Disclaimer: Psychedelics are potentially illegal substances, and we do not encourage or condone the use of any compound where it is against the law. However, we accept that illegal drug use occurs and believe that offering responsible harm reduction information is imperative to keeping people safe. For that reason, this guide is designed to ensure the safety of those who decide to use them.

Introduction

Intention setting can be simplified as the process of clarifying for yourself why you’re interested in starting a microdosing practice. As simple as it may be, it’s not always easy, and it’s undoubtedly an essential part of the microdosing process. Without clear intentions, it’s easy to get lost along the way and not know if we’re making progress.

So this is your complete guide to setting intentions for your microdosing practice! We’ll walk through how these differ from expectations, some common intentions for microdosing, and, of course, how to craft your intentions for the best outcome.

We recommend taking the time here to journal and get clear on what your intentions are today. Luckily the whole first section of The Microdose Journal is dedicated to this process.

These will be important once we get to the following steps: choosing your substance, dose, and frequency.

Intentions vs. Expectations

Intentions often get confused with expectations, but we can simplify it this way: an intention is a direction, not an outcome.

Your intention is your guiding direction or question, which you will return to regularly during your practice. Much like if you were to set an intention during an entire psychedelic journey, it’s essential to craft your intention to avoid “failure.” Here’s what we mean.

Example Intention: To deepen my connection with my body and grow stronger through movement practice.

Example Expectation: I’ll have a 6-pack after I finish microdosing.

Here, the intention is expansive, while the expectation is limiting and can easily result in failure. Sure, this could be improved through goal setting, like SMART goals. But this still leaves too much room for missing the mark.

Instead, intentions should be capable of evolving through your discovery process. Evolution is ideal because microdosing can be a profoundly revealing process. You may discover that you feel better when you go for daily walks instead of going to the gym. Walking may not give you a 6-pack as quickly, but if it becomes a habit, it’ll be far better than never forming any pattern! Leaving it open-ended ensures this flexibility and potential for redirection.

Put another way…

• An intention is not a requirement for the experience: “Either I get this, or it didn’t work.”
• An intention is not an expectation for the experience: “This is what’s going to happen!”
• And an intention is not a prescription for the experience: “This is what I need.”

As part of the microdose journaling process, we guide you through setting your intentions and periodically reflecting on them to observe your progress. The paradox, of course, is that we want to hold these loosely while we do! Being comfortable with this dichotomy opens up a far more joyous and easeful life.

Common intentions

While there are infinite reasons to microdose, some are particularly popular with first-time and long-time microdosers, such as reducing undesirable states and increasing desirable ones.

Don’t let these examples limit you, though! Microdosing can support as deep and reflective a process as you’re willing to make it. Also, consider intentions such as moving through grief or traumatic experiences, practicing self-love, etc.

Reduce undesirable states

There are no right or wrong intentions if you work toward a positive outcome. Notice in the following list the use of the word “reduce” rather than “defeat” in the following states. Reducing is an intention, while defeating is an outcome.

• Depression & apathy
• Anxiety
• ADD/ADHD
• Mood disorders
• PTSD
• Addiction

An undesirable state can also look like grief or processing a significant life change.

Increase desirable states

Setting your intention in the positive can be a robust framing! We’re effectively feeding our energy to a clear positive direction rather than dwelling on the past.

• Increase creativity
• Improve problem-solving
• Access flow states
• Performance optimization (mental and physical)
• Increased energy
• Increased productivity/focus
• Improved relationships/Increased empathy
• Athletic coordination
• Leadership development

Crafting your intention

Now that you’ve seen some examples of possible intentions and are clear on the difference between intentions and expectations, it’s time to come up with some of your own. We’ll guide you through some questions to answer along the way, and we highly recommend writing your answers as you go.

Another tip for this process is to write without proofreading, hesitation, or editing! You don’t have to show this to anybody. Though sometimes it can be easy to feel like nothing is coming up, continuing to keep writing will often unblock the flow of ideas. Often more prominent themes will appear as you write more.

Here are some questions to help you identify your intentions:

1. What brought you here? What are some of the areas of most significant challenge in your life that you’re hoping microdosing can help with? Ex.
   1. A desire for growth or change can indicate what those challenges might be.
   2. Dissatisfaction in a particular area of life.
   3. Significant life changes need to be navigated.
2. Where do you want to go, or what do you want to experience?
   1. Visualize your most extraordinary life.
   2. Name desired feelings, like peace, freedom, abundance, connection with your body, strength, creativity, etc.
3. What feelings have you been experiencing that feel unexpressed?
   1. Is there frustration, anger, or sadness that has been blocked?
   2. Are any of these feelings inexplicable?

Write without filtering, then go back and see if there are common roots between your answers. Circle anything that stands out and summarize them in a couple of clear statements, like these:

• I intend to deepen my connection with my body by taking a few minutes to stretch and dance each day.
• I intend to discover what my relationship would be like if I gave my partner my full attention each evening before bed without being distracted by work or my phone.
• I intend to allow myself to experience all my emotions daily instead of suppressing them.

A pivotal mantra to remember here is, "These are things I do every day, except for the days that I don’t.”

And don’t forget to have fun! My favorite intention is, “I intend to have a fucking blast!”

Conclusion

Everything accomplished in life begins with an intention. Intentions are your compass on an ever-evolving journey. Whether you’re microdosing or not, getting comfortable with the setting and reflecting on your intentions will help you lay the foundation for your wildest dreams.

If you have any remaining uncertainty, continue reading through Frequency (step 4) to understand better why people choose to microdose. Then if you have any questions, feel free to send us a message!