A growing number of people are magic mushrooms for sale in order to boost creativity, ease anxiety and enhance focus. CBC’s Nick Purdon explores the practice, meets the Canadians who swear it works and the researchers trying to understand what’s happening inside their brains.

It’s not for the faint of heart. The 2021 Global Drug Survey found that 1 in 4 psychedelic users regularly consume small doses of psilocybin and LSD. Microdosers typically take about one-tenth the size of a “trip” dose, or an amount too small to trigger hallucinations but enough, proponents say, to sharpen their minds.

Breaking the Stigma: Microdosing as a Tool for Personal Growth and Wellness

In the mushroom community, microdosers refer to this dosage as “sub-perceptual.” The intention is to experience subtle enhancements in mood and cognition but not to feel “high” in any way. This level of dosing also helps to ensure that the user can still tend to normal daily tasks, like taking care of children or working a job.

Mushrooms have a unique effect on our brains, stimulating the growth of axin-releasing neurites. These neurites act as a pathway for neurons to communicate with each other. In many people suffering from chronic stress, mental health problems or neurodegenerative disorders, this communication is disrupted, and significant atrophy of the brain can occur. These new connections can help improve cognitive function and reduce depression, anxiety and other symptoms of these conditions. The psilocybin found in mushrooms stimulates the creation of these pathways, helping restore and maintain healthy brain structure.