The Brangover: Brang Reynolds’s Introductory Guide to Nootropics

I have a long-term relationship with mind-altering substances, some good and some bad. In what will surely become a regular series, I’m giving you my quick guide to the four main categories of Nootropics, and how you can wring the best performance out of your “brilliant” brain.

On Developing a Nootropic Program

You undoubtedly already have some experience with at least one Nootropic: Caffeine. 85% of the U.S. adult population consumes at least one caffeinated beverage each day. It’s one of the most well-researched drugs in all of human history.

For some Nootropics, the effects can be immediate, and clearly detectable. For others, the effects might be more subtle, and take time to deliver real value. Nootropics affect each individual brain and body differently. What works well for me might be a disaster for you.

The key to working with Nootropics is safe and controlled experimentation. Constantly tinker your formula for optimal results. Record everything in excel sheets.

Research your chemicals, start small, and know what to expect. Know when to cut a chemical out of your program and know when to add more. Sometimes, it’s not about what chemicals you need to add, but knowing what chemicals you need to drop.

Sometimes, chemicals interact with one another in unique ways, so it’s important to know exactly what you are taking, and whether there might be any cross-pollination effects.

Everything in your diet contributes to the chemicals available in your body, so you need to have a solid understanding of the nutritional content of all the food you eat. I track everything I eat in spreadsheets, so that I can look at the levels of key nutrients and make sure I’m getting everything I need.

Some Necessary Warnings

Some of these substances I recommend are illegal in the U.S. and other countries. Only you can determine how comfortable you are with navigating the dark web or open-air drug markets of the world, and I certainly don’t condone breaking any laws out there. I’m no lawyer, I’m just an amazing programmer.

I’ve experimented with every mainstream recreational substance (and plenty of hard-to-find ones as well), I’ve been down the rabbit-hole of addictions, and I’ve overcome through sheer force of will. Not everybody is so lucky. Be careful not to let your psychonautical adventures slip into dependency.’

The Nootropic market is full of huxsters and scam artists, so don’t take any salesperson at their word (this includes bloggers with affiliate links… *cough cough* Tim Ferriss!)

Seek independent third-parties and consult a variety of sources. There are numerous communities out there for this, including r/nootropics and Erowid, but also excellent resources like PubMed and Wikipedia. Share your experiences with others and contribute to the superego’s development through chemical experimentation!

Focus, Motivation, and Energy

The first pillar of Nootropics are the most socially accepted, and most easily accessible. Common stimulants like Caffeine, Nicotine, and Amphetamines fall into this category, so many people are already familiar with them.

Whether you are looking to boost your energy levels in the morning, maximize your time spent in flow state, or just keep away distractions, this category is vital in any Nootropical program.

Personally, I have cut out all caffeine as I find its effects on my sleep to be toxic. I will leverage amphetamines from time to time as needed for brief periods of intense code-bending work, but it must be used in moderation.

Other, more milder substances, include Piracetam, Phenyl-Piracetam, Modafinil, and its precursor Adrafinil. These can be used on a more regular basis to ensure a consistent baseline of energy and focus to push you through your day.

Nutritionally, Vitamin E, Iron, Potassium, and Magnesium levels need to be monitored to ensure you’re getting enough. Exercise also has a major impact on energy levels, which is why I ensure that I spend at least one RIPF Period per day focused on physical activity.

Mood

Chemicals that impact mood are also fairly well-accepted in modern society. Whether we are talking about antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, alcohol, or street drugs, people have been medicating to control their mood forever.

Not to be too braggadocios, but many geniuses of my caliber live my life with Bipolar Disorder, so finding a way to balance my moods is critical. My high periods are times of epic productivity, while in my low periods, I find it difficult to even get out of bed. My goals with mood stabilization are to minimize the time spent in the lows and maximize time spent in the highs, while doing my best to avoid delusional thought patterns.

My psychiatrist has been tinkering with a formula that works well for me, which is currently a daily dose of 50mg Sertraline and 40mg of Latuda. I always recommend therapy as a means to explore your subconscious and maximize performance. It’s worth the money, and everybody should do it. It is an investment that pays off in strides.

It’s hard to participate in the social side of our thing without consuming a lot of alcohol, but too much can have a disastrous long-term impact on mood. So it’s important to just find a way to balance that. The short-term boost in euphoria can be fairly useful to grease the wheels on an important business deal, though…

Some other substances that can be helpful here are Tianeptine, St. John’s Wort, Piracetam, and Noopept. I have adopted various combinations of these throughout my life to some degree of success.

Nutrition and exercise also have an important influence on mood, so make sure you’re taking your B-Vitamins and your Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and getting some physical activity in your day.

Understanding the output of mood can be quite difficult, as external events have such a substantial impact. You learn to get a feel for it, but experimentation just takes a lot longer and isn’t as clear-cut.

Sleep

I always tell people that around 9 hours of sleep is critical to peak performance, no matter what field you are in. Not only is the time spent sleeping critical, but the quality of that sleep is even more important.

Sleep is an active cognitive process with critical functions. Certain substances that claim to promote sleep, like Benedryl, Barbituates, Opiates, and Ambien actually have adverse impacts on the quality of that sleep, which leads to a failure to make the connections and memories that sleep is for.

The best way to promote good sleep is avoiding certain stimulants or at least isolating stimulant consumption to earlier in the day, to ensure consistent and full sleep habits, and to exercise regularly.

That being said, there are some very excellent substances that can help promote sleep without knocking you out entirely. Melatonin is the most well-known and well-studied, and I swear by it. I find it actually improves the quality of dreams and connections made. Valerian Root, Phenibut, and L-Theanine are also great for people, so they shouldn’t be forgotten.

Cognition and Creativity

Nootropics in this category are the least well-understood, and least familiar to the average lay-person. Only the most adventurous psychonauts venture into this realm, and the payoffs can be massive.

The brain is a computational machine and this machine needs constant maintenance to form the myriad connections and perform the computations vital to innovation, and that innovation is vital to success in business.

On a daily basis, Piracetam is an amazing substance that improves the overall function of the brain. I swear by it for all 4 pillars.

The act of meditation can also be very helpful to cognition and creativity, whether that meditation takes the form of guided mindfulness exercises, yoga, sensory-deprivation chambers, or hypnagogic meditation, this can be a great way to reflect and innovate without chemical enhancement.

But perhaps most important to this category, is the use of hallucinogenic substances. Hallucinogens like LSD, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca force the brain to consider wildly different paradigms of thinking. Full-on psychadelic experiences should be conducted periodically to radically shift thought patterns, and to understand the world deeply.

All the rage in the Valley these days is microdosing LSD, and its benefits are numerous. I microdose twice per week and it has has a dramatic impact on my level of innovation. Microdosing is the absolute best way I have found to maximize creativity and problem-solving, and also has a positive impact on motivation.

You need to be careful not to go too far with hallucinogens and trip out in an important pitch meeting, as it can lead to awkward social interaction, but for innovation and problem-solving, it can’t be beat. Again, be careful here, as some of these hallucinogens are illegal in certain places…

Where To Go Next

I’m a believer. Nootropics have been critical to my performance and success, and I am an evangelist whenever others ask me about how they can reach my level.

A quick side-note, hydration is critical. All of the chemical reactions of the body and mind are mediated through water, and so I consume at least 36 ounces of water per RIPF Period. A Drying Mind is a Dying Mind.

Start your own Nootropical program, be sure to keep track of every intervention you make, and pay attention to how it impacts you. Know what your goals are and evaluate the impact on the four pillars above.

Be safe, but as they say, a ship at port is safe, but that is not what ships are for. Man was put on the Earth to innovate, to disrupt, and to succeed. Be bold.