Wondering how to dose mushrooms for your first or next trip? In this second installment of The High Guide’s two-part psychedelic prep series, April Pride offers an unfiltered and wise countdown of tips to trip—covering psilocybin dosing levels, ingestion methods, and real stories from other journeyers. From 0.5g “museum doses” to 5g heroic explorations, this episode is part protocol, part permission slip. Plus, we dive into DMT and Ayahuasca experiences, tips on mixing weed with psychedelics, and how to build a trip plan that’s intentional—not overwhelming. Whether you’re new or re-entering the world of plant medicine, this episode reminds you: safety, context, and curiosity are key.
🔵 Key Takeaways
A low dose of psilocybin (0.5–2g) is ideal for a light, social, or visual trip. Think: museums, music, or nature walks.
Dosing impacts trip duration, intensity, and emotional range—set your intentions and scale accordingly.
Ingest mushrooms via tea, lemon tek, or food—but be mindful of onset time and duration.
Ayahuasca and DMT offer powerful visuals and emotional insights but require preparation and support.
Mixing cannabis with psychedelics can amplify or soothe effects—know your limits and when to pause.
🔵 Timestamps
[00:10] April recaps part one and introduces final 5 tips to trip
[01:11] Dosing 101: Microdose to heroic dose—how much and what to expect
[02:29] Effects by dose: visuals, mood shifts, energy levels
[03:29] What’s a heroic dose—and who should try one
[04:30] How to ingest mushrooms: chew, tea, lemon tek, food
[05:00] The power of lemon juice and mushroom synergy
[06:07] What to expect from a DMT vape experience
[08:00] Ayahuasca prep: fasting, setting, and what kicked in
[10:00] Flowers talking, rainbow gravel, and mystical moments
[11:23] Don’t get cross-faded: What happens when you mix weed and psychedelics
[12:46] Trip intensification, anti-nausea use, and when to avoid mixing
[13:35] Final tip: What to do while tripping and how dose changes everything
[14:57] Emotional healing, ego death, and honoring the medicine
[15:43] Join us next week for Journey #1—audio trip begins
🔵 Featured Guest
Emily McCarter | @mccartergetshigh
Natasha Lannerd | @breathe_with_natasha
Ophelia Chong | @opheliaswims
🔵 Additional Resources
SetSet Blog: “Psychedelic Integration for Women”
SetSet Blog: “Best Music for Tripping”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: “Preparing for a Psychedelic Cannabis Journey (Part 1)”
SetSet Podcast: “Ayahuasca vs. DMT: A journey into Psychedelic Dimensions”
Substack: “What does it mean to be “prepared” for a medicine journey?”
How do you decide how much to take before a trip? What has worked—or totally backfired?👇 Let’s talk about it in the comments after the transcript below.
🔵 Transcript
[00:00] April Pride:
This podcast discusses cannabis and is intended for audiences 21 and over.
[00:10] April Pride:
Hey, this is April Pride, your host here on The High Guide. Today's episode is the second part in our two-part series in preparation for our journey. Over these two episodes, we're counting down 10 tips for [psychedelic experience preparation]. If you've not listened to part one, please do. Not only do we cover the best cannabis strains for a [psychedelic experience], but we also get into [mushroom dosing guide]. Also in part one, you'll learn more about Journey With The High Guide, the audio adventure that we're inviting you on starting October 29th. Journey With The High Guide is a five-part series produced in partnership with Patch Works, where electronic music makers shop for instruments and audio equipment to create adventures in sound, no matter your experience or budget. Check out this episode's show notes for more information on how to find them in real life here in Seattle or online. Okay, so definitely have a listen to part one. For today's episode, let's pick up where we left off in part one and count down The High Guide's final five tips to trip.
[01:11] April Pride:
In part one, we wrapped up by covering [mushroom strains], so we'll kick off part two with number five: how do I dose with psilocybin? In addition to taking into consideration what you've eaten and how much you weigh, you'll dose based on your goal for the journey. It's gonna take a couple of rounds to figure out what works best for you. In general, as we discussed on Clubhouse this summer, here's what you can expect at a high level based on the total weight of the dried fungi you consume. If we can just talk about the effects of psilocybin: I've been told that 2 grams means you're tripping—like, yeah, you're definitely tripping. One gram is like the day is sunnier; you can close your eyes—this I’m sharing from personal experience—and behind your eyes, there are lots of shapes and colors, and it’s pretty magical. It lasts maybe three hours. At 120 milligrams, you're talking about 1/20th or 5% of what a full trip dosage would be. Anything under half a gram is a [microdose], and at this level, you won't experience any noticeable psychedelic effects or sensations.
[02:29] April Pride:
You may experience some alterations in mood, your thinking, concentration, and energy levels. For journey number one, The High Guide is suggesting a low dose, which is half a gram to 2 grams—perfect for socializing or visiting a museum. With a low dose, you will start to feel some [psychedelic effects] such as slight changes in visual perception, where colors appear enhanced. You’ll feel a slight body high and can expect to feel giddy with a slight tinge of euphoria. A moderate dose or a standard trip dose is 2 to 3.5 grams, and when I’m saying grams, this is taking the physical mushroom and weighing it on a scale. This is the dose we had in mind for journey number two. And in this audio adventure, we crafted it with the intention that you'll be sharing your trip with another human. This airs on November 12th, so we hope to inspire you to have a standard [psychedelic experience] Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving with those you love.
[03:29] April Pride:
In our final three journeys, you may want to consider a high dose of psilocybin—that’s 3.5 to 5 grams—and don’t worry, as the effects come on, we’ll be there to remind you to allow all the feelings and that you’re safe, even in those moments when you lose touch with reality amid strong hallucinations of [psychedelic shapes and colors]. Then there’s a [heroic dose], which is over 5 grams. I’m pretty sure this is what I took the very first time someone handed me a bag and just told me to eat as much as I wanted. Was not good. This is the dose that [psychonauts] experience—intense hallucinations, check—as well as ego death, maybe mystical experiences, and deep introspection. If you can figure out how to interact with any device capable of producing sound in this moment, you’re my hero. So now you’ve got your strain of fungi, your dose—which brings us to number four: how should I ingest the mushrooms? Like [cannabis edibles], there are indeed pro tips to make the most of these [plant medicines]. Number one: chew and swallow. Chew the mushrooms thoroughly and swallow. The less you have in your stomach, the faster the onset of effects. Number two: make a tea. Chop or crush the mushrooms, place them into a teapot, and pour boiling water over them. Steep for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and serve. You can incorporate other teas like lemon ginger or add honey to enhance the taste and effects.
[05:00] April Pride:
Which brings us to number three: take a [lemon tek shot]. Citric acids can amplify the experience, making the effects come on faster and stronger but lasting for a shorter duration. You grind the mushrooms, add them into a shot glass, add lemon juice, mix thoroughly and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then add some water and drink it down in one shot. Number four: you can cook with mushrooms. Incorporating mushrooms into food will assist with both the taste and the effects. Do try to avoid longer periods of heating when cooking with them. And number five: when are you going to start to feel it? On an empty stomach, you can expect to start to feel the effects within 30 to 40 minutes. With food in your stomach, it may take up to two hours. So we’re gonna throw a little bit of a curveball for number three. What can I expect from an [Ayahuasca trip]? The compound responsible for Ayahuasca's psychoactivity is [DMT]. Take a listen as Emily McCarter, who hosts McCarter Gets High, discusses [DMT cartridge experience] and [Ayahuasca trip insights] with Natasha Lennard of Colorado’s beloved cannabis edibles brand 1906.
[06:07] Emily McCarter:
My friend gave me this [DMT cartridge experience] with the cannabis terpenes, but it tastes like mothballs.
[06:14] Natasha Lannerd:
Yeah, yeah.
[06:15] Emily McCarter:
It tastes terrible.
[06:16] Natasha Lannerd:
It has a unique flavor.
[06:17] Emily McCarter:
Yeah, so—but then other people... I had a few friends try it and they thought it tasted like roses, and I was like, “Oh, no.” So then we were just sipping it at first and I didn’t really understand how to do it.
[06:31] Natasha Lannerd:
You gotta blast off. Yeah.
[06:32] Emily McCarter:
Yeah, so we really—then it was just she and I—and we were like, “Okay, let’s actually take a few really deep hits of this.” And basically—oh my gosh—I just... Your whole body gets warm and you’re just in this feeling... So for me, I was kind of stuck... Well, we also realized you had to close your eyes for...
[06:54] Natasha Lannerd:
Oh, you didn’t have visuals?
[06:56] Emily McCarter:
No, well, we closed our... We had visuals when we closed our eyes.
[07:00] Natasha Lannerd:
Oh, interesting.
[07:01] Emily McCarter:
But then Annabelle said...
[07:02] Natasha Lannerd:
I’ve seen that too, but it’s just interesting you only had it internally. That’s cool.
[07:05] Emily McCarter:
Yeah, but then Annabelle said that when she opened her eyes and closed them, she couldn’t tell which one was which, [laughs] but I could tell. For me, it was much... It hit harder when my eyes were closed. So basically, I don’t know, I just had this warm feeling all in my back, and the visuals, I could just see all of these color spectrums. And the only way I could keep track of time was by the music playing. Me neither, [laughter] but I’m gonna guess and say that I feel like that’s what it was. But I don’t know, I felt like I could come just in and out of this really amazing euphoric feeling.
[07:45] Natasha Lannerd:
Oh, interesting.
[07:47] Emily McCarter:
But I didn’t hit... I didn’t really take a huge, huge hit, like...
[07:52] Natasha Lannerd:
Would you say you had a [multi-dimensional experience]?
[07:54] Emily McCarter:
Oh, yes, yes.
[07:55] Natasha Lannerd:
Okay, good. Yeah.
[07:56] Emily McCarter:
Definitely. Definitely...
[07:57] Natasha Lannerd:
[DMT] is a [multi-dimensional experience]. Yeah.
[08:00] Emily McCarter:
Yes, it felt like I was in and out of parallel universes.
[08:03] Natasha Lannerd:
Oh, for sure.
[08:03] Emily McCarter:
I haven’t done [Ayahuasca] yet.
[08:05] Natasha Lannerd:
I just tried it for my first time recently. I just had not... A lot of people had invited me to do it, but I really wanted to make sure I was in the right space.
[08:11] Emily McCarter:
Totally.
[08:13] Natasha Lannerd:
Really go there in comfort and I did. And it was funny, I drank four cups of [Ayahuasca] and I didn’t really feel...
[08:20] Emily McCarter:
Whoa.
[08:20] Natasha Lannerd:
Which I feel like everyone... When I had heard about it—obviously I’ve done every other [plant medicine] but that—and I had heard so many different experiences of the experience and how intense it was, and I had the most beautiful, sweet, loving experience. I was in the desert and I was sitting in a beautiful recliner, covered in blankets in the desert, just looking out into the stars. The friend I was with was definitely having a more... I would say, centralized experience on her mat and had a deep experience, but yeah, mine was really beautiful.
[09:07] Emily McCarter:
Whoa.
[09:07] Natasha Lannerd:
Yeah, it’s pretty cool. But I’m like, “Okay, I’m gonna go get a snack now,” 'cause it’s snack time. It’s getting late, I didn’t really eat anything...
[09:14] Emily McCarter:
And you're like, “I think I’m hungry.”
[09:15] Natasha Lannerd:
Yeah, so I think I’m hungry now. So I go inside and I get an apple and I drink some bison bone broth.
[09:20] Emily McCarter:
Wow, so healthy of you.
[09:22] Natasha Lannerd:
Well, yeah, you gotta take care of yourself, you know?
[09:23] Emily McCarter:
Yeah.
[09:24] Natasha Lannerd:
I thought you were gonna be like, “Got some chips.”
[09:26] Natasha Lannerd:
No. [laughter] No, I didn’t eat any chips. I might’ve eaten some sweet potato chips, maybe. I like those. Maybe.
[09:30] Emily McCarter:
I love sweet potato chips.
[09:31] Natasha Lannerd:
Yeah, me too. And I’m sitting there and I started drinking the bone broth and all of a sudden the flowers started looking at me, and I was like, “Oh, man.” Because I’d done [DMT] before, smoking it, and I was like, “Oh, whoa.” Because obviously, that’s one of the things about [Ayahuasca], it’s a [DMT-containing plant]. I’ve only smoked [DMT], but apparently when you ingest a lot of it, it is... Very much likes bone broth to be a mix. These flowers started looking at me. I said to my friend who I was with, who was sitting for me, and I was like, “I’m about to blast off.” And she was like, “Are you okay?” I’m like, “Yeah, but I’m going back to the ceremony space.” Because I was in this beautiful place in New Mexico with this little casitas. It was very nice.
[10:09] Emily McCarter:
Wow.
[10:10] Natasha Lannerd:
And so I start... I couldn’t get outside the door and I start walking on the gravel and it looked like Pop Rocks, all... As I was stepping on the gravel, it was like pew pew... These little rainbows were spraying out of the ground.
[10:18] Emily McCarter:
Oh, my gosh!
[10:20] Natasha Lannerd:
I was like, “Oh, my gosh!” [laughter] “Make it to the ceremony space!” I make it to my mat and at this point my friend had come back, and we were laying on the mattress with our friends. It was all just really good friends who sat for us and we’re all laying together, just enjoying each other’s company, and I was just... Yeah, having the most amazing [visual psychedelic experience] I’ve ever had in my life. Rainbows were literally icicling out of the ceiling and the lights, and we had this beautiful altar and it was active. [laughter] It was wild, and then when I closed my eyes, it was into the kaleidoscope.
[10:54] April Pride:
I don’t really know what to add here, but I do want to underscore the need for a hearty soup as your trip winds down, because in preparation for an [Ayahuasca trip], you’ll eat nothing for five to six hours prior to taking your medicine and very little other than fruits and vegetables, 24 hours preceding your trip. With little to nothing in your system, the thinking is this: with little to nothing in your system, it’s more likely nothing will need to be violently expelled from your system.
[11:23] April Pride:
Some of you more experienced journeyers or [psychonauts] have certainly been [cross-faded], the result of doubling or tripling down on potent substances. Number two: what’s there to know about getting [cross-faded]?
[11:42] Ophelia Chong:
When it comes to combining the two, getting [cross-faded], we’re left with anecdotal tales of journeys that serve as powerful reminders of just how potent these substances are. In a recent article for DoubleBlind entitled "Acid and Weed, Mushrooms & Weed: Should You Combine Them?", writer Michelle Janikian explored the common reasons people choose to combine cannabis and the aforementioned classic psychedelics. Here we find everything from anti-nausea to [trip-intensifying] as reasons people choose to co-mingle the substances.
[12:12] Ophelia Chong:
In Michelle’s words, “When I’ve smoked weed while on shrooms, the trip has become a bit weirder or ‘trippier,’ for lack of a better word. I hypothesized that perhaps regular cannabis-consuming [psychonauts] would be able to handle the mix, and those new to either substance should probably just stick to one to avoid getting overwhelmed and making their trip more challenging than it has to be. Even daily cannabis consumers who use [psychedelics] occasionally told me they stopped mixing the two because they’ve experienced increased anxiety, especially smoking weed on the come-up of a [psychedelic experience].”
[12:46] Ophelia Chong:
Yet, many people seem to enjoy the [intensification effects] of mixing LSD and cannabis, saying it brings them to another world or is “euphoric” and “overwhelming” in a good way. Similar to psilocybin, others report cannabis can help with the [insights] that they get while on LSD, especially during the come up. Some even report using CBD-dominant products for this reason. Other people don’t get the intensification effects at all and say adding some weed to the mix calms them. Even during a challenging time of the trip, folks also report they don’t feel weed at all while on LSD and can still end up going through many grams—more for the ritual than for a particular effect. And to read more of Michelle’s article in DoubleBlind, check out our show notes for a link.
[13:35] April Pride:
To wrap up The High Guide’s Tips to Trip: Number one, what should I do while I’m under the influence of [psychedelics], other than listening to our journeys to go there? Rewind to the top of this episode and review number five—in terms of psilocybin, what you do is very much relative to how much you take.
[13:58] Ophelia Chong:
I don’t see it as a [recreational drug] because it’s not. It has more [pharmaceutical benefits] than recreation. I do not take it for recreation. If you go on a [heroic dose], it is not recreation, right?
[14:12] April Pride:
Yeah, right.
[14:14] Ophelia Chong:
You’re not going to, “I’m gonna binge-watch The Sopranos on mushrooms.”
[14:17] April Pride:
That’s a very good point. Yeah.
[14:19] Ophelia Chong:
No, you’re basically gonna be under the covers somewhere going through whatever [emotional healing] or trauma that you have to go through to get to the other side.
[14:30] April Pride:
You’re really selling people on this.
[14:34] Ophelia Chong:
Well, the thing is, I’ve sold so many people on it and it has helped. It has helped so many people. But I do not talk about it in the same way that you talk about cannabis. It is not a fun thing. It’s not a “Let’s go to the beach and take mushrooms” kind of thing. I see it as purely [medicine].
[14:57] April Pride:
While I totally get what Natasha Lannerd is saying, I do enjoy all [plant medicine] at low doses recreationally—just like sometimes a tequila shot makes sense and other moments call for a beer. Potency is the difference between enjoying Blade Runner 2046 or running for cover. As we journey together through the end of the year, we’ll peek into how our High Guides spent their time under the influence of [plant medicine]. Stay tuned starting next week as we commence with journey number one. Also in our show notes is more information on how to find our production partner for the series, Patchworks—either here in Seattle in real life or online.
[15:43] April Pride:
Thanks for listening to this episode of The High Guide and tune in every Friday for a new episode covering all things [plant-based pleasures]. Subscribe and follow wherever you listen to podcasts. And we don’t just give good ear here at The High Guide—see us at our most funny on Instagram, where you can find us @thehigh.guide and online at our website, thehigh.guide, where you’ll find the best advice from all your high guides and where you can sign up for our newsletter.
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