Limitless Mindset

🌨️ Hope you’re feelin’ fabulous as February flies by! If not, and you’re hitting a bit of a motivational dip thanks to the seasonal blues, the retarded about-to-be-eaten by-AI economy, or the upcoming alien invasion 👽 (or whatever) LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST.

Disclaimer

What you find on this website is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor. I’m just an experienced unlicensed self-experimenter practicing free speech in talking about my own extensive experiences and my interpretations of published science. Please see my guide on How to Biohack Smart and Safe. You should consult a doctor about any biohacking you’re doing and ideally also get a second opinion.

Q&A #23

Q

I had a girlfriend who was addicted to her vibrator. She built up a tolerance so that she could ONLY orgasm with the use of a vibrator. Her continued use of “toys” escalated to the point that she ONLY wanted to have sex while using her wild and various “tools”. This became a problem as I felt ignored and slighted due to her addiction. Still, I don’t see videos warning WOMEN about VIBRATOR ADDICTIONS!!! (wonder why???) A lot of people think that vibrator use is perfectly okay and normal - but the truth is that if you can ONLY have orgasms with the use of these toys - then it is (by definition) an ADDICTION!!!

A comment on 🤳 Women’s Social Media Obsession = Men’s Porn Addiction

A

Recommendations

Kegel trainer apps

Sex with Emily podcast

The chapters on Tantric sex in my book for men, Don’t Stick Your Dick in a Blender...

This question inspired this (AI) art...

Q

just read one of your articles (about 5 HTP)... I find its the only thing that helps with pervasive low mood & depression but am worried about long term side effects and you mention it shouldn’t be used long term. Really interesting article (1/2)I was also born cross eyed but had surgery at a young age in an attempt to correct it. Still have a lazy left eye. Always wondered if my “brain wiring” was what affected both my eyes and my mental state. What do you recommend instead of 5 HTP

A

Recommendations

Beating Depression chapter from my book about thriving despite a physical imperfection

Rhodiola

Piracetam

Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and Vitamin A, along with a UVB light

Intermittent Antidepressive Meditation (when you go to the bathroom)

A monogamous relationship with a virtuous man and ingesting regular doses of Biohacker Semen, yes, really! Listen to How Our Toxic Environment Is Impacting Our Sexy Brains and Hormones – Dr. Lindsey Berkson

For naturally fixing eyesight, read the book The experience of a fool: who had an epiphany about how to get rid of his glasses

Stem cell research is also promising for us cross-eyed people! Listen to Ben Greenfield’s interview of Dr. Matt Cook

Q

Don’t think you’ll answer this but what’s the best combination of brain supplements?

A

Recommendations

The Piracetam Protocol

Recommended Nootropic stacks: Excelerol, Nootopia, TAO Ultra Nootropic, QUANTUMiND - Nootropic

Q

I don’t like wine so i take Resveratrol instead. NMN is supposed to be better though. David Sinclair says he takes 500mg of Resveratrol along with [Nicotinamide mononucleotide] NMN supplement. What do you think of that?

A

Recommendations

Pterostilbene

C60

NAD+ Precursors: NMN or Nicotinamide Riboside (Tru Niagen)

Q

What do you think of Phenylalanine in the treatment of Bipolar disorder Depression ?

A

Recommendations

Phenylalanine

No clinical human studies on Phenylalanine and bipolar depression on PubMed. Read Nutritional therapies for mental disorders and The Subjective and Cognitive Effects of Acute Phenylalanine and Tyrosine Depletion in Patients Recovered from Depression

Uridine

A stack of ALCAR and CoQ10

Q

If I just took a larger dose of choline would I get the same result as less Alpha GPC?

See...

CDP Choline VS Alpha GPC? A mechanisms + effect comparison

On MindLabPro.com, Best Nootropic Choline Source: Citicoline, Alpha-GPC, or Choline Bitartrate?

Q

I’ve been meaning to ask... Do you think NAC could help taper off phenibut? I haven’t heard people taking it for phenibut, and I think it would be great if it’s viable. If it is... Could you make some awareness?

A

Recommendations

L-Theanine

Ashwagandha

Ginseng

Nefiracetam

Fasoracetam

Your questions inspired this AI song: “From conspiracies to capsules” Folksy medley to keep your February fantastic

INVEST at least $300 in your own mind with these recommended sources and get a Biohacking consultation

Lean Life Coaching biohacking consulting

As mentioned in the podcast, this is a very lean biohacking consulting/life coaching program. Here’s how this would work...

* The Biohacking Consultation is 1 hour and 45 minutes total - which is actually two consulting calls.

* First Call 1 hour - Discovery & Strategizing call, I need to ask you some questions, we’ll discuss your history, and outline a biohacking strategy and action plan to overcome your issues.

* Second Call 45 minutes - Follow-up call in 30 or 60 days to see how you’re doing with the plan we outlined; how you’ve improved, what you’re struggling with, etc

There are a few important reasons we split the time up into two calls

* It’s a significant motivation hack for you to follow through on the biohacking habits and plan we’ll outline because you’re accountable to me in 30 or 60 days.

* I’m incentivized to come up with a really effective biohacking strategy for you because I have to talk to you after you’ve been following it for a month or two.

* It timeboxes us with a deadline of 30 or 60 days for you to make improvements and accomplish your goals.

Your skin is in the game here, that you’re paying good money for this, and you’re accountable to me on another call in 30 or 60 days. You’ll have to explain your lack of action if you fail to follow through.

Take a few minutes to answer a few questions, if your issues are far outside my areas of expertise I’ll decline the consultation. My time is finite and very valuable, so I only want to spend it consulting the people I can really help. Thanks in advance for your understanding!

To get your Biohacking and lifehacking questions answered with wit and insight…

Support me on Substack? For $7/monthly?

In this article, I’ll do more than just criticize and point out flaws. I’ll point out how Onnit could improve this product and suggest some superior Nootropic stacks; products that have a whole lot more credibility and integrity behind their formulation, marketing, and creation. Of course, you might say: Jonathan, it looks like you’re getting paid by these guys to promote their products(and bash Alpha Brain). Where’s your integrity? Yes, I am affiliated with some of these Alpha Brain alternatives, and I’m certainly a fallible human, but my integrity is only as good as my arguments. I’d urge you to just evaluate the arguments and evidence I present about these products.

In my view, the cardinal sin that Alpha Brain commits is not proving that it contains the advertised ingredients.

And Alpha Brain is not unique in this — this is a huge problem with the supplement industry in general. Nobody is verifying that supplements actually contain the vitamins, nutrients, and Nootropic ingredients on the label or listed on their website. Somebody who just wants to make money can build an e-commerce store, create some graphics of a bottle or label, and list a bunch of ingredients that empower our health, but just fill the capsules with sawdust (or whatever) and make a killing. It’s an often-undiscussed ethical hazard of being in the supplement game. If you don’t see a certificate of analysis (COA) for the ingredients of the product, you’re really making a faith-based decision to consume it. Onnit is probably not doing this because they are a big company with a lot of money; the value of their multi-million dollar brand is probably not worth the risk of betraying their customers to maximize profits a little more, but as industry leaders, they really should take that ethical step and just make their COAs public.

I’m sure there’s a good reason why they don’t do this — It’s probably because some of the individual ingredients are of questionable quality. Not all Bacopa (or any other ingredient for that matter) is created equal. There’s really good stuff that is produced by organic farms that is stringently tested, and then there’s cheap stuff from China, which is probably not pure and may contain problematic toxins and heavy metals — you don’t know if you don’t see a COA. In the case of Alpha Brain, they just list the ingredients…

For many of the ingredients, they don’t give us any additional information about the sourcing of the ingredients or specific derivatives used. Without more information, it’s fair to assume that they are just using what’s most cost-effective.

Huperzine — The Profiteer’s Nootropic Ingredient

Two very popular Nootropic ingredients make me raise a skeptical eyebrow when I see them in a product. DMAE and Huperzine. DMAE is an awful pseudo-Nootropic with some concerning (and often undiscussed) side effects, thankfully Alpha Brain doesn’t contain it, but it does contain 400 micrograms of Huperzine-A. Huperzine is an effective energy Nootropic, but less is really more.

* Very few of Onnit’s customers probably know that large doses of it may be toxic. You want to be taking minuscule amounts of the stuff. At doses over 50 micrograms, you run into side effects like insomnia, anxiety, high blood pressure, slowed heart rate, restlessness, sweating, loss of appetite, contraction of muscle fibers, constipation, and twitching.

* Huperzine stays in your system for at least 24 hours. When you consume 400 mcg of huperzine the next day after you think that Alpha Brain’s effects have worn off, there’s still 200 mcg in your system. The Huperzine in your system accumulates when you then take another 400 mcg, or maybe more if you mega-dose Alpha Brain, taking 6–8 capsules the way Joe Rogan describes doing frequently on his popular podcast. Huperzine doesn’t belong in your daily stack.

The final really important thing to understand about Huperzine is that it is cheap — at .0006 cents per dose or 2 cents for a month’s supply! If you want to make a killing, get into the Huperzine business!

My view on Onnit

Having been the internet’s smart drug dealer for the better part of the decade, I have some experience dealing with Onnit, and without getting into too many sordid details, I think they may be doing too many psychedelics there in Austin! My experience with them was of the organized irresponsibility that characterizes large bureaucratic organizations and companies. Usually, how a company does one thing is how it does everything. My experience with various departments of Onnit furthers my suspicion of their products’ quality assurance.

If you watch just a few of the podcasts that they produce, you’ll see that they embrace a lot of postmodern pseudo-social science and wuwu New Age spirituality. This is good for marketing, I’m sure, but this doesn’t seem like a very appropriate corporate culture for the rigorous endeavor of creating scientifically-backed health products.

A final thing I don’t love about Onnit is that they were acquired by Unilever, the multinational consumer goods corporation that produces like half of the stuff that you’ll find below your sink. It’s very naive to assume that Unilever won’t sacrifice product quality at Onnit to cut costs and increase shareholder value. Your purchase of Alpha Brain or other Onnit supplements no longer supports the (now very wealthy) men, Aubrey and Joe, with whom you have a one-way parasocial relationship, thanks to their popular podcasts.

The Cost Question

The final crucial point of comparison is cost. A 45-day 90 capsule supply (for most biohackers, a month’s supply) of Alpha Brain (with 18000 micrograms of Huperzine!) is about $75 (a lot cheaper, I’m sure, when they run discounts).

Biohacker Review: A decent brain power supplement, but no real-life NZT-48

In January 2012, I began taking AlphaBrain by Onnit Labs. I heard about this Nootropic supplement from Joe Rogan’s (Host of Fear Factor, UFC commentator guy) podcast.

Overall, I’m a little disappointed in AlphaBrain; the ad copy on their website suggests a near ‘Limitless pill’ NZT-like mental enhancement, and this is the effect I was hoping for. AlphaBrain did not deliver this effect to me, while on AlphaBrain, I felt 10%-20% mentally sharper than I do normally. We should note that I’m a young man who is pretty healthy and active. 6 days out of the week I eat a very brain and heart-healthy diet so I like to think that my brain is already operating at a very efficient level but I would still hope for more of a noticeable increase in brainpower.

I noticed that sometimes AlphaBRAIN seems to make me, umm, gassy. This seems to happen frequently if I take it in the morning while drinking coffee. Not a big problem, though, since I’m trying to decrease my coffee intake anyway. Hopefully, we’ll get some feedback from some other reviewers on this.

During the time I was on AlphaBrain, I was very productive in my business and made excellent progress towards two large New Year’s resolutions of mine. I cannot say that this was a direct result of taking AlphaBrain, but it is interesting to note that a highly productive time of my life coincided with my taking AlphaBrain.

Under suggested use, it recommends taking 1-2 capsules. I tried upping the dosage several times, and it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.

One thing to note is that the pill container is rather small, but it does contain 30 capsules. When I got it, I thought it looked small, so I poured out the capsules and counted them to make sure they were all there.

While I didn’t experience any ‘Limitless pill’ NZT-like effects from AlphaBrain, I’m confident that it does have a positive mental effect on your brain. Overall, I did feel slightly sharper while on it than off it. If AlphaBrain were the only Nootropic supplement on the market, I would continue to order it every month. Since it’s not, I’m going to try some of the other Nootropic supplements out there and see…

Having used C60 before, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this stuff, so, being a vain biohacker, I elected to instead use it cosmetically. I’d heard around the Longecity forums that C60 has a beautifying effect on our skin, that it heals old scars and eliminates aging wrinkles. Starting in August, I rubbed a few drops into my face daily. I did this twice daily for a few months. It’s hard to say if this made much of a difference; I’m already a quite healthy, young-looking 34-year-old. I did this with my wife who is the same age and also fetchingly girlish, we both noticed an undesirable effect, surprisingly, using the coconut oil on our lips dried out our lips - both of us noticed that our lips were unpleasantly dry and chapped. Our lips went back to normal when we stopped applying the coconut oil to our lips. I believe this is when, due to the coconut oil and not the C60, because come to think about it, when I used coconut oil as a lip balm in the past, I had to apply it often as my lips would get dried out. Using a different organic lip balm, I don’t have such dry lips as frequently.

Over the past few months, I’ve mysteriously developed some skin eczema, and I have three persistent skin rashes on the back of my neck and the insides of my biceps just above my inner elbows. For several weeks, I applied the Coconut Oil C60 to these rashes, which was soothing and alleviated the itchiness, but the skin rashes persisted and perhaps got a little worse. Researching the skin eczema issue further, I was surprised to learn that (contrary to what you’ll read on a bunch of blogs online) coconut oil is often bad for skin - it may exacerbate eczema, olive oil is actually better, according to podcaster Jennifer Fugo of The Healthy Skin Show. Apparently, the issue with coconut oil is that it’s such an effective antimicrobial that it kills off the natural skin microbiome, causing skin inflammation. In the future, I’d like to try the olive oil C60 solution on my skin and see if it produces better results.

The bottle sat in my Biohacker cabinet for a few months, and then I decided to use it orally, but I think that the coconut oil has gone bad. It now has an unpleasant taste. I first got it back in August of 2019, so apparently, this product goes bad in just about 6 months. Don’t leave it sitting around! Also, the pipette top broke, so I’m just going to throw it away. Which is a little disappointing because I did some research on C60 as an immune hack, to quote from my article Empower Super Immunity with C60 the Super Antioxidant:

There are three ways that C60 helps the immune system...Stimulates stem cell growth - Our immune system needs a constant supply of virile, young cells. You can imagine just how well an army comprised of elderly soldiers with achy knees would fight in a war, the army needs fresh recruits and that’s just what the stem cells become. Via its mitochondrial mechanism, C60 empowers and increases the pool of available stem cells.Reduces oxidative radicals, these “free radicals” cause the rusting of your cells, in the same way that metal left outside rusts or old bread goes bad. The oxidation causes immune inflammation, rendering the immune system less effective. Viruses also cause your cells to explode, spreading even more troublemaking free radicals throughout your body.Regulates down inflammatory cytokines - Cytokines are the fire alarms of the immune system. You’re probably aware that the stress response can be your friend, sometimes we need a jolt of cortisol and adrenalin, but chronic stress causes all sorts of problems. The immune system is similar, immune inflammation can result in a cytokine storm, a phrase that we now all know and fear thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. A cytokine storm causes the body to turn on itself, sometimes fatally. C60 has the capacity to quiet the cytokine storm.

I’d love to continue using C60, it’s a powerful anti-aging molecule, but not with this product. Usually, I’m pretty impressed with Indigo Herbs’ products, but I don’t think I’d recommend this C60 in coconut oil. The landmark study that really put C60 on the anti-aging map used pure olive oil, not coconut oil; that’s the way I’ll use it.

For more biohacker reviews of beauty hacks (and ostensible beauty hacks)…

Support me on Substack? For $7/monthly?

Are you a novelist expat in Havana, with writer’s block—stuck on page one—and you’re distracted by all the pretty girls, but your Spanish sucks, and you barely make it past “holla?”

I got the hacks you need to make the magic happen in Q&A!

Disclaimer

What you find on this website is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor. I’m just an experienced, unlicensed self-experimenter practicing free speech by talking about my own extensive experiences and my interpretations of published science. Please see my guide on How to Biohack Smart and Safe. You should consult a doctor about any Biohacking you’re doing and, ideally, also get a second opinion.

Q

started to listening [my ADHD video]... after some time my thoughts gone there and there... your video is way too long ;-D

A

Recommendations

Modafinil

Oxiracetam

Q

I’m a subscriber to your Youtube channel. It’s great stuff, I appreciate your videos. I was wondering if, in your experiments with all the nootropics you’ve tried, you came across one that gives you a noticeable creativity boost? In particular, I’m looking for something to aid my creative writing and ability to get into a flowstate. I take phenylpiracetam with my daily stack of micronutrients and stuff like: Vinpocetine, Rhodiola R., Ginko B., and l-theanine. The phenylpiracetam is great for general cognition and logical tasks, but it does almost nothing for creative pursuits, in fact, sometimes I feel like it hinders my creative flow. I’m considering ordering some tianeptine. Any thoughts? Thanks!

A

Recommendations

Nicotine USP solution (in combination with meditation)

Brain.FM

Check out my recent presentation: 7 Creativity Biohacks - From Frequencies and Flowstate to Tantra 🇧🇬 Speaking at “School of Life”

Q

I feel great on Tianeptine, but it dries me out (mouth, tears, possibly other areas?) and gives me flank pain (kidney?). If I could overcome the drying effect, It might be my all time favorite substance. The dry-out effect is more than an annoyance. Any ideas on how to overcome this side effect?Do you think “Tianeptine sulfate” would cause the same dry mouth side effect? Is the dry mouth side effect hormonal?

A

More about Tianeptine

Dry mouth occurs in 20% of users

Recommendations

Happiness Hack: Loving Kindness Meditation

Why Nootropics flowchart

Kratom

Rhodiola

Q

Is [tyrosine] better than Modafinil?

More about L-Tyrosine

Q

Hey man would you say there is a big difference between noopept and piracetam? Which one gives your body more energy would you say? Thanks in advanceI’m also aware noopept is more potent but I’m just wondering your views on the effects?

Also just moved to Baja, Mexico from Seattle. Tips for upping my Spanish game?

A

Recommendations

Duolingo - The King of Language Learning Apps

My fun article: +100 Pickup lines in Español

Hire a Spanish teacher to translate your personal “hero stories.” My story about literally catching on fire while on a first date with a Russian woman can be found in chapter 2 of my book for men, Don’t Stick Your Dick in a Blender: How to meet a nice girl instead - from a tantric husband with a better sex life than you!

Accelerated Language Learning using Memory Systems, SuperMemo, and Dual N-Back

Polishing Your Communication Style by Recording Conversations on Your Smartphone

This question inspired this (AI) art...

Still got questions? Book a Breakthrough Consultation

My VERY FAVORITE part of my job as an Applied Neuroscience Strategist and professional Biohacker is doing one-on-one VOIP calls with folks, listening to what their challenges or goals are, and then usually I’m able to give them some crucial pieces to the puzzle for them to make a MAJOR breakthrough in their health, mindset, relationships, or productivity.It’s something that makes me feel truly alive, and I’d like to do a call with YOU.

[All details you choose to share are absolutely confidential - you may record the call if you want]

To get your Biohacking questions answered (with style)…

Support me on Substack? For $7/monthly?

Day 1

I was excited to pick up my package and try C60 for the first time. The product presents nicely and looks relatively unsuspicious compared with a lot of Nootropics I’ve tried. The olive oil comes in a black glass bottle, which is the proper way to package this sort of thing. I’m always suspicious of “health” products that come in BPA-laden plastic bottles.

I poured out a tablespoon of the stuff; it tastes like olive oil. There was no detectable taste or aftertaste, which was different than other high-quality olive oils I’ve tried previously. The first dosing produced no notable Nootropic effect.

Good news: This stuff may alleviate the hangover after a night of feasting and boozing

Here in Bulgaria, we celebrate holidays with a lot of fine food and drink. On forgiveness day (March 10th), my wife’s family served me seemingly endless tasty morsels and at least three different types of booze. I went to bed feeling a bit bloated and drunk, usually a recipe for waking up with a hangover! But I did a tablespoon of C60 before bed, drank a lot of water, and awoke feeling quite normal. It would make sense that a super antioxidant would detoxify me after boozing too much.

Around the internet, I had heard that most people take a tablespoon of C60 in olive oil. So my wife and I would just have a tablespoon after dinner daily. But this product is a higher concentration of C60; it’s .8 milligrams per milliliter, and a tablespoon is nearly 15 milliliters, so we were doing like 12 milligrams of C60 daily, which is on the high end of the dosage range. At this rate, one of these bottles lasts about a week. In the future, I would take it at a lower dose than 12 milligrams daily, as an already very healthy young man, I probably don’t need nearly that much.

I noticed the weeks I was using the stuff, a small uptick in my general mood and motivation

I also noticed that I seemed to wake up a bit earlier with more vigor to take on the day. But I wouldn’t consider it a classic Nootropic that energizes me and enhances cognition.

After I finished two bottles, I began using C60 and CBD/Hemp Extract selectively. I didn’t take it daily; I used it as a post-workout recovery sleep hack. I took it in lower doses of about half a teaspoon as opposed to a whole tablespoon.

I interviewed my jolly old father-in-law about his experience taking C60

He was initially skeptical of C60 but was surprised to experience noticeable positive effects within a week on his energy levels and digestive function.

If I could, C60 is one anti-aging agent that I would use daily forever; it has no downside and significant upside promise as a long-term longevity hack.

For more of my biohacker reports on transformative health products like C60…

Support me on Substack? For $7/monthly?

Last year, I wrote a Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk novel about Biohacking and philosophy, wherein exotic solar particles - tachyons - harvested at CERN, in Switzerland, are used to alter consciousness and dramatically enhance human cognition. And…

Science fiction doesn’t remain fiction for long.

For the past two months, I’ve been on a cognitive enhancement stack, IgniCognition, unlike any I’ve tried before: it contains Ignitons (which is not just a cool marketing name - it’s short for eNPQ quasi-particle), which are tachyonic solar particles originally discovered at CERN.

So you can think of Ignitons in the same vein as neutrinos or the Higgs-Boson particle; something almost infinitely small that is passing through you at this very moment. Ignitons are transmitted by active stars, like our own. And in fact, you may have gotten an extra dose of Ignitons in late January of 2026, just a few days before we recorded this, as the Aurora Borealis lit up the night sky as far south as central Europe. (There’s another connection to the fictional events of my book!)

I interviewed the man behind this Nootropics stack, Ashley Grace. He has an impressive professional pedigree, serving high-level roles in the corporate world and as one of the founders of Charlotte’s Web. But what I think makes him most interesting is his relentless curiosity about what I’m going to term: applied pragmatic spirituality. So we’re going to bridge the gap here between exotic physics, practical Biohacking, and spirituality.

Mentioned in this interview...

Igniton science

Influence of Enhanced Amino Acid Compositions on Human Cognitive Functioning

Influence of an Amino Acid Composition Enhanced with Cold Plasma Radiation on Psychological Stress: A Blood Test, Gas Discharge Visualisation and Biofeedback Approach

Influence of Enhanced Amino Acid Compositions on Human Cognitive Functions after COVID-19

Nootropic ingredients

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine - an “unsexy” yet reliable Nootropic for sleep deprivation (useful for new parents!)

Nicotine - For treating “long COVID” - Ashley recommends NicNac’s

Self-quantification tools & tech

Igniton’s cognitive assessment tests - Use this before and after 30 days of using Igniton stacks. Impressively, I had an average uptick of 29% in my working memory capacity!

Dual N-Back brain training - The best way to measure cognitive performance, in my view

Sleep-tracking Garmin Smart Watch

Films

The Corporation (2003) - Documentary about corporations as “psychopaths”

The Simulation Hypothesis - Compelling documentary about the simulation theory

Amazing Grace (2006) - about the abolition of the slave trade throughout the British Empire by British elites

The documentary Watch the Water and the work of Dr. Bryan Ardis explore the COVID/Cobra venom connection.

Fringe science

Epigenetic mindset transformation meditation - from You Are The Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza

The Maharishi Effect - experiments on “raising collective consciousness”

Muscle “truth-testing” as described in Power vs Force by David Hawkins

Steve Taylor - Ashley’s (life-saving) kinesiology-based energy healer based in Boulder, Colorado. He is available for remote consultation and can be reached at: [email protected]

Bio-Well Energy Field Scan - Diagnostic device measuring the body’s light field (don’t call it “aura detection”)

Monatomic gold - A superposition particle (that enabled the remarkable longevity of the Knights Templar?)

My book: Hourglass: A science fiction novel - Not For Sex Addicts - about seduction, biohacking & philosophy

Ashley On podcast - Health & Wellness, Spirituality, and All Things New

Try IgniCognition

Over the past 14 years, I’ve done Biohacker trials of over 200 Nootropics, and this Igniton-enhanced stack ranks up there. I was impressed with the brainpower uptick in working memory I experienced after about 30 days of being on it. But, it’s not cheap - so I suggest treating it as a sunk-cost investment into other transformative personal growth practices and an ambitious medium-term goal that you have for this year. While you’re on it, devote yourself to something demanding enhanced consciousness, and anticipate that “time dilation” effect Ashley described.

As you can tell, I really like what Igniton is about, so I’ve included them in the illustrious ranks of Limitless Mindset Secret Society partners. Pick up over $300 worth of their products, and you’ll be eligible to join our Biohacker secret society and get a free consultation session with me.

Share this with a Biohacker who is relentlessly curious about the fringe…

Support me on Substack? For $7/monthly?

The year’s most BORING month is upon us--February. We get the crappiest winter weather, but without the “new year, new you” vibes of January, and the warming climes of March remain many moons away. So what else is there to do than Biohack?

And I’m here to help, answering your Biohacking and lifehacking questions in the Q&A podcasts below.

Disclaimer

What you find on this website is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor. I’m just an experienced, unlicensed self-experimenter practicing free speech by talking about my own extensive experiences and my interpretations of published science. Please see my guide on How to Biohack Smart and Safe. You should consult a doctor about any Biohacking you’re doing and, ideally, also get a second opinion.

#4 Questions

Q

Do you guys feel you develop a tolerance to these drugs?

A

Yes, you will, over time, develop a tolerance to whatever smart drug you are taking. The racetams have a less pronounced tolerance curve, which makes them a more sustainable cognitive enhancement option.

Modafinil, in contrast, has a steep tolerance curve.

So employ cycling strategies: 1) Take different Nootropics on alternating days, 2) Take weekends off Nootropics, 3) Buy your Nootropics in 1-month supplies and go off them for 3 months after exhausting your supply

Q

Hey Johnathan, i was just wondering what your thoughts are on the use of memantine for resetting caffeine tolerance in young healthy individuals. Thanks!

A

More about Memantine

Evidence for thishttps://redd.it/483ldqhttp://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/29900-memantine-combined-with-drugssupplements-other-than-psychostims/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15187578

Recommendation: Quit coffee (or taper off while switching to de-caff and start your mornings drinking Rhodiola tea)

Q

Do you know of any natural alternatives to the racetamswill alpha gpc or niacin do the same trick etc?i need something that’s natural that will get me focused and concentrating and able to remmeber when i study without any side effects.no i havent tried any racetamsbecause ive read up that they have many side effectsand from what you say they only boost ones focus and memory for about 4 to 6 hrsDo let me know if theres supplemnts, minaerals or vitamins that are naturaland can help study focus and memorization naturally with virtually no side effects

A

Recommendations

The Adaptogens - Nootropics comparison

Rhodiola

Bacopa

Q

I just jumped the gun and bought Aniracetam without seeking proper advice.My main goal is to increase focus, work rate and memory.I have a very short attention span at the moment.I get side tracked and when i read, i tend to go off in a tangent thinking about the last line i just read rather than reading the book.Starting to do silly stuff like putting stuff in the fridge when its supposed to be in cupboard etc. Silly but they all add up.Any advice?

A

More about Aniracetam

Recommendations

Dual N-Back brain training

Meditation - The Blue Sky Meditation Protocol

Q

This all has to do with Bromantane, I promise! lolBeen watching your videos almost religiously and have learned a massive amount of information from you as well as reddit and NIH documents etc etc Loving bromantane almost beyond beyond the point of words.Anything out there like nsi that can change the physical structure of the brain?

First of all I should apologize for not responding sooner as I did get your message yesterday and didn’t respond out of my being nervous. I have/had brain damage caused by datura poisoning from when I was 17 which eventually led me to develop several other very serious mental illnesses.Here’s the tricky part that makes me sound a bit narcissistic to some people. The Jimson weed did give me a pretty specific type of brain damage which didn’t cause me to lose my intellect but seemed to have increased it but at the cost of most of my executive function and social function. I was obsessed with medical knowledge before to the point that I was buying a new DSVM every year in my teens which looking back was kind of weird but afterward I am much worse. Much much worse. I’ve lost two wives to being a total psychological nightmare to some people because of my very eccentric nature.

That being said rain man wants pussy and cars too!

How to get rid of mental illness?

Ya! That’s the bold question I asked myself and took on directly.

So far I’ve slowly made my way back to reality with the help of some extremely rare stuff as well as some of the basic nootropics.I watch your show because you like details. I love details.I started looking at the functions of piracitam years ago and slowly read my way through Russian medicine and have decided those cats have it figured out in the world of neuropsychology and America is just lost.

Long story short I “narrowed it down” to a shorter list of very special things to do in order.

Stop taking anything at all for 30 days.Fast for 48 hours at the end of that 30 day periodAt the end of the fast and a good nights rest get up and begin the paleo diet.Then after a month on the paleo diet I started a regimen that I designed of racetams and nootropics and peptides to literally get rid of my specific illness.

I started with a 2 gram dose of centrophenoxineAnd then continued taking up to 1 gram a day split into 2 dosesAfter 30 days of this I switched to:Alpha Gpc (high dose)phenylpiracitam 100 mg 2x daily)Oxyracitam (750 mg 2x daily)Aniracitam (750 mg 2x daily)Colouracetam (20mg 3x daily)Fasoracetam (40 mg 1x daily)phenibut (800 mg)Theanine (600 mg)While cycling phenibut here and there and also cycling faso and colour and Sulbutiamine so I don’t alter the outcome our burn out my receptors.

After weaning off of that very slowly over a 6 month period of time i began Na Semax-A with bromantane.

I was smart but was very spaced out and very depressed and very scared to be social until I started the bromantane.

The racetams creeked open the door and created a great environment for bromantane and semax to really do its work.

Nothing I’ve ever taken had this kind of effect on me. I’m on my day off and while I’m on uni right now I can’t help to notice the effects that 5 days of bromantane use has had on me. I have had a concept of tomorrow and a concept of when I’m being annoying to other people.

I just feel generally content with myself and have a very self validating feeling that one wouldn’t notice unless they are insecure like I was before.

Bromantane is this awful tasting chemical but it makes up for it 4 hours later. Yup! The stories are right. I might chip up after about an hour or so to 2 hours but 4 hours in you are completely on your a game.

I liken 50 mg of bromantane with Taking M5AA and GW501516 and aicar together which I have not done but what I’m just sure it has to be like.

I woke up and smiled. And because that. In my opinion.Bro! Man! lol Tane is the best effing thing ever.

There’s that mania that some people get in the moment and love and say wow this is helping me. Bromantane is doing that and it’s doing it stronger and stronger every day so I took day 6 off and sent you this.

There is something about it doing something to you as a guy that makes you more bro and that’s pretty wild. I’m slipping into a type a personality and people are really digging me. People keep saying I look so much better and my family thinks I’ve joined a cult but that’s ok.

Obviously everything I’m doing is based on the g1 and g2 receptor models and their role in psychology basically set forth by the Russians. Bromantane seems to fix you. I’m better.I woke up and just felt content with myself and just sat quietly taking everything in. Life is good.Good day to try a bit of uni.Uni reminds me of semax but more happy and more chill with crisper vision. Bro does that with your vision but just a bit.I added semax and it really worked well. Now I’m this exercise guy? Who the hell am I now lol? I’m going from geek to jock and those are my friends words and I’m not even thinking about it. I look people in the eyes more. I notice that I do and that’s s…

What is the most commonly used Biohack in the world? I say it’s emotionally overwhelming music...

* When I was younger, I would hang out with these very urban young guys, and in their cars, they would always listen to hyper-aggressive, hyper-masculine hip-hop music at insane volumes that made them feel like men.

* When I dated single mothers, I noticed that they listened to sappy romantic music - that made them feel like someone loved them.

* In Eastern Europe during the depressing winters, everyone everywhere listens to obnoxious upbeat American pop music to get through the cold, dark days.

* And I, a perpetually awkward gringo on the dance floor, like to listen to rhythmical salsa and sexy reggaeton tunes.

You don’t have to listen hard to hear people listening to music to convince themselves that they are something they aren’t.

So if music is a tool for hacking mindset (and it’s hard to argue that it isn’t), what should you listen to while working? There are a lot of different preferences for this...

* It seems that a lot of people over 40 like to have the television on in the background (which is insane to me, I can’t stand this!)

* Hip-hop inspires a lot of people to get into that hustling mindset.

* Electronica seems to energize many to get stuff done.

* Some prefer the background din of a cafe.

* Cognitive psychologists have argued that white noise is a good idea.

* Some people find that listening to the same album or song on repeat for hours and hours is conducive to their focus.

* Many find classical music to be the best for focus.

* Maybe you even like to listen to my videos and podcasts.

* And some people seem to prefer to listen to nothing at all.

When I need to focus and get creative, I listen to Brain.FM and I suggest you do the same! Listen for free here. As a focus promoter, it’s not as potent as Modafinil or Oxiracetam, but it’s quite effective; after 10-15 minutes, you’ll find yourself devoting 100% of your attention to the task at hand.

It’s so effective that I paid for a Brain.FM lifetime membership, here’s why: as I’ve discussed elsewhere, I’m an informationaholic, my vice of choice is just binging on information. Left to my own devices this is what my day looks like...

* Waking up, I check Twitter.

* I take my Nootropics and walk to work, usually while listening to Stefan Molyneux’s philosophy podcasts.

* In late mornings or early afternoons, I listen to audio disaster porn about terrible things happening somewhere in the world. Alex Jones’s Infowars.com seems to be a pretty reliable source for this!

* In the afternoons, I like educational content, so I’ll listen to shows about science, health, or entrepreneurship like Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Radio.

* As the day wanes, I’ll usually listen to something that’s more feel-good or inspirational, like Real Social Dynamics videos or the Art of Charm podcast.

* In the Hour 2 period of the day, I’ll listen to something humorous or entertaining, like the Joe Rogan podcast or a history program.

* Before bed, I will read a book on my Kindle for 30-60 minutes in a darkened room.

* Finally, before sleep, in bed, I’ll listen to a history podcast or audiobook on a drier subject.

Notwithstanding the time I spend socializing, I would spend about 20 minutes total daily NOT binging on information.

The real problem with all this information consumption is that it prevents me from really getting focused enough to reach a truly productive state. My business requires that I spend about a third of my day doing creative work, and with all this information consumption pulling my attention every which way, I’m just not going to be creative enough to produce good stuff. Deep work does require persistent focus, and while all this information consumption probably makes me a more interesting dinner party guest, it’s an insidiously sneaky bad habit that prevents me from really getting the important things done. Here’s why about...80% of my labor is rote work that doesn’t require 100% of my focus. I can do passive information consumption simultaneously without really hurting the quality of this work.20% is work that requires my whole attention, presence, and creative energies. Listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or the news is going to have a detrimental effect on this work.This is why informationaholism is so insidious; the 20% is where really important stuff that moves me towards my goals gets done, yet I could easily spend 100% of my time on the 80% of less important stuff. I could work hard and be busy all the time, yet still fail to get ahead because I’m indulging my vice.This is why I spent the money on a Brain.FM lifetime membership. When I’m doing that 20% of my work, I listen to Brain.FM. The cost of the lifetime membership is tiny in comparison to the long-term cost of not doing my most important work. Having spent the money, I’m way more motivated to consistently use Brain.FM.

Some minimalists or low-information diet advocates would say...

Just turn off all that information!

However, when you read biographies of really successful people, they are often informationaholics; it does pay off to be very informed about the world. I’d like to have the advantages of being within the top 5% of most informed people without the significant downsides...

* Fractured attention

* Chronic stress

* Rigid autonomic nervous system

* Heightened cortisol levels

Sometimes I watch or listen to these conservative radio personalities who are so fat and angry at the world, and I think: this guy is overconsuming information and doesn’t have the healthy habits to handle digesting it!If I didn’t do meditation, brain training, tantric self-cultivation, and adaptogenic herbs daily to offset the stress load, I would dial my information consumption way down.

One feature I like is the Brain.FM has four different settings for session length...30 minutes1 hour2 hoursInfiniteThese work as nice, arbitrary time limits for projects. Let’s say I have a project that should take me 90 minutes. If I let myself get distracted by Twitter, YouTube, or figuring out where I’m going to eat dinner, a 90-minute project can easily consume a whole workday, but a lot of times I can actually knock it out in a 60-minute Brain.FM session. Those who like the Pomodoro technique will see the utility in this.

I’ll suggest that you make the Brain.FM app on your browser homepage

What is your homepage now?The Google homepage with its search box just tempts you to start searching for whatever you’re curious about at the moment.Your Gmail inbox? With hundreds of messages demanding your attention.Links to your favorite social media sites and flashing, popping-up notifications.YouTube homepage curated with viral videos just for you.Or perhaps worst of all, a newsfeed of terrible events happening somewhere in the world.How much more productive would you be if, first thing upon opening your browser, you got into a completely distraction-free Brain.FM session?

What seems to work is to use it after I do my first state reset of the day, which is usually meditation or brain training that I do for about 10-20 minutes after lunch.

Brain.FM is fairly bandwidth-intensive

Sometimes I’ll find myself in a country or city with really spotty Wi-Fi, and I’ll find that the Brain.FM doesn’t stream very well. Which brings me to a joke...

This guy and this girl are having sex, and in the middle of their passionate lovemaking, he just stops and doesn’t move at all. The girl asks: What’s the matter? Why did you stop?The guy responds: I’m trying this sex move I saw... It’s called buffering!

That’s how Brain.FM is on a bad Wi-Fi connection. Fortunately, the app has a download function for offline listening, and I recorded a 30-minute focus session - if I don’t have sufficient Wi-Fi, I will just play that. Which I’ll share with you in my video blog review above...

Music lovers (you might hate this)...

Lend ear to the music I’ve made - Limitless Music. Thanks to AI, educational music that makes you smarter, healthier, ha…

#FlashbackFriday to my very first Q&A podcast, I answer your questions and comments spanning from Biohacking and Nootropics to lifestyle philosophy and beyond...

Disclaimer

What you find on this website is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor. I’m just an experienced, unlicensed self-experimenter practicing free speech by talking about my own extensive experiences and my interpretations of published science. Please see my guide on How to Biohack Smart and Safe. You should consult a doctor about any biohacking you’re doing and, ideally, also get a second opinion.

Q&A #1 Questions

Q:

re/Diet supplements - which are legit?

A:

Do that which is hard, not easy: 1) Remove junk food, 2) Exercise, 3) Fasting, 4) Keto diet

Nicotine USP Solution - for blazing metabolism

Q:

Ethical Hedonism? = Self Deception How would you discover that this is true?

A:

Read: Lifehacking Ethical Hedonism: Make Good Decisions on Autopilot & Be the ROCKSTAR Forever

Q:

Does [Tianeptine] have any adverse effects on the libido or ability to get or keep an erection?

A:

I first came across Tianeptine researching The Social Anxiety Protocol for Biohacking Confidence

The Limitless Orgasms Protocol - Cultivate yourself as a tantric man

Q:

I don’t respond to Modafinil I’ve tried it many many times. I also got a genetic test showing that I had both defective copies of a COMT gene which correlates to responsiveness to modafinil. I have SEVERE ADHD and I’m really disappointed that modafinil doesn’t work for me.

A:

Caballo - The racetam-rich smart drug for cognitive capital

The Piracetam Protocol - For fully unleashing the iconic smart drug

Q:

hey, Jonathan, i love watching your videos, you have taught me a lot about bio hacking, life etc. is there anyway i can see your daily stack?

A:

I log my daily stack here on Coach.me

Q:

what are your thoughts about fasting, high fat diest low carb and sugar?? i have been reading a it increase mental focus, more time gaining in not cooking many meals a day, and other hormone benefits, i think that can relate very good to a limitless mindset, i am applying by myself with very good results but i wanna know your opinion.

A:

Read: My $1 Diet Lifehack: Coconuts

Fast This Way by Dave Asprey

Lean Life Coaching biohacking consulting

As mentioned in the podcast, this is a very lean biohacking consulting/life coaching program. Here’s how this would work...

* The Biohacking Consultation is 1 hour and 45 minutes total - which is actually two consulting calls.

* First Call 1 hour - Discovery & Strategizing call, I need to ask you some questions, we’ll discuss your history, and outline a biohacking strategy and action plan to overcome your issues.

* Second Call 45 minutes - Follow-up call in 30 or 60 days to see how you’re doing with the plan we outlined; how you’ve improved, what you’re struggling with, etc

There are a few important reasons we split the time up into two calls

* It’s a significant motivation hack for you to follow through on the Biohacking habits and plan we’ll outline because you’re accountable to me in 30 or 60 days.

* I’m incentivized to come up with an effective Biohacking strategy for you because I have to talk to you after you’ve been following it for a month or two.

* It timeboxes us with a deadline in 30 or 60 days for you to make improvements and accomplish your goals.

PLEASE fill out this form

Take a few minutes to answer a few questions. If your issues are far outside my areas of expertise, I’ll decline the consultation. My time is finite and very valuable, so I only want to spend it consulting the people I can really help. Thanks in advance for your understanding!

Share this with someone who recently mentioned trying to lose weight…

Support me on Substack? For $7/monthly?

My bank-robbing accomplice (AKA wife) and I address your Biohacking and Lifehacking questions in this Q&A podcast.

Check out my articles, Don’t give a damn about happiness and Why 2020 was a happy year for me.

Disclaimer

What you find on this website is NOT medical advice. I’m not a doctor. I’m just an experienced unlicensed self-experimenter practicing free speech in talking about my own extensive experiences and my interpretations of published science. Please see my guide on How to Biohack Smart and Safe. You should consult a doctor about any Biohacking you’re doing and ideally, also get a second opinion.

#33 Questions

Q:

Which supplement do you recommend most for someone that needs to multitask at work a lot. I have a lot of things thrown at me and I need to be quick and able to pivot mentally.

A:

Recommendations

Dual N-Back Pro brain training software

Any Nootropics: Racetams, Rhodiola, Nicotine, and Caffeine.

Q:

As pot becomes increasingly legal and accepted thought the USA it’s becoming increasingly clear that avoiding second-hand smoke from it isn’t always possible, so do you know of any nootropics that counteract the mental effects, or at least lessen them?

A:

Recommendation: 100 Days of Dual N-Back Training

Q:

I just wanted to reach out to thank you for doing what you do. It has inspired me to be a better and smarter individual. However, I did want to know something more from you that I dont think is covered in any of your material... You stated in one of your podcast episodes that most free learning based classes that are offered on the internet are arguably better or just as good as the paid ones. I agree with you (accounting for outlier classes), and I know since you are a lot like me, you try to get into anything and everything that has positive potential. I just would like to know what are a few classes that you have taken in the past that you feel you have genuinely gained from. Topics can range from entrepreneurship, biohacking, specific subjects (english, history, math), meditation, etc.. So to further refine my question, what is a single class or a course, paid or unpaid, that I would receive the most overall learning from based on your experience?

A:

Recommendations

Reading good nonfiction books and memorizing material with the SuperMemo app.

Jordan Belfort’s Straight Line System, or his book The Way of the Wolf

Q:

I want to say how much I love your “NZT” smart drug limitless articles and posts. I have two thoughts: For us financially challenged folk, would Nicorette gum provide the nicotine level necessary? I was wondering if certain cognitive exercises like using a memory palace could potentiate the effects? Over time memory palaces spontaneously organize ALL data in your head.Also, How would you recommend getting hold of Modof and Armod in Canada...without getting arrested?

A:

Recommendations

Read my Nicotine Meta-Analysis: 16 things you didn’t know about the ultimate creativity smart drug

Read The Memory Book and other books about Mnemonics

Q:

I do look at the companies you promote on your website. Some I am already familiar with which is validating. I wonder if you receive kickbacks from some of them for promoting them. I don’t have a problem with that . However, I notice you promote Peak Nootropics and Pure Nootropics more then you do Nootropic Depot. I suspect they compensate you better. Because, from doing more research on the subject and my own personal experience, I would say Nootropic Depot is better and it’s founder tends to be more diligent.

A:

Shop the Limitless Mindset Secret Society preferred vendors

Watch: Biohacker Reviews Playlist

Lean Life Coaching Biohacking consulting

As mentioned in the podcast, this is a very lean biohacking consulting/life coaching program. Here’s how this would work...

* The Biohacking Consultation is 1 hour and 45 minutes total - which is actually two consulting calls.

* First Call 1 hour - Discovery & Strategizing call, I need to ask you some questions, we’ll discuss your history, and outline a biohacking strategy and action plan to overcome your issues.

* Second Call 45 minutes - Follow-up call in 30 or 60 days to see how you’re doing with the plan we outlined; how you’ve improved, what you’re struggling with, etc.

There are a few important reasons we split the time up into two calls

* It’s a significant motivation hack for you to follow through on the biohacking habits and plan we’ll outline because you’re accountable to me in 30 or 60 days.

* I’m incentivized to come up with a really effective biohacking strategy for you because I have to talk to you after you’ve been following it for a month or two.

* It timeboxes us with a deadline of 30 or 60 days for you to make improvements and accomplish your goals.

PLEASE fill out this form...

Take a few minutes to answer a few questions, if your issues are far outside my areas of expertise I’ll decline the consultation. My time is finite and very valuable, so I only want to spend it consulting the people I can really help. Thanks in advance for your understanding!

INVEST at least $300 in your own mind with these recommended sources and get a Biohacking consultation

Share this with an unapologetic capitalist…

Support me on Substack? For $7/monthly?