DOSE:

8 - 12 mg

oral

4-HO-MET

BODY WEIGHT:

77 kg

4-HO-MET (about 9-10 mg, oral) - Unexpected Insight

Dose

Substance: 4-HO-MET
Dose: about 9-10 mg, oral, powder

Sex: male
Age: 45
Weight: 77 kg
Height: 180 cm

I had some leftover 4-HO-MET from previous trips, so I decided to take it. My scale didn’t give an exact measurement, the displayed weight ranged between 8 and 12 mg (I always measure substances multiple times).

Retrospectively, looking back at my previous experiences with slightly higher doses (~12 mg), I’d estimate the actual amount was around 9-10 mg.

Background:

I’ve been dealing with burnout at work and in my personal life, and lately I’ve recognized some negative thought patterns. Based on past positive experiences, I decided to experiment with psychedelics. With some doubts about the efficiency of microdosing based on available research, I chose a low dose aiming for just above the threshold of perception.

Setting:

I was at home, alone. My partner and children were out for a family visit. I had finished all the work I planned for the day and had tidied up the flat to a reasonable level.

Set:

I was aware that the dose is light, and I had had several prior experiences with higher, normal doses (but never heroic) of different substances. So far, I’ve only had very positive experiences (I consider heavy emotions—except maybe fear—to be part of positive experiences).

So I felt completely calm.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from such a low dose. I anticipated it to have a subtle, just-beyond-threshold experience, possibly while doing my usual chores at home, like folding laundry etc.

Trip

Come-up - Distorted Sensory Perception

T + 0:20 - First Notice (retrospective approximation)

Using the rare opportunity to be alone, I decided to take a bath before the come-up. As I was preparing for the bath, I began to feel unreasonably cold. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it made me long for the bath even more.

I started playing a chill psychedelic playlist I’ve known for a long time and sat in an empty bathtub while starting the shower.

This was the moment when I realized the trip would be slightly stronger than I’d anticipated.

Despite the warm water, I still felt cold and gradually increased the temperature until it was warmer than I usually prefer. Eventually, I no longer felt cold, and as the bath filled up, I turned off the main lights and kept only the colorful mood lights on.

With the mood light, the music, and the warm water, the environment was very pleasant. But somehow, I couldn’t fully relax. Despite knowing that I was having a very light trip, my perception of temperature was clearly distorted, and I became nervous about possibly getting dizzy in the very warm water.

Peak - Dim Memory of Visuals

Even though I decided not to fully relax in the water to keep track of time, I wasn’t ready to leave the warm environment, so I stayed in the bath.

I remained cautious, regularly checking the shower’s settings and occasionally lifting my body slightly out of the water to cool down. I felt a little sad, realizing I didn’t prepare a more relaxing environment in my bedroom, as I had expected less effect from this dosage.

Eventually, I surrendered to my mental state, accepting my nervousness. I let my anxious “self” keep track of time and regulate the temperature while the other parts of me relaxed and enjoyed the moment in parallel.

T + 1:20 - Peak (retrospective approximation)

I closed my eyes, and if I really concentrated, I could see faint patterns. They were barely visible—probably just an illusion triggered by memories of past trips.

Plateau - Break And Cats

After a while, it became clear that the trip wasn’t going to get any stronger. I felt a small tinge of sadness as I thought about the times when I had more opportunities to trip with higher doses. But then I reminded myself, "It’s okay. Life changes," and suddenly, I felt a warm sense of gratitude for this experience.

I was ready to get out of the bath and I found something remotely pleasant in the suddenly cold environment. I dressed, grabbed the music speaker, and laid on the couch, observing the ceiling. There was nothing special about the ceiling — no patterns, no breathing, nothing — but it felt oddly pleasant to just look at the empty white area.

I remembered what it was like as a teenager, when coming home and listening to music wasn’t just something I did while doing other things — it was the main activity. I used to put the tape in the cassette player, listen, and stare at the ceiling in the same way as I did this time.

I realized that the substance gave me the opportunity — and the excuse — to take a break, which is a precious thing in today’s world.

Our cat suddenly appeared next to me, seeking interaction. I walked to our closet and grabbed her favorite brush, which she doesn’t get to use very often nowadays. I sat next to the couch and immersed myself in brushing her. I remember smiling the entire time, fully focused on her, enjoying her satisfaction as the brush slid through her fur.

The Insight - “Dah” Moment

I started to wonder why I can’t have a similar experience of taking a break in my everyday life. I began to feel slight anger at myself, questioning what was wrong with me. Then my thoughts shifted to all the people in the world struggling with life changes, constantly upset with themselves for not having the strength to break bad patterns.

Somehow, I began to feel empathy toward these so-called “bad” feelings and patterns. There are usually reasons for them to exist. They’re not enemies but reactions to internal or external difficulties—or even traumas. I started to see these patterns as individual entities and pictured the people all around the world not as simple individuals, but as groups of many entities, with the conscious self being only one of them.

If this was true — I asked myself —, and the conscious self is the leader, how would you lead this group? Would you become a tyrant, forcing your will on the others, or would you turn to them with empathy, listen, understand their needs, and based on that, create a plan that the whole group could follow? Which type of leader would you want to be?

I tried not to judge when I remembered that for some people — like soldiers, martial artists, etc.— being a tyrant over their body and emotions works. But I personally felt much warmer toward being an empathic leader, turning toward my emotions and reactions with understanding instead of suppression. As a leader, I might have to make decisions that go against what they want, but if I treat them as partners, we can be stronger together and stick to the chosen path easier.

The Come-Down - Happy Doomscrolling

T + 2:20 - Come Down (retrospective approximation)

At some point, the trip started to gradually fade, and I grabbed my phone and ended up doomscrolling social media. Although I was doing the same thing I often do as a procrastination, it felt different this time. I became engaged with what I saw. When I found a funny or heartwarming video, I smiled, filled up with warm feelings. When I encountered something sad, I felt sadness and my eyes welled up.

I felt connected to the people posting this content, which made the scrolling feel meaningful and special.

Afterglow and Retrospective

Unfortunately, I didn’t experience the usual afterglow that I typically get after stronger trips. I missed it. But still, I felt a deep appreciation for the little break I had and the insight I gained about dealing with life’s difficulties.

The insight — treating each usually negatively associated pattern, like procrastination, burnout, unhealthy eating, etc., as individual entities that I’m responsible for leading as an empathic leader— touched me deeply. Although the feeling faded after the trip, like it usually does with psychedelics, there’s always a bit of that feeling that you can keep with you.

That small reminder of feeling is key to making real changes in your life. Because, when you think about it, this insight isn’t really that special. I’m sure you can find dozens of posts on social media that convey the same concept, just in different words. But having a “Dah” moment, as Dr. Matthew Johnson calls it, where you not only hear these words but truly feel them in your core, makes it easier to incorporate them into your life.

When I later talked about this trip with my psychologist, she connected it to a widely known interpretation in psychology: the metaphor of the conscious self as a conductor and the other selves as musicians in the orchestra. You can’t kick or add anyone to the group, and you can’t force anyone to play in a certain way, yet you can still create harmony.
I can relate to that picture…

My take on the substance (4-HO-MET)

Compared to other psychedelic substances I tried (LSD, Psilocybin, 4-ACO-DMT) there are some subtle differences that are hard to describe in words.

What is clearly noticeable though is that 4-HO-MET gives me the smoothest ride among all the others. While in case of other substances the come up can be very disorienting, even anxious, come up with 4-HO-MET sometimes even hardly noticeable.
In exchange for the smoother come-up 4-HO-MOT usually comes with less impressive visuals.

My take on the dose (about 9-10 mg)

The dose was much more noticeable than I originally anticipated. Even if it was very light I would still consider the experience as a trip, with all the usual curves and stages, unexpected positive effects.

Having said that, unless someone is already committed to having multiple psychedelic journeys, and wants to accommodate the experience with very small steps, I wouldn’t recommend this very low dose for the first time.

It felt safe, and very easy to navigate, but in order to get the most out of it, I had to rely on my previous experiences with higher doses, so as a first impression this dose might be relatively misleading about the pros and cons of a psychedelic journey.

Exp Year: 2025	ExpID: 118953
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 45
Published: Jun 2, 2025	Views: Not Supported
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