What your mom should know about microdosing
Insights from teacher, author and end-of-life doula Lauren Alderfer
Microdosing has become a popular thing to do in my social circles. And it’s no surprise: Grey market mushrooms are practically ubiquitous in my downtown Toronto neighbourhood. My friends openly share first-hand experiences with microdosing to enhance creativity, mood, and overall well-being.
Microdosing involves taking small doses of psychedelic substances—like psilocybin mushrooms or LSD—to offer a mood boost without hallucinations. Typically microdoses are about one-tenth the size of a full dose, and are taken every few days over a month or more.
The trend has grown since the pandemic. But because it’s illegal, microdosing has spread largely in urban centres through word of mouth—as in my friend group—from one privileged person to another.
Microdosing As A Tool for Healthy Aging
Recently, while visiting my parents, who are in their 80s and live in small-town Ontario, the subject of magic mushrooms came up. I found myself struggling to explain the benefits of microdosing in words my parents would understand. Even though I firmly believe mushrooms should be on my mom’s radar, I didn’t know how to begin.
Maybe you’ve had a similar moment with your parents—trying to explain something they may think they understand, but probably don’t. If you suspect they could benefit from an update as they age, this article is for you.
To gain insight into how older adults might find relief and rejuvenation through microdosing, I reached out to Lauren Alderfer, author of a book called Mindful Microdosing: A Guidebook and Journal.
A Mature Person’s Perspective
I first met Alderfer at the Open:Minds Expo, a psychedelic wellness event in Toronto. She’s a mature woman with a background in teaching and Eastern spirituality, so her perspective stood out to me amid the typically male, middle-aged voices that dominate the conversation about psychedelics in North America.
Alderfer’s journey with psychedelics began later in life, and like many, she had to overcome internalized stigma. “I knew about psychedelics, and I’d thought about it for years, but I had a stigma in my meditation practice of not using an intoxicant… I had to break that stigma.”
After exploring psychedelics, she was surprised to find the experience didn’t run counter to her meditation practice at all. It actually affirmed it.
“During the pandemic, I did my first high dose of psilocybin mushrooms,” she recalls, likening the experience to that of seeking enlightenment in the Himalayas. She explained that doing a high dose requires significant preparation, a wise teacher, and time to psychologically integrate the intense experience.
There had to be a gentler, more accessible way, Alderfer thought. "That led me to microdosing.” Her own experience was a big realization. It made her more relaxed in everyday life, even after years of meditation.
She says: “Microdosing brings out so many of the similar benefits of mindfulness. But it does so immediately… People don't have the time to go into deep, ongoing meditation … but we have these amazing substances that can basically reap the same or similar rewards.”
Alderfer was also attracted to the safety of the practice. The potential for harmful outcomes is low. In case your parents are concerned about addiction or potential side effects, you might want to share this article from The Economist with them, which describes what we know about the potential harms of various substances.
As the article explains, the two substances commonly used for microdosing have a low potential for harm. Other more commonly used substances such as alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are higher on the harm scale.
Inspired by her own experience, Alderfer signed up for a full year of study through the Microdosing Institute to learn everything she could. Her book soon followed.
Mindful Microdosing was published by the Vermont-based indie publisher, Green Writers Press, earlier this year. It combines simple how-tos suitable for first-time microdosers, beautiful illustrations of plants and fungi by Mariana Juarez, and plenty of blank space for journalling.
A Mindful Lineage
But Alderfer's experience as an author actually began back in 2015. After a 25-year career as a teacher, she’d written a book inspired by time spent in India studying meditation. Teaching from the Heart of Mindfulness features a heart-centred way of being with students. It’s a counterpoint to the Western idea that teaching and learning happens mostly in the head.
Seeking an Intuitive Approach
Her background as a meditator and teacher makes Alderfer the perfect person to blend mindfulness and microdosing. She emphasizes the importance of looking inward. While scientific protocols exist and can be easily accessed online, she believes in a more engaged, individualized approach.
"In microdosing, it's really about listening to your own knowing,” she explains. "What's the rhythm that matches me? That's where mindfulness comes in—choosing what feels right for you while balancing it with scientific insights.” Her journal is designed to help people tune into that inner wisdom.
Long-Term Benefits for Older Clients
One of the intriguing aspects of microdosing is its gradual impact over time. But the shifts are often subtle, and it’s helpful to have someone to reflect those changes back to you.
One of Alderfer’s clients, a woman in her 80s, found she was less reactive with her children while microdosing. When she took a break, family members noticed a difference, and encouraged her to start back up again.
Another notable client was a Vietnam War veteran in his 70s who got relief from PTSD symptoms. “Microdosing gave him the space he needed to manage his ruminating thoughts,” Alderfer says. “He felt more freedom to just be. To me, that is remarkable.”
In some cases, Alderfer helps clients adjust the dose up or down so it’s right for them. She also helps draw attention to subtle changes. For example, a client with multiple sclerosis needed help noticing how her thoughts and feelings about pain had shifted, even though the physical symptoms of her chronic disease remained.
Psychedelics as Part of Palliative Care
Many of Alderfer’s clients are older. It’s a group she relates to well, helping them navigate how microdosing interacts with medications and chronic illnesses. As a trained end-of-life doula, she can also help people who receive difficult diagnoses. Research shows that substances like psilocybin can help alleviate anxiety, depression, and fear of death.
Older adults—like your parents—should know that, as they approach the end of their lives, psychedelics can offer relief beyond the typical options like SSRIs. In an article he wrote for the Guardian, renowned neurologist and psychedelic researcher Robin Carhart-Harris highlights the difference: “while SSRIs dampen emotional depth … psilocybin seems to liberate thought and feeling.”
Finding Psychedelic Community
Alderfer sees a moral obligation to share the healing potential of psychedelics. She considers her work a calling. To further reach the older audience she knows needs her help, she’s developing a course to complement her book.
"It will include videos, and eventually, I hope to add live sessions,” she says. “Building community and sharing experiences are crucial parts of integrating mindfulness."
For those curious about integrating microdosing into their lives—or introducing it to their parents—Alderfer’s course, Mindful Microdosing 101, will be available on her website starting in October.
This is a great article, Daphne. I'm sending it to my parents!