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.
Mucuna Pruriens
that has been used in Ayurveda (Indian medicine) for over 4500
years. This is one of the few known plants that naturally contains a
chemical called L-dopa. Although dopamine does not cross the blood
brain barrier, L-dopa does and it is the immediate precursor to
dopamine. This fact makes Mucuna Pruriens highly effective at
increasing dopamine levels within the brain. There are many of
reasons to supplement your diet with a little L-dopa even if you aren’t
interested in lucid dreaming. Dopamine is vitally important in
sustaining your motor skills and as we age our dopamine levels drop
significantly. Parkinson disease is an extreme case of this in which
movement is severely restricted due to the loss of proper dopamine
functionality. The first line of defense in Parkinson disease is L-dopa.
Supplementing your diet with L-dopa containing substances can help
keep you active and feeling young. In addition, dopamine makes you
feel good and plays a major role in developing confidence and
motivation. So even if lucid dreams aren’t your goal, L-dopa
containing supplements can probably do you some good. Of course
when it comes to dreaming, dopamine plays a major role in that it is
believed the dopamine network must be engaged for dreaming to
occur in the first place.
When it comes to lucid dreaming L-dopa (via Mucuna Pruriens)
boosts your ability to control the dream like no other substance I’ve
encountered.
Mucuna Pruriens offers another benefit over the synthetic Ldopa
that is commonly prescribed in the US. Synthetic L-dopa must
be taken with a different chemical called Carbidopa. Carbidopa is
required to keep the L-dopa from being synthesized into dopamine
before it crosses the blood barrier. Since dopamine can not cross this
barrier, if the L-dopa is converted to dopamine too early it does not
make it into the brain and therefore does you no good. Furthermore,
the negative side effects of L-dopa are typically due to the dopamine
that is created in the gut rather than in the brain. Mucuna Pruriens
does not require Carbidopa for reasons that are not fully understood,
but there are numerous studies showing that Mucuna Pruriens is as
effective as the synthetic L-dopa / Carbidopa pair. This allows for
lower doses of L-dopa resulting in a lower chance of negative side
effects.
Mechanism of Action: Mucuna Pruriens naturally contains the
chemical L-dopa. L-dopa is the immediate precursor to dopamine.
Increasing the amount of L-dopa in the brain leads to an increase in
the production of dopamine.
Concentration Curve: Mucuna Pruriens is characterized by quick
absorption and a short elimination half-life. It reaches its peak plasma
levels just 90 minutes after you take it and is practically out of your
system after 12 hours.
Effect on Dreams: L-dopa in known to cause vivid dreams and so
does Mucuna Pruriens. In general however, the dose needs to be in
the therapeutic range for treating Parkinson’s disease before a major
impact on dreaming is observed. My own experiments have shown
that around 400 mg of L-dopa (via Mucuna Pruriens) are needed to
stimulate a dopamine dream. Dopamine dreams are fascinating and
are my personal favorite type of non-lucid dream. They are always
extremely action packed and fully participatory (meaning that the
dreamer is fully caught up in the action rather than just observing it).
There seems to a common theme to dopamine dreams: the dreamer
is put in some kind of threatening situation and must overcome some
type of adversary. On the outside, these dreams often sound like
nightmares, but on the inside they are usually characterized by a
strong feeling of confidence and a triumphant rush once the dreamer
has prevailed. I find these types of dreams thoroughly enjoyable
although they may not be for everybody.Effect on Lucid Dreams: The effect of Mucuna Pruriens on lucid
dreaming is indirect yet profound. Mucuna Pruriens does not act as a
lucid dream trigger. Furthermore if a large dose of Mucuna is taken
with Galantamine, the odds of becoming lucid seem to be somewhat
reduced. There are some studies that suggest that L-dopa can
actually suppress REM. However, if a small dose of Mucuna is taken
with Galantamine (or one of the other triggers) or if larger doses are
taken some time before the trigger, the results are almost
unbelievable. The dopamine boost that is caused by Mucuna
Pruriens leads to a significant increase in confidence level. This
increase in confidence leads to a total lack of fear and a profound
boost in the ability to control the dream.
There are no other supplements I have found that have this
effect. Advanced flying is possible, moving through walls or other
objects seems incredibly natural, and changing your dreamscape is
made much easier.
Side Effects: Mucuna Pruriens is new to the West but has been
used for centuries in other parts of the world. High doses of Mucuna
Pruriens can cause over stimulation, increased body
temperature, insomnia, and nausea. There are some studies that
suggest it may lead to an increased risk of birth defects so it should
not be taken when pregnant.
Dosage: There is no daily suggested dose for Mucuna Pruriens
although most companies list a suggested dose of 200-300 mg of Ldopa
per day (the corresponding Mucuna dosage depends on the %
standardization). There is an important rule of thumb that can be
used to define the maximum allowable dose. Parkinson disease
patients are often on massive doses of L-dopa and it is well known
that after several years of treatment they are subject to a condition
referred to as dyskinesias. Dyskinesias is a condition described by
sudden, involuntary, jerky movements. Most physicians now cap the
maximum dose of L-dopa at no more than 600 mg/day and if possible
keep the dose at 400 mg or lower over the first 3-5 years in order to
reduce the risk of dyskinesias. Typically I use 80-200 mg of L-dopa
(via Mucuna Pruriens) in combination with other supplements for the
purpose of lucid dream enhancement.
Special Notes: Mucuna Pruriens is available in seed form or as
standardized extracts. The seeds can vary substantially from seed to
seed as to the concentration of L-dopa so I don’t recommend using
them. The standardized extracts are available in 10%, 30%, and 50%
L-dopa concentrations. I strongly recommend the lower
concentrations. I have tried both the 10% and 50% forms and have
much better results with the 10% extract at equivalent L-dopa doses.
Remember that synthetic L-dopa is prescribed with Carbidopa in
order to keep the L-dopa from prematurely synthesizing into
dopamine. Mucuna Pruriens has proven to be effective without the
use of Carbidopa. As the concentration of L-dopa increases, the
concentration of the other compounds that mimic the Carbidopa
decrease and you are prone to more negative side effects and less
impact on dreaming. This knowledge is from personal experience. At
500 mg of L-dopa I have experienced vivid dreams and no side
effects using the 10% form, but at the same dose using the 50% form
I suffered nausea and noticed no impact on dreaming.
Vitamin B6 should not be taken simultaneously with Mucuna
Pruriens (or any L-dopa containing substance). Vitamin B6 is the
ingredient necessary to synthesize L-dopa into dopamine. If there are
large amounts of B6 present in your digestive track when you take
Mucuna, the L-dopa may be converted too early and hence not be
able to cross the blood brain barrier.
Summary: Mucuna Pruriens does not act as a lucid dream trigger
but can greatly increase control when combined with Galantamine or
other lucid dream triggers. Superman style flying, moving through
objects, and changing the dreamscape all become much more
natural, straight forward and easy when 80-200 mg of L-dopa (via
Mucuna Pruriens) is taken with Galantamine (or 1 hour prior – see
chapter 19 for details). No other supplement that I have found has
made such a large impact on dream control as Mucuna Pruriens.
Source: Thomas Yuschak The Power of Supplements
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Piracetam
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lucid dreamer has at their disposal, but not for the reasons you might
think. Piracetam does not enhance dreaming (or lucid dreaming) at
all; in fact it has proven to significantly suppress dreaming. If you
would like to prove this to yourself take a healthy dose of Piracetam
along with Galantamine (which has a profound effect on dreaming)
and see if you can even remember having any dreams. Piracetam
however, reduces desensitization of the acetylcholine receptors and
for this reason it allows for more frequent lucid dream attempts when
used correctly.
Piracetam is in a class of drugs called Nootropics. Nootropics are
typically defined as “smart” drugs because they are believed to have
a positive impact on your brain as well as on your ability to think and
remember. They are also defined as having an extremely low toxicity
which means that they are safe to take even in large doses. Not all
Nootropics are created equal however and Piracetam is the only one
that I have found in which there is an abundant amount research on
how it affects the cholinergic system (acetylcholine). Piracetam is
thought to cause acetylcholine to be used up more efficiently and
may even increase acetylcholine receptor density.
Furthermore Piracetam has been shown to counteract the
desensitization of the nicotinic receptors when carbachol is used (a
powerful ACh agonist that quickly desensitizes ACh receptors). This
makes Piracetam an extremely powerful tool for two reasons:
1. Both Galantamine and GPC boost acetylcholine levels and
stay in your system well beyond the time it takes to attempt a
lucid dream. It is best to counteract this effect as soon as the
lucid dream attempt has ended. Piracetam allows you to do
this. (See chapter 18 for details).
2. Nicotine is known to cause both short term and long term
desensitization of the nicotinic receptors. Piracetam has been
shown to counteract this desensitization.
Another advantage to using Piracetam is that while it is protecting
your acetylcholine receptors so you can keep having high level
dreams, there is evidence that it makes you smarter while doing so.
Piracetam has been widely used and studied in Europe and Asia;
however the US has done fairly little research. The FDA has not
approved Piracetam but that doesn’t mean it is illegal to buy in the
US. It is perfectly legal to purchase up to a three month supply of
Piracetam for your own use and there are several US companies that
currently stock it. I have included several articles in the reference
section you should read to learn about all of the benefits of
Piracetam.
Keep in mind one extremely important point. It is best to not have
any Piracetam in your system at the time of lucid dream attempt. This
will be explained in detail in Part 3 of this book.Effect on Dreams: Inhibits dreaming and remembering dreams.
Piracetam is not used to enhance dreaming but rather to counteract
desensitization and tolerance caused by the other acetylcholine
boosting supplements.
Effect on Lucid Dreams: Piracetam has a negative impact on lucid
dreaming if it is in your system at the time of the attempt. It is the only
substance that I know of that has been clinically proven to counteract
desensitization. When used correctly it can increase the frequency at
which you can attempt a lucid dream using the Galantamine, GPC,
and/or Nicotine.
Side Effects: Piracetam, as with most nootropics, is known as
having an almost total lack of toxicity. This means it causes no
significant side effects even at extremely high doses. If a large dose
is taken however (more than 3000 mg in a day), it is recommended to
ramp down the dosage rather than to abruptly stop taking it.
Piracetam increases blood flow to your brain and if you take a large
single dose you may experience a headache when it wears off due to
the re-constricting of the blood vessels. This can be totally avoided if
the dose is spread out and ramped down instead of taking a single
large dose. See chapter 18 for more details about how to take
Piracetam.
Dosage: Most references call out a daily dose of 2400 - 4800 mg per
day as a maximum recommended dose. The maximum dose does
not correspond to the dose at which negative side effects occur butrather to the maximum dose that seems to benefit the user. There
have been several studies that show that taking more than 4800mg
of Piracetam produces less positive effects on memory. Furthermore
the optimum dose may be age related. One study showed that the
optimum dose for younger people was 2400 mg/day and was 4800
mg/day for older people. Human studies have been done with daily
doses up to 20 grams per day and animal studies have been with
huge dose/weight ratios. I typically take 2400 mg in a single dose
immediately following a lucid dream attempt. This allows me to
successfully counteract tolerance and desensitization and does not
lead to a headache.
Special Notes: The FDA has not approved the use of Piracetam as
a means of combating mental illnesses. This does not mean US
doctors dispute the effects Piracetam has on the cholinergic system.
These studies are well documented. The FDA also does not claim
that Piracetam has any negative side effects. The lack of approval
corresponds with the belief that there is not enough evidence to show
that Piracetam works as a viable means of combating certain mental
illnesses. As lucid dreamers, our primary goal is to guard against
desensitization and tolerance; any mental enhancements are a fringe
benefit. The fact that the FDA has not approved Piracetam may be a
blessing in disguise because if the FDA were to approve Piracetam it
would most likely be available by prescription only. Also Piracetam is
part of a family of substances called racetams. All of the racetams
work in similar way and therefore other family members, such as
Aniracetam and Oxiracetam, may also guard against desensitization
and tolerance effects. Of the three however, I have found moreclinical research pertaining to Piracetam regarding its positive effects
on cholinergic system.
Source: Thomas Yuschak The Power of Supplements
Nicotine
Personally I only use Nicotine on rare occasion, but it was one of the
first substances I experimented with, and because I have had some
profound results, it must be included here in order to be complete.
Nicotine is available via a patch or chewing gum as an over the
counter aid to help quit smoking. Nicotine acts as an acetylcholine
agonist which means it has essentially the same effects as
acetylcholine inside the brain and it quickly and efficiently crosses the
blood brain barrier. Although Nicotine does not cause cancer, it is
addictive when used regularly and is toxic even in small doses. More
importantly, Nicotine causes both short term and long term
desensitization of the acetylcholine receptors and since these
receptors are crucial for lucid dreaming it is wise not to take this fact
lightly. Warnings aside, Nicotine can have a profound effect on lucid
dreaming when used (1) on rare occasions (2) in small doses and (3)
when a proactive method is utilized to counteract desensitization.
Nicotine produces effects similar to GPC in that it can be used to
trigger lucid dreams and it also works synergistically with
Galantamine. Although my experience has shown that Nicotine is
significantly more effective than GPC, Nicotine can have far greater
side effects so greater care must be taken in controlling the dose.
Mechanism of Action: Nicotine is an agonist for acetylcholine which
means that it enters the brain and acts in the same manner as
acetylcholine.
Concentration Curve: If Nicotine is administered via a patch, the
concentration curve looks somewhat different than those of orally
administered supplements. When a patch is applied, plasma levels of
Nicotine rises fairly linearly until the peak plasma levels are reached
and then slowly drops over the remainder of the day (while the patch
is effective), and then drops much more quickly after the patch is
removed.
Concentration curve for a Nicotine Patch when used for an anti-smoking aid.
Although this is a typical curve for a user who is trying to quit
smoking it is not a typical curve for someone who only uses a
Nicotine patch to promote lucid dreaming. Because of the rapid
desensitization that can occur when using Nicotine it is wise to only
wear the patch during the lucid dream attempt and then remove it immediately. For example, the patch can be applied at 4 AM just prior
to having an LD and then removed at 7 AM just after waking up from
the lucid dream. This approach is a must if you want to be able to
consistently achieve remarkable results. The following concentration
curve compares the typical user to the lucid dream enthusiast.
Concentration curve for Nicotine Patch for use as a lucid dream supplement
Nicotine (via the patch) is characterized by relatively slow
absorption (~7.5 hours to reach peak plasma levels) countered with a
short elimination half-life (~2 hours).
Effect on Dreams: Nicotine has a profound impact on dreaming.
Non-lucid Nicotine dreams seem a bit more disturbing than those
produced by either GPC or Galantamine and the visual vividness is
sometimes lacking. Effect on Lucid Dreams: Although Nicotine can trigger lucid
dreams by itself it is incredibly effective when combined with
Galantamine. If I had one word to describe the influence of Nicotine
on my lucid dreams it would be “music”. Especially when Nicotine is
combined with Galantamine, my lucid dreams seem to have a
soundtrack full of wonderful and totally original music.
Side Effects: Of all the supplements I have tried, Nicotine has the
worst side effects. These can be managed however, if the patch is
low dose and only worn during the lucid dream attempt. In general,
too much Nicotine makes you feel ill. The side effects generally listed
are: dizziness, nausea, sore throat, dry or watering mouth, watering
eyes, headache, constipation, and skin irritation (where patch is
worn). When I first started using Nicotine as a lucid dream aid I would
put the patch on prior to going to bed. After a full eight hours of
wearing the patch I would feel and look sick. My complexion was
literally green. This went away however when I started putting the
patch on at around 4 AM and then removing it at about three hours
later. Not only did the side effects go away but I had better results
and better quality of sleep.
Dosage: Nicotine patches typically come in three strengths: 7 mg,
14mg, and 21 mg. I have tried the 14 mg and 7 mg variety. They both
work well but the 7 mg results in far fewer side effects. The dose
generally represents the average total dose released over a 24 hour
period (or 16 hour period depending on the brand). Special Notes: A possible alternative to Nicotine patches is Nicotine
gum. The gum gives a larger dose in a shorter period of time but
wears off faster. I have not done any experimentation with Nicotine
gum.
Summary: Nicotine does not cause cancer (the tar in cigarettes is
the culprit there) however it is addictive and extremely toxic for small
children and pets. Practically speaking, if you were to use a Nicotine
patch solely as an aid for lucid dreaming, you would most likely never
become addicted and if you take proper care in keeping the patches
away from children you will not need to worry about accidentally
poisoning anybody. If you use the lowest dose patch (7 mg) and keep
it on for only a few hours you most likely will not notice any serious
side effects. There is an important reason not to use Nicotine very
often however, and that is because is causes rapid desensitization of
your nicotinic receptors (one type of acetylcholine receptor): definitely
not for everyday (or even once a week usage). Personally, I rarely
use Nicotine these days because of this fact and because GPC
produces similar results. I will admit that Nicotine can have a
profound effect on the ability to have lucid dreams. If you are going to
consider using Nicotine I strongly recommend that you follow up by
using the nootropic Piracetam (see the next chapter) in order to help
counteract desensitization.
Source: Thomas Yuschak The Power of Supplements
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