Piracetam

General Description: Piracetam is a very important substance the
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