The Mental Gridlock
How Microdosing Unlocks New Ways of Thinking
Hey Beautiful Souls,
Ever catch yourself in a loop—reaching for something new, something different, only to be pulled back into the same familiar patterns? Like you’re walking a well-worn trail in your mind, so familiar it feels inevitable?
Maybe you don’t even hear it as words. It’s more like a feeling. A hesitation. A contraction in your body before you even realize what’s happening.
Maybe it’s the way you instinctively pull back when inspiration hits. The way you second-guess an idea before it’s had a chance to breathe. The way your mind subtly edits possibility before you’ve even said yes to it.
This is what we mean when we talk about thought loops. They aren’t always a loud voice in your head saying, I can’t do this. They’re the quiet friction that keeps you repeating the same behaviors, seeing yourself in the same way, making the same choices—not because they serve you, but because they’re familiar.
And microdosing? It shakes things up.
The Softening: What’s Really Happening in the Brain
If you’ve ever felt the subtle but undeniable shift that happens on a microdose day—the kind that makes the world feel just a little more open, a little more playful—you’ve already experienced the effects of psilocybin on the default mode network (DMN).
The DMN is what keeps our sense of self stable. It’s responsible for the mental grooves we return to over and over again—our habits, our self-perception, our conditioned ways of responding. But stability isn’t always a good thing. Stability is what keeps the loop running.
Microdosing temporarily loosens the grip of the DMN, creating just enough space for something different to emerge.
A new perspective. A new possibility. A breath of fresh air where before there was only static.
Think of it like an old vinyl record that keeps skipping at the same part of a song. Microdosing doesn’t erase the track, but it lifts the needle just enough to let the music keep playing.
Rewriting the Script: A Thought Experiment
You don’t have to wait for a psychedelic breakthrough to start shifting these patterns. You can work with them—engage with them—bring curiosity to them.
Try this:
Pause. Catch yourself in the loop. Noticing it is everything. When you hesitate, when you contract, when you pull back—pause.
Feel it. Where does it live in your body? Is it a tightening in your throat? A pull in your chest? A restless energy? Let yourself notice before you try to change it.
Ask: What if this isn’t true? Not in a way that forces a new belief, but in a way that opens the door. What if this isn’t the only way to see this? What if something else is possible?
Move differently. On a microdose day, let that little moment of pause be the catalyst for a tiny shift. Instead of retreating, take one small step forward. Say yes before the loop pulls you back. Play before the self-editing kicks in.
Alice’s Psychedelic Playlist
Hit play. Close your eyes. See what happens when you let yourself listen differently.
Tools for Transformation
Journaling Prompt: What’s one pattern or impulse that feels automatic in your life? What happens when you pause before acting on it?
Try This: The next time you feel hesitation, take one small step in the opposite direction. Interrupt the loop. See what happens.
In Your Corner, Always
I’d love to hear what this brings up for you. What’s a pattern you’ve noticed shifting with microdosing? What have you caught yourself believing that might not actually be true? Drop a comment—I read every one.
Paid Subscribers, this week’s Audio Guide breaks down exactly what’s happening in your brain when these shifts occur, and the 5-Day Challenge is designed to help you rewire limiting beliefs in real time.
With you, always,
Alice