What’s the Entourage Effect?

No, it’s not what happened to bro-dudes after that HBO show came out.

Basically it means that an isolated component from a plant is less effective than it would be when interacting with the other components inherent within the plant.

Here’s a simple example:

If you isolate the juice from an apple, you maintain most of the vitamins and all of the sugars from the apple. But you lose the fiber (pectin) which lowers cholesterol and inhibits the sharp glucose spike from the sugars.

Neither is ‘better’ than the other.

It depends on your needs/goals. Losing the fiber may be desirable: your blood sugar is low & you need fast sugar. Or not: you need to 💩.

This illustrates a difference between clinical and traditional approaches to using magic mushrooms for therapeutic purposes. In clinical approaches, psilocybin (a tryptamine, the psychoactive part of the mushroom) is isolated and delivered to the patient in capsule form.

But…

Magic mushrooms contain other tryptamines as well.

These include norbaeocystin, baeocystin, norpsilocin, and aeruginascin. While less potent than psilocybin, they have a synergistic effect. In traditional approaches, the patient consumes the entire mushroom.

Many traditions also believe in a guiding spirit residing within the mushroom or relevant plant, which can be considered a variation of the Entourage Effect. Depending where you fall, you may have a preconceived notion that one is better than the other.

I work with both aspects because I’ve seen that the benefit my group and private coaching clients get from consolidating both approaches far exceeds the dogma that holding one above the other brings. I think it’s vital to meet others where they are, and expose them to the other aspects of what they’re working with.

Is there a strong belief you have about microdosing that may be holding you back from results? As a microdosing coach, I’d love to hear more and answer any questions you have. Reach out for a free consultation call.