Terence McKenna’s Heroic Dose Protocol: A Psychedelic Trip

Who is Terence McKenna?

Terence McKenna (1946 – 2000), was an ethnobotanist and philosopher, particularly noted for his exploration of the symbiotic relationship between plants and human societies. His focus was on plants with psychoactive properties, such as psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca, which he proposed could responsibly enhance consciousness exploration and deepen our connection with the natural world.

McKenna’s influence extended beyond the field of ethnobotany; he was a renowned mystic and intellectual, engaging audiences with lectures and writings on diverse topics from shamanism and linguistics to technology and the existence of extraterrestrial life. Despite the contentious nature of his theories, McKenna’s dynamic presence and profound knowledge solidified his status within the psychedelic counterculture of the 1980s and 1990s.

What is Terrence McKenna’s Heroic Dose Protocol?

Terence McKenna popularized the term “heroic dose” in the 1980s, referring to the consumption of five grams of dried Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. This quantity significantly exceeds what is typically considered a high dose, with “high doses” generally considered around 3.5 grams. The “heroic dose” is characterized by its profound potency, sufficient to substantially alter one’s perception of reality.

Mushroom Strain

The heroic dose suggests working with Psilocybe Cubensis, commonly known as magic mushrooms. The main compound responsible for the effects of Psilocybe Cubensis is psilocybin, which works by binding with serotonin receptors in the brain.

Some mushroom species are more potent in psilocybin than others; for instance, Semilanceata contains more psilocybin than Cubensis. The Golden Teacher mushroom is commonly used for the heroic dose and is what is included in all of our Microdosify blends.

Dosage

Mckenna suggests 5 grams of dried Psilocybe Cubensis mushroom as the heroic dose. The amount mentioned is flexible and may vary on the individual person’s sensitivity to psilocybin, current health status and the set and setting.

Schedule of the Heroic Dose

There is no specific dosing schedule for the heroic dose. However, McKenna suggests working with a heroic dose very infrequently – as much as twice as a year or as a little as once in a lifetime.

Benefits of Working with a Heroic Psilocybin Dose

The main reasons that someone may choose to take a heroic dose of psilocybin includes deep exploration, personal transformation, and connection to the subconscious mind. 

• Deep exploration: The heroic dose will take you to the deepest trenches of your mind. 
• Personal Transformation: The experiences and insights that arise from such a dose can transform your understanding of the world, especially when you take steps to integrate the insights into your day-to-day life.
• Connection with the subconscious mind: The depth of this dose allows you to connect with the subconscious mind to explore your thought patterns and habits that may not be normally visible to you.

How to prepare for a Hero’s Journey

To prepare for a heroic dose or trip, consider the following factors:

• Experience: The heroic dose is most suitable for experienced users. If you’re new to the mushroom experience, you may consider having an experience with a smaller dose first.
• Intention Setting: Have a clear intention and goal for the heroic trip. Having a clear purpose can help ensure that you have a more meaningful experience and it can help ground and support you if challenges arise during your experience.
• Dosing: Make sure to measure your dose and consider the potency of your mushroom strain.
• Set and Setting: The “Set” refers to the user’s mindset, and “setting” refers to the surrounding environment. A healthy mindset includes having a clear intention, trusting the process, and being in a calm mental state. The best “setting” includes a safe and comfortable surrounding that minimizes distractions. The place should be dark and silent, and most recommend embarking on a heroic journey lying down and with your eyes closed.
• Minimize distractions: Do all the daily chores, essential tasks, or any other work that may take your attention away on the trip. You should minimize distractions before going on a heroic trip.
• Have someone to support you: It is always an advantage to have someone you trust by your side while on a trip. The person can intervene or support you in case of bad trips or when you are afraid or scared.

What happens after a Heroic Dose of Magic Mushrooms?

After taking a heroic dose of Psilocybin mushrooms, you will experience an intense psychedelic trip, which generally has three clear elements: the start, the peak, and the descent.

Start, peak and descent

The Start: The beginning of your experience is likely to feel exhilarating and exciting. You may hear a roaring sound in your ears. The concept of space, time, and self starts fading away, and you lose the sense of these concepts.

It may feel like you are no longer the personality that you identified yourself with. Approximately 2 hours after ingestion, you move from a state of external awareness to deep internal awareness.

The Peak: a heightened sense of Psilocybin mushroom experience. It transcends ordinary concepts and identities. You may experience a profound sense of love that is broader and deeper than you have ever known.

The experience is ecstatic and ineffable. The sense of unity with the universe fills you completely.

The Descent: This phase starts as the effect of the magic mushroom starts to fade away. You may feel detached from your thoughts and have a better sense of control over your thoughts.

Your perception of the world becomes expansive, and you may get absorbed in the little details of ordinary objects like a fan, leaf, or floor.

How long does the effect last?

The effect of the heroic dose lasts for around 6 to 8 hours. The perceived time by the user could feel longer as it seems like time is passing by slowly while on the trip.

Integrating After a Heroic Experience

Integration is the process of looking back on the psychedelic trip or heroic journey and drawing insights and learning from it. It is a crucial step to ensure that the learning and insights are embedded into our lives.

The methods of integrating the lessons learned from the psychedelic experience are explained below:

• Journaling: Write and analyze your thoughts, feelings, and trip experiences. This way, you won’t forget the experience.
• Talk to a therapist: Discuss your experience, thoughts, and feelings with a therapist to make connections between the insights that came up and your day-to-day life.
• Meditation: Meditate upon the learning and insights to fully integrate them into your life and bring positive effects.

The benefits of the process of integration are as follows:

• Understanding the Trip: Taking a Psilocybin mushroom and a heroic trip can change how you think and feel and bring new thought patterns. The integration process allows you to draw insights and meaning from these new patterns.
• Safety: A new thought pattern could be overwhelming. The process of integration can help ease the enormity of new perspectives, making them more digestible in your daily life.
• Learning Opportunity: The magic mushroom trip could be filled with wisdom and profound knowledge about yourself. With the process of integration, you can make use of this wisdom to facilitate deep personal transformation.

How long should you wait for the next heroic dose?

There is no specific time that you should wait before the next heroic dose, as suggested by Mckenna. However, Terence suggests taking heroic doses infrequently and not too often, less than twice a year, and for most people and more infrequently.

Risks and side effects

The risk and side effects of the heroic dose are as follows:

• A Bad Trip: Occasionally, while journeying on mushrooms, you can have intense emotions arise, including anxiety, terror, paranoia, reconnection to deep-seated negative memories, and disturbing hallucinations.
• Illunimated Fears: Alexander Shulgin describes the psychedelic experience as one that is a “non-specific amplifier”. This implies that anything in your psyche has the potential to be amplified during a psychedelic experience, including your fears.
• Psychological Risks: These risks include confusion, hallucinations after the trip, and overwhelming insights that may be challenging to integrate after the experience is over.

How to avoid potentially unpleasant side effects of a heroic dose

While the potential for a bad trip can be overwhelming, there are steps you can take to minimize risk and set yourself up for the best journey possible:

Work with smaller doses: While a heroic dose can be transformative, so can smaller doses. If you’re unsure of your current capacity to handle potentially overwhelming outcomes, working with smaller doses, and even potentially microdosing, may be a better option for you.

Focus on creating a nurturing set & setting: Set refers to your mindset going into the trip. It includes your thoughts, mood, expectations, and intentions.  A positive and prepared mindset can contribute to a more positive experience. Setting refers to the physical and social environment where you take the psychedelic. This includes the location, the people around you, and even things like lighting and music.  A comfortable, safe, and supportive setting can significantly enhance the experience.

Have a Trip-Sitter: Keep someone you trust by your side while on the trip. The intention of a trip-setter is to ensure that your environment remains safe and to remind you of your intention and that you take a psychedelic substance if and when things get challenging. They should remain sober throughout your experience.

Equip yourself with tools in the event that challenges arise: Focusing on your breath can help recenter and ground you should challenges arise. Soothing music and tactile support tools such as a grounding stone, a weighted blanket, or even a pet can help soothe you during times of overwhelm. A great trip-sitter will be able to support you in working with these items if needed.

FAQs

How did Terence McKenna’s heroic doses impact the psychedelic community and its approach to using psilocybin mushrooms?

Terence McKenna’s advocacy for heroic doses of psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms, had a complex impact on the psychedelic community.

While some praised his work as a valuable contribution to research, others criticized his beliefs and writing style. McKenna’s influence on the community led to ongoing discussions about the role of psychedelics in society and human consciousness.

What influenced Terence McKenna’s views on psychedelics and technology during his illness?

Facing a terminal brain tumor, McKenna reflected on his life’s work, including his vision of a new universal language through computer graphics inspired by psychedelic experiences. He believed in the transformative power of psychedelics to enhance human understanding and communication.

What is the McKenna Stoned ape theory?

The McKenna Stoned Ape Theory, proposed by Terence McKenna in his 1992 book “Food of the Gods,” is a controversial idea suggesting that the transition from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens, along with the cognitive revolution in humans, was triggered by the use of psilocybin mushrooms, specifically Psilocybe cubensis, in the human diet approximately 100,000 years ago.

McKenna drew on research from Roland L. Fischer and others in the 1960s and 1970s to support his claim that the mental advancements during this period were linked to the effects of psilocybin.

However, it’s important to note that this theory has faced significant rejection within the scientific community. Critics argue that there are numerous discrepancies in McKenna’s theory and that his conclusions stem from a misunderstanding of Fischer’s studies.

How Much Is a Heroic Dose of Mushrooms?

A heroic dose is 5gm of dried psilocybin mushrooms, as suggested by Terence Mckenna.

Why Do They Call It A Heroic Dose?

The heroic dose is the term coined by Terence Mckenna, and it refers to a dosage higher than a regular dose to induce profound psychedelic experiences.

What is “Set & Setting”?

Set & Setting refers to the combination of the mental and emotional state and physical state and surrounding environment in which a heroic dose is taken.

What is a bad trip?

A bad trip is a negative experience while a person is on the trip. The negative experiences may include fear, mental trauma, anxiety, paranoia, and disturbing hallucinations.

Final Thoughts

Mckenna’s heroic dose protocol may be a powerful way to experience profound transformative and spiritual experiences. It is a heavy dose of five grams of dried Psilocybin mushroom and is only suitable for experienced users.

The psychedelic effect is profound and usually lasts for about 6-8 hours. The heroic dose allows you to explore the depth of your mind and raise consciousness. The trip’s experience can transform your life in major positive ways and can resolve many conflicts within. 

Safety and risk management precautions should be taken to ensure the best experience possible on a heroic dose. Consider a smaller dose, focus on creating a nurturing set and setting, work with a trip sitter, and make sure that you have tools available to support you should challenges or overwhelming emotions arise.

References

• Tripson, D. (2022, October 28). Magic Mushrooms: the heroic dose. Shroom Circle. https://shroomcircle.com/en/magic-mushrooms-the-heroic-dose
• Guy, M. (2022, May 13). The Ultimate Guide to Terence Mckenna’s Heroic Dose of Mushrooms. Healing-Mushrooms.net. https://healing-mushrooms.net/heroic-dose
• Roberta Murphy, Robin Carhart-Harris (2022 Mar 31) Therapeutic Alliance and Rapport Modulate Responses to Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Depression. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35431912/