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Hey friend,

I’ve met people who take psychedelics, even heroic doses, and feel nothing.

5+ grams of psilocybin mushrooms… zero effects. No visuals. No emotional release. No breakthrough.

If you’re sensitive to psychedelics like me (sometimes just 1 gram of potent Psilocybe cubensis can hit hard), you’re probably thinking, “No way.”

But this issue is more common than you’d think…

And I get DMs like this all the time:

Six grams of mushrooms! I’d be in the cosmos.

Yet, they barely felt anything.

Sure, medications (as they mentioned) are a major factor. A 2023 study found that SSRIs and SNRIs can blunt the effects of psilocybin, and this dampening effect can last 3-6 months after stopping the meds.

But here’s the thing…

I’ve worked with plenty of people who aren’t on any pharmaceuticals, and they’re still not feeling their dose. Which points to two other culprits:

1. A hypervigilant nervous system (limbic system) that blocks the psychedelic’s effects as a protective mechanism.
2. A damaged, imbalanced gut and microbiome that disrupts absorption—essentially, your gut is blocking your trip.

Today, we’re going to dive into the second one: your gut.

Psychedelics and your gut

Psychedelics don’t just work on your brain; they interact with your entire body.

And one of the biggest regulators? Your gut and gut microbiome.

It communicates with your brain through the microbiota-gut-brain axis: a feedback system that influences how your body metabolizes, responds to, and integrates psychedelics.

If your gut is inflamed, imbalanced, dysregulated, or dysbiotic, it can blunt the effects of psychedelics, blocking the message.

​Studies suggest that your baseline gut state may influence whether a trip is transformative… or flat.​

So if you’re taking big doses and not feeling anything?

It might not be the mushrooms…

It might be your internal terrain that needs the real work first.

How to heal your gut for psychedelic breakthroughs

If your gut is out of balance—whether it’s dysbiosis, inflammation, leaky gut, poor nutrient absorption, or low vagal tone—no amount of psilocybin (or other psychedelic) will give you the full experience.

The breakthroughs will stay out of reach.

So here’s a comprehensive protocol to reset your gut, rebalance your microbiome, and restore your gut-brain axis so you can unlock the full therapeutic power of psychedelics:

Nutrition

• Prioritize low-inflammatory, nutrient-dense foods: grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, organic fruits, and veggies (I find the Autoimmune Paleo approach is a great option for many).
• Eliminate gut disruptors: processed foods, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, alcohol, sugar, seed oils, and any artificial ingredients.

Lifestyle

• Intermittent Fasting: Give your gut a break. Fast daily (12-16 hrs) and plan quarterly extended fasts (48-72 hrs) for a deeper reset.
• Vagus Nerve Activation: Humming, gargling, cold exposure, or using devices like the Apollo to strengthen gut-brain signaling.
• De-Stress Daily: Breathwork, meditation, body scans, forest walks—anything to shift out of fight-or-flight mode.
• Detox Your Environment: Filter your water and air. Ditch plastics and synthetic clothing. Swap out synthetic personal care and cleaning products for simple, natural, and non-toxic alternatives.

Supplementation

• Gut Repair Stack: Collagen, colostrum, L-glutamine, licorice root, slippery elm, and marshmallow.
• Probiotic Power: Fermented foods, soil- and spore-based probiotics, post-biotics (like butyrate), and prebiotic fibers to repopulate a resilient and diverse microbiome.
• Pharma Audit: If possible, work with a practitioner to minimize or eliminate gut-harming medications (antibiotics, PPIs, NSAIDs, SSRIs, contraceptives).

The bottom line

If psychedelics aren’t hitting like they should, check your gut.

Your gut is the control center for your entire body — if it’s off, everything else is too, including your psychedelic experience.

Bloating, gas, reflux, constipation… these aren’t normal. They are signs your gut is struggling.

But even if you don’t have obvious digestive issues, hidden gut imbalances can still block you from receiving the full therapeutic power of the medicine.

It’s not a quick fix; years of gut damage won’t reverse overnight. But with the right steps, you can repair, rebuild, and unlock the true depth of your psychedelic journey.

Heal your gut. Unlock the medicine.

I'm curious:

• Are you finding it hard to feel the effects of psychedelics, even at higher doses?
• Have you ever thought your gut health might be the reason why?

Hit reply and let me know.

See you next week,

Onjae