The Paul Stamets Stack Method: How to Take Microdosing to the Next Level

The Paul Stamets Stack Method

The Paul Stamets Stack is a Microdosing protocol. It’s designed to enhance the user experience using magic truffles, Lion’s Mane mushrooms, or items containing psilocybin.

People choose psychedelic Microdosing for several reasons. The most popular options are to explore consciousness, enhance creativity, or boost awareness. Taking your preferred item at 1/20th of a typical dose makes the high-stakes experience possible without a whole psychedelic trip.

The MicrodoseBros urge everyone to do their due diligence on the effects and risks of the products they choose to intake. There may be interaction with the medicines you take. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to take care of and stay safe.

The Stamets Stack is a specific Microdosing protocol. Paul Stamets has written six books that contribute to the information and awareness of psilocybin, but he’s considered an amateur mycologist because of his education.

Stamets has four decades of experience working with and studying medicinal fungi.

Who Is Paul Stamets?

Paul Stamets says that his philosophy is “myco-diversity is biosecurity.” Instead of looking at old-growth forests, especially those in the Northwest United States, as a logging commodity, he says their fungal genome has incalculable value.

Stamets was born in Ohio. He began his career as a logger before turning to an interest in mycology, to which he credits his late brother for inspiring his passion. He’s self-taught mainly, holding only a bachelor’s degree from Evergreen State College.

Stamets has been given an honorary doctorate from the National University of Natural Medicine in Oregon.

His premise regarding psilocybin products is that each habit creates a unique immune system. He believes that magic truffles and magic mushrooms serve as a “cellular bridge” between the two worlds.

By comparing the evolutionary track of humans and fungi, Stamets believes that novel pairings within the microbiome can lead to several unique benefits.

Stamets lectures extensively about the habitat, production, and medicinal use of fungi. He aims to deepen people’s respect and understanding of the organisms underneath our feet.

Stamets’ goal is to preserve as many ancestral strains of mushrooms as possible while protecting pristine forests and woodlands. As Paul takes on this work, he’s also looking for ways to enhance life by using the compounds found in magic truffles and magic mushrooms in unique and productive ways.

What Is the Paul Stamets Stack Method?

The Paul Stamets Stack method uses three components for a successful Microdosing experience.

• Take a microdose of your preferred magic truffles or magic mushrooms.
• Use a dose of Lion’s Mane mushroom.
• Include a dose of Niacin.

Stamets designed this specific stack because he felt it enhances how psilocybin interacts with the human body. He even believes that magic truffles and magic mushrooms could deliver multiple benefits, although there isn’t any medical research to confirm his hypotheses.

That means the claimed potential medical benefits remain unverified, but Stamets says psilocybin could offer several potential advantages. The outcomes range from enhanced creativity to less anxiety.

Stamets even believes that his stack method can mediate the effects of aging on the brain. That’s because the combination is intended as a nootropic protocol to evolve the human consciousness.

It is essential to remember that microdoses of magic truffles or mushrooms are not the same as those of a “low” dose. The first option delivers a sub-perceptual experience below the intoxication threshold, between 1/10th to 1/20th of a standard amount.

That’s why Microdosing is possible while going about your daily routine.

With a low dose, there could be perceptible psychedelic effects that would change your interactions with psilocybin.

Stamets’s opinions are not clinically verified.

What Clinical Research Supports Microdosing?

Although the potential health benefits of using psilocybin are exciting, the clinical research that verifies the suspected outcomes is still lacking. This issue is due to an almost global restriction on using magic truffles or magic mushrooms.

Most of the published work on Microdosing has taken place since 2013. A study on lab mice found that the animals could overcome learned PTSD-like trauma after ingesting products containing psilocybin.

Another preliminary study from 2019 found that there was enough promise in psilocybin when looking at its pros and cons that it warranted enough additional research.

A simple search can find plenty of first-hand accounts that speak of the benefits of Microdosing, although that information is not always verifiable.

What Is in the Stamets Stack?

The Stamets Stack has undergone a few changes over the past several years. As more information comes out through research or personal use, he updates the processes that he feels are the most effective when using magic truffles or magic mushrooms.

A look at the different patent applications from Paul Stamets shows how active he has been in this field over the past decade.

Stamets believes that psilocybin, Lion’s Mane mushrooms, and niacin work better together than alone because of the entourage effect they create. It’s similar to what people say they experience when taking cannabis products.

Here is a closer look at the stacking process from Paul Stamets.

1. Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Lion’s Mane is also known as Hericium Erinaceus. It is a puffy white mushroom that can grow to an extraordinary size. When you see it in the wild, the mushroom almost looks like it is developing a beard.

Paul Stamets likes to call Lion’s Mane the “intelligence mushroom.” He believes that it could make people smarter when consuming it regularly. Still, more information is needed before concluding in that area. The Dutch and EU food safety department, has not verified these claims. Read the disclaimer for more information and links to local Dutch and EU law.

The benefit of Lion’s Mane mushrooms in the Stamets Stack is that it is relatively inexpensive and legal. You can purchase it online or at a local natural food store.

Stamets includes it with his current stacking protocol because he believes it boosts the long-term effects that psilocybin offers. In a 2020 speech, he said that Lion’s Mane reinforces the ability to occasion neurogenesis.*

*Though Paul Stamets is an expert in the field, more and more is known in the scientific literature about the health benefits of various botanical herbs, spices, mushrooms, and plants. Statements about the potential benefits of this new superfood are currently under review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), not been approved yet. It is, therefore, wise to always do your due diligence.

Read more about food safety on the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) website.

Disclaimer

Supplements are not a substitute for a healthy and varied diet. Statements about dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult your doctor or caregiver when treating any condition. More information about nutritional values and food groups can be found at www.voedingscentrum.nl.

To maximize the benefits of the stacking protocol, Stamets recommends using the mycelium from the Lion’s Mane mushroom instead of the fruiting body.

Magic truffles or magic mushrooms are responsible for the psilocybin found in the Stamets Stack.

The compound itself isn’t responsible for psychoactive effects. That process occurs in the liver when psilocybin gets transformed into psilocin. Taking a full dose of the magic truffles or magic mushrooms is responsible for the mind-bending effects.

Humans have used these items for centuries, often incorporating magic truffles and magic mushrooms into spiritual experiences.

One theory even suggests that early humans found magic mushrooms and consumed them, with the regular inclusion of psilocybin helping to form a rapid brain expansion.

The clinical research for magic truffles and magic mushrooms is that it focuses on macro dosing. That means if a standard dose is 1g, someone will take 2g to 5g if the product instead.

In the Stamets Stack, a dose of 0.1g is recommended. If someone can feel the effects of the compounds at that level, it is possible to drop to 0.05g.

Paul Stamets says that he uses up to 0.5g because the body develops a tolerance over time, even when following the dates and times associated with the protocol.

As the dosing gets higher, it is crucial to remember that the chances of experiencing psychedelic effects also rise.

3. Niacin

Vitamin B3, or nicotinic acid, helps the human body convert food calories into usable energy. It also plays a role in the health of a person’s skin, digestive system, and nervous system.

Stamets includes niacin in his stack protocol because he believes this vitamin enhances the body’s ability to uptake the compounds from magic truffles or magic mushrooms.

The recommended dosage in the Paul Stamets Stack method is 100mg to 200mg.

That amount is significantly higher than the daily recommended value of 16mg per day for men and 14mg for women.

Read more here in Dutch (voedingscentrum), or here (Harvard) in English.

When people take niacin at higher dosage levels, it can produce an uncomfortable flushing effect. The vitamin can cause tingling in the extremities, neck, and face for up to 30 minutes, along with skin redness.

This effect occurs because niacin provides a vasodilative property. The skin turns red as more blood flows through the body’s capillaries.

Some people report heat sensations, itchiness, and general discomfort during the initial uptake.

When using the niacin for the Stamets Stack, you’ll want to avoid the no-flush version of the vitamin. That option typically comes without nicotinic acid, settling for inositol hexanicotinate (a different vitamin version).

As with most new protocols, starting low, going slow, and staying that way are excellent places to start. Although 100mg can still cause flushing, the unwanted side effects from the vitamin won’t be as intense.

In return, you’ll get what Stamets believes is a better distribution factor for psilocybin since he feels the niacin distributes the compound throughout the entire body more efficiently.

Some people should not take higher levels of niacin without consulting a medical professional first. Pre-existing conditions like liver disease, alcoholism, and vitamin sensitivity might not benefit from the Stamets Stack method.

How Often Should Someone Take the Stamets Stack?

Paul Stamets recommends that people use his stacking protocol for five days and two days off to maximize its benefits.

By taking a rest period, the body’s ability to develop tolerances is not as strong.

A standard Microdosing protocol using magic truffles might be to take the product one day, take the next two days off, and then repeat the dosage on the fourth day.

If the 5:2 ratio recommended by Stamets doesn’t feel right, you could try Microdosing on four consecutive days while taking three days off.

When the 4:3 ratio isn’t helpful, you could alternate the days during the week when you’re taking the Stamets Stack. Some people prefer an every-other-day regimen for various reasons.

It is up to you to determine how long you want to follow the dosing protocol. Some say they have been using the Stamets Stack indefinitely, while others prefer taking a tolerance reset of up to four weeks after Microdosing for about two months.

You’ll know what feels right once you start this process.

Why Does Stamets Think That the Stacking Method Works?

Paul Stamets refers to several research studies that show psilocybin creating extensions of the human-based fear response. He believes that this process creates additional neurological pathways when a person is faced with a threatening situation.

By “giving the brain resources,” in Stamets’ opinion, it becomes possible for the new neurological pathways to create coping mechanisms. The magic truffles or magic mushrooms taken in the stacking protocol would enhance empathy and promote courage.

Stamets also suggests that taking Lion’s Mane and psilocybin products together can repair existing neurological damage, although there isn’t any medical evidence to back up that claim.

Disclaimer on the Paul Stamets Stack Method

The Stamets Stack is not a medically approved protocol. It is not proven or intended to promote any health benefits, provide a cure for any condition, or treat a disease. Although scientific research into the potential advantages of psilocybin is ongoing, the potential risks of using magic truffles or magic mushrooms with Lion’s Mane and niacin are unknown.

The Stamets Stack recommendation for niacin dosages far exceeds the recommended daily value.

That’s why this information is meant for educational purposes only. Do not substitute this content for medical advice or professional treatment. When you take the Stamets Stack, you’re consuming the products at your own risk with the full knowledge that it is not an approved medical treatment for any condition.

At Microdose Bros, we provide access to the ingredients you need for a successful Stamets Stack. If you want to follow his protocol, our formula follows the recipe to the letter with a Microdosing guide to help create the outcomes you desire.

Microdosing only works when you decide to try it, and the Paul Stamets Stack method is an easy way to get started.

Buy Magic Truffles online and discreetly at MicrodoseBros.com. Magic Truffles contain high quantities of psilocybin.

Popular varieties are available at our online store.

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