inhibitor. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the substance that breaks
down acetylcholine within the brain. By inhibiting this breakdown,
acetylcholine can build to increased levels. Galantamine (as well as
other AChE inhibitors) is the subject of intense research because of
its apparent ability to increase memory and actually improve
Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Not only does Galantamine inhibit
the breakdown of acetylcholine, there is also evidence that it acts as
an acetylcholine agonist as well. This means that Galantamine gives
a double boost to the apparent levels of ACh within the brain.
Remember that acetylcholine is at its highest levels during
wakefulness and REM sleep. By increasing ACh levels you will tend
to go directly into REM when you fall to sleep provided that you don’t
put your body in conflict. The normal sleep cycle begins by moving
quickly into the deeper (non-REM) stages of sleep. Taking
Galantamine is not nearly as effective if taken before bedtime as
opposed to after 4 or 5 hours of sleep. By taking it before bedtime
you are trying to force your body into REM when it wants to enter
deep sleep. Your odds of becoming lucid are greatly reduced and
you are essentially depriving yourself of quality sleep.
When taken after 4 or 5 hours of sleep Galantamine can act as
lucidity trigger in that it allows you to move directly from wakefulness
into a dream state with an unbroken consciousness. This makes
Galantamine highly effective at producing WILDs. One of the
characteristics that makes Galantamine so effective is that it is
rapidly absorbed by the body.
Mechanism of Action: Galantamine is an AChE
(acetylcholinesterase) inhibitor. Acetylcholinesterase is the chemical
that breaks down acetylcholine in the brain. Therefore Galantamine
causes the acetylcholine within the brain to increase, by causing the
brain to manufacture ACh faster than it is being broken down. There
is some evidence suggesting that galantamine also acts as an
acetylcholine agonist.
Concentration Curve: Galantamine is characterized by quick
absorption and a relatively long elimination half-life. It reaches its
peak plasma level just 60 minutes after ingested but takes about 48
hours to be completely flushed from you system.
Effect on Dreams: Galantamine has a profound impact on
dreaming. Galantamine will cause extremely vivid and long dreams. If
the Galantamine is allowed to fully clear from your system (i.e. only
take it every other night or less) dreams seem to be normal and
pleasant (especially if using Piracetam to counter desensitization –
see chapter 10). If Galantamine is not allowed to completely clear out
of the body and/or if tolerance/desensitization starts to occur, dreams
can become more movie like, bazaar, and perhaps nightmarish (kind
of like morbid Picasso images). This is an excellent marker that you
need to take some time off from using the substance and from
stimulating the cholinergic system in general. This can be totally
avoided if lucid dream attempts are kept to an every other day basis
or less and if Piracetam is used to counter the effects of Galantamine
directly following a lucid dream attempt
Effect on Lucid Dreams: As I have mentioned, Galantamine can be
used as a lucid dream trigger. There are several other substances that can also trigger lucidity (Nicotine, GPC, and small doses of
Yohimbine) but I tend to favor Galantamine for a number of reasons.
Side Effects: There are numerous side effects listed for
Galantamine: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, decreased
appetite and weight loss. These are all dose related however. Due to
its positive impact on memory, Galantamine is commonly taken to
reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease at doses up to 24 mg per
day. Lucid dream enthusiast will find that no more than 8 mg are
necessary to trigger a lucid dream. At the 8 mg dose level that I use I
have noticed three main side effects:
1. I get some strange noises coming from my stomach. This is
more interesting than annoying.
2. It is possible to get muscle cramps and/or spasms. There
have been several occasions where I wake up after a lucid
dream and when I stand up I get an immediate charley horse
in one or both of my calves. This has happened maybe 2 or 3
percent of the time. The cramps go away quickly but the
muscle can feel tense for more than a day following a cramp.
3. Energy drained on the following day. Galantamine will give a
considerable boost to your cholinergic system and can in turn
deprive you of the deep rejuvenating sleep stages. It is much
better to take Galantamine after about 4 or 5 hours of sleep.
This will greatly improve your odds of becoming lucid and also
allow your body to get the deep sleep it needs in the first part
of the night. This can be further enhanced by taking 5-HTP
prior to going to sleep. The 5-HTP suppresses REM in the
first half of the night and is just about worn off when
Galantamine is taken. Galantamine suppresses deep sleep in
the second half of the night. The result is a more or less
balanced night’s sleep. This approach has made a huge
difference in how I feel following a night using Galantamine.
Dosage: I have almost exclusively used 8 mg capsules. More than
that is not necessary and should be avoided in order to minimize
tolerance/desensitization and avoid any negative side effects. I have
also experimented with 4 mg and still experienced extremely vivid
dreams although I currently use 8 mg regularly.
Special Notes: Notice that Galantamine remains in your system for
about 48 hours. This means that your acetylcholine levels are
boosted well beyond the time you set aside for lucid dreaming. This
can lead to tolerance and desensitization issues. One can avoid this
if they follow the detailed schedule laid out in chapters 17, 18, & 19.
There are several forms of Galantamine available: pure
Galantamine, Galantamine combined with a form Choline; and
Galantamine combined with other supplements. For reasons that will
become clear in the next chapter, I recommend combining
Galantamine with Choline either as a pre-formulated mixture or taken
individually. Try to avoid purchasing Galantamine that is pre-mixed
with supplements other than Choline.
Also be aware that there is another AChE inhibitor that is
available without a prescription. This substance is Huperzine A and
has been used in Chinese medicine for a very long time. At the
present time I have not done any experiments with this substance but
it may be an alternative to galantamine.
Summary: I use Galantamine as a lucid dream trigger. For this to
work Galantamine should be taken after 4 or 5 hours of quality deep
sleep. Since Galantamine takes a full 48 hours to completely clear
out of your system, it should not be taken on two consecutive nights.
If dreams become movie like and/or bazaar consider taking a few
days off. Piracetam can be used directly following a lucid dream
attempt to counteract the effects of Galantamine and reduce
sensitivity to tolerance and/or desensitization.
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