“Not all lucid dreams are useful but they all have a sense of wonder about them. If you must sleep through a third of your life, why should you sleep through your dreams, too?” – Stephen LaBerge

(disclaimer: before taking any new supplements please consult your doctor)

Toto, I’ve a Feeling We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

“Dreams are today’s answers to tomorrow’s questions.” – Edgar Cayce

As many of you know, I am a big fan of lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming truly is one of the most amazing experiences that one can have. They literally have the power to change your perspective on life and yourself. It truly is something that everyone should experience and you wont understand the significance of it unless you experience it for your self.

Lucid dreaming is the experience of becoming self aware in the dream state, and then being able to maneuver and manipulate the dream-scape consciously. The movie “Inception” introduced the masses to lucid dreaming.

If you are new to lucid dreaming check out my introductory post which will teach you some of the main ways of inducing and navigating this fascinating world: How To Lucid Dream Easy

Recently I have begun taking several natural supplements to increase the frequency and vividness of my dreams. At first I was quite skeptical as to whether they would really be effective or not. I am now happy to report that they have indeed worked beyond my wildest dreams :).

I have been lucid dreaming for many years now and believed I had experienced what it was to have an extremely vivid dream. With the aid of these supplements the intensity, length, and vividness has been ten fold. My ability to think in the dream has dramatically improved as well. Just the other night I had a dream which lasted nearly two hours and maintained clarity of thought throughout the whole dream. I consciously went directly into the dream and consciously brought myself out of it.

Several of the following supplements I will recommend will:

Even if you are not successful in inducing a lucid dream they will dramatically enhance your dream recall.

Increase the intensity and length of your dreams beyond anything you may have ever experienced.

Help you become more self-aware while dreaming therefore allow you to explore your dream world in a meaningful way.

Please keep in mind that these supplements are meant to be just an aid to lucid dreaming. If you are serious about lucid dreaming you should learn as much as you can about inducing them all on your own.

Powerful Lucid Dreaming Supplements:

1. Galantamine: It is an alkaloid that is obtained synthetically or from the bulbs and flowers of Galanthus Caucasicus (Caucasian snowdrop, Voronov’s snowdrop) and Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily). It is commonly used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and various other memory impairments.

Galantamine is a cholinesterase inhibitor that increases the levels of active acetylcholine levels in the brain. Decreased levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine have been correlated with memory deficits. Galantamine effectively utilizes acetylcholine in the brain to maintain healthy levels critical to memory and normal cognitive functioning.

It was suggested by Duvoisin in 1983 that the mysterious magical herb moly that appears in Homer’s Odyssey is actually snowdrop.

Galantamine has a half life of 48 hours, so you should not take it more than a few times a week as you will develop a tolerance and reduce it’s effectiveness in inducing lucid dreams.

2. Choline: is a water-soluble essential nutrient. It is usually grouped within the B-complex vitamins. Choline must be consumed through the diet in order for the body to remain healthy. It is used in the synthesis of the constructional components in the body’s cell membranes.

How do I use it? Not without Galantamine. Alone, Choline does nothing in terms of dream recall and vividness. All it does is the same thing it does everyday: help make acetylcholine. But when combined with Galantamine, it intensifies the actions of Galantamine.

3. Alpha GPC: Alpha-GPC is a chemical released when a fatty acid found in soy and other plants breaks down. It is used as medicine. Alpha-GPC is also used for improving memory, thinking skills, and learning. I have found that the main benefit has been in increasing the time that I remain self aware while in my dreams.

The Tri-fecta combination: Galantamine used with choline bitartrate and Alpha-GPC can dramatically increase one’s odds of becoming lucid and increase memory consolidation during dreaming. I have had my most vivid and longest dreams using this combination.

How I use them to induce a high level lucid dream: I mainly use 4-8 mg of galantamine and 500 mg of choline as the main trigger supplement and then will alternate on each lucid dream attempt by adding ALPA GPC (300 mg), Yohimbine (0.50 mg), or Mucuna pruriens (100 mg) to the mix. By always trying a different combination it keeps my body guessing and reduces the chances of building tolerance.

My preferred method: I set my alarm 4-5 hours into my normal 7 hour sleep cycle. When my alarm goes off I take the supplements and then get up to use the bathroom. I will then read in bed for 20-30 minutes or read a script several times on the type of dream that I want to have. Then I will do a progressive relaxation excerice and attempt to do the “WILD” technique. Wild stands for Wake Induced Lucid Dreams. These techniques are unique in that they involve entering the dream state directly from waking consciousness while still maintaining consciousness and stepping directly into the dream world.

Where to get the supplements: I am currently living in South Korea, so I have been ordering my supplements through iherb.com. The prices are some of the best I have seen and their international service has been awesome. I have received my packages in about 8 days without any problems.

** Use this discount code: DUC553 to receive $5 dollars off on your first purchase.

Other Supplements To Experiment With

Yohimbine: is an alkaloid with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe. Yohimbine has been used as both an over-the-counter dietary supplement in herbal extract form and prescription medicine in pure form for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Take less than 1mg with Galantamine just before entering REM sleep.

5-HTP : is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as metabolic intermediate in the bio-synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan. As a dietary supplement it has been used as an antidepressant, appetite suppressant, and sleep aid.

5-HTP is a valuable aid in lucid dreaming because it suppresses REM sleep in the first half of the night helping you get quality deep sleep. Due to the REM-rebound effect, you will experience vivid dreams after 5-6 hours of sleep when used in conjunction with the supplements I mention above.

Featured Lucid Dreaming Kit

If this post peeked your interest, make sure you check out my friend Rebecca Turner’s concise guide to lucid dreaming as quick as possible. This is the guide I wish I had when I first became interested in lucid dreaming back when I was in middle school. It took me a lot of trial and error to figure it out on my own.

Hope you enjoyed my post, happy dreams 🙂

If you have any personal insights you would like to add, please join the conversation below and leave your comments.

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