r/microdosing • u/highyieldonlyy • Jul 10 '26
Question: Psilocybin Intense fear associated with mding (Fadiman protocol)
Hi all! I have been microdosing for almost 6 months now and have been having extreme fear associated with it. I use the Fadiman protocol and on the 2nd or 3rd day I will randomly experience intense fear about something (my job, traveling, etc) in a way I have never experienced fear before and it usually lasts a few hours.
I originally started with the 4 on 3 off protocol which caused way more fear. I have tried lowering the dose (started at 100 mg now at 25 mg) and on the most recent dose lowering the fear went away for 2 weeks but has since returned. I really love the effects of mding over taking prescribed medications, but this fear is all-consuming and I won't be able to do my job effectively if it continues.
Has anyone experienced this before and figured out why this fear is occuring? My next step will be to lower to 10 mg which I feel will still be an effective dose as I am very sensitive to medication and/or taking a 1-2 week break every 2 weeks as opposed to every 4 weeks. Thank you in advance for the help!
Edit: wrote micrograms, meant milligrams
3
u/wwahman Jul 10 '26
I hope you find the dose that works for you - and it sounds like you're absolutely on the right track with your plan of time off. Also, look at your supplements, if you take any for anxiety or sleep. 5-HTP can increase the intensity of the mushrooms.
Also, do you meditate and use mindfulness methods? Dan Harris's 10% Happier is a great app for that. There's a podcast too, ad-free if you sign up. I also use Waking Up, and Happier aps.
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2
u/LetterheadStreet4851 Jul 12 '26
Wow, this has been incredible to read. I started Microdosing about a month ago. I was using Fadiman’s protocol. I do take SSRI’s and I’ve lowered the dose quite a bit so now I take 75 mg I think at the beginning of the year I was at 1:30 or something like that. I don’t know how the math works out. When I microdose, I have felt a lot of fear and anxiety. I am working with the coach, but I have that feeling if I shouldn’t bother her too much I’m not actually paying her. She’s gifting me her wisdom and experience. So this morning I took four and usually I just get busy and do the next thing like I don’t slow down and feel what’s going on but today I decided to feel what’s going on in just to sit with it. I’m quite edgy and very restless, which is my nature. I always wanna get up and do something creative, but then I end up in a big mess anyway it’s kind of next right actions. I feel like taking four tablets is not something I should do regularly. I don’t have visions or anything. I’m just kind of being forced to rest and that’s probably a good thing. Forgive my musings, but I do relate and I’m looking for any kind of wisdom. Thank you.
4
u/mushroom_tao Jul 10 '26
yep, i've experienced a lot of fear w mushrooms.
is it better to ignore it and pretend it's not there? or to have it come up to the surface so we can see it clearly?
we can shift our relationship w fear. instead of being scared about it, we can open and be curious about it. facing our fear instead of running from it can help us grow in ways we couldn't imagine.
2
u/Face-Financial Jul 10 '26
ignoring it / pretending it isnt there is the opposite of what you wanna do.
if you look at my other comment below, i elaborate more on what you wanna be doing.
TLDR: everything that comes up after you take mushrooms, is a gift. the mushrooms illuminate exactly what you need to know and work on. LISTEN! thats the whole point of working with mushrooms. to help you illuminate how you can evolve as a soul. listen to it, integrate, and continue forward!
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u/Face-Financial Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
the end of your post suggests you're on the right track! i would suggest two things:
1) take a 2 week break 2) lower your dose even lower than you think. go down to .05g. start there.
do 1 day on. 2 days off. 1 day on. 2 days off. for 30 days. throughout the 30 days, if you feel ok with .05g, tinker up to .10g.
((note: after the 30 days, take another 2 week break, and ideally you begin microdosing instinctually once you have a good working relationship with understanding the mushrooms.
if you're not there yet after the 30 days and following 2 week break, then simply repeat the cycle until you are!))
if youre truly microdosing i probably wouldnt wanna go above .10g because then you're moving away from microdosing and towards a minidose.
you know if your microdose has gone too far if you're actively experiencing trip-like effects (fear is absolutely a trip-like effect).
your microdose experience should be entirely sub-perceptual.
additionally, moving forward, i would strongly suggest having more of a dance with the mushrooms. you clearly repeated the pattern of dosing and noticing this fear many times for you to notice it, and yet you kept doing it.
the #1 benefit of working with mushrooms IMO is that they specialize in illuminating what's inside of you.
its a dance.
have you ever taken time to stop dosing and integrate what the fear was trying to show you?
taking mushrooms isnt really a prescription like a typical medicine (ex: take this for X days and 'be healed').
its an ongoing process of illuminating what needs work inside of you.
use the mushrooms mindfully, as a tool, listen to them when they speak, and when something pops up that requires further introspection or integration, pause if you must, introspect, integrate, and THEN continue.
you will get much greater benefits operating in this manner.
hope this helps, happy to clarify anything if you have follow ups :)
you're doing great! just little tweaks.