Who is starting with microdosing the word soon comes up protocol A microdosing protocol is a schedule in which microdosing days alternate with rest days.
There are various models and approaches. The best known is the Fadiman protocol, with one microdosing day followed by two rest days.
At Wise Rootz, this is the protocol we recommend.
In this guide, you’ll discover how the Fadiman protocol works, why rest days are a valuable part of the process, and what other microdosing protocols you might come across.
The Fadiman Protocol is named after the psychologist and psychedelic researcher Dr James Fadiman and is one of the best-known regimens in microdosing.
The principle is simple:
Day 1 — Microdosing Day
Take your microdose and see how you feel throughout the day.
Day 2 — First rest day
You’re not taking a microdose. Do, however, remain mindful of your experience.
Day 3 — Second rest day
You won’t be taking a microdose today either, so you can continue to observe and reflect.
Day 4 — Another day of microdosing
The cycle begins again.
After that, you carry on at the same pace:
microdose → rest → rest → repeat
We think this is a good approach for both beginners and those who already have experience with microdosing.
The two rest days create a gap between the microdosing sessions. This allows you not only to observe how you experience a microdosing day, but also to consciously reflect on the days that follow.
That fits perfectly with our approach to microdosing:
Measure. Observe. Reflect.
For beginners, we also recommend starting with 0.5 grams of fresh microdosing truffles and to observe this amount over several microdosing sessions first.
Does this amount feel right? If so, there’s no reason to automatically increase it any further.
Would you like to find out how to work out your personal amount? Then read our guide on the the sweet spot for microdosing.
Another schedule you often come across is microdosing every other day.
The rhythm looks something like this, for example:
Day 1 — Microdosing Day
Day 2 — Rest day
Day 3 — Microdosing Day
Day 4 — Rest day
With this approach, there is one rest day between two microdosing sessions.
Some people choose this routine because of its regularity. At Wise Rootz, however, we prefer the Fadiman protocol with two rest days, as this allows more scope for observing experiences across different moments.
With an intuitive approach, no fixed schedule is followed. Each person decides for themselves when a microdosing session is appropriate and how much time should elapse between sessions.
The flexibility this offers can be appealing if you already have some experience and have got to know your own reactions well.
For beginners, we actually find that a fixed structure valuable.
If you follow the same protocol over a period of time, it becomes easier to compare microdosing days with rest days and to recognise patterns in your experience.
We therefore recommend that you first gain some experience with the Fadiman protocol.
Another well-known regimen within the microdosing community is associated with a mycologist Paul Stamets.
Within the so-called Stamets Stack psilocybin is combined with Lion’s Mane and niacin (vitamin B3) and a different dosing schedule is used to that of the Fadiman protocol.
The philosophy behind this approach is therefore broader than just the frequency of microdosing: the combination of different substances also forms part of the protocol.
At Wise Rootz, we deliberately opt for a simpler approach and recommend that The Fadiman protocol as a basis.
This allows you to focus on your microdosing experience, rest days, your personal dosage and reflection.
As well as different protocols, you may also come across variations in the moment when people take their microdose.
Some people, for example, prefer later in the day or in the evening.
We do not regard this as a separate protocol, but rather as part of a specific microdosing schedule.
Wise Rootz recommends that you preferably take your microdose in the morning to take. Particularly when you’re just starting out, this will give you plenty of time throughout the day to consciously observe how you experience the microdosing session.
A microdosing protocol involves more than just the times when you take a microdose.
Rest days are part of the process.
That’s precisely when you can compare your experiences.
How are you feeling today? Does your focus feel any different? How is your mood? And can you spot any differences compared to the previous microdosing day?
By keeping track of these observations over several weeks, you’ll gain a more personalised picture of your experience.
That is also why, at Wise Rootz, we place such great importance on reflection and tracking.
In the Wise Rootz app You can record your dosage as well as your observations, intentions and experiences. That way, you don’t have to rely solely on your memory, but can look back at patterns over time.
A microdosing process works best when you consciously set aside a specific period of time for it.
At Wise Rootz, we therefore use the Fadiman protocol as a framework for a defined microdosing process, with fixed microdosing days, rest days and moments of reflection.
After a period like that, you can make a conscious effort to take a break and look back:
What did I experience? What patterns stood out? How did my ‘sweet spot’ feel? And what did I learn about my own routine?
This way, microdosing remains something you consciously pay attention to.
For Wise Rootz, it’s clear:
Day 1 — microdose
Day 2 — rest day
Day 3 — rest
Day 4 — microdosing again
The schedule is simple, allows for breaks between microdoses and is in line with our approach to microdosing:
measuring, observing and reflecting.
Ben je nieuw met microdosing? Combineer het protocol dan met het rustig bepalen van jouw persoonlijke hoeveelheid.
Lees onze microdosing gebruiksaanwijzing voor de volledige stap-voor-stapbegeleiding of ontdek hoe je jouw the sweet spot for microdosing finds.
Klaar om bewust te beginnen? Ontdek de Wise Rootz Microdosing Box.
Deze informatie is uitsluitend bedoeld voor algemene en educatieve doeleinden en is geen medisch advies. Wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar microdosing en verschillende doseerschema’s is nog in ontwikkeling en individuele ervaringen kunnen verschillen.
Microdosing is niet voor iedereen geschikt. Microdoseer niet tijdens zwangerschap of borstvoeding, door personen onder de 18 jaar of bij een persoonlijke voorgeschiedenis van psychose.
Neem je medicatie, heb je een lichamelijke of psychische aandoening of twijfel je of microdosing voor jou geschikt is? Overleg dan vooraf met een arts of andere gekwalificeerde zorgverlener.
Volg altijd de bijgeleverde gebruiksinstructies en overschrijd de aanbevolen maximale hoeveelheid niet.
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Fadiman J, Korb S. Might Microdosing Psychedelics Be Safe and Beneficial? An Initial Exploration. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 2019;51(2):118–122. doi:10.1080/02791072.2019.1593561.
Polito V, Liknaitzky P. The emerging science of microdosing: A systematic review of research on low dose psychedelics (1955–2021) and recommendations for the field. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.2022;139:104706. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104706.
Kuypers KPC, Ng L, Erritzoe D, Knudsen GM, Nichols CD, Nichols DE, Pani L, Soula A, Nutt D.Microdosing psychedelics: More questions than answers? An overview and suggestions for future research. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2019;33(9):1039–1057. doi:10.1177/0269881119857204.
Fadiman J. The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys. Rochester, Vermont: Park Street Press; 2011.
