Five-band reference dose ranges for five substances, drawn from published research and clinical literature. Use this as a harm-reduction starting point. It is not a personal recommendation.
psilocybin mushrooms
The active compound in psilocybin mushrooms, taken by mouth as dried whole mushrooms, capsules, or tea. Dose ranges below are grams of dried Psilocybe cubensis (or psilocybin-equivalent).
These ranges are reference information drawn from published research and clinical literature. Mushroom potency varies by species, growing conditions, and storage. They are not a personal recommendation.
Five reference bands, from a minimal/sub-perceptual threshold up to a high/heavy range.
Modern clinical trials from Johns Hopkins, Compass, and Usona Institute use 25 mg of synthetic psilocybin, roughly 2-2.5 g of well-characterized dried Psilocybe cubensis. Independent surveys cluster "common" experiences at 1.5-3 g dried. Potency varies 2-4 fold across species (P. cubensis, P. semilanceata, P. cyanescens) and even between flushes from the same grow.
Whole dried mushrooms are the safest form to identify. Dosage is reasonably predictable when the species is known and the mushrooms are dry. Chewed and swallowed, often with tea or food. Stored cool and dry; potency fades slowly over months.
Powdered mushroom in a capsule. Potency depends on mushroom potency and fill accuracy. A standard "00" capsule holds roughly 0.5-0.7 g of powdered dried mushroom, so a common dose is two to four capsules.
Powders sold as "psilocybin capsules" outside of regulated channels sometimes contain research chemicals or other tryptamines. Use only capsules you have filled from whole dried mushrooms you identified yourself.
Hot-water extraction of dried mushrooms, often with ginger or lemon. Onset is faster (15-30 min), and the experience can feel slightly less heavy on the body. Same total dose as the equivalent weight eaten directly.
Mushrooms infused in chocolate or food. Dose is hard to titrate piece by piece; eat a known total weight and segment carefully. Onset can be delayed by 30-60 min because of the food matrix.
N,N-dimethyltryptamine
A short-acting tryptamine (5-20 minutes when inhaled) found in many plants. Most modern vaporized use is the freebase form, inhaled. Ayahuasca is an oral traditional brew that contains DMT combined with an MAOI; ranges for inhaled freebase are below.
These ranges are reference information drawn from published research and clinical literature. They are for inhaled freebase DMT under calm conditions, not a personal recommendation. Inhaled DMT is intense and brief; sitter presence is the single most important safety measure.
Five reference bands, from a minimal/sub-perceptual threshold up to a high/heavy range.
Strassman's early clinical work at UNM (1990s) studied doses of 0.05-0.4 mg/kg IV, roughly 4-30 mg in a 75 kg adult. Independent vaporization surveys cluster "common" experiences at 25-40 mg. Vaporization is dose-efficient: small changes in weight mean large changes in depth, so scale up by 5-10 mg at a time, not 20 mg.
Crystalline DMT, vaporized through a small glass device or a mesh-based vaporizer rated for the temperature range (around 150-180°C). The single most titratable form. Each inhalation is one breath, and the effect lands within seconds.
White powders sold as "DMT" outside of trusted sources are often misrepresented, occasionally containing other tryptamines, synthetic cathinones, or inert filler. Crystalline freebase has a distinct waxy-crystalline appearance and a sharp melting point; powder that dissolves quickly in water is unlikely to be freebase DMT.
DMT-infused herb blend, smoked in a pipe. Dose is harder to estimate because the DMT is bound to plant material. A common range is 25-50 mg of DMT in the blend, smoked over 5-10 minutes.
Changa blends vary widely in declared DMT mass. Treat unfamiliar blends as on the lower end.
lysergic acid diethylamide
A long-acting synthetic psychedelic (8-12 hours) discovered in 1943. Dose ranges below are in micrograms (µg) of LSD on blotter or in solution, taken by mouth.
These ranges are reference information drawn from published research and clinical literature. They are not a personal recommendation, and they assume a chemically characterized source.
Five reference bands, from a minimal/sub-perceptual threshold up to a high/heavy range.
Published dose-response work from the 1960s and the modern LSD-assisted therapy literature place the typical investigational oral dose at 75-150 µg. Independent surveys (Erowid, dose.report) cluster "common" experiences in the 75-150 µg range. Individuals vary 2-3 fold; smaller bodies, women (on average smaller body mass), and lower prior exposure trend toward the lower end.
Tiny squares of absorbent paper laced with LSD solution. Most common street form. Potency is stated in µg but the stated value is not always accurate, so treat unknown blotter as on the lower end of any given range. A reasonable harm-reduction step is to start with a quarter or half tab and wait 90 minutes before considering more.
Blotter is occasionally misrepresented. Reagent testing is limited for LSD, but visual inspection (uniformity of soak, no white powder residue) and source reputation reduce risk.
LSD dissolved in a solvent, measured in µg per drop. Liquid dosing is precise when the source label is accurate; a single drop is often 75-150 µg. Store cool, dark, and sealed; LSD degrades in heat and UV.
Gelatin squares or pressed tablets. Potency varies more than blotter, and exchanges of "small" for "regular" can mean 50-200 µg. Treat any unknown gel tab as on the lower end, then scale up only after a prior experience at that size.
Substance entry on the dosage guide
In 1976, a chemist named Alexander Shulgin synthesized a molecule that had been sitting in a patent filing since 1912 and decided to try it himself. What he experienced over the next several hours would eventually reshape psychiatric medicine.
This entry is auto-generated from the article seed and is a starting point, not a personal recommendation. The locked five-substance template uses Threshold, Light, Common, Strong, and Heavy bands as the standard reference framing.
Five reference bands, from a minimal/sub-perceptual threshold up to a high/heavy range.
MDMA floods the brain with serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Once a party drug, it's now the most promising PTSD treatment in decades. Here's the full science.
Substance entry on the dosage guide
Somewhere in the Amazon basin, people have been drinking a bitter vine brew for at least a thousand years. Today, that same brew is showing up in clinical trials for depression and PTSD. Here is everything the science knows about ayahuasca.
This entry is auto-generated from the article seed and is a starting point, not a personal recommendation. The locked five-substance template uses Threshold, Light, Common, Strong, and Heavy bands as the standard reference framing.
Five reference bands, from a minimal/sub-perceptual threshold up to a high/heavy range.
What is ayahuasca? How does it work, what does the ceremony involve, and what does the research say? A full guide to the Amazon brew, its active compounds (DMT + MAOIs), indigenous traditions, therapeutic potential, risks, and legal status.
dissociative anesthetic
A dissociative anesthetic in clinical use since 1970. Routes below include intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and intranasal (Spravato nasal spray, the only Schedule III compound with an FDA-approved psychiatric indication).
These ranges are reference information drawn from published research and clinical literature. They assume a pharmaceutical-grade source and a calm supervised setting. They are not a personal recommendation. Outside of clinical settings, ketamine carries bladder and addiction risks with frequent use.
Five reference bands, from a minimal/sub-perceptual threshold up to a high/heavy range.
Clinical psychiatry uses IV infusion at 0.5 mg/kg over 40 minutes (the Berman/ Zarate protocol replicated by Yale, NIH, and the Canadian RAPID trials) and IM at 50-100 mg (the Tierney protocol). Spravato (esketamine nasal spray) is FDA-approved at 56-84 mg per session for treatment-resistant depression. "K-hole" descriptions of strong dissociation begin around 100 mg IM and scale with body weight.
Injectable pharmaceutical ketamine, administered in a clinical setting at 0.5-2 mg/kg IV or 50-200 mg IM. Continuous monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate, and dissociation level is the standard. Outside of clinical monitoring, IV/IM dosing carries real risks and is not casual.
Spravato is FDA-approved at 56-84 mg per session under REMS-program supervision, for treatment-resistant depression. Off-label intranasal racemic ketamine (compounded) is common in some clinics; dosing and supervision vary by clinic.
Oral bioavailability is lower (around 20-30%), so oral doses run higher than IM. Onset is slower (15-30 min) and duration longer (4-6 hours). Common oral range is 100-300 mg of pharmaceutical-grade material.
Outside of pharmaceutical channels, ketamine powder varies in purity and is sometimes blended with other dissociatives. Frequent non-clinical use carries notable bladder risk (ketamine cystitis) and addiction risk. If exploring at all outside clinical channels, checking source reputation and not escalating frequency is the safer path.
Powder sold as "Special K" outside of regulated channels can be cut with other dissociatives, stimulants, or inert filler; reagent testing can distinguish ketamine from common cuts, but does not identify dose-per-milligram consistency.
5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine
A short-acting synthetic tryptamine (20-45 minutes when inhaled). Synthetic freebase is the dominant modern form. The Sonoran desert toad (Incilius alvarius) is the historical natural source and the subject of active conservation concern, with wild collection discouraged in most jurisdictions. Dose ranges below are milligrams of inhaled freebase.
These ranges are reference information drawn from published research and clinical literature. They are not a personal recommendation. 5-MeO-DMT effects shift sharply at small mg differences and the pharmacology is distinct from N,N-DMT: largely non-visual, often ego-dissolution forward, and short. Sitter presence, lying down before inhaling, and a calm setting are the headline harm-reduction priorities.
Five reference bands, from a minimal/sub-perceptual threshold up to a high/heavy range.
The 2019 Johns Hopkins survey (Davis et al.) and Erowid vaporization reports cluster common experiences at 5-12 mg of freebase. Vaporization is dose-efficient; 1-2 mg shifts can move a user noticeably across tiers. 5-MeO-DMT is pharmacology-distinct from N,N-DMT, which has its own panel: the comparison here is dose logic only, not subjective content.
Synthetic 5-MeO-DMT freebase, vaporized through a small glass device or a mesh vaporizer rated for the temperature range (around 150-180C). The single most titratable form. Each inhalation is one breath, and the effect lands within seconds.
Historically sourced from the Sonoran desert toad (Incilius alvarius). Many modern sources use synthetically produced 5-MeO-DMT because wild toad populations are protected under state wildlife laws and conservation practice discourages wild collection.
Material sold as "toad venom" varies widely and is often synthetic 5-MeO-DMT mislabeled as "natural." The harm-reduction frame is the same as the synthetic form: dose by weight of 5-MeO-DMT and screen the source.
Less common than vaporization. Insufflation onset is slower and the experience longer; smoked herbal preparations carry the same dose uncertainty as any unregulated herbal blend.
Open our Compare Psychedelics page to look at LSD, psilocybin, DMT, ketamine, MDMA, ayahuasca, and 5-MeO-DMT across dose, duration, effects, legality, and current research.
Open Compare page →Reference sources include published clinical research (Johns Hopkins, Compass, Usona, Yale, MAPS, NIH), independent harm-reduction archives (Erowid, dose.report), pharmacology references (Goodman & Gilman, Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology), and current peer-reviewed dose-response literature. This page is a reference starting point, not medical, legal, or personal advice.