Shelley DeMarco Muellner

What actually happens in your brain when you microdose? From neuroplasticity and BDNF to the Default Mode Network and new longevity research, this deep dive covers the science behind psilocybin microdosing — and why the medicine is only part of the story.

On April 19, 1943, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann took the world's first intentional LSD trip and rode his bicycle home — a moment now celebrated annually as Bicycle Day. Eighty-three years later, President Trump signed an executive order directing the FDA to fast-track psychedelic medicines like psilocybin, ibogaine, and LSD for mental health treatment, marking the most significant shift in U.S. psychedelic policy in over six decades.

The Rocesvalles Monastery Albergue I arrived in Roncesvalles around 7:30PM, weary but proud. The long climb from St. Jean Pied de Port had tested every ounce of strength I had — physically, mentally, and spiritually. My legs ached, my feet burned, and my heart swelled with the relief of having reached the first official stop on the Camino Francés. Roncesvalles is a village built around pilgrimage itself. Its name means “Valley of Thorns,” and for centuries it has welcomed pilgrims crossing...