39 replies to this topic

[Now]

Share techniques, exercises, therapies etc. that improve mood and mental functions such as cognition, memory, intelligence, motivation, attention, and concentration in this topic.

1. Physical exercise
A 2008 review of cognitive enrichment therapies (strategies to slow or reverse cognitive decline) concluded that "physical activity, and aerobic exercise in particular, enhances older adults' cognitive function".

In mice, exercise improves cognitive functioning via improvement of hippocampus-dependent spatial learning, and enhancement of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. In addition, physical activity has been shown to be neuroprotective in many neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. For instance, it reduces the risk of developing dementia. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests that frequent exercise may reverse alcohol-induced brain damage.

There are several possibilities for why exercise is beneficial for the brain. Examples are as follows:
- increasing the blood and oxygen flow to the brain
- increasing growth factors that help create new nerve cells and promote synaptic plasticity
- increasing chemicals in the brain that help cognition, such as dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, and serotonin

Physical activity is thought to have other beneficial effects related to cognition as it increases levels of nerve growth factors, which support the survival and growth of a number of neuronal cells.

Endorphins act as a natural pain reliever and antidepressant in the body. Endorphins have long been regarded as responsible for what is known as "runner's high", a euphoric feeling a person receives from intense physical exertion. However, recent research indicates that anandamide may possibly play a greater role than endorphins in "runner's high". When a person exercises, levels of both circulating serotonin and endorphins are increased. These levels are known to stay elevated even several days after exercise is discontinued, possibly contributing to improvement in mood, increased self-esteem, and weight management. Exercise alone is a potential prevention method and/or treatment for mild forms of depression. Research has also shown that when exercise is done in the presence of other people (familiar or not), it can be more effective in reducing stress than simply exercising alone.

Source: http://en.wikipedia....#Brain_function

2. Cold showers
Depression is a debilitating mood disorder that is among the top causes of disability worldwide. It can be characterized by a set of somatic, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, one of which is a high risk of suicide. This work presents a hypothesis that depression may be caused by the convergence of two factors: (A) A lifestyle that lacks certain physiological stressors that have been experienced by primates through millions of years of evolution, such as brief changes in body temperature (e.g. cold swim), and this lack of "thermal exercise" may cause inadequate functioning of the brain. (B) Genetic makeup that predisposes an individual to be affected by the above condition more seriously than other people. To test the hypothesis, an approach to treating depression is proposed that consists of adapted cold showers (20 degrees C, 2-3 min, preceded by a 5-min gradual adaptation to make the procedure less shocking) performed once or twice daily. The proposed duration of treatment is several weeks to several months. The following evidence appears to support the hypothesis: Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline and to increase synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain as well. Additionally, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect. Practical testing by a statistically insignificant number of people, who did not have sufficient symptoms to be diagnosed with depression, showed that the cold hydrotherapy can relieve depressive symptoms rather effectively. The therapy was also found to have a significant analgesic effect and it does not appear to have noticeable side effects or cause dependence. In conclusion, wider and more rigorous studies would be needed to test the validity of the hypothesis.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/17993252

Edited by Now, 01 April 2012 - 02:07 PM.

[Now]

3. Meditation and mindfulness
There is a lot of information and research about meditation and mindfulness. It is too much to summarize in one post, so will just give some links to relevant Wikipedia pages.

3.1. Meditation
http://en.wikipedia....h_on_meditation

3.2. Mindfulness
http://en.wikipedia....28psychology%29

3.2.1 Mindfulness-based stress reduction or MBSR
http://en.wikipedia....tress_reduction

3.2.2 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
http://en.wikipedia....mitment_therapy

[Now]

4. Positive emotions and optimism

4.1 Positive emotions
Studies from Fredrickson's lab have randomly-assigned participants watch films that induce positive emotions such as amusement and contentment, negative emotions such as fear and sadness, or no emotions. Compared to people in the other conditions, participants who experience positive emotions show heightened levels of creativity, inventiveness, and "big picture" perceptual focus. Longitudinal studies show that positive emotions play a role in the development of long-term resource such as psychological resilience and flourishing.

Fredrickson and others hypothesize that positive emotions undo the cardiovascular effects of negative emotions. When people experience stress, they show increased heart rate, higher blood sugar, immunosuppression, and other adaptations optimized for immediate action. If individuals do not regulate these changes once the stress is past, they can lead to illness, such as coronary disease, and heightened mortality. Both lab research and survey research indicate that positive emotions help people who were previously under stress relax back to their physiological baseline.

More info about positive emotions: http://en.wikipedia....oaden-and-build and http://en.wikipedia....ara_Fredrickson

4.2 Learned optimism
In a study completed by Martin Seligman, Ph.D. and Gregory Buchanan, Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and published by the American Psychological Association, learned optimism techniques were found to significantly reduce depression in a class of college freshmen. As incoming students to the university, a survey determined the most pessimistic students and they were invited to participate in the study. They were randomly assigned, half to attend a 16-hour workshop on the techniques of learning optimism, and half were the control group. In an 18 month follow up, 32% of the control group suffered moderate to severe depression and 15% suffered moderate to severe anxiety disorder, whereas only 22% of the workshop participants were depressed and 7% had anxiety issues. Those who participated in the learned optimism workshop also reported fewer health problems over the 18 month period of the study than those students in the control group.

A study done by Peter Schulman at the Wharton School, published in the Journal of Selling and Sales Management, looked to determine the effects of applying learned optimism in business. After measuring the optimism levels of an insurance sales force, it was determined that the optimistic sales people sold 35 percent more, and identified pessimists were two times more likely to quit in the first year than optimists. As a result of his studies, he recommends testing sales job candidates for optimism levels to fit them to appropriate positions, training employees in learned optimism techniques, and designing an organization overall to have attainable goals set and good support from management.

Finally, a study conducted by Mark Ylvisaker of the College of Saint Rose and Timothy Feeney of the Wildwood Institute looked at children with executive function impairment. The children had brain functioning impairments affecting motor skills, memory, or the ability to focus. Learned optimism was not taught to the children themselves, but rather to their caretakers, who oftentimes are more likely to feel helpless than optimistic in regards to caring for the child. It was found that learned optimism in caretakers of children with brain damage actually led the children to develop more functioning than children without optimistic caretakers. Thus Ylvisaker concludes that the optimism of professional rehabilitators can affect the results of their clients.

More info about learned optimism: http://en.wikipedia....earned_optimism
Also check the page about positive psychology: http://en.wikipedia....tive_psychology

Edited by Now, 01 April 2012 - 02:40 PM.

[Now]

5. Fake it till you make it
"Fake it till you make it" (also called "act as if") is a common catchphrase that means to imitate confidence so that as the confidence produces success, it will generate real confidence. The article How You Too Can Be an Optimist in Prevention points out, "In research at Wake Forest University, for example, scientists asked a group of 50 students to act like extroverts for 15 minutes in a group discussion, even if they didn’t feel like it. The more assertive and energetic the students acted, the happier they were".

More info: http://en.wikipedia....ill_you_make_it

6. Creative visualization
In one of the most well-known studies on Creative Visualization in sports, Russian scientists compared four groups of Olympic athletes in terms of their physical and mental training ratios:

- Group 1 received 100% physical training;
- Group 2 received 75% physical training with 25% mental training;
- Group 3 received 50% mental training with 50% physical training;
- Group 4 received 75% mental training with 25% physical training.

Group 4 had the best performance results, indicating that certain types of mental training, such as consciously invoking specific subjective states, can have significant measurable effects on biological performance. According to Cummins, "The Soviets had discovered that mental images can act as a prelude to muscular impulses. It has since become more widely understood and accepted in neuroscience and sports psychology that subjective training can cause the body to respond more favorably to consciously desired outcomes.

More information: http://en.wikipedia....e_visualization

Edited by Now, 01 April 2012 - 02:53 PM.

[health_nutty]

Great posts! Thanks for sharing. I love your avatar, btw.

[Now]

Thanks Health_nutty!

7. Spending time outdoors and nature.

7.1 Green exercise
The largest study of green exercise involved meta-analytic methodologies to analyse the results of 10 studies based on 1252 green exercise participants (Barton & Pretty, 2010). Results indicated that "the overall effect size for improved self-esteem was d = 0.46 (CI 0.34−0.59, p < 0.00001) and for mood d = 0.54 (CI 0.38−0.69, p < 0.00001). Dose responses for both intensity and duration showed large benefits from short engagements in green exercise, and then diminishing but still positive returns."

7.2 Attention Restoration Theory (ART)
Attention Restoration Theory (ART) asserts that people can concentrate better after spending time in nature, or even looking at scenes of nature.

After medical surgery, patients resting in rooms overlooking trees recovered better than those in rooms with only a view of a brick wall. They experienced fewer complications from the surgery, recovered faster, and asked for fewer painkiller drugs. Similarly, natural scenes can reduce stress before an event.

- Women with breast cancer who walked in a park, watched birds, or tended flowers, achieved better attention after surgery.
- Merely keeping sight of natural features improves self-discipline in inner-city girls.
- Children in New York State were less stressed by adversity, if they lived in rural areas.
- Stress in college examinations was similarly reduced by viewing natural scenes. Viewing scenes of urban streets and artifacts excluding nature did not achieve any stress reduction, in a similar study upon workers viewing a film about industrial accidents.
- Taking breaks outside in settings that contained some nature has been shown to reduce stress, leaving nurses feeling refreshed, relaxed, and energized upon return to work.

More info:
http://en.wikipedia..../Green_exercise
http://en.wikipedia....toration_theory
http://en.wikipedia....eficit_disorder

7.3 Mycobacterium vaccae
Mycobacterium vaccae is a nonpathogenic species of the Mycobacteriaceae family of bacteria that lives naturally in soil.

There are scientists who believe that exposure to Mycobacterium vaccae may work as an antidepressant because it stimulates the generation of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. More specifically, it induces the neurogenesis of neurons that produce those two compounds.

Research, as of 24 May 2010, has shown that when Mycobacterium vaccae was injected into mice, it stimulated some growth of neurons. It also increased levels of serotonin an decreased levels of anxiety. "We found that mice that were fed live M. vaccae navigated the maze twice as fast and with less demonstrated anxiety behaviors as control mice", says Dorothy Matthews of The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York, who conducted the research with her colleague Susan Jenks.

More info: http://en.wikipedia....acterium_vaccae

Edited by Now, 01 April 2012 - 08:02 PM.

[Now]

I can't edit my posts anymore but I want to add this:

7.4 Sunlight and vitamin D
Vitamin D3 is made in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light of UVB type at wavelengths between 270 and 300 nm, with peak synthesis occurring between 295 and 297 nm. These wavelengths are present in sunlight when the UV index is greater than three, as well as in the light emitted by the UV lamps in tanning beds (which produce ultraviolet primarily in the UVA spectrum, but typically produce 4% to 10% of the total UV emissions as UVB). At a UV index greater than three, which occurs daily within the tropics, daily during the spring and summer seasons in temperate regions, and almost never within the arctic circles, vitamin D3 can be made in the skin.

More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D

You might also like: The Paradox of Choice
The Paradox of Choice - Why More Is Less is a 2004 book by American psychologist Barry Schwartz. In the book, Schwartz argues that eliminating consumer choices can greatly reduce anxiety for shoppers. A study by Sheena Iyengar of Columbia University and Mark Lepper of Stanford University found that when participants were faced with a smaller rather than larger array of chocolates, they were actually more satisfied with their tasting.

You can find a good summary of the book on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia....hy_More_Is_Less

Edited by Now, 02 April 2012 - 07:52 AM.

[health_nutty]

Have you done any research on binaural beats? I haven't been able to find much solid evidense that it actually works. But it looks interesting.

Dual-n-back has been shown to raise intellegence.

[Now]

Thanks for your comment health_nutty.

As far as I know there are a lot of claims regarding binaural beats while the research is very limited, but I have not read that much about Binaural beats. Some citations from wikipedia, but be sceptical about the quality of these studies:

- One uncontrolled pilot study of 8 individuals indicates that binaural beats may have a relaxing effect. In absence of positive evidence for a specific effect, however, claimed effects may be attributed to the power of suggestion (the placebo effect).

- In a blind study of binaural beats' effects on meditation, 7Hz frequencies were found to enhance meditative focus while 15Hz frequencies harmed it.

- An experiment with binaural sound stimulation using beat frequencies in the Beta range on some participants and Delta/Theta range in other participants, found better vigilance performance and mood in those on the awake alert state of Beta range stimulation.

-Studies have shown that with repeated training to distinguish close frequency sounds that a plastic reorganization of the brain occurs for the trained frequencies and is capable of asymmetric hemispheric balancing.

- Beta-endorphin has been modulated in studies using alpha-theta brain wave training, and dopamine with binaural beats.

- Alpha-theta brainwave training has also been used successfully for the treatment of addictions.

- An uncontrolled pilot study of Delta binaural beat technology over 60 days has shown positive effect on self-reported psychologic measures, especially anxiety. There was significant decrease in trait anxiety, an increase in quality of life, and a decrease in insulin-like growth factor-1 and dopamine and has been successfully shown to decrease mild anxiety. A randomised, controlled study concluded that binaural beat audio could lessen hospital acute pre-operative anxiety.

- The presence of theta patterns in the brain has been associated with increased receptivity for learning and decreased filtering by the left hemisphere. Based on the association between theta activity (4–7 Hz) and working memory performance, biofeedback training suggests that normal healthy individuals can learn to increase a specific component of their EEG activity, and that such enhanced activity may facilitate a working memory task and to a lesser extent focused attention.

Edited by Now, 09 April 2012 - 01:03 PM.

[jadamgo]

Memory aids, also called "mnemonic devices": These are behavior strategies to help you learn things more quickly and permanently. Some of them are only appropriate for memorization, but others work for many types of learning.

http://www.web-us.co..._techniques.htm

Spaced repetition: How to learn things in less time overall by spreading that time out.
http://en.wikipedia....aced_repetition

[Kahnetic]

Another technology worth mention in this thread is Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. http://en.wikipedia....ent_stimulation

Go Flow (http://flowstateengaged.com) claim to be working on an affordable and easy to use TDCS device to be released soon. They also link to quite a few studies on the technology on their site, if anyone is interested.

[hippocampus]

Spaced repetition: How to learn things in less time overall by spreading that time out.
http://en.wikipedia....aced_repetition

gwern has an excellent article about this: http://www.gwern.net...aced repetition

7. Spending time outdoors and nature.

This is connected with biophilia: http://www.gwern.net...aced repetition

7.4 Sunlight and vitamin D

here is vitamin d calculator (how much sun exposure you need to produce enough vitamin D - although it is now widely accepted (at least in this community) that supplementing is more healthy - that doesn't mean you shouldn't go out, but you should wear sunscreen):
http://nadir.nilu.no...z_quartMED.html

I'd add n-back exercise here. gwern has an excellent article about this too: http://www.gwern.net/DNB%20FAQ
and you can download the program here: http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/
It's still somewhat controversial whether it can raise intelligence or not, but I believe it's good for attention or for something else than intelligence anyway, because I feel better when I do it - many people also report that. I suggest everybody to try it for few weeks and make their opinion. If you don't feel any better, than it's of no use and contrary.

[OpaqueMind]

Great thread idea! I think exercise and meditation should be the staple of any nootropic stack, all else is (currently) a mere addition, and a gamble at that.

I've started doing dual-n-back seriously recently, whereas previously I only practiced occasionally. I try and do it for an hour a day. I have to say it has quite a profound effect on my reading comprehension and ability to concentrate on several strands of a conversation at once, however I may be an idiosyncratic case because my working memory was previously very poor due to years of substance abuse. I also meditate a lot (2-3 hours most days) and the state of relaxation I can enter via that is very similar to when I get in the zone on n-back. I find it somewhat addictive actually, whereas before it was a chore to play. I am only 4 days into n-backing on a consistent basis and I hope that these gains will continue. It also seems to increase clarity and positive emotion. I imagine most people don't get benefit anywhere near to this otherwise it would be raved about much more! Or maybe they're not playing it long enough. The subjective benefits only enter the frame when you do ~1 hour of intense n-backing. To garner the benefits you must be pushing yourself on it constantly. There is no room for other thoughts, your mind must be unitary in focusing on the memory stream.

On binaural beats; I use project meditation's mindflow series of mp3, which supposedly help the mind adopt different brainwaves frequencies from the high alpha through to the low delta ranges. I am just finishing month 4 and I think it has helped my progress to date, although it is hard to say as there is no way to control for the difference of use and non-use. I do know that while using the BBs I seem to be able to enter a deep state of relaxation more quickly (say 1-3 minutes instead of 5-10) and that it acts as a sort of sensory anchor which reminds me that I should be meditating when a particularly powerful thought stream whisks me away. However it should be noted that it doesn't work if it is above a certain volume threshold (I imagine because greater sensory input means greater neuronal firing related to that input) so keep it low. The binaural beats themselves (that is, the very low wub-wubbing) don't actually have to be audible to have an effect. So yeah, sorry it's subjective and inconclusive but as far as I know there aren't many studies on this so I thought I'd throw my two pennies into the collective pot.

Edited by OpaqueMind, 31 August 2012 - 10:33 PM.

[bestbefore]

Best post ever. Thanks Now.

[CIMN]

I indeed can vouch for Binaural beats. they rock.

[Now]

Thanks for the great responses!

[Hope47]

great thread man...

[Psionic]

I think creating music should be mentioned too. If it is playing a piano, violin, flute or other instrument, it not only helps connect hemispheres but develops math skills, emotional feeling and focus. I really recommend reading Oliver Sacks book: Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. The reason I would add playing an instrument as a non-substance nootropic is my subjective fact that after learning new song from sheets on piano for about a hour I found myself in extremely focused and calm state, I have seen someone mentioned it as a parable to playing quad-n-back.. (theres of course numerous studies on this topic and however, Einstein himself mentioned, that without his violin he would be dumber than most of the people and that the instrument help him with his thinking abilities )

[jadamgo]

If you enjoy music, making music should be a part of your life. Even if it's a hobby, whether or not you ever get "good enough" at it (by whatever standard you wish to judge it), it's worth doing.

For those who already play music, here's a behavioral method to learn songs quicker. In fact, this can help you memorize anything that goes in a specific order, such as lines for a play.

It's simple: learn the song backwards. In other words, first learn the last 4 (or so) bars. Then learn the last 8 bars. Then the last 12, and so on and so forth until you've learned the whole song. I learned this trick from a book on behavior modification, but then realized that my choir conductor had been using this trick on us as long as I'd been a member.

For memorizing scripts, start with your last lines in the scene, and add the lines that come before it later. This makes it easier to remember your cues.

[CIMN]

do you guys think video games can be nootropic or would that be detrimental, or perhaps that would depend on the game?

Edited by CIMN, 08 September 2012 - 12:29 AM.

[Now]

Thanks Psionic and Jadamgo, (making) music is a good one!

do you guys think video games can be nootropic or would that be detrimental, or perhaps that would depend on the game?

Numerous researchers have proposed potential positive effects of video games on aspects of social and cognitive development and psychological well-being. It has been shown that action video game players have better hand-eye coordination and visuo-motor skills, such as their resistance to distraction, their sensitivity to information in the peripheral vision and their ability to count briefly presented objects, than non-players. With the development of the Playstation Move, Kinect and Wii, video games can also help develop motor skills through full body movement. Video games also develop the individual's intelligence, and in social games develop the social capabilities of the individual.
More at: http://en.wikipedia...._of_video_games

Edited by Now, 08 September 2012 - 02:46 PM.

[jadamgo]

If you have an iPhone or iPad, there's a game called ReWire that trains your attention.

[OpaqueMind]

Lets not forget intermittent fasting/calorie restriction! Here's a short review;

1: J Neurochem. 2003 Feb;84(3):417-31. Links
Meal size and frequency affect neuronal plasticity and vulnerability to disease: cellular and molecular mechanisms.

* Mattson MP,
* Duan W,
* Guo Z.

Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, Gerontology Research Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA.

Although all cells in the body require energy to survive and function properly, excessive calorie intake over long time periods can compromise cell function and promote disorders such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and cancers. Accordingly, dietary restriction (DR; either caloric restriction or intermittent fasting, with maintained vitamin and mineral intake) can extend lifespan and can increase disease resistance. Recent studies have shown that DR can have profound effects on brain function and vulnerability to injury and disease. DR can protect neurons against degeneration in animal models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and stroke. Moreover, DR can stimulate the production of new neurons from stem cells (neurogenesis) and can enhance synaptic plasticity, which may increase the ability of the brain to resist aging and restore function following injury. Interestingly, increasing the time interval between meals can have beneficial effects on the brain and overall health of mice that are independent of cumulative calorie intake. The beneficial effects of DR, particularly those of intermittent fasting, appear to be the result of a cellular stress response that stimulates the production of proteins that enhance neuronal plasticity and resistance to oxidative and metabolic insults; they include neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), protein chaperones such as heat-shock proteins, and mitochondrial uncoupling proteins. Some beneficial effects of DR can be achieved by administering hormones that suppress appetite (leptin and ciliary neurotrophic factor) or by supplementing the diet with 2-deoxy-d-glucose, which may act as a calorie restriction mimetic. The profound influences of the quantity and timing of food intake on neuronal function and vulnerability to disease have revealed novel molecular and cellular mechanisms whereby diet affects the nervous system, and are leading to novel preventative and therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative disorders.

Further reading can be found on the subject here - http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread2365.html

[okay]

I second intermittent fasting and fasting in general — highly beneficial. I'm in a fasted state most of the day, so I become quite lazy, slow and inefficient after a meal. No surprise, really — why would I need alertness to kill food, after I just ate food?
The thing about intermittent fasting is — you get hungry between feeding windows on a high-carbohydrate diet, more or less. I would recommend you do it while being in ketosis, which has many benefits (lack of hunger, steady supply for energy for your brain, etc.) on it's own.

What an epic thread, by the way.

[okay]

1. Physical exercise
A 2008 review of cognitive enrichment therapies (strategies to slow or reverse cognitive decline) concluded that "physical activity, and aerobic exercise in particular, enhances older adults' cognitive function".

http://edition.cnn.c.../exercise.time/

My conclusion, based on circadian rhythm data, is:

6:00-10:00 — Light exercise
15:00-19:00 — Weight training

Edited by okay, 19 September 2012 - 01:56 PM.

[Now]

Thank you for the additions!

[daouda]

"Bumping" this thread because it should get more attention. Exellent contributions by Now, many ppl are tempted to beleive than popping pills is good enough and it seems overpromoted by most members here. All the stuff stated above is more important than any supplement, and in the long term, more effective and safe.

[alexburke]

You can research subliminals for "Learned optimism"
There are programs to design your own.

[BLimitless]

1. Physical exercise
A 2008 review of cognitive enrichment therapies (strategies to slow or reverse cognitive decline) concluded that "physical activity, and aerobic exercise in particular, enhances older adults' cognitive function".

http://edition.cnn.c.../exercise.time/

My conclusion, based on circadian rhythm data, is:

6:00-10:00 — Light exercise
15:00-19:00 — Weight training

I can confirm this too. Actually it depends on what time you wake up. Start stretching and drinking water as soon as you jump out of bed.

The best time to do heavy lifting is when your lungs are fully awake, no two ways about it. But could it be possible that lifting heavy in the morning might make you adapt to this?


One can also throw in things like Tai Chi, Chi Gong and Yoga into this set. Generally any kind of practice that involves symmetrical coordinated movements in synchrony with the cycle of the breath will have a massive nootropic effect. It is apparent that nootropics are the cherry on the top of a very layered cake.


One might wish to look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs and fulfil them all, nootropics would go at the top (Self-Actualisation) along with entheogens. It is not surprising that people complain that "piracetam does nothing". When they probably eat like absolute crap and go out drinking, with their senses totally clouded, all their joints creaking and so on still in a haze from the last couple of days of bad food.


I can speak from personal experience, I have been using piracetam for years. When I first started I was a relatively sedentary person with the aformentioned issues. So piracetam had very subtle effects. I am adept at meditating so I did notice them but the effects were not enough to keep a sustained intake.

Nowadays I practice many internal arts and a good diet and piracetam is not subtle whatsoever. The effect is comparable to a light dose of cocaine (dose of 1 heaped tsp with ALCAR). When I drop that spoonful into my water and down my gullet, I feel a rather powerful rush of clarity within 15 minutes which tapers off in effect some 6 hours after (residual effects remain all day). Without the foundation, the cherry does not give you any useful nutrition. But after you eat your cake, the cherry magnifies the overall pleasure of the experience manyfold! And this is the exact nature of nootropics.


No supplement stack will compare with the much more directly powerful and pronounced effects of a good leafy vegetable, fruit, nut, fish and lean meat heavy diet with perfectly timed sleep cycles and intense exercise of all variations of intensities followed and preceded by static and dynamic stretches.

This is my take home lesson of the last six months. I have tried both cases, right now I am coming out of a nootropic frenzy. I have a good stack. Previously I was using nootropics lightly but I had the above aspects perfected. I accessed mystical ecstasy and flow states daily, hourly even. I could breathe in and out in a defined way and induce intense euphoria without any hesitation, at any time. Then I went nootropic heavy and neglected those things just to see what would happen. The ability to connect to deep mystical states and heightened intuitions is severely dampened by the deletrious effects of stress on the body. Now I am going to use my nootropic heavy stack in combination with the aforementioned practices and I am sure that nirvana awaits.



Also, add Neurobics to the list: the art of constantly delivering novel stressors to your brain thereby promoting a state of increased neuroplasticity. Use your atrophied left hand side of your body (or vice versa): brush your teeth with it, play an instrument, become ambidextrous. This has a wide range of nootropic effects and it's self-evident as to why it works. This is also why the aforementioned synchronised movement practices/internal arts work.

Edited by BLimitless, 19 December 2012 - 04:12 PM.

[Debaser]

Not quite a nootropic, but similar to fake it till you make it and visualisation: you can affect the amount of cortisol and testosterone in your body just by changing your posture. Based on this TED Talk:

Edited by Debaser, 07 April 2013 - 02:36 PM.