In a lucid dream, we are fully conscious and aware that we are dreaming —we experience an immersive ”virtual reality” light years ahead of anything possible with today’s technology. Somewhere between 20 to 80 percent of the population (depending on the study) have stumbled into this realm spontaneously, unintentionally. But groups of experimentalists are industriously researching how to produce them at will. Their results and techniques have advanced considerably in the last several years, much further than the simple “keep a dream journal” and “ask yourself if you are dreaming during the day.” In the next three posts, we’ll be exploring these powerful and vetted procedures for entering lucid dreams volitionally.

Agile Science

The “agile scientists” of lucid dreaming are less concerned with building theories. Or securing funding. Instead, they are focused on leveraging emergent models of the mind and dream state to more immediate ends. Their peer reviews are forums, blogs and feed-streams. A community builds on what is shared, reports their experiences and modifies procedures to increase their effectiveness. These social networks are less controlled than a sleep lab, for example, trying to isolate a single variable. But they represent the iteration of hundreds of thousands of trials and the inventiveness of passionate researchers concentrating on results.

The emergent techniques we’ll be reviewing are:

• Tweaking neurochemistry of sleep and dreaming to kick-start high level lucidity.
• WILD ways: Tibetan dream yoga for the 21st century.
• Hyper-reality checks and dream signals.

These represent, circa 2009, best practices for achieving lucid dreams —and it has never been easier— thanks to the experimentalists. So enough overview, let’s dive into the territory.

The Neurochemistry of Dreams

Stephen LaBerge is a pioneer in inducing lucid dreams. In 2004 he applied for a provisional patent for using supplements to raise acetylcholine levels, which he found to clinically improve the ability to lucid dream. It was an early foray into a fascinating area —facilitating lucid dreams through stimulating neurotransmitter balances. Agile scientist Thomas Yuschak and social networks of oneironauts took these initial discoveries and refined them into specific and highly effective protocols.

While these protocols use over the counter supplements and vitamins, you should determine for yourself the suitability of this approach. If you elect to pass, no worries, we have other exciting options in future posts. The supplements in this protocol are widely used, and even beneficial for other ends, although some may require consideration in special cases. We’ll note these special cases, but we recommend reading Yuschak’s more in-depth material in the resources section if you have concerns or are interested in pursuing the nuances.

It seems odd, on first glance, that acetylcholine plays a key role in lucid dreaming. It is more typically associated with memory and learning. But the cholinergic neurons activated by this transmitter are nvolved in levels of wakefulness as well. This correlation was found in the 50’s where dreams were first associated with REM sleep. Acetylcholine levels diminish with age, this may explain why some people had lucid dreams when they were young, but haven’t had them since. But if we just raise the dial on acetylcholine levels, we’d be missing an essential key . . . timing. Before discussing the importance of this, lets explore how neurotransmitter levels are manipulated.

Boosting a Neurotransmitter

There are four primary ways to boost a specific neurotransmitter. You can introduce a precursor, or building block that’s used to synthesize the neurotransmitter. Often these are nutrients or supplements which require specific vitamins to complete the synthesis. You can use an agonist, which simulates the neurotransmitter, and creates a similar effect with the receptors designed to respond to this transmitter; agonists are most often chemical pharmaceuticals. An antagonist works in the reverse, blocking receptors which can trigger the brain to create more of the associated transmitter. Natural substances like Yohimbe work this way. Or you can inhibit the uptake, that is the breakdown of the neurotransmitter, allowing the body to create it faster than it is normally broken down. This is a popular strategy in the medical treatment of conditions like depression with MAO inhibitors which affect the re-uptake of serotonin (among other neurotransmitters.)

A powerful method to boost acetylcholine is through the use of galantamine (obtained from plant sources like the Voronov’snowdrop or Red Spider Lily), which acts as a natural re-update inhibitor. Oddly, it also seems to work as an agonist as well, making it particularly effective. Galantamine’s effect peaks in about 60 minutes.

Timing

Since acetycholine levels are associated with wakefulness, as well as REM sleep, you don’t want to boost them immediately before going to bed. It will likely keep you awake and deprive you of the deep, early sleep cycles necessary for restoring the body. Optimal timing is to awaken 4-5 hours in, take 4 to 8 mg of galantamine and go back to sleep. And hang on for the ride. The acetylcholine boost in 60 minutes coincides with the onset of longer REM cycles in later sleep periods which extend 30 minutes and beyond. You can get galantamine supplements combined with choline (a precursor for acetycholine) for even better results.

Another natural substance that functions as a re-uptake inhibitor is a Chinese medicine with a long history called Huperzine A (an extract from firmoss.) 200mcg is the recommended dosage for it. Although it hasn’t panned out in trials as well as galantamine, some experimenters have found it effective.

Galantamine takes 48 hours to completely clear out of the system. If taken everyday, its effects will rapidly diminish as tolerance and desensitization occur. Ideally, once every couple of days is best for this protocol. There are ways to shorten this cycle of sensitization discussed by Yuschak in the resources section.

The REM Rebound and Serotonin

Raising acetycholine levels at the right time is very powerful, but combining this technique with a serotonin protocol creates a synergistic effect. This combination gives over an 80% chance of triggering a lucid dream. Granted these aren’t controlled, double-blind studies, but many skeptics, nevertheless, have been shocked by just how well this actually works.

Acetylcholine switches on wakefulness and dreaming while serotonin switches them off. This is why a glass of milk or big turkey dinner can make us sleepy; both contain tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin. (Actually the protein interferes with the synthesis, it’s best to take tryptophan on an empty stomach. Thanks Tom.) A natural amino acid called 5-HTP, which is higher up the chain of precursors in production of serotonin (e.g. tryptophan converts to 5-HTP which converts to serotonin) is even more potent.

Taking between 100-150 mg of 5-HTP before bed has several beneficial effects. It helps get to sleep faster and increases the quality of deep sleep cycles. It suppresses the short REM cycles in earlier phases of sleep and creates a rebound effect, intensifying the later and longer REM cycles. It’s absorbed quickly, peaking in 90 minutes and clears from the system largely within about 6 hours.

A couple of caveats with 5-HTP, however: don’t take it with vitamin B-6. There is evidence that this may synthesize serotonin in the gut rather than the brain and serotonin created this way doesn’t pass easily through the blood brain barrier. Also be careful tweaking serotonin if you are already taking anti-depressants or MAO inhibitors, including natural inhibitors like St. John’s Wort, which could amplify the effect. MAO inhibitors also mess with dopamine and norepinephrine which may interfere with the protocol.

These two supplements (three if you count choline) form the core protocol. In summary:

Follow this link to Resources for Part 1

While this protocol has proven very successful, there are more options to tweak. See the forums on LDS (Lucid Dream Supplements) or Yaskuv’s material for more detail if this approach interests you. One study, for example, found a combination of amino acids (2000mg L-aspartic acid, 4000mg L-glutamine, 300mg L-Theanine) taken the same way as galantamine resulted in a 100% success rate —although the number of trials was small.

Check back for the next posts where we cover more innovations in Lucid Dreaming 2.0 – Part 2! Or, better yet, subscribe to our newsfeed and get it delivered hot off the press.

Technorati Tags: lucid dreams, dreams, dreaming, galantamine, REM, acetylcholine, 5-HTP, sleep, sleep cycles

The evidence for fish oil’s benefits to the brain, as well as a wide range of other bodily functions and conditions, just keeps piling up. Yet another recent study demonstrates dramatic improvement in academic performance in Junior High students. The Omega 3 oils in fish (DHA and EPA) have been found to control the inflammation that causes chronic health problems like arthritis, fend off depression, prevent cognitive decline, and behavioral problems, improve memory, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and address other health issues, such as macular degeneration, and menstrual pain. This single nutrient has to be the king of brain buffs.

But don’t be fooled. Manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon, marketing omega 3 in their food products, but in many cases this is omega 3 derived from plants (ALA) rather than marine sources (DHA/EPA). This exacerbates the problem. Omega 3 ALA is converted in the body into omega 6 —only a low percent of ALA actually converts into DHA (2-5%) and EPA (5-10%.) And part of the reason fish oil is so important is that the ideal balance of omega 6 to omega 3 should be 1 to 1. In our modern diets, this ratio is more like 20 to 1 in favor of ALA. This is primarily due to the pervasive presence of vegetable oil in most of our processed foods. Even if the label says Omega 3 and lists DHA and EPA, check to see if the source isn’t seed oil.

High quality fish oil does not taste fishy, it’s actually relatively tasteless. Look for something that you can take 2-6 grams of DHA+EPA in a reasonable dose (e.g. one tablespoon, or two pills, should give you over 1 gram.) Studies at the University of Minnesota have found that emulsified fish oil is absorbed 71% better than capsules. If you can’t find a product that meets these criteria at your local health store, we recommend Twinlab’s Omega-3 Emulsified Fish Oil. If you are using fish oil to lose fat, the dosage used in most studies was 6 grams. Take fish oil with food so that it’s not metabolized for energy.

If your brain is handling the same stuff but working a lot harder than it used to, it may need de-gunking. Amyloid buildup is a natural process of aging, creating protein plaque deposits in the brain that start accumulating in mid-life. Full blown Alzheimer’s exhibits this in its extreme form, but even milder manifestations can effect your efficiency and mental reserves. Curcumin, the active ingredient in curry, is a powerful defense. It’s probably not too surprising that Asian Indians, who consume this spice as part of their daily diet, have Alzheimer’s and other senile dementia rates that are only 25% of those in the developed world. It’s been used for over 3000 years in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and exhibits remarkable qualities as an antioxidant.

Dosage: 800-1,600mg; take it with food or it could eventually upset your stomach. Choose a brand with Bioperine (from black pepper) to enhance the bioavailability of Curcumin.

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is found naturally in animal products, but not in quantities that do much for you. ALC is a key in building the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, responsible for learning and memory, in addition to boosting the metabolism of cells.

Dr. Ray Sahelia, in his excellent book Mind Boosters, offers the following observation about ALC

I notice the effects of ALC within two hours after taking a 500mg pill; these effects are arousal and vigilance, along with mood improvement, and can last most of the day.

ALC can “jump-start” the brain and improves spatial learning, long-term memory and discriminatory learning.

One problem with ALC, however, is that increasing mitochondrial activity creates more oxidative damage. But when combined with a powerful antioxidant: Alpha Lipoic Acid, the results were astonishing, at least in rats:

After a month on the supplements, elderly (24-month-old) and lethargic rats had more energy and did better on memory tests, while their mitochondria worked better. The decline in overall activity typical of aged rats was reversed to the level of young-to-middle-aged adult rats, aged 7-10 months. The researchers likened this result to a group of 80-year-old humans throwing away their walking sticks and starting to act 35 years younger!

Curiously enough, the combination of these two nutrients has now been patented. While human studies have supported the animal studies, with ALC/ALA eventually slowing down and even reversing mitochondrial decline, it’s being advocated as a long term investment for health, rather than a quick fix for age reversal. It also has been discovered to increase communication between hemispheres of the brain.

You can combine the patented 500/100mg combo by buying each separately at your local vitamin store, or you can try the combination here.

Ginkgo biloba never quite panned out as a brain booster, very little research could validate its anecdotal claims. Vinpocetine, however, is widely used Europe where physicians believe it is far more effective than other supplements — such as ginkgo biloba. Its use for memory and brain functions has been extensively researched. Clinical studies found it enhanced memory, increased cognitive performance and improved cerebral circulation. Vinpocetine is a derivative of an alkaloid found in the periwinkle plant.

Author Beth M. Ley describes the following study in her book Vinpocetine:

In a German study 40 healthy volunteers were given 40mg of vinpocetine daily for 2 days. This brief course resulted in a significant improvement in memory as assessed by the Sternberg Memory Scanning Test. This study suggests that in normal, healthy people, vinpocetine can enhance memory, and can do so quickly.

If you started taking vinpocetine, how soon should you see results? Seven to ten days.

Take one 5mg tablet two or three times daily (up to two tablets, three times daily). Or, go for the 20mg tablets here to turbo-charge your memory.

A daily program with these proven supplements should make a significant difference in the functions and longevity of your brain —so buff up ftw!

Technorati Tags: fish oil, omega-3, health, omega 3, health and wellness, omega-6, supplements, nutrients, curcumin, vinpocetine, dha, epa, ala, alc, antioxidant, brain

Once there was a shaman, as the story goes, passed down through oral tradition (the story that is, the shaman was too heavy to be handled such), and one of his most important tribal roles was finding new hunting trails. When game became scarce the tribe would come to him for answers. And he would draw a map on a piece of buffalo hide. On the map he etched the surrounding mountains and streams, and all the important landmarks of the area over a large radius. Then he’d wad up the map, squeeze it (probably sprinkle some ‘magic’ dust for job security) and then unfold it. Its creases now revealed new paths for game trails. Hunters chose those that seemed to make sense and off they went, discovering plentiful new bounty along directions they would not have otherwise explored.

We invented a similar device for exploring new territories of ideas using the rules described by Koberg and Bagnall in an out-of-print version of the book above. Want to come up with the next Google or Flickr or YouTube? Try it out. The technique is called Morphological Analysis. It can be done with pen and paper for about three dimensions, but you can explore many more with the iDeAZing widget. Plus, it’s hard to wad up a 10 dimensional map on paper.