Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Melatonin
the pineal gland and is thought to help us fall to sleep. Since
Melatonin production is enhanced in darkness and decreased by light
exposure it is often said that Melatonin has some control over our
circadian rhythm and has the ability to reset our internal clocks. For
this reason, Melatonin is sometimes used to reduce jet lag. Although
Melatonin is synthesized from serotonin and 5-HTP is synthesized to
serotonin, they both have a similar effect on sleep: both can help you
fall to sleep and both can cause vivid dreams as the doses are
wearing off. For this reason Melatonin is a possible alternative to 5-
HTP although I tend to use it for a different purpose.
There are three characteristics that make Melatonin my
second choice for suppressing REM. First of all Melatonin has an
extremely short half-life. Since melatonin’s half-life is only 40
minutes, one has to take a pretty large dose to suppress REM for 4
or 5 hours. I estimate that 3 mg would be necessary to suppress
REM for four hours. Secondly, I find it difficult to fall to back to sleep
after the Melatonin has worn off. Thirdly, I experience more vivid
dreams using 5-HTP than I do using Melatonin.
There is however another way to use Melatonin that may be
advantages to some. Research has shown that only 0.3 mg of
Melatonin is necessary to induce sleep. At this low dose, REM sleep is not suppressed and therefore
Melatonin can be used simultaneously with Galantamine (or other
supplements) if falling back to sleep is a problem. When I used
Yohimbine as the lucidity trigger I would often use very small doses
of Melatonin to aid in falling to sleep. This proved to be a fairly
successful method. The time it took to fall to sleep was decreased by
about half and furthermore, I was much more relaxed while awake
and waiting for sleep onset. For this to work, it is important to keep
the dose low, as I did notice a reduced chance in becoming lucid
even at 0.5 mg of Melatonin.
Mechanism of Action: Serotonin is the precursor to Melatonin
therefore Melatonin supplements probably don’t do much to serotonin
levels. However, Melatonin can help to fall asleep and suppress REM
sleep.
Concentration Curve: Melatonin is characterized by quick
absorption and a short elimination half-life. It reaches its peak plasma
level just 60 minutes after you take it and is essentially out of your
system after 6 hours (~4 sleep cycles).
Effect on Dreams: Melatonin has been shown clinically to increase
the time spent in REM sleep in the morning hours (as the dose is
wearing off). It is theorized that this phenomena is due to a REM
rebound effect. I have found 5-HTP to produce more vivid dreams
than Melatonin but there are plenty of people who have commented
on increased dream vividness and duration by using Melatonin. As
with 5-HTP I find it more difficult to remember the details of the
dream than I do when using the acetylcholine or norepinephrine
boosting supplements.
Effect on Lucid Dreams: I use Melatonin as supporting supplement.
When I am taking a lucid dream mix that I know causes insomnia, I
will sometimes add 0.3 mg of Melatonin to help me fall asleep. At this
small dose, REM is not suppressed and one can maintain excellent
odds of becoming lucid.
Side Effects: There are no known serious side effects of using
Melatonin supplements although long term side effects have not
been studied. Some people who have taken Melatonin have reported
sleepiness, headache, a "heavy-head" feeling, stomach discomfort,
depression or feeling hungover. There are animal studies that
suggest that large doses of Melatonin can interfere with fertility.
Dosage: When using Melatonin, less is better in my opinion. There
are tablets available in 1, 2, 3 and 5 mg doses. There is no maximum
daily dose suggested although the long terms effects of Melatonin
are largely unknown. My typical dose is ~0.33mg (a 1mg tablet cut
into three pieces). I do not however, use Melatonin on any kind of
regular basis.
Summary: Melatonin is a hormone that is formed from serotonin. It
has the potential to suppress REM sleep and can be used as a sleep
aid. I find that 5-HTP is superior to Melatonin for the purpose of
producing vivid dream experiences and I find it difficult to fall back to
sleep after the Melatonin has worn off. My preferred way to use
Melatonin is in very small doses (<0.5 mg) as an aid to fall to back to
sleep after taking some of the more stimulating lucid dream
supplements.
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)
precursor of serotonin and while serotonin does not cross the blood
brain barrier, 5-HTP does. Due to its ability to increase serotonin
levels within the brain, 5-HTP has been used for a variety of
therapeutic purposes that include combating depression, reducing
stress and anxiety, promoting sleep, and fighting off certain types of
migraine headaches. It has also been used to suppress appetites. In
general, the reports surrounding 5-HTP are positive but keep in mind
that 5-HTP has only been available in the US since for a short time
(since 1994) although it has been used in Europe for decades.
Concerning lucid dream development, 5-HTP plays an important
yet indirect role. As I will point out in part three, 5-HTP and Melatonin
both play a unique role. Using 5-HTP correctly will accomplish the
following:
1. Improve the overall quality of sleep on the nights that you
attempt to achieve high level lucid dreams.
2. Increase chance of success of having a lucid dream by taking
advantage of the REM rebound effect.
3. Increase the length of a lucid dream by taking advantage of
the REM rebound effect. 4. Increase ability to fall to sleep after taking more stimulating
substances such as Galantamine or Yohimbine (see part 3 for
details).
Mechanism of Action: 5-HTP is the immediate precursor to
serotonin. 5-HTP supplements results in increase levels of serotonin
in the brain by making available the required chemicals to produce
serotonin.
Concentration Curve: 5-htp is characterized by quick absorption
and a short elimination half-life. These properties make it ideal to
take just before going to sleep. It reaches its peak plasma levels just
90 minutes after you take it and has reduced to just about 12%
concentration after 6 hours of sleep (~4 sleep cycles).
Concentration Effect on Dreams: 5-HTP has a positive effect on dream length and
quality. Dream enhancement due to 5-HTP is most likely due to REM
suppression followed by REM rebound and this results in increased
dream vividness in the morning hours as the substance is wearing
off. 5-HTP quickly increases serotonin levels that bring on deep and
restful sleep. Due to the short half-life however, the 5-HTP is
practically out of your system after 5 or 6 hours (assuming you don’t
take a large dose). This results in increased REM time in the early
morning hours which produces more vivid dreams. Furthermore, I
have found that the dream vividness, especially the visual aspect, is
extremely clear. I have also found that when taking 5-HTP by itself, I
am prone to experience calm and refreshing dreams. Although the
dream vividness is high, my dream recall is a bit fuzzy. Sometimes I
find that I act more like an observer than an active participant in
dreams that are brought about by 5-HTP.
Effect on Lucid Dreams: 5-HTP plays a supporting role in lucid
dream development. The main reason I use 5-HTP is to increase my
overall quality of sleep on nights that I attempt to have lucid dreams. I
accomplish this by taking 100-150 mg of 5-HTP just before bedtime.
This increases my serotonin levels and helps to have more time
spent in the deep non-REM sleep stages during the first half of the
night. When I wake up after 4 or 5 hours I am almost always
dreaming. I then take the supplements that trigger lucid dreaming
and go back to bed. After several hours of intense lucid dreams I
climb out of bed and feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Side Effects: The most common side effects of 5-HTP are nausea
and gastrointestinal distress. The nausea problem can be resolved
by starting at a low dose and then gradually increasing it. Even when
large doses are taken the problem tends to diminish over time.
Personally I have never experienced any negative side effects with 5-
HTP. I typically use 100 – 150 mg taken at or just before bedtime.
5-HTP should not be taken with prescription anti-depressants
(this includes St. John’s Wort) without the direct consultation of a
doctor. Many of these anti-depressants act by also increasing
serotonin levels and therefore could magnify the effects and possibly
lead to potentially dangerous condition known as Serotonin
Syndrome. Due to the short time this supplement has been available
there are not a lot of studies that have investigated the long term
effects of taking 5-HTP.
Dosage: There is no maximum recommended dose associated with
5-HTP. However, a reasonable dose range is probably between 50
and 300 mg. For treating depression doses up to 500 mg daily are
used. At the lower doses side affects are rare.
Special Notes: You should not take vitamin B6 with 5-HTP as it may
catalyze the reaction to serotonin in the gut rather than in the brain.
Remember that serotonin does not pass through the blood brain
barrier and so you want to keep the 5-HTP intact until the barrier has
been crossed. There is some speculation (although no clinical
research that I could find) that theorizes building up serotonin in the
blood rather than in the brain could cause heart damage. This theory
has not been confirmed or denied but should not be an issue unless you are taking large amounts of vitamin B6 simultaneously with 5-
HTP.
Summary: 5-HTP is the immediate precursor to serotonin. Increased
serotonin levels lead to a state of calm relaxation and have been
shown clinically to suppress REM sleep by favoring the deeper, non-
REM stages. Since 5-HTP has a short elimination half life, it can be
taken just before bedtime for the purpose of suppressing REM sleep
and increasing the time spent in non-REM sleep. As the dose wears
off, REM rebound occurs and is usually accompanied by more vivid
dream experiences. If a lucid dream trigger (such as Galantamine) is
taken at this time, there is an increase in odds of becoming lucid.
Also, since lucid dream triggers usually suppress non-REM sleep in
favor of REM sleep, 5-HTP can act to balance the amount of time
spent in each phase during the night which results in a more
balanced night’s sleep. By maintaining balanced sleep practices you
will not feel energy deprived following a lucid dream attempt and can
increase the frequency of lucid dream attempts.
Yohimbine
substance I regularly use. Yohimbine is the primary active ingredient
in Yohimbe Bark which is a tree native to Africa. Although it was
initially used by weightlifters to increase blood flow during a workout,
it is primarily used today to combat male impotence. Although
Yohimbine is classified as a mild MAO (Monoamine Oxidase)
inhibitor, its main function is as an alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist.
This function blocks norepinephrine from binding with alpha-2
receptors and results in an increase in norepinephrine levels in the
brain. At the dose typically taken for impotence, the levels of
norepinephrine build up so much in the brain that a phenomenon
occurs referred to as overflow. Overflow is the process where
norepinephrine flows from the brain through the blood brain barrier
and into the bloodstream. It is the high levels of norepinephrine in the
blood (not the brain) that can be used be to counteract impotence but
also cause a host of negative side effects. Keep in mind that another
name for norepinephrine is noradrenalin which is the direct precursor
to adrenaline (also called epinephrine). These substances are
referred to as fight or flight substances because they are responsible
for that nervous tension you get right before a confrontation.
When in the blood it is common to experience sweaty palms and feet,
increased heart rate and pressure, butterflies in your stomach, a
slight ache in your joints, anxiousness, and so on. As lucid dream
enthusiasts we neither need nor want for overflow to occur. This
requires a significant reduction in dose from what is commonly used.
When in the brain, norepinephrine improves mood, alertness, focus,
as well as working memory and has proven to have profound effect
on dreaming and lucid dreaming. I have found the ideal dose to be
~1/20 of the dose typically found in single pill. Since my lucid
dreaming method consists of attempts on an every other day basis, it
would take over a month before I would use up a single dose
(assuming that I used Yohimbine on every attempt, which I don’t). At
these small doses two facts stand out: (1) I suffer no negative side
effects and (2) the effect on dreaming and lucid dreaming is
profound. Another misconception is that Yohimbine is a male only
herb. This is not the case and studies have shown that Yohimbine
has essentially the same effects on men and women with no increase
in risk.
Mechanism of Action: Yohimbine is an alpha-2 adrenergic
antagonist. The alpha-2 receptors are responsible for controlling the
production of norepinephrine within the brain. When the alpha-2
receptors are antagonized the brain naturally produces more
norepinephrine within the brain.
Concentration Curve: Yohimbine is characterized by quick
absorption and a short elimination half-life. It reaches its peak plasma
Effect on Dreams: Yohimbine has a profound effect on dreaming.
Dream vividness and memory are perhaps even better than with the
acetylcholine boosting supplements. However sleep is possible only
with very small doses. The dreams I have had using Yohimbine have,
for the most part, been very pleasing although I have felt some
anxiety during the dreams if the dose is greater than about 1 mg.
There is one subtle point that I have noticed with Yohimbine: it does
not seem to initiate REM sleep, but rather must work in conjunction
with it. During normal REM sleep the norepinephrine system
essentially shuts off and having elevated norepinephrine levels does
little to push you into a dream state. However, if you are naturally
entering a dream state the dreams become much more vivid and
strong if norepinephrine levels are increased. This implies that
Yohimbine is much more effective when taken in the early morning
hours when much more time is spent naturally in REM sleep.
Effect on Lucid Dreams: I consider Yohimbine to be one of the
most powerful supplements available for lucid dream development.
Yohimbine can be used as a lucid dream trigger if taken under the
right conditions and acts much the same way as Galantamine in this
respect. The downside of using Yohimbine as a trigger, is that you
must be naturally entering REM sleep very soon after you take it.
Also the doses that work best as triggers are incredibly close to the
dose that will cause insomnia. For these reasons, I commonly use
Galantamine as the main trigger and much smaller doses of
Yohimbine as a complimentary substance. When used in this way the
results are remarkable. Galantamine initiates REM sleep which
initiates the effects of the Yohimbine. Once lucid the norepinephrine
improves attention, focus, and working memory (a type of short term
memory) far more than with Galantamine alone. These
characteristics significantly boost the ability to reason within the
dream. The mind stays clearer and does not get as easily distracted.
This allows one to go deeper into the dream world in order to search
for hidden potential and knowledge. It also improves the connection
between the dream memory and the physical memory. Within the
dream, memories can be recalled and even relived much easier than
without it. This improved connection also helps to ensure that you
carry out your entire set of dream experiments while within the
Side Effects: At the doses I recommend side effects are extremely
rare, but keep in mind that everyone is different. If overflow should
occur (a sign you need to reduce the dose) you may feel hot,
experience increased heart rate and pressure, feel a nervous ache in
your joints as well as experience sweaty palms and feet. In more
extreme cases anxiety, tremors, dizziness, and vomiting may be
experienced. Yohimbine may trigger anxiety or panic attacks in prone
individuals. An overdose of Yohimbine may be deadly – watch out for
salivation, enlarged pupils, irregular heartbeat, and low blood
pressure. An overdose needs to be treated immediately by
emergency medical professionals.
Dosage: I consider the 9mg dose of Yohimbine that is typically
included in a single capsule as insanely high. The first dose I took
was 3 mg and I experienced significant overflow. For me, overflow
typically stops at about 1.5 mg however it is literally impossible to fall
to sleep on this high of dose. At about 0.75 – 1 mg, Yohimbine can
be used as a lucid dream trigger. To use Yohimbine synergistically
with Galantamine, I typically use 0.35 – 0.5 mg. Using a 0.35 dose
implies that you divide a single 9 mg tablet into ~ 25 pieces.
Special Notes: Yohimbine is available as an over the counter the
supplement. It is sold either as pure Yohimbe Bark or as a more
concentrated form that is either standardized to 2%, 4%, or 8%
Yohimbine. Remember that it is the Yohimbine that boosts
norepinephrine. All of the standardized forms usually contain 9 mg of
Yohimbine per tablet. I don’t recommend buying the pure Yohimbe
Bark because you don’t know exactly how much Yohimbine is in
each capsule and in fact it can vary greatly from capsule to capsule. I
prefer the 8% Yohimbine form because it comes in a solid tablet
instead of a powder filled capsule. This makes it easier to cut it into
smaller pieces using a razor blade rather than trying to divide up a
powder.
Summary: Yohimbine is an alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist which
means that it can boost norepinephrine levels in the brain. Typical
doses are 20 – 25 times too strong for the lucid dream enthusiast
which will require dividing up the tablet into much smaller pieces.
Yohimbine can act as lucid dream trigger around a dose of 1 mg but
this borderlines on a dose that can cause insomnia. Using 0.5 mg or
less simultaneously with Galantamine can produce extremely high
level lucid dreams. This combination seems to work better than all
others when the goal is a search for knowledge within the dream.
This combination also seems to make your physical memories more
accessible within the dream.
dream.
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