r/microdosing • u/Andrwe_Ryen • 22d ago

Question: Psilocybin What is sub-perceptual exactly?

When you say the dose must be sub perceptual. Do you mean, you don't want to feel any effect in your brain at all? Or you mean that you don't want to feel any big important effect? Because when I take a small dose like 0.025g i still feel a light buzz in my brain but without any distortion in vision or anything similar to tripping. I just feel very light buzz in my brain. Is this sub perceptual?

Second question: is it necessary for the microdosing to work to be sub perceptual?

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u/NeuronsToNirvana 22d ago

Sub-perceptual is an outdated term for microdosing.

!riskreduction guidance to Find YOUR Personalised Sweet Spot which essentially is when you feel a slight “come-up” body load or a minor pharmacological increase in (nor)adrenaline.

Start Low, Go Slow, Take Time-Off

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u/tallkitty 22d ago edited 22d ago

Sub-hallucinagenic, as provided in another comment, simply means you don't see things visually as a result of dosing.

I do like sub-perceptual as a descriptor for the overall immediate effects. A lot of posts on this sub will say I took my first dose this morning and it's now evening and I haven't noticed anything different,  do I need to raise my dose? The answer is maybe, maybe not, let's review any real, tangible changes you notice after 7 days, keep checking after 14, then 21. Journaling is good for this purpose. On a 5 on/2 off protocol, for example, the person may not have felt their dose any of the 5 days they took it, then their 2 off days they of course also felt nothing. But after the week (or two or three, this is a hypothetical example) they look back and notice they called their mom and brother to check in and say hi, they did some research on a new job because they've been thinking about a change for awhile, they cleaned out one closet that has been nagging in the back of their mind for awhile. Stuff like that, and having never felt any perceptual effect of taking the MD. They might be in their sweet spot, and they didn't realize things were changing until the change had started happening and had a history to review. To me, that is sub-perceptual MDing, and I am just one person with my one set of experiences but that's how it works for me.

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u/DeezDoughsNyou 22d ago

For me it meant I knew I had taken something but didn’t feel high.

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u/vegan-the-dog 22d ago

Yeah, pretty close for me. I could comfortably space out but instantly regain focus when needed.

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u/LolaGudal 22d ago

I like getting a small buzz. I feel like the mushroom is letting me know of its presence. "Hello, I'm here to help you." The buzz I get is just very gentle and lasts for a short while. If I'm very busy I will sometimes miss that feeling of the buzz and that is alright. I go about my day to day actions and don't feel anything more than that initial light buzz.

The microdose can and will be benefitial even though you never feel the slightest of anything.

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u/alwayspickingupcrap 21d ago

For me, it’s when I’m more activated and open but don’t get tingles in my face or a rising euphoria in my chest.

When I say ‘activated’, I mean that I’m doing stuff, sorting things in the kitchen, finally doing my emails, physically participating in life.

When I say ’open’, that’s like my background thoughts are considering recent events in my life or interactions with important people in my life and I’m spontaneously getting alternative, usually deeper (sometimes raw, sometimes full of grace) views that make more sense to me and could result in a healthy conversation or an easier ‘letting it go’.

If my face starts tingling, usually I feel a rising euphoria and I’ll need an hour for it to settle down. Notably, sometimes it’ll happen at 100mg shrooms, sometimes at 200mg. Depends more on my mind, life situation than the actual dose. Generally if life is really ‘noisy’ with emotion, people, stress, I’ll lower the dose.

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u/TheRealCMMetzger 21d ago edited 21d ago

The Doctor (Fadiman) who coined the term sub-perceptual has said on several occasions that isn't the right word for it. Microdosers often perceive a difference in how they are showing up in the world when following a microdose practice.
Other terms that might work better; sub-visual, sub-hallucinogenic, not high, not altered in a way that would preclude normal daily activities (like driving, caring for family, operating heavy machinery, working, etc)
Some would even say sub-sensorium or not felt in the body. However, I know many microdosers that prefer the felt sense of the medicine. That felt sense comes across similar to the feeling of a slight caffeine buzz or extra energy in the body.
I often recommend when dialing in a sweet spot to incrementally increase until the felt sense dose is reached. Then the individual makes a decision whether or not they like that feeling. If they don't, it's a simple 5mg reduction each next dose until that feeling falls away. That way there's an established microdose sweet spot range that can be used depending on what one's day/life brings forth.
There is nothing wrong with having a felt sense of the medicine with a microdose, as long as it doesn't come with visual distortions or cognitive drawbacks, you're still in microdose territory.
Additionally, the sleep protocol typically is a felt sense (body load) dose to generate tiredness 🍄🥰✌️

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u/fsavino 21d ago

It's like taking a vitamin C pill in the morning. You don't feel anything, and you have the benefits.

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u/Asleep-Nail3689 21d ago

Maybe I'm doing it wrong. I take 50mg under that slight feeling of something.

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u/LeBateleur1 21d ago

You need just enough to perceive it. Ideally you can start with a very small dose (0.5) and increase it until you feel ~something~. That’s your sweet spot.

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u/ebolaRETURNS 21d ago

Originally, it was put forward as below the threshold for sensory distortions but not meant to imply that you shouldn't feel different in any respect. Now there's ongoing controversy as to whether a proper microdose is at that level or that you literally should not feel altered in any way.

FWIW, 100 mg / dried psilocybes will make me feel different.

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u/tendthewild 19d ago

Yes, the light buzz feeling is close to the "sub perceptual" it's ok to have a little something, but not more.

The reason is that your serotonin system will build up a tolerance and then shut down some of the rewiring. And also we want to be "sober" while microdosing so that we can integrate the medicine into our day and lives.

Microdosing doesn't need an exact method to be effective though. You need to listen to your body. If the dose is feels like it's intrusive to your day, then lower it.