This morning was an exciting one. A new box of brain enhancing goodies to experiment with had arrived and I was ready to get started.

They’re called Nootropics and defined by Merriam Webster as “chemicals which are claimed to have mild to moderate positive mental or physical effects such as improvements to memory, cognition, and clarity of thought or “anti-aging” effects.”

They have been used for decades, studied extensively, even loosely portrayed in the Hollywood film Limitless.

They are tools upon which many of the great thought leaders and teachers whom I study have talked openly about how they have allowed them to perform at higher levels in times of increased stress such as meeting business deadlines or being chronically sleep deprived.

The Bulletproof Exec. Dave Asprey and Tim Ferriss, the man behind the Four Hour series of bestsellers were the first ones whom I heard mention things like Piracetam, Noopept, and Modafinil. Dave has used various combos of Nootropics consistently for over a decade and credits them to helping him get through his MBA on 5 hours of sleep a night while working as a full-time executive.

My first taste of Nootropics came in the form of Alpha Brain, the all natural cognitive enhancing supplement put together by Onnit and promoted online and through The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast as Aubrey Marcus and Rogan partnered up to bring it to market. My experience with Alpha Brain has always been positive. I notice it allows me to sustain my focus, to feel slightly energized and more positive, and also it helps me to be more aware of my dreams.

When going to a social gathering to have fun, party and dance I often will take two Alpha Brain and some cannabis and find that the combination allows me to get in my body, relaxed and high while also encouraging a higher awareness and bias towards smooth, flowing social interaction rather than the all too common experience of feeling out of place, awkward or self conscious that many unfortunate souls – especially young men lacking confidence and experience – end up in when diving into a party scene.

Now don’t get me wrong I’ve definitely been there before, but thankfully I’ve found ways to avoid that and use these substances to enhance my experience rather than detract from it.

As I write this I can still feel the slight sensation on my tongue from the bitter mix that I downed 30 minutes ago with a bit of Yerba Mate that consisted of:

2g Piracetam
500mg Centrophenoxine
100mg L-Theanine

It’s my first time taking a Racetam as well as the Centropheoxine (though I’ve taken GPC choline before) and I’m curious to see how it affects me. So far I feel pretty good, clear headed and focused though the Yerba Mate itself usually provides that, I wanted to take them together so that I was only adding something new and not adding new while taking away something else.

A friend of mine recommended PowderCity.com which is where I ordered my stuff from. It turns out you can save a lot of money by ordering bulk powders and weighing and mixing them yourself which although slightly more time consuming is fun for someone like me who loves to tinker and create and play with nutrients, foods, drugs etc.

I plan on mixing and experimenting various formulas and developing my own stacks that I can go to in a pinch in order to stay focused and neurally optimized because when it comes down to it, the quality of our lives starts with the quality of our thinking and if we are able to be focused, remember more, and pay more attention to what is happening in each moment then we maximize our ability to get the most out of each day.

Update: Two hours later and my mind feels sharp and clear, just finished performing the tibetan 5 rites and found that I was more engaged and powerful on the 4th and 5th movements. Interesting.

Update: It is now September, just over 1 month since I began this experiment and I’ve noticed that on days when I take the piracetam + centrophenoxine that I am able to stay focused for longer and I feel more alert. It’s nothing amazing but the effects are definitely beneficial for getting through a busy day while feeling good and energized.

The L-theanine I’ve been taking anytime I have caffeine and it really helps to balance it out to where I don’t feel jitters or antsy.

I’ve also used Lions Mane mushrooms a handful of times throughout this period and enjoyed the effects of those as well and if I had more money to blow on supplements I’d probably take them more often just as a sort of brain tonic.

Either way, there you have it, a brief intro into the world of Nootropics. I wish you all the best on your own journey of self optimization and enhanced brain health / function. This world is opening up more and more each day and I don’t think it’s too far off to where customized Nootropic stacks will be widely used by people from all different walks of life as a way to feel better, protect the brain and increase mental focus.

I think about the athletes that could prevent brain damage, the students who could kick the amphetamines and find safer alternatives, and the business people and entrepreneurs who could create a sustainable way to maintain high levels of performance without significantly sacrificing their health.

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see as Nootropics make their way into the mainstream, in the meantime comment below and let me know about your experience with nootropics if you have any or your thoughts on the topic as a whole. I’d love to hear what you think about this controversial class of food / drugs.

In Health,

Bryan

 

Bryan Hardy is an Optimal Health Coach, Speaker and Holistic Nutritionist. His goal is to inspire, empower and transform lives through sharing his passion for optimal health and wellness