One of the lesser-known benefits of nootropics is the possibility of increased lucid dreaming.
When in a lucid dream state, you are aware of actually dreaming while the event is taking place.
There are many different reasons for wanting to have lucid dreams, but the desire is often motivated by a sense of adventure, wish fulfillment or to tap into new levels of creative thought.
Several nootropics are able to improve sleep quality and induce deeper levels of REM sleep which facilitates dreaming. Other nootropics can boost your memory so that you remember dreams more vividly. Together, these effects can lead to greater lucidity during your dreams.
What are the best nootropics for lucid dreams and how do they work?
- Promotes lucid dreaming and remembering dreams
- Increases acetylcholine for more vivid dreams
- Improves sleep onset and quality
What is a Lucid Dream?
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- What are Nootropics?
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- Effects & Benefits
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- Enhace Intelligence
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- Reduce Anxiety
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Lucid dreaming is simply the state of being aware that you are dreaming as an active participant in your dreams.
The quality of lucidity can vary significantly and some people will feel only a small level of awareness while others will have complete mental clarity and the sense that they are the architects of their own dream.
On some occasions, the dreamer may be aware that everything experienced is occurring within the mind and that there is no real danger at all. On the other hand, a low level of lucidity might mean that while you are aware that the flying or other impossible task means a dream, but not lucid enough to understand that the people and events are simply representations.
One interesting question regarding lucid dreams for neuroscientists is how this realization actually occurs. In some cases, this lucidity is triggered by realizing that if they are flying, or jumping over tall buildings, they are not in reality. In other words, the paradox or surreal nature of the events makes you realize that this must be a dream.
Other times, lucid dreamers report that there is no specific trigger but they simply know that they are in a dream rather than real life. A small minority (about ten percent) of these dreams occur when someone returns to REM sleep directly from wakening with an unbroken reflective consciousness.
There are also many people who actively pursue a state of lucidity either by taking supplements such as nootropics or learning techniques for how to prompt lucid dreams. These types of dreams are said to be some of the most intense and amazing experiences.
There are even a number of practitioners who can control their dreams and come up with scenarios at will. This can be an incredibly pleasurable experience, but it also has practical implications for visualization strategies.
Lucid dreaming is also often used as a sign that nootropic supplements are working as this can be an objective way of determining that your memory has improved.
Nootropics and Lucid Dreaming:
There are a number of Nootropic supplements which can help to put the mind and body in a state more conducive to lucid dreaming. What are some of the ways in which Nootropics actually work to promote this type of dreaming?
The main cognitive process that affects our ability to engage in lucid dreaming is working memory also known as short-term memory. By increasing short-term memory, you are more likely to enter into a state of awareness while dreaming and also to remember your lucid dreams when you wake up.
It is believed that using Nootropics to increase our working memory function may also help increase your access to long-term memories, which can improve the overall dream system.
Furthermore, many Nootropics are actually capable of activating and enhancing our simulation system which enables us to predict the outcomes of events we have never experienced before. This can result in more creative and even more coherent dreams.
Below is our list of the best nootropics for lucid dreaming:
- Enhances focus and mental drive
- Improves memory and cognitive performance
- Contains Alpha GPC & L-Theanine
Citicoline: The first Nootropic supplement to consider for stimulating lucid dreams is Citicoline, also known as CDP Choline. Citicoline is a source of Choline which is used by your body to synthesize acetylcholine – one of the neurotransmitters heavily involved in dreaming.
Acetylcholine plays a major role in memory recall and may help you to dream more and have more vivid dream experiences as well. Studies have found that only 10% of the population gets enough choline in their diets which can significantly restrict your working memory and long-term memory functions.
Citicoline also helps maintain and stimulates the development of brain cells because it actually contains the same material that makes up around 30 percent of the gray matter of your brain. Citicoline can also have a positive effect on other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine which play a role in our simulation systems.
Piracetam: You may hear Piracetam being referred to as the original Nootropic because it was the discovery of this drug that prompted the creation of this entire class of supplements. Piracetam is one of the more powerful nootropics out there and it is an excellent complement if you are already using a choline supplement.
Piracetam stimulates Acetylcholine receptors, which may increase your short-term memory and promote higher levels of concentration and awareness. This can make it easier for you to become conscious of your dream state while you are sleeping and enable you to remember more of your dreams.
It is important to note that this works to varying degrees for different people and while some experience very clear and intense dreams with Piracetam, other people say that this makes them less likely to remember their dreams.
Aniracetam: Like Piracetam, Aniracetam is a nootropic from the Racetam family of supplements. In fact, Aniracetam is a stronger fat-soluble analog of Piracetam that provides many of the same benefits with a few important deviations.
In addition to working on the Acetylcholine system, Aniracetam is also a Glutamatergic compound that stimulates AMPA receptors in the brain.
Aniracetam has an even more powerful effect on boosting your working memory and also raises levels of dopamine and serotonin which are two of the neurotransmitters that control our emotional responses. This has the effect of reducing stress and anxiety which can set the stage for achieving the desired level of consciousness for lucid dreaming.
Aniracetam also promotes more dreaming by improving the threat simulation system of the brain which is partly why we dream. Events connected with intense emotional responses are remembered more clearly and by raising Dopamine and Serotonin activity, Aniracetam has the dual effect of making it easier to dream and helping you remember more of your dreams.
- Support enhanced mental performance & speed
- Naturally boost memory and focus
- Increases energy and alertness without stimulants
Phenibut: Being well-rested and getting high quality sleep is a necessary component to having lucid dreams. There are a number of nootropics that can promote better sleep and increase REM duration, but Phenibut is probably the best for this purpose.
Phenibut is a form of GABA which is one of the most important inhibitory neurotransmitters, used to relax and help you calm down at the end of the day. Phenibut is considered an anxiolytic because it has anti-anxiety effect and also has benefits for sufferers of depression and persistent stress.
Phenibut is sometimes used by weight lifters and body builders since it helps improve the body’s response to stress and leads to deeper sleep. It is during deep sleep states that the body releases Human Growth Hormone and maintains and develops many of your body’s systems.
Greater levels of REM sleep can also cause you to dream more actively, leading to more lucid sleep. Phenibut supplements also have a positive effect on cognition and can enhance memory performance.
Conclusion
When using Nootropics to induce lucid dreaming, it is important to find supplements that improve working memory as well as promote better sleep. Starting with Citicoline and adding Piracetam or Aniracetam works well for most beginners.
You can also use a compound like Phenibut to help you achieve deeper sleep and therefore dream more. There are many other nootropics that can produce lucid dreams including pre-designed stacks like Alpha Brain by Onnit Labs which is specifically marketed to boost lucid dreaming.
Remember that all of these nootropics may work differently for each person, so feel free to try a few and be willing to experiment until you get the right mix.
