Piracetam and other Nootropics?

Just curious if anyone here has tried piracetam or other nootropics in conjunction with your meditation and what the results have been.

Fairly reliably if I take about 1.5g of Piracetam my open awareness practice is decidedly brighter and more stable. When I take it before noting I more frequently hit new territory near the edge of my practice. The first time I experience no dog/2nd gear I was on Piracetam and it was a particularly peak experience. It definitely left a neural impression of how to find no dog.

I've also tried Modafinil, usually while driving long distances, and it seems to just relax the narrative a bit. It certainly doesn't shut it down, but perhaps makes it less insistant. I have not noticed increased brightness, clarity, or access to states with Modafinil.

I use sulbutiamine fairly regularly, it is a derivative of thiamine (B1) that has some mild stimulant properties. It seems to help concentration. Very helpful if I'm feeling tired. In the US it is OTC.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulbutiamine

Stimulants and meditation seem to have a long history together.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhidharma#Nine_years_of_wall-gazing

Eric, if it's OTC, where does one buy it? Vitamin store?

I've tried sulbutiamine a couple of times but it didn't do much for me other than make me feel dull and heavy. For tiredness I like yerba matte the best. Haven't really specifically experimented with that and meditation though.

@endinsight, I get it from Relentless Improvement (website)

@orasis, curious the difference in effects. For me it is a smooth mild stimulant. It is strange to me in that when I first tried it, it seemed fairly strong, years later not so much, even if I haven't used it in weeks. I do find I need to use it only in the morning, for me the effects last most of the day.

I tried some more Piracetam this morning and ended up with very easy access to my current meditative territory - even spontaneously while in the middle of a phone call. I think there may be something to this drug.

I have been taking 1.5g Piracetam for about 6 days now. It definitely has a very nice noticeable effect on me. Great brightness, spaciousness and clarity manifest much more easily and spontaneously. It also seems to have a mellowing and anxiolytic effect as well. I have also taken 300mg of Alpha GPC (choline) with it on 2 of the days. It's hard to quantify how much of an effect that had. I will have to experiment more.

Justin, are you still taking Piracetam? Do you know of any long term effects of Piracetam use, such as dependency, tolerance, etc.? It doesn't seem to have any real side effect profile, but I haven't been able to find any reliable info about long term use.

Although not a nootropic, I do take fish oil daily, with a total of about 5g of Omega-3. It also has a nice effect, which was particularly noticeable when I first start taking it. Colors were brighter, and things just felt much more fluid. It also has a very positive effect on my mood. Still the case today, but not as obvious for me. In my experience, Piracetam has a much more noticeable effect, although I think adding an Omega-3 supplement is particularly beneficial for brain health. I take 5g, which is about $1/day. I have tried much lower doses, but didn't really notice much difference.

I spent quite a bit of time reading on imminst.org and brainmeta and as far as people can tell, Piracetam is safe. The suggestion is to just make sure to cycle everything. I only do it about once a week or less anymore.

I took some yesterday and noticed my mind would spontaneously start noting without really trying. I may do some more experimentation because I think this nootropic may be a real support for these practices. Look forward to hearing how it goes for you too.

Tried piracetam recently out of curiosity, tacked it on to a supplement order. It had some effects along what has been described, but I didn't find it particularly useful. I felt that at 5 grams, it was somewhat noticeable, but again, just not worthwhile for me. YMMV.