Microdosing Psychedelics For Problem Solving
Microdosing is the practice of taking small, sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics. By definition, you shouldn’t overtly feel the effects of the psychedelics when you do this. However, even in small doses, psychedelics impact brain function and can lead to a higher state of entropy — thus facilitating the formation of new ideas more easily.
Microdosing psychedelics alone isn’t likely to initiate a sudden “eureka” moment. This is a slow and steady grind. Microdosing is used to encourage new habits and put you in the ideal mindset to solve problems.
People who microdose normally take a dose every day or every third day — repeating the cycle for several weeks at a time.
People who have the most success with this usually have some sort of morning ritual to get them in the right headspace and set some sort of intention for the day. Journaling and meditation go hand in hand with microdosing for problem-solving.
Macrodosing Psychedelics For Problem Solving
Macrodosing is the practice of taking larger, psychoactive doses of psychedelics. This can range from a threshold dose (the bare minimum dose needed for psychoactive effects) and heroic dosing (very high doses). Most people fall somewhere in the middle.
Unlike microdosing, macrodoses aren’t used every day or even every week. They usually involve just one or two sessions spaced several weeks apart.
During this session, the goal is to allow the chaos to descend over your consciousness. Somewhere within the chaos is the new idea or solution. You just have to remain open to grabbing the idea when you see it and try not to force anything.
You may find a solution to your problem, and you may not. You have to be okay with that and just let the process happen at its own pace. People who force ideas are the least likely to find a solution to their problem.
You can take steps to increase the chances of a new idea forming, such as keeping some sort of inspiration around, clearing a nice big whiteboard to map out your thoughts, or using any tools you may have that would normally help flesh out ideas in your head.
Setting Up For a Psychedelic Problem Solving Session
You can’t just take LSD and expect it to work. You need to set the stage to make the ideas flow as efficiently as possible and have some way of materializing that idea when it presents itself.
Here are some tips and tricks to setting up the perfect problem-solving environment using the fundamentals of set and setting.
1. Remove Distractions
Set enough time aside to focus on the problem without distractions. Put your phone on silent (or completely off), ensure you have no meetings or obligations, and remove anything that might distract you from your task.
The more distractions you can eliminate, the more bandwidth you can dedicate to the creative process.
2. Find a Quiet & Comfortable Place for the Experience
The setting in which you take psychedelics should be somewhere you’re familiar with and feel safe in. Coffee shops or the office usually are not a good place to take psychedelics.
A good place would be somewhere that’s relatively free from distractions. I like to completely clear off the desk in my office and move it to the side of the room where it’s out of the way. I then bring in a bunch of pillows and a blanket so I can lay directly on the floor. I dim the lights and place some notebooks and pens nearby for when I need them.
Others find it better to lay on a couch with some nice noise-canceling headphones and eyeshades on.
3. Employ The Help of a Trip Sitter
The point of a trip sitter is to watch over you but not to interfere with the experience. For the most part, they should remain hands-off. However, should you need anything (food, water, some paper to write on, etc.), they’ll be around to help you out.
When using psychedelics for problem-solving, they don’t necessarily need to always be in the room with you, but they should remain nearby and check in often.
4. Learn How to Use Mind Maps
Mind mapping is a powerful tool when it comes to problem-solving. It allows you to materialize and structure chaotic ideas and help you find solutions to large complex problems.
Check out this guide from Life Hacker about mind mapping for beginners.
Normally I use an Ipad or computer to draw my mind maps, but when using psychedelics, it’s best to just draw them out by hand on a whiteboard, large sheet of paper, or notebook.
5. Get a Good Night of Sleep
The psychedelic problem-solving session begins the night before your session. Going to bed at a decent hour is going to pay dividends the next day during your session.
Feeling well-rested is essential for the creative process. If your brain is tired, your neurons won’t fire as quickly or as often — ultimately reducing the chances of reaching that “aha!” moment.
6. Bring Sources of Inspiration With You to The Session
Some people contest this idea based on the idea that bringing inspiration may limit your ability to think outside the box. While this may be true, I can personally attribute many of my breakthrough sessions to some form of inspiration kicking around during the session.
Integration After The Experience
Integration is just as important as the psychedelic experience itself.
Most people who take psychedelics won’t discover the solution to the problem during the session — at least, not the whole idea. Fragments of the solution may surface, but if they aren’t properly integrated after the experience, they may not lead to a working idea.
The integration process after psychedelics should begin immediately — the following morning after the trip.
Read through any notes you took during the session, look at the art or mind maps you produced, listen to recordings, and talk to your trip sitter. By doing this, you can collect as many of the loose, chaotic thought threads you produced the night before and begin materializing them into the real world.
This is the stage where logical, convergent thinking can elucidate your ideas and further develop them into a working model.
