Let’s kickstart this blog post with a quote from the PsychonautWiki:

Nootropics (also referred to as smart drugs, neuro enhancers, and cognitive enhancers) are substances that purportedly improve cognitive functions such as memory, motivation, attention, and concentration, in healthy individuals.

So yeah. Drugs that make you think faster.

In this post, I’ll detail some of my favourites as well as ones I’ve heard of

The Classic: Amphetamines⌗

Amphetamine (also known as alpha-methylphenethylamine, amfetamine, and speed) is a classical stimulant substance of the phenethylamine class.

The pros of amphetamines:

The cons of amphetamines:

  • cuts appetite so you get tiny pretty fast
  • completely destroys your health
  • jittery feelings
  • makes you addicted

The Modest: Caffeine⌗

The pros of caffeine:

  • easy to source
  • cheap
  • works pretty well

The cons of caffeine:

  • jittery
  • tolerance and (!) dependency

The newborn: Modafinil⌗

The pros of Modafinil:

  • less jittery than Amphetamine
  • no dependency
  • okay-ish to source from online Indian pharmacy

The cons of Modafinil:

  • makes you asocial
  • side-effects: headaches; hypertension; not-so-great sleep
  • sometimes doesn’t work (specific vitamin intake may help)

Honourable mention: Armodafinil⌗

Armodafinil is a cousin of Modafinil. It feels noticeably smoother and longer-acting. Side effects are predominantly on the “fucks up your sleep” side instead of the “fucks up your heart” side.

Pros of Armodafinil:

  • less though with heart tension
  • makes you less asocial than Modafinil

The cons of Armodafinil:

  • sleep is lighter, binging multiple days in a row can be though

The Soviet: Semax⌗

Semax is a drug which is used mostly in Russia and Ukraine for a broad range of conditions but predominantly for its purported nootropic, neuroprotective, and neurorestorative properties. Semax has not been evaluated, approved for use, or marketed in most other countries.

What in the hell is this one? (you might say)

Semax works by increasing the expression of a gene that makes you want to grow neurons. I did not get the occasion to try it out yet, but I’m eagerly waiting for my order.

Pros:

  • easy-ish to source
  • almost-none-to-none side effects

Cons:

  • costly
  • not that well studied