Self-experimenting with Nootropics (AKA smart drugs)

A month ago I posted a summary of my Nootropics meta-research. Today I'll share some subjective results from my self-experimentation so far.

But first a bit more background. Every since I heard about nootropics (AKA "smart drugs") a few years ago I've been fascinated by the idea that there might be a safe way to squeeze more performance out of my brain. My friends say that makes me one greedy son-of-a-bitch and that I should be well content with the brain capacity nature gave me. They're probably right. But I've always been unsatisfied with natural limits and a bit of an experimentalist at heart. There was something about the idea of experimenting with mind enhancing substances I find irresistibly intriguing. So I had to try it.

After doing my homework and figuring out which supplements I wanted to try I started my nootropics regimen. The timing was excellent as I was just about to get into a fast and furious development cycle on a super tight deadline that would have usually challenged me to my limits:

My regimen:

1. Piracetam + choline: 1000mg piracetam + 500mg choline 2-3 times a day
2. Deprenyl 1mg a day
3. Omega 3, 1000mg 4 times a day
4. Meditation, 2-3 times a day.

If my life was a Hollywood script things would probably have turned out horribly wrong. I'd become a super-genius homicidal maniac or something.

Fortunately what actually happened was less dramatic, but interesting nonetheless.

Two-three weeks into my development cycle I noticed I was sustaining unusual high levels of stress successfully in a way that I have never experienced before. Ever.

I was regularly getting 3-4 hours of sleep. Staying awake for 24-hours at a time.

It's not that I've never done that before. I have. Usually before meatspace meetings that forced me to ignore my already screwed up circadian rhythms. But boy would I pay for it. At least a day of vastly reduced performance. Sometimes 2-3 days. Feeling shitty and being unable to bring myself to do anything useful.

But now. Oh boy... my mental stamina was without a doubt at a totally different level. I was sharp and focused. I just wanted to keep going.

I wasn't totally sure I wasn't just imagining things until I started dealing with pressure that would usually have left me hanging on the ropes. My immune system usually responds poorly to stress - but this time I wasn't getting sick. I wasn't useless the day after pulling all nighters. In fact I didn't feel like stopping at all.

When I stopped working after a long stretch of concentration it wasn't because I was too exhausted to continue. But rather because I suspected even if I felt great it might not be very healthy in the long term to just keep going and going without sane amounts of rest.

I also noticed an effect in the conversations I was having with people. I felt more socially intelligent than usual. Even when exhausted I found myself having the most fascinating in depth discussions, connecting with people I normally couldn't stomach for very long.

It was like having my brain on steroids.