First head over to /r/microdosing to get a more detailed answer or broader answers to microdosing. I'll give it a go though.

So tolerance for LSD is something like after 2 weeks you get back to baseline where 100μg = 100μg. Refer to this. In the case on microdosing, we seem to come to the conclusion that the tolerance effect of such a small dose is incredibly low. So low in fact that daily use for a while will still incur similar effects. Though I'm not sure how long that can last.

To compensate for this it is recommended to have a routine of 3/4 days between the doses, this is mostly to minimise the build of tolerance (no matter how little it is). This works incredibly well for some. You can find the right way for yourself.

We do not know how tolerance to LSD works but in the case of microdosing there is no need to increase doses - if you're going the daily route - as this would increase the perceptual effects which you do not want. Keeping to a set dose also keeps the effects in line with what to expect, avoiding cases of racing thoughts, body temperature fluctuations and other effects. But I recommend not doing this. Go for the every few days and keep the dose similar once your find that sweet spot.

On top of all of that dosing is an important factor so cutting up a tab is not recommended as the tab may not be dosed equally. To get around this using a method called volumetric dosing is advised. Here's a guide on how to do that. Using less distilled water can be done if your use a pipette to dose, one like this for example.

All in all I have to admit I love microdosing. It has helped me out incredibly. I vouch for it and would love the idea to spread. I would caution any person doing it though to keep within their limits and follow a regime they construct themselves or someone has recommended, say Dr Fadiman.

Edit. My link to Dr Fadiman's letter is being flagged for spam. Great. It's at the bottom of this article.

Hey. You will be fine. There are many people who smoke in Georgia. Just don't be obnoxious with how you consume your weed, and you'll be good. Your roommates are cool with it, so they won't give you trouble for it. Here are some tips that you are free to utilize:

1. https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Buddy-Personal-Filter-Blue/dp/B00478UIB2
   
   
2. Light a candle (to set the mood), and it'll help with the smell.
   
   
3. https://www.amazon.com/Medo-OZM-1-Ozium-Air-Sanitizer/dp/B000CSWCAG
   
   
4. During your session, you can always microwave some popcorn and it will help mask some smell.
   
   
5. After your session, get a damp & cool towel, and swing it around like a helicopter above your head (in the room), and it will help circulate the air.
   
   
6. After your session is over and some time has passed, you can open up a window and let the breeze carry away any remaining smell.
   
   
7. Relax, and enjoy your sessions. Usually, no one is actively sniffing around for marijuana, and trying to get people in trouble.
   
   
8. You're going to be safer smoking in your home, than in your car or outside. Period.

Hi princeoforange757, reposting in case the previous reply gets buried.

You can do a LOT of things to help yourself if you are depressed. Using drugs to elevate your mood is only helpful if you're working on the reasons for your depression. Having said that, Here are some antidepressents you can access legally.

• 1- Exercise - any amount, just get out and walk.
  
• 2. Music - music that's upbeat, and has a fast rhythm
     
• 3. People- I know this one can be challenging, but hang out with people who care about you, and are fun, and it will help
     
• 4. Fish oil - you can buy these from your local walgreens or pharmacy, take two 1g pills a day, they help reduce depressive symptoms, to some extent, and help with making your cholesterol levels better.
     
• 5. This book - (It's FREE) 52 ideas on how to defeat depression
     
• 6. This book - Feeling good, the new mood therapy -A great book to understand what depression is, and to take charge of your own healing.
     
• 7. Therapy - Not a psychiatrist, but a psychologist, or a counsellor. Many universities/medical schools have free clinics where you can see a student/trainee therapist for a minimal fee.
     
• 8. Exercise. Did i say that already? Because it does WONDERS.
     
• 9. Keep a journal.
     *10 Believe that you can conquer depression.
     

I did! I've read many books on habit actually, but you're right on the nose in describing the one I'm referencing here. It's called the Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and its a fantastic read.

The author actually modified a fairly long-standing definition of a habit loop to include some additional detail, and it was the author's definition I am describing here.

Yes, a wonderful book to

Initially they used it to tremendous advantage. Footsoldiers that don't get hungry or tired for days at a time with perfect morale and impressive immunity to pain? Tireless fighter pilots? Nazi amphetamine use helped them very much.

That said, when the entire German military started to develop a tolerance, on top of a shortening of supply, things got baaaaad. Not to mention Hitler's and Goering's own drug habits.

Norman Ohler's Blitzed is a good read on the subject, I highly recommend it.

For those wanting more information regarding Alexander Shulgin, the wikipedia page offers some decent information.

Hammilton Morris' short documentary SIHKAL: Shulgins I Have Known And Loved offers a lot of great information as well.

The Los Angeles times published an interview with him in 1995, which is now available on Erowid.

His first book, PiHKAL: Phenethylamine I Have Known and Loved is available on amazon, and contains first hand accounts of the effects of, as well as information of the chemical structure of the drugs Mescaline, DOM, 2C-B, 2C-E, 2C-T-2, and 2C-T-7. All of these, apart from mescaline, are drugs created by Shulgin himself. The book also mentions and/or details the drugs PMA, 2,4-DMA, 3,4-DMA, MDA, MMDA, MMDA-3a, MMDA-2, TMA, TMA-2, DMMDA, DMMDA-2, and TeMA, as well as over 200 other substances, all first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin himself.

His second book, TiHKAL: Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved, is also available on amazon, and contains several essays on the war on drugs, the prevelence of DMT in nature, psychoteraphy, and a number of other topics. The book also includes detailed synthesis instructions and chemical information regarding 55 different Tryptamines, including 5-MeO-DET, LSD, 4-HO-DiPT, 2,alpha-DMT, Melatonin, MiPT, and Tetrahydroharmine, amongst others.

Well, yes, but certain mushrooms grow in certain areas. Not sure how many woodloving mushrooms ya'll got over there in your Louisiana woods, as they're all over the Pacific North West. Could be.

I'd read up on Psilocybe mushrooms, and recommend Paul Stamets' book Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World. The important thing is not knowing about the blue bruising Psilocybes, but rather the blue bruising lookalikes which are toxic.

@ OP:

Google "How long does the brain take to mature?"

You are about halfway, give or take, through the brain development process (as a late-bloomer in the maturity department, I can attest).

Your hopeful, forward-looking attitude is the correct one, and will serve you well when the going gets rough. Two things, one edible, one educational:

Maca. It's a member of the turnip family that grows only over 13,000' in Peru (the real stuff, anyway). It is a superfood due to its composition, and an adaptogen for its ability to raise the overall life force energy.

This probably sounds like a sales pitch. It's not. I have been using the powdered "black" maca for ~3 months. I can attest to several of the benefits (libido, energy, and others) myself. My wife discovered some bottles of capsules on the discount table at the pharmacy. Even these "non-direct sourced" capsules made a difference in my life, but were expensive when I found a different supplier. The site I linked "says what they do, and they do what they say". There is a ton of info available on maca, and I have found The Maca Team to be first-rate. Any site that has an "800" phone number on the webpage isn't trying to pull a fast one. For you I would recommend the premium blend because it will have the broadest possible range of benefits for your situation. I'm 60, so as you read you will understand why I choose the "black". In any case, my wife and I use the powder, mixed with a smoothie or "Breakfast essentials" and milk. I have read reviews, and the supplier claims a 3-teaspoon serving will give you extra energy, and if taken too late in the the day, can keep users up later than they wish. This sounds right up your alley, as the saying goes.

The other thing I noticed from your post is that you seem to be caught in what I call a "negative thought-loop". I highly advise reading this book. It was recommended to me by my therapist, who has met the author a couple of times. I felt more sure of my decisions and myself after finishing just the first chapter. Dr. Burns shows the reader how to identify negative thought patterns that the reader may not even realize they are trapped in, until they read the questions Dr. Burns asks. I attribute my being able to stop taking anti-depressants to this book, which I keep on my shelf like a reference book. It's been in print for over twenty years, so it's probably available at the local library.

Advice like this is dangerous, because it leads people to think that this is all they need to know. If you want to know the best practices for using drugs like LSD then you need to actually read a book on them, e.g.

http://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Healing-Entheogens-Psychotherapy-Development/dp/1594772509/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310502437&sr=8-1

He's worked on a new book I've been reading, the experiences people share in it are amazing. It's actually on sale http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/159477224X?pc_redir=1412264634&robot_redir=1 very intresting read, especially if you're interested in IV DMT experiences.

They're $20.92 each on amazon:

PIHKAL - http://www.amazon.com/Pihkal-Chemical-Story-Alexander-Shulgin/dp/0963009605

TIHKAL - http://www.amazon.com/Tihkal-Continuation-Alexander-Shulgin/dp/0963009699

If you're interested in what they look like, part 2 of both books is freely available on erowid:

PIHKAL - https://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal.shtml

TIHKAL - https://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/tihkal/tihkal.shtml

woah i dont know what that is, but im excited to google it.

Edit: this?
looks enjoyable!

Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson.


Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer: Theory and Experiments by John C. Lilly.


Both of those can be found for free with a quick google search.


Science and Sanity: An Introduction to Non-Aristotelian Systems and General Semantics by Alfred Korzybski.


The Archaic Revival: Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, UFOs, Evolution, Shamanism, the Rebirth of the Goddess, and the End of History by Terence McKenna.


The Diary of a Drug Fiend by Aleister Crowley.


The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts.


This is a start.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Teachings-Don-Juan-Knowledge/dp/0671600419

No one should ever consume a psychedelic without at least reading this book, reading errowid extensively, or sitting down and talking with a shaman.

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mescaline/mescaline.shtml

http://www.american-buddha.com/teach.don.juan.4.htm

>"Does Mescalito take any form when he shows himself?"

>"Yes, any form."

>"Then, which are the most common forms you know?"

>"There are no common forms."

>"Do you mean, don Juan, that he appears in any form, even to men who know him well?"

>"No. He appears in any form to those who know him only a little, but to those who know him well, he is always constant."

>"How is he constant?"

>"He appears to them sometimes as a man, like us, or as a light. Just a light."

mescalito is chaos, the very spirit you conjure up within when you take peyote. he's like the vengeful, old-testament god combined with the modern satanist form of satan. He wants you to have a good time, but you're gonna go through some shit first.

if you are measuring large ammounts, use weigh boats. you can buy them on amazon, look up SEOH micro weigh boats.

buy gel caps for small ammounts. dont tare the gel cap, just do the math. scales like to jump down to the 0 point, so its better to have something on the scale when doing small measurements. also, remember that the gemini 20 doesnt have a stated tollerance, though user testing its about +-4mg.

as for spoons, you can use a lab micro scoop, micro spatula or... if you dont want to buy lab gear on amazon, you can get these:

http://www.amazon.com/Dash-Smidgen-Pinch-Measuring-Spoon/dp/B002X9I4RC

the smallest one fits inside of a size 0 gel cap perfectly... so you can scoop up clingy powder, put the spoon in the cap, then tap the cap. no powder is lost :)

Inner Paths to Outer Space by Strassman and three others
http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Paths-Outer-Space-Psychedelics/dp/159477224X
The Cosmic Serpent by Jeremy Narby
http://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Serpent-DNA-Origins-Knowledge/dp/0874779642/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302588552&sr=1-1
Astrothelogy and Shamanism by Andrew Rutajit asd Jan Irvin
http://www.amazon.com/Astrotheology-Shamanism-Christianitys-Revolutionary-Reinterpretation/dp/1439222436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302588605&sr=1-1
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by John Marco Allegro
http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Mushroom-Cross-Christianity-fertility/dp/0982556276/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302588605&sr=1-3
these guys have some good interviews and a movie called "The Pharmacratic Inquisition" for free on the site
http://www.gnosticmedia.com/

This is a good book. You can get the first edition pretty cheap. Not as in depth as the Stahl's, but provides a solid background in general neurochemistry, addiction and illicit drugs, neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, and prescribed psychotropics.

http://www.amazon.com/Psychpharmacology-Drugs-Behavior-Second-Edition/dp/087893510X/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Our survival instinct is wound too tightly, which leads to this suffering. What you see as banalities are actually the distractions from this suffering, but the distractions themselves are as material as the source of distress; and distractions are, by nature, only temporary. A better satisfaction is probably tuning into a sense of compassion and right action. Meditation will help you cultivate this, and it will allow you to approach distractions and suffering with patience and love.

Our banalities are part of a nature we choose to accept when we take this form. The form is not ideal, as I said. Perhaps because its creator is not perfect, or perhaps because the flaws are by design. Whatever the case, when you are done here, it will be as if no time as passed at all. You will look back on it like the single blink of an eye. All the strife, the pain, the disease will be a page in a book without beginning or end.

There's a trilogy of books on this subject written by the late Robert Monroe that you may find illuminating. They're listed here. You may not believe what he has to say. But consider it food for thought.

You hit a wrong turn somewhere.

If you are in the US, here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0995593604/

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0995593604/

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0995593604/

I hope that helps. :-)

Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology

Looks like they have a new addition out too... (edit: it occurred to me the older versions might be cheaper since you're a student and all. But it's worth every penny.)

Dr. Stahl has plenty of books, but if you just get one get this one. It's mostly pharmacology of prescribed drugs, not much in there on recreational stuff but there is some. But maybe what you are interested in since you mentioned antidepressants -- depression meds probably get the largest chapter. Also has background on general brain neurotransmission before he gets into the meds. Hope this helps.

I suggest getting one of these https://www.dynavap.com/dynashop/vaporizers/special-products/the-m/the-m-2018-m

this https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Buddy-0159-BLU-Personal-Filter/dp/B00478UIB2

and finally one of these https://www.amazon.com/Ozium-Air-Sanitizer-Original-3-5/dp/B000CSWCAG


With these you should be good to smoke in your bathroom without any worry

There is actually a book on this - read it earlier this year. It was good:

https://www.amazon.com/Blitzed-Drugs-Third-Norman-Ohler/dp/1328663795

It would probably be good to check out some of the literature from the guys who spent their lives trying to characterize the whole thing.

some examples: LSD ketamine Peyote

You should make sure your daily caloric deficit isn't too high percentage wise, because your activity + intake alone could cause a lot of these problems.

I can relate to the "driven to self improvement frenzy" and your post brings a few books to mind that might help your situation/outlook.

The Power of Now

Mindset

The Power of Habit

TIP:

Watch Law Professor James Duane's lecture on Never Talking to The Police.

Then, go buy his book.

Yes, that's a LAW PROFESSOR telling LAW STUDENTS why you shouldn't speak to the police.

The live demonstrations alone are worth the lecture.

I recommend Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology

I like to use the smallest spoon [here] (http://amzn.com/B002X9I4RC)

You mean something like this?

She also wrote a book about her experiences with Pickard and Appersen called Lysergic. Unfortunately, the impression I get from reviews is that she isn't the ideal person to be giving us insight into the synthesizing process.

drugs, the brain and behavior


https://www.amazon.de/Psychopharmacology-Behavior-Jerrold-S-Meyer/dp/087893510X


theres a pdf Available if you know where to look.

olbas inhaler. this is worth every penny!

see also: cheap bullet vibrator. watermelon gum. soft robes.

I believe the answers you are looking for can be found in this book: https://www.amazon.com/Journeys-Out-Body-Out-Body/dp/0385008619

That's not how it's set up, though.
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0071S5Y46/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/191-9781433-7176357

Leaving this here for you.

Or you know, you could skip steps 1~3 and just buy large empty gel caps.

http://www.amazon.com/Empty-Gelatin-Capsules-Size-500/dp/B000AHCPEC

This guy has a book now by the way, with specific advice and case studies. I recommend it for any illegal drug user.

https://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Right-Remain-Innocent/dp/1503933393

Start here

And DEFINITELY buy other identification guides to cross-reference. Forest-hunting isn't particularly lucrative for psychedelics. Be very careful and deliberate with anything you find, because there are quite a few species (in the fields and forests) that are similar to psilocybin species, but dangerous.

There are books out there that detail the healing process with psychs. Some only available in pdf form due to them being out of print. Read up. I can recommend Psychedelic Healing but took most of what I tried form listening to Terence Mckenna, FWIW

I do not have a history or family history of mental illness but have enjoyed some long term effects from the "sensory deprivation + mushrooms" method. It isn't a fix-all pill like Leary told all those poor kids in the 60's who know occupy homelss shelters follow The Dead or are dead. It's more letting the psych offer up things from your memory/imagination/subconscious and then thinking about them after the fact. Often you might get insight from this retrospection, but you are in no way guaranteed illumination, although you may have this type experience. You have to work with it more than a few times in my experience.