2019 study (” Psychedelic microdosing Benefits and challenges: an empirical codebook “) reveals that 26.6% of respondents saw their mood improve with the microdosing and 14% improved their concentration. However, these results should be taken with a grain of salt. Indeed, 18% also felt the physiological discomfort and 6.7% saw their anxiety skyrocket.On the other hand, drug use, regardless of the degree of the dose,

In short, the microdose dispenser next to the coffee machine is not for now.