4019 replies to this topic

[lostfalco]

Any updates on the low cost last Falco? Also, what is you current daily regime. I know you've been testing new things. Has anyone had any luck with the cheap eBay law+co10 supplement?

I wish I could make it out to Georgia for that testing. That 7 hr drive is tempting. Is there a way to find more tests of this sort locally?

Thanks

Hey Mettmett, I'm so sorry...I'm trying to get it tested for you guys as soon as I can. Unfortunately, life is getting in the way right now. As soon as I finish moving and get settled it's at the top of my priority list. I'll let you know as soon as I do.

TULIP Update: I have been on TULIP since June 29th and I feel the best I've ever felt in my life...by far. I've recently combined it with 500mg of Artichoke Extract (on occasion...do not try this daily) and have attained access to memories that I didn't know was possible. Abelard has been added to my list of heroes, for real.

Regimen:
1. Vetrolaser http://www.vetrolaser.com/ (I'm doing this at night now, right before bed. Many spots. Parting hair.)
2. PQQ http://www.amazon.co...-1&keywords=pqq
3. CoQ10 http://www.amazon.co...words=coq10 lef
4. Artichoke Extract http://www.amazon.co...w artichoke 500

Confounding Factors:
1. Modafinil
2. Pregnenolone
3. BP Coffee
4. Vitamin Water Zero
5. No blinding, no control group, n=1, etc.
6. Subjective assessment of self
7. I am expressly NOT a scientist
8. Warning: I could be Icarus flying toward the sun. Please read the research and proceed with caution...lots of caution.

It is what it is. =) YMMV

[lostfalco]

Sorry for the slight diversion from the current tenor of the thread, but I wanted to ask for some ideas about some MCT Oil I recently got hold of.

Actually, it's in powder form rather than liquid form, and since most of the guidelines for its use assume it's a liquid, has anyone got an idea as to what the conversion from liquid to powder would be?

It's 100% powder, by the way.

What's up DamnedOwl? I'm not sure why people downvoted your post...it's a reasonable question. I don't currently have the answer for you but I will look at it when I have time. Anyway, I upvoted your post...but I only get one. =)

[lostfalco]

I hope you have more success than me with ubiquinol and PQQ. I tried the Vetro for the 1st time for 4' on my upper forehead this morning, but I didn't notice any effects. I'll try it at different locations, but I'm guessing that my condition is too complex for something like lllt to help significantly.

Have you made any progress since you got Lyme, and have you found any treatments that help a lot? Have you been treated with antibiotics?

Trophic, I have recovered from the worst, but my condition was also much complex, including candida, depression and overall mental slow-down. Cutting off sugar was probably most important step. Now I try to exercise mind as much as possible, although theres still some hazy and random brain fog, I was still able to learn to play an instrument in two years and now practice mental math with xx.xxx multiplication, which I found very effective/taxing for working memory. But as you mentioned, we are not addressing root cause with brain training.

The adrenal burnout and caffeine seems to be very common, last friday I got too much of cola nut with guarana and then crashed hardly and been deadly tired for the rest of the following days. I think blood tests can show more, but going caffeine-free will be probably a solution. Stress management is probably essential to solve this.


Lostfalco, what russian peptides did you tried? And what results can one expect from them, for example can brain peptides be in any way comparable to the effect of Cerebrolysin?

I have tried Cerluten, Glandokort, Testoluten, Ventfort, and Pinealon. I wasn't expecting to 'feel' anything from them at all, but Pinealon, especially, made me feel fantastic. My gf had to tell me to stop talking about how amazing it was...but I didn't. ha

Warning: Dr. Vladimir Khavinson talks about a biological 'reserve' of 42% for each tissue. http://www.worldanti...-mg-20-capsules I am currently asking around about whether that 'reserve' can be used up quickly or if there is some sort of regulatory mechanism in place. I don't currently have the answer. I felt ok trying the peptides once, but I can't currently recommend taking them consistently until this issue is resolved in my mind.

Cerebrolysin looks fascinating but I have not tried it.

Edited by lostfalco, 26 July 2013 - 08:01 PM.

[VP.]

Hi Lost Falco. Thanks for all the groundwork you have done. I have a Vetrolaser and the recommended supplements so I'm going to give this a run. A few questions for you. How long do you lase one spot? From what I am reading LLLT is biphasic and may work as a hormetic. Have you ever done a spot too long? How do you hold the laser on a spot while holding the power button? It feels awkward to me. How long does it take before you notice an effect? What EEG spots are you hitting? DO you notice any difference between the various spots? DO you still do TDCS and if you do/do not, why?
Many thanks again Lost Falco!

[rikelme]

My $50 ebay 808nm 200mw is constantly losing focus. It has started as a spot pattern, but now has a line pattern with dimensions of 8mm x 1mm. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the power density is decreasing and more are is covered with it.

I have to ask this, although it should be obvious: by the spec this should be a IR laser, that is, it should NOT be visible. However, obviously, it is a visible laser - a red one.
Lostfalco, I guess you've at least plugged in yours just to see if it works or not. Is yours also visible? Am I missing something here?

Another thing: I just got an email that biocurrent kit is available for orders again - $185 + $15 for shipping. I may pull the trigger.

Edited by rikelme, 30 July 2013 - 08:25 PM.

[lostfalco]

My $50 ebay 808nm 200mw is constantly losing focus. It has started as a spot pattern, but now has a line pattern with dimensions of 8mm x 1mm. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the power density is decreasing and more are is covered with it.

I have to ask this, although it should be obvious: by the spec this should be a IR laser, that is, it should NOT be visible. However, obviously, it is a visible laser - a red one.
Lostfalco, I guess you've at least plugged in yours just to see if it works or not. Is yours also visible? Am I missing something here?

Another thing: I just got an email that biocurrent kit is available for orders again - $185 + $15 for shipping. I may pull the trigger.

That sucks about the pattern. You're right though...power density is the most important thing.

808nm Infrared light is faintly visible to the naked eye. If you look at it with an infrared camera (like the one on my cellphone) it's very bright. aka Don't aim it at your eyes!

I have plugged mine in and aimed it at my hand...it is somewhat visible.

I messaged alexburke about the $39 tDCS he bought and he said the USB version has been working great for him. I'd try that before dropping $200. =)

Here's the $39 tDCS. http://tdcs-kit.com/

Here's my quick little convo with alexburke over in the tDCS thread (about half way down the page). http://www.longecity...d/page__st__330

[Psionic]

One very interesting study which came out. I will be very glad if someone is going to do further research/analysis:

Frequency-Dependent Enhancement of Fluid Intelligence Induced by Transcranial Oscillatory Potentials(Santarnecchi 2013)

Everyday problem solving requires the ability to go beyond experience by efficiently encoding and manipulating new information, i.e., fluid intelligence (Gf) [1]. Performance in tasks involving Gf, such as logical and abstract reasoning, has been shown to rely on distributed neural networks, with a crucial role played by prefrontal regions [2]. Synchronization of neuronal activity in the gamma band is a ubiquitous phenomenon within the brain; however, no evidence of its causal involvement in cognition exists to date [3]. Here, we show an enhancement of Gf ability in a cognitive task induced by exogenous rhythmic stimulation within the gamma band. Imperceptible alternating current [4] delivered through the scalp over the left middle frontal gyrus resulted in a frequency-specific shortening of the time required to find the correct solution in a visuospatial abstract reasoning task classically employed to measure Gf abilities (i.e., Raven’s matrices) [5]. Crucially, gamma-band stimulation (γ-tACS) selectively enhanced performance only on more complex trials involving conditional/logical reasoning. The present finding supports a direct involvement of gamma oscillatory activity in the mechanisms underlying higher-order human cognition.

http://www.sciencedi...960982213007136

It should be posted in tDCS thread too. Full article can be found here

[lammas2]

Could you be more specific about the peptides? How does Pinealon make you feel good? I'm also starting a 10 day trial of Pinealon (if its good, I'll also try Testoluten).

[rikelme]

That sucks about the pattern. You're right though...power density is the most important thing.

808nm Infrared light is faintly visible to the naked eye. If you look at it with an infrared camera (like the one on my cellphone) it's very bright. aka Don't aim it at your eyes!

I have plugged mine in and aimed it at my hand...it is somewhat visible.

I messaged alexburke about the $39 tDCS he bought and he said the USB version has been working great for him. I'd try that before dropping $200. =)

Here's the $39 tDCS. http://tdcs-kit.com/

Here's my quick little convo with alexburke over in the tDCS thread (about half way down the page). http://www.longecity...d/page__st__330

Yes, exactly, much brighter when you look at it trough the camera, but still is visible to the naked eye. I guess its spectrum its not very narrow around 808nm and does come down to the visible region. Should not be a problem, but I just wanted to compare it with yours

Thanks for the tDCS link ! I just bought a 9V battery version as it is more portable and it doesn't require a laptop or a wall charger with a USB plug to work. I'll report back my experiences.

[Nattzor]

Yes, exactly, much brighter when you look at it trough the camera, but still is visible to the naked eye. I guess its spectrum its not very narrow around 808nm and does come down to the visible region. Should not be a problem, but I just wanted to compare it with yours

Thanks for the tDCS link ! I just bought a 9V battery version as it is more portable and it doesn't require a laptop or a wall charger with a USB plug to work. I'll report back my experiences.

Be sure to update us, if you also have "success" with it, I'll order one.

And the laser thing is also really interesting, be sure to update it too.

[chris106]

Regimen:
1. Vetrolaser http://www.vetrolaser.com/ (I'm doing this at night now, right before bed. Many spots. Parting hair.)
2. PQQ http://www.amazon.co...-1&keywords=pqq
3. CoQ10 http://www.amazon.co...words=coq10 lef
4. Artichoke Extract http://www.amazon.co...w artichoke 500

To be honest, I haven't read through the whole thread again, but is there a reason you'd specifically go for this specific brand/form of Q10, Lostfalco? It seems quite expensive, and there are cheaper sources available, like for example

http://www.iherb.com...-Veggie-Caps/20

[OpaqueMind]

TULIP is going steady, and by that I mean the gains are accumulating nicely and continuously. I do not part with my laser now... I even took it on holiday haha. I hit another phase shift in pattern recognition on a magic mushroom trip a few days ago, and the new-found abilities have remained, for the moment at least. Once they were metabolised and working their magic on my brain cells I was whisked onto the most intense thought train I have ever experienced. I had been loading my mind with wide-ranging and highly intriguing info from this book (buy it if understanding the world and the strange people in it piques your intrigue in the slightest) for a week or so beforehand, so there was an abundance of material floating about in my unconscious and waiting to be integrated. I felt the process of understanding constructing itself to an acute degree; what begins as Chaos in the form of confusion and seemingly disparate information becomes a higher synthesis of order when the wider Gestalt into which it fits is delineated. This process went on for hours and hours, all manner of floating thought forms being integrated into a grand edifice of understanding within my psyche. I am certain, since I have tripped before but never felt this, that the laser supercharged my neurons so that such connections could form spontaneously - the mushrooms providing the quantum leap to reach escape velocity and accelerated gains of intelligence. One widely accepted hallmark of intelligence is the ability to connect disparate pieces of information into a unified structure, to uncover (create?) the relationships between forms. In this sense the laser definitely shines (no pun intended). Another great thing is that I'm a veritable quote machine, stuff is coming to mind that I didn't even know was in there.

One thing that could trip me up if I was not as grounded as I am due to a few years of meditation practice would be delusions of grandeur. In the grip of a manic thought stream I feel almost Godlike, invincible and infallible. It is imperative to hold at the forefront of consciousness the fact that I do not have access to the fundamental ground of Being and therefore have no access to truth - what I 'see' and experience, perceptually is only a model, and what I 'experience' conceptually is but a model of that model. Truth cannot be gained from abstractions, let alone second order abstractions - this I must remind myself, so as to keep alert the healthy skeptic inside of me. For a really interesting medium length essay on these ideas see here. Anyway, one thing I have noticed is that people seem slower generally (hmmm Isochroma.. does history repeat itself?) and annoyance emerges if I am in a sleep deprived state. I want companions who can mirror and match the speed, intensity and depth of my newfound mental existence. Perhaps I need to learn to relate to people a little better - I am a highly cerebrally dominated person, I float in a sea of abstractions, which becomes a raging torrent under laser-guided energetic fluency. LF. I see you listed above as one of the points of improvement if one were to become a biochemist (or something along those lines) was to improve social skills and so on. Are there any particular resources you could recommend which might help in this?

In other news I am one of the beings who is on the NSI mailing list, and will therefore soon be combining TULIP with that drug. Updates will follow, at some time in the future when I have gauged the effects to a reasonable degree.

By the way LF, I was thinking about your plan to deliver true brain improvement to others and have a few questions...
how do you plan to go about delivering your findings to those outside the Longecity community?
how would someone not in a professional standing go about doing so?
what is the demographic you intend to reach?
Thinking about this got me interested also... imagine the advances in global consciousness and the diminishing of all related ills which would accrue from widespread use of something as potent as TULIP! Imagine the increase in ingenuity in every single scientific and philosophical discipline! Imagine the social connectivity! Not to sound too optimistic but I seriously wonder about the possibilities if this goes BIG. Yes, yes, optimism of the will pessimism of the intellect and all that. Still, I admire your commitment, and would like to help out any way I can.

Oh and by the way, how are you getting on with the addition of artichoke extract? Having been on holiday for a while I have yet to try it, am looking forward to it.

[lostfalco]

That sucks about the pattern. You're right though...power density is the most important thing.

808nm Infrared light is faintly visible to the naked eye. If you look at it with an infrared camera (like the one on my cellphone) it's very bright. aka Don't aim it at your eyes!

I have plugged mine in and aimed it at my hand...it is somewhat visible.

I messaged alexburke about the $39 tDCS he bought and he said the USB version has been working great for him. I'd try that before dropping $200. =)

Here's the $39 tDCS. http://tdcs-kit.com/

Here's my quick little convo with alexburke over in the tDCS thread (about half way down the page). http://www.longecity...d/page__st__330

Yes, exactly, much brighter when you look at it trough the camera, but still is visible to the naked eye. I guess its spectrum its not very narrow around 808nm and does come down to the visible region. Should not be a problem, but I just wanted to compare it with yours :)

Thanks for the tDCS link ! I just bought a 9V battery version as it is more portable and it doesn't require a laptop or a wall charger with a USB plug to work. I'll report back my experiences.

Thanks rikelme. I'm really looking forward to your reports with the tDCS. The more experimenters we get, the greater degree of certainty we'll have that that device is effective...and the more people can be helped by this really cool technology. Thanks for contributing to that.

[lostfalco]

Regimen:
1. Vetrolaser http://www.vetrolaser.com/ (I'm doing this at night now, right before bed. Many spots. Parting hair.)
2. PQQ http://www.amazon.co...-1&keywords=pqq
3. CoQ10 http://www.amazon.co...words=coq10 lef
4. Artichoke Extract http://www.amazon.co...w artichoke 500

To be honest, I haven't read through the whole thread again, but is there a reason you'd specifically go for this specific brand/form of Q10, Lostfalco? It seems quite expensive, and there are cheaper sources available, like for example

http://www.iherb.com...-Veggie-Caps/20

You're totally right...it is very expensive. I started with it because the LEF brand seems generally high quality and I wanted to start with something I trusted first. I'm definitely open to other options...as long as they're healthy and they work. =)

A few people have ordered an affordable PQQ/CoQ10 combo from ebay. Still waiting to hear back from them.

Here's a quote from the Examine.com article on CoQ10. http://examine.com/s...s/Coenzyme Q10/

"

Co-enzyme Q10 supplementation requires some thinking about how much one believes in the science and your financial state.
It is typically not cheap, and all the noticeable effects (more vitality) could potentially be placebo. It is very much a faith buy and the costs if you take it in the wrong manner (without a fatty transport) could be quite high financially.
A good supplier is also crucial, as it could alleviate costs greatly. Consider buying it online.
I put my faith in CoQ10 supplementation, but you will need to get your own opinion on the matter.
Kurtis Frank"

Here's a quote from the LEF advertisement. http://www.lef.org/V...inol-CoQ10.html

"CoQ10 is notoriously difficult to absorb. When it comes to choosing a CoQ10 supplement, the primary factor is how many swallowed milligrams actually make it into your bloodstream. A recent study showed that in seriously ill patients, conventional ubiquinone CoQ10 was hardly detectable in the blood whereas ubiquinol resulted in significant blood level increases and subsequent clinical improvements.
Scientific studies show that ubiquinol absorbs up to 8 times greater than ubiquinone, and higher levels of ubiquinol remain in the blood far longer than ubiquinone. In studies measuring exercise-induced fatigue, ubiquinol was 90% more effective than ubiquinone. In middle-aged mice, ubiquinol was shown to be 40% more effective in slowing measurements of aging compared to ubiquinone.54 Life Extension offers the highly bioavailable ubiquinol form of CoQ10 in a patented delivery system with a superior absorption level.55

[cyberger]

For people interested in neurofeedback as a safe way to boost brain performance, Emotiv has just released a Kickstarter for a 5-channel EEG device for $199 (early-bird pricing)! For comparison current quality 2-channel device can cost between $595-$650 (http://brain-trainer...gequipment.html)!

Other Specs:
* uses dry-electrodes so there's no prep time or need for conductive gel (just put the headset on and your good to go).
* The channel locations are AF3, AF4, T7, T8, and Pz
* It measures: 'Attention, Focus, Engagement, Interest, Excitement, Affinity, Relaxation, and Stress.'
* Platforms: Windows, Max OSX, Linux, IOS, and Android'.

One drawback of the device is the channels are at fixed locations, but for the price/simplicity it's a great starting point for getting into the world of neurofeedback.

Here's the Kickstarter link: http://www.kickstart...fitness-and-per

Edited by cyberger, 01 August 2013 - 06:59 PM.

[rikelme]

For people interested in neurofeedback as a safe way to boost brain performance, Emotiv has just released a Kickstarter for a 5-channel EEG device for $199 (early-bird pricing)! For comparison current quality 2-channel device can cost between $595-$650 (http://brain-trainer...gequipment.html)!

Other Specs:
* uses dry-electrodes so there's no prep time or need for conductive gel (just put the headset on and your good to go).
* The channel locations are AF3, AF4, T7, T8, and Pz
* It measures: 'Attention, Focus, Engagement, Interest, Excitement, Affinity, Relaxation, and Stress.'
* Platforms: Windows, Max OSX, Linux, IOS, and Android'.

One drawback of the device is the channels are at fixed locations, but for the price/simplicity it's a great starting point for getting into the world of neurofeedback.

Here's the Kickstarter link: http://www.kickstart...fitness-and-per

In for one with SDK access. Can't wait for Spring to come

[lostfalco]

TULIP is going steady, and by that I mean the gains are accumulating nicely and continuously. I do not part with my laser now... I even took it on holiday haha. I hit another phase shift in pattern recognition on a magic mushroom trip a few days ago, and the new-found abilities have remained, for the moment at least. Once they were metabolised and working their magic on my brain cells I was whisked onto the most intense thought train I have ever experienced. I had been loading my mind with wide-ranging and highly intriguing info from this book (buy it if understanding the world and the strange people in it piques your intrigue in the slightest) for a week or so beforehand, so there was an abundance of material floating about in my unconscious and waiting to be integrated. I felt the process of understanding constructing itself to an acute degree; what begins as Chaos in the form of confusion and seemingly disparate information becomes a higher synthesis of order when the wider Gestalt into which it fits is delineated. This process went on for hours and hours, all manner of floating thought forms being integrated into a grand edifice of understanding within my psyche. I am certain, since I have tripped before but never felt this, that the laser supercharged my neurons so that such connections could form spontaneously - the mushrooms providing the quantum leap to reach escape velocity and accelerated gains of intelligence. One widely accepted hallmark of intelligence is the ability to connect disparate pieces of information into a unified structure, to uncover (create?) the relationships between forms. In this sense the laser definitely shines (no pun intended). Another great thing is that I'm a veritable quote machine, stuff is coming to mind that I didn't even know was in there.

One thing that could trip me up if I was not as grounded as I am due to a few years of meditation practice would be delusions of grandeur. In the grip of a manic thought stream I feel almost Godlike, invincible and infallible. It is imperative to hold at the forefront of consciousness the fact that I do not have access to the fundamental ground of Being and therefore have no access to truth - what I 'see' and experience, perceptually is only a model, and what I 'experience' conceptually is but a model of that model. Truth cannot be gained from abstractions, let alone second order abstractions - this I must remind myself, so as to keep alert the healthy skeptic inside of me. For a really interesting medium length essay on these ideas see here. Anyway, one thing I have noticed is that people seem slower generally (hmmm Isochroma.. does history repeat itself?) and annoyance emerges if I am in a sleep deprived state. I want companions who can mirror and match the speed, intensity and depth of my newfound mental existence. Perhaps I need to learn to relate to people a little better - I am a highly cerebrally dominated person, I float in a sea of abstractions, which becomes a raging torrent under laser-guided energetic fluency. LF. I see you listed above as one of the points of improvement if one were to become a biochemist (or something along those lines) was to improve social skills and so on. Are there any particular resources you could recommend which might help in this?

In other news I am one of the beings who is on the NSI mailing list, and will therefore soon be combining TULIP with that drug. Updates will follow, at some time in the future when I have gauged the effects to a reasonable degree.

By the way LF, I was thinking about your plan to deliver true brain improvement to others and have a few questions...
how do you plan to go about delivering your findings to those outside the Longecity community?
how would someone not in a professional standing go about doing so?
what is the demographic you intend to reach?
Thinking about this got me interested also... imagine the advances in global consciousness and the diminishing of all related ills which would accrue from widespread use of something as potent as TULIP! Imagine the increase in ingenuity in every single scientific and philosophical discipline! Imagine the social connectivity! Not to sound too optimistic but I seriously wonder about the possibilities if this goes BIG. Yes, yes, optimism of the will pessimism of the intellect and all that. Still, I admire your commitment, and would like to help out any way I can.

Oh and by the way, how are you getting on with the addition of artichoke extract? Having been on holiday for a while I have yet to try it, am looking forward to it.

Opaque...great to hear from you man. I don't have a lot of time to write and I'll respond further to your awesome post, but I can't resist the opportunity to enjoy this moment a little. Here are a few VERY unscientific thoughts from me...very. (you get the idea, ha).

My visualizations too (mushroom-less), have been unreal. I can go into an almost altered state of concentration, build an image, and walk around in it like I'm there. The external world literally disappears and I'm...existing...in my own mental creation. Yeah, that's new for me.

You're exactly right...a huge part of intelligence (and creativity) is novel connectivity. I see connections and insights so 'effing quickly and consistently now that I can barely type fast enough to get them all down. Actually, I take that back...I CAN'T type fast enough. ha

I love that you mention quotes...isn't it amazing what's actually in our brains that we don't have access to? I can just reel off quote after quote after quote now and I'm not even trying to remember or memorize a thing. They're just there. My mom called me a 'walking encyclopedia' the other day and my sister said, 'holy crap, are you some sort of prodigy?" I enjoy the compliments...someday I'll tell them that I shoot a laser at my head every night. haha

I have SO many more stories about how this has already changed my life...acing job interviews (as far as I can tell), making REALLY hot girls laugh so hard that they introduce themselves to me at the end of the convo ("I'm Suzie, btw...what's your name?" = "I want to get to know you better"), reconnecting or deepening relationships with friends and family (it helps immensely to be able to remember hundreds of details about their lives and surprise them with random little bits of humor), etc. Um, yeah...I'm a different person.

I have noticed that I do need to slow down for people a little (I hope that doesn't sound conceited!). I can simply overwhelm them now with a blitz of ideas and stories and jokes. I usually take the deer-in-headlights look of fright on their face as a cue to back off a little. Tbh...it's one of my favorite problems that I've ever had. ha

Your thoughts on meditation and staying grounded are right on...more on this at a future time.

There's so much more to write (and I will), but I just want to say one last thing. The goal of all of this simple. In what is widely regarded as the greatest graphic novel of all time, Watchmen (major spoiler ahead!)....the 'villain' tries to create a common enemy for humanity in the form of a menacing extraterrestrial threat. This is completely unnecessary, imo. We already have thousands of common enemies...natural disasters, disease, disability, death, etc. 'IF' TULIP works as well for those of you reading this as it has for Opaque and I (nothing works for everyone), I would request that you use these newfound abilities to team up and contribute to battling these shared foes. We ARE going to win eventually...but the faster we can get there, the better.

Note 1: I could be delusional from taking a novel, untested supplement/device combo. I don't 'think' I am...but that is kind of what a delusion is. ha
Note 2: Is burnout/exhaustion coming? Not sure.
Note 3: Open question...does enhancing mitochondrial function in this manner accelerate aging? Maybe, maybe not. I don't currently have the answer. Regardless, there are certain quality of life trade-offs to consider here. For example...personally, I would be willing to live to 78 instead of 80 if it meant that I felt amazing to 78 while only average to 80. 75? I might go for this. 55? Probably not. There are MANY other ways to think through this problem, but that should give you an idea about the direction of my thinking.

Thanks for perusing my blatherings...be safe!

Oh, last thing...laser dosing and expectations. Please read the Naeser study to get an idea of how the effects gradually increase over time. ie. You're not going to morning dose on day 1 and prove the Goldbach Conjecture that night. =)

ebay laser output testing coming soon...promise. Also, if anyone else wants to test the laser/s and report back, please do! I wouldn't complain. Just google around to look for ways to do it.

[lostfalco]

For people interested in neurofeedback as a safe way to boost brain performance, Emotiv has just released a Kickstarter for a 5-channel EEG device for $199 (early-bird pricing)! For comparison current quality 2-channel device can cost between $595-$650 (http://brain-trainer...gequipment.html)!

Other Specs:
* uses dry-electrodes so there's no prep time or need for conductive gel (just put the headset on and your good to go).
* The channel locations are AF3, AF4, T7, T8, and Pz
* It measures: 'Attention, Focus, Engagement, Interest, Excitement, Affinity, Relaxation, and Stress.'
* Platforms: Windows, Max OSX, Linux, IOS, and Android'.

One drawback of the device is the channels are at fixed locations, but for the price/simplicity it's a great starting point for getting into the world of neurofeedback.

Here's the Kickstarter link: http://www.kickstart...fitness-and-per

Holy crap! Thanks for posting. I'm totally gonna have to read up that. Dr. Hill/salamandyr, what do you think of this thing? (if you're reading this =))

[Joe Cohen]

Can more people report on their experiences with LLLT....I'm seeing a lot of people getting fatigued-usually a sign the dose is too high...Also, if people can take out confounding variables like PQQ, Modafinil, etc... and test their cognitive improvement on cambridgebrainsciences that would be great...It turns out that people are remarkably bad at assessing their own cognitive performance and it's more likely that self-perception is changing rather than people's cognitive performance. Mix in the confounding variables and I just can't get myself to experiment with this.

Thanks people!

[lostfalco]

Can more people report on their experiences with LLLT....I'm seeing a lot of people getting fatigued-usually a sign the dose is too high...Also, if people can take out confounding variables like PQQ, Modafinil, etc... and test their cognitive improvement on cambridgebrainsciences that would be great...It turns out that people are remarkably bad at assessing their own cognitive performance and it's more likely that self-perception is changing rather than people's cognitive performance. Mix in the confounding variables and I just can't get myself to experiment with this.

Thanks people!

Extremely valid points Joe! I hope I've done an o.k. job at listing confounding variables (I've tried many times...I just don't want to be too obnoxious about it). =)

I know I've mentioned Kahneman about 80 times in this thread...so here's 81. http://en.wikipedia....Daniel_Kahneman

Biases and heuristics http://en.wikipedia....decision_making

And, of course Trivers' work is apropos here as well. http://en.wikipedia..../Self-deception

Actually, pretty much any cursory look at the cognitive psychology literature will do just as well. It's replete with examples.

Here's a quote from Gonzalez-Lima about the safety and efficacy of lllt. (Have you read this article yet?) =)

"Non-invasive LLLT appears to be a safe and convenient tool for mitochondrial
enhancement and together with other strategies to augment cell respiration may be part of a
comprehensive approach for treatment of neurological conditions featuring neurodegeneration
and cognitive impairment. Support of energy metabolism at the mitochondrial level may be a
fundamental neurotherapeutic strategy."

"The crossroads between modern photobiology with lasers and LEDs and
bioenergetics has the potential to lead a revolution in the way we treat brain dysfunction and
enhance cognition."

Let me know if you decide to try it...especially if you try it in a more controlled, scientific manner than I have. I'm just sharing anecdotal experience inspired by the scientific research. Nothing more. The more feedback, the better. Thanks, man.

[randomname]

this LLLT device has just been approved by the FDA for hairloss. leds+laser, $700:

http://www.medgadget...reen-light.html

[mait]

A few people have ordered an affordable PQQ/CoQ10 combo from ebay. Still waiting to hear back from them.

Hi, I ordered PQQ from eBay and have now trialed it for 2 weeks 3 times a week. For me it seems to have similar effects as the PQQ from LEF - notably insomnia if taken before bed and it has given me some extra clarity of thought as did LEF PQQ. So this offering may be legit.

[Shorty]

Thank you for reporting back, mait!

[mettmett]

Opaque and falco. I was wondering what your timing was with the supplements and lasering.

[MasterHerb]

A few people have ordered an affordable PQQ/CoQ10 combo from ebay. Still waiting to hear back from them.

Hi, I ordered PQQ from eBay and have now trialed it for 2 weeks 3 times a week. For me it seems to have similar effects as the PQQ from LEF - notably insomnia if taken before bed and it has given me some extra clarity of thought as did LEF PQQ. So this offering may be legit.

I have too noticed improved clarity of thought from using pqq/coq10 from ebay and 500mg artichoke from Jarrow so the source is legit. Just waiting on word on the laser so I can complete TULIP.

Edited by MasterHerb, 03 August 2013 - 12:20 AM.

[xks201]

Where do you point the laser falco? Why won't say a 635nM/5mW work? Or why not a 450 nM/5mW?

[alpal]

Great work Lostfalco.

I have read that reducing serotonin in autism increases iq. I have also read anecdotal reports of people with lower than average serotonin having much higher iqs. Although it is believed to be involved depression I think a method of reducing serotonin somewhat below baseline may be useful. Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

[lostfalco]

A few people have ordered an affordable PQQ/CoQ10 combo from ebay. Still waiting to hear back from them.

Hi, I ordered PQQ from eBay and have now trialed it for 2 weeks 3 times a week. For me it seems to have similar effects as the PQQ from LEF - notably insomnia if taken before bed and it has given me some extra clarity of thought as did LEF PQQ. So this offering may be legit.

Thanks Mait! That's great news. Just to confirm...you ordered this product from ebay, right? http://www.ebay.com/...=item1c350fcc64

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Capsule
Servings per Container: 100 Capsules

Amount per Serving
Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) 5 IU
Coenzyme Q10 (BioQ10SATM) 200 mg
PQQ (BioPQQTM) Pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt 20 mg
Providing Pyrroloquinoline quinone 17.65 mg

[lostfalco]

Where do you point the laser falco? Why won't say a 635nM/5mW work? Or why not a 450 nM/5mW?

Vetrolaser right before bed, multiple 10-20 EEG spots http://en.wikipedia....ki/10-20_system , 2-4 minutes per spot at MOST (I always try to err low), 2 days on 1 day off at most (sometimes less)

Gonzalez-Lima does an excellent job of explaining the dose-dependent nature of lllt as well as the evidence for a hormetic response. Summary: if too little, no effects; too much, no effects/possibly negative; just right, enhancement. More is NOT more with lllt. All is Goldilocks. http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/23806754

Read this article for more info. "Dose Response Effects of 810 nm Laser Light on Mouse Primary Cortical Neurons" http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3199299/

Summary: "Light induced a significant increase in calcium, ATP and MMP at lower fluences and a decrease at higher fluences."


Extended Summary:

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Neurons were irradiated with fluences of 0.03, 0.3, 3, 10, or 30 J/cm² of 810-nm laser delivered over varying times at 25 mW/cm² and intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide and calcium were measured using fluorescent probes within 5 minutes of the end of irradiation. The changes in mitochondrial function in response to light were studied in terms of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP).

Results

Light induced a significant increase in calcium, ATP and MMP at lower fluences and a decrease at higher fluences. ROS was significantly induced at low fluences, followed by a decrease and a second larger increase at 30 J/cm². Nitric oxide levels showed a similar pattern of a double peak but values were less significant compared to ROS.

Conclusions

The results suggest that LLLT at lower fluences is capable of inducing mediators of cell signaling processes which in turn may be responsible for the beneficial stimulatory effects of the low level laser. At higher fluences beneficial mediators are reduced and high levels of Janus-type mediators such as ROS and NO (beneficial at low concentrations and harmful at high concentrations) may be responsible for the damaging effects of high-fluence light and the overall biphasic dose response.

Edited by lostfalco, 04 August 2013 - 05:06 PM.

[lostfalco]

One very interesting study which came out. I will be very glad if someone is going to do further research/analysis:

Frequency-Dependent Enhancement of Fluid Intelligence Induced by Transcranial Oscillatory Potentials(Santarnecchi 2013)

Everyday problem solving requires the ability to go beyond experience by efficiently encoding and manipulating new information, i.e., fluid intelligence (Gf) [1]. Performance in tasks involving Gf, such as logical and abstract reasoning, has been shown to rely on distributed neural networks, with a crucial role played by prefrontal regions [2]. Synchronization of neuronal activity in the gamma band is a ubiquitous phenomenon within the brain; however, no evidence of its causal involvement in cognition exists to date [3]. Here, we show an enhancement of Gf ability in a cognitive task induced by exogenous rhythmic stimulation within the gamma band. Imperceptible alternating current [4] delivered through the scalp over the left middle frontal gyrus resulted in a frequency-specific shortening of the time required to find the correct solution in a visuospatial abstract reasoning task classically employed to measure Gf abilities (i.e., Raven’s matrices) [5]. Crucially, gamma-band stimulation (γ-tACS) selectively enhanced performance only on more complex trials involving conditional/logical reasoning. The present finding supports a direct involvement of gamma oscillatory activity in the mechanisms underlying higher-order human cognition.

http://www.sciencedi...960982213007136

It should be posted in tDCS thread too. Full article can be found here

Dude, fascinating study. Thanks man.

"Current findings show that healthy participants receiving rhythmic imperceptible currents at gamma band on the left prefrontal cortex became about 15% faster in correctly solving complex Raven’s matrices, a widely used neuropsychological instrument indexing fluid reasoning."

Edited by lostfalco, 04 August 2013 - 05:21 PM.