Over the past year, the popularity of microdosing psychedelic substances has skyrocketed. Here at Dutch-Smart, we’ve also frequently covered the use of small doses of psychedelics to achieve a wide range of health benefits. But while both the media and Dutch-Smart primarily cover the microdosing of substances like LSD and psilocybin, more and more people are wondering about other psychedelic substances, including ayahuasca.
Ayahuasca Ritual
The powerful psychedelic brew ayahuasca has been used for hundreds of years by indigenous tribes of the Amazon region for spiritual enrichment, personal growth, and coping with traumatic experiences. In the West, too, demand for this mystical drink is growing exponentially. For instance, you can now attend an ayahuasca ceremony at various locations in the Netherlands, but many Dutch people are also choosing to visit the Amazon region to undergo an ayahuasca ritual in the middle of the jungle.
According to many, ayahuasca is a promising tool for conditions such as addiction, mental health disorders, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. The psychedelic drink is considered the most potent hallucinogen in the world and typically consists of two ingredients: a DMT-containing plant such as Psychotria viridis (Chacruna) or Diplopterys cabrerana (Chaliponga), and an MAO-inhibiting herb such as Banisteriopsis caapi —also simply called Ayahuasca.
The benefits of microdosing
Now back to microdosing. For those who aren’t familiar with this phenomenon, we’ve written a detailed article on Dutch-Smart about the potential benefits of microdosing. In short: when microdosing magic truffles, for example, a very small amount of truffles is taken every few days. Large enough to reap the health benefits, but small enough not to cause a trip. But now that microdosing magic mushrooms, truffles, and LSD is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, you might wonder whether microdosing this powerful ayahuasca could also have positive effects on our mental and physical health.
The short answer to whether you can microdose ayahuasca is: we don’t know yet.
Scientists have only just begun researching practices like microdosing with magic mushrooms and LSD, so it will likely be some time before we find out whether ayahuasca is a suitable substance to divide into smaller doses for a positive effect. However, with the recent opening of new centers for psychedelic research in both London and the United States, it seems we may get an answer soon.
Ayahuasca and ‘quality of life’
Still, that’s not the answer we’re leaving you with. Preliminary findings from Dr. Gerald Thomas, who frequently works with ayahuasca at retreats in Canada, show that microdosing ayahuasca leads to positive changes in people who try it. These changes are evident, for example, in areas such as quality of life, creativity, and feelings of hope. In addition, his study frequently reports a decrease in the use of tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine.
So while we don’t know for sure if ayahuasca microdosing works, user reports look positive so far. Interested in ayahuasca microdosing? Later this week, we’ll be publishing a handy ayahuasca microdosing schedule here on Dutch-Smart. So keep an eye on the website!
