Jump to content
The Corroboree
Sign in to follow this  
apothecary

Rebooting to original state

Recommended Posts

When something fucks up on one of my computers, the first thing I will usually do is "reboot" the something, to get it back to its original state.

Can we have a discussion about doing this with ones body? Mine isn't really fucked up per se, but I would like to reset everything to the way it "should" be to get a better look at where I am messing things up currently.

Does that make sense? Once I know what is "right" I can see what I was doing "wrong" before. I use those two strong words (right/wrong) with caution.

Some ideas I have had so far include

* regulating sleep cycle properly, so I'm not up late every night and sleeping in every morning (thank god my boss doesn't care when I turn up).

* eating a balanced diet

* quitting smoking of all kinds

** and a sub point to this is trying to figure out a way to "realign" (for want of a better word) my dopamine system from all the pot smoking I've been doing. (and hence moderate my pot smoking afterwards)

* trying to excersise regularly

Now you may be thinking "that's really it, diet excersise and good sleep is all you need!" but there are other points that have me interested.

I hear disassociatives like Ketamine are good for "reprogramming" your brain, would such reprogramming assist in this case, and do other disassociatives like DXM work for the same thing?

What about herbs and plants (I noticed gom has some really cool stuff on his site recently) that can help me along my way quicker, give me more energy (yeah I've read plenty about energising herbs already) or motivate me more, help change my outlook on things to be more positive (i.e. some stuff gives a refreshed afterglow the morning after).

Other points like what is the best way to ensure you are sleepy (and not perky) at the appropriate time to go to bed. I imagine diet would have an effect on this too. I remember Darklight wrote a really good post on the topic, but more info can't hurt!

I've also found keeping projects on hand to keep me busy help greatly (to keep me motivated) too. At the moment I'm compiling a pile of info from the forums for a huge update to the ethnowiki, I am slowly attempting to relearn Latin, and am trying to learn the Harmonica.

Even just small affirmations or sayings help the state of mind greatly, I remember reading the artful prose "Desiderata' that Bacchus posted, and it really set my mind soaring. I have printed out several copies and plan to stick it all over my room.

I want to be the best and most I can be, and squeeze every droplet of sweet nectary life out of the fruit I was given. Any help thrown my way would be much appreciated :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

because we are the sum of our experiences, the only way to reboot would be to delete all memory. who will breast/bottle feed you and change your nappies then? :P

for what you are trying to do the best option si probably ibogaine. that's really what it does and why it works for fixing so many unrelated things.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
who will breast/bottle feed you and change your nappies then? :P

Is that an offer? I would be honoured :lol:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We're more like the sum of all the effects of our experiences :wink:

CBT and tie-cutting therapies are designed to patch and update the old software but fall a little short of a cold reboot.

Something like an NDE or a massive heroic dose might be like 'system restore' though :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Is that an offer? I would be honoured :lol:

LOL, you just like the idea of wearing nappies :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i just lost my post as i am downloading win updates...

i think, re booting isn't good enough, you have to re format and delete all partitions and re install!

iboga is proly the best, followed by aya.

aya feels like re birthing, one has to learn to drink (even a tiny bit of water burns like acid) and eat (halfe a cornchip takes 15min to swallow) again. all your, "oh i love to get stoned" is ego shit, and the aya will remove all your ego and make you realize what the ego realy is.

the ego is very important for survival, but it's the thing that is never realy satisfied.

you have to re program the inprint in your brain which tells you oh life is so much cooler if i am doped. because it's not true and only a PATTERN YOU GOT USED TOO.

CHANGE THE PATTERN. nothing is important, just be.

comming of cannabis is a wonderfull thing, everything suddenly becomes so real and you become hyperactive. don't worry if you can't sleep and you feel some physical withdrawl, the non sleeping is cool as it feels like you are on an upper and the physical withdrawl can almost be nice too, ahh you bastard i can feel you leaving my body, every day i win more and more and soon i will BE FREE.

the psychological withdrawl is much harder to deal with, for example the body gets triggered into drug taking behavior simply by circumstances, like entering a night club, ormeeting with your friends.to overcome this occurence, one has to re program with affirmations like, i still like going to the pub, but now that i don't smoke my lungs feel so much better and lighter. or i like the pub, but drinking alco is something i left behind, as i am much better off with a clear head, no hang over and more money in my pocket (visualize how the other people in the pub take over your share of drinking alco).

please don't get me wrong, i still love taking drugs once in a while, but i am no more an addict!

and the drugs i had a problem with, i said good bye to, and know i will hardly ever touch them again because i know it's a one way ticket to the blues.

mind and willpower is all you need, forget nicotin patches and substitutes.

SAY TO YOURSELFE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, I WILL STOPP IT, I WILL BE FREE AGAIN, or make up you own affirmation, go and brainwash yourselfe with those phrases, as you bloody would have said thousand of times, oh i am dieing for a smoke, ahh that will cheer me up, mate you have to compensate for that....

DO IT.

I AM FREE.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've always found excercise a key. I would put it near the top of the list, not the bottom. It makes one automatically crave good food and drink more water, stimulates the mind, encourages better sleep, seems to flush the body because of all the muscle, metabolism and circulation stimulation and minimises unhealthy temptations. You feel better, you look better, you are better. I find it easier to pull out of something I enjoy but know is ultimately bad for me because Im replacing it with the positive addiction of fitness. Excercise can also release all sorts of yummy endorphins, adrenalin and dopamine chemicals in the brain - get high for free while improving your health. Why reboot when you can rebuild, add some cpu, increase the ram, shave the size of your desktop and get a nice looking monitor.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There's lots of little things i could suggest for the different aspects you want to smooth out, but these are all symptoms of something deeper, so i fully agree a psychedelic approach, to address the core issues, would be the most beneficial and transformational.

However in regards to getting off pot and helping regulate sleep - i have to mention Melatonin. As you probably already know this is severely depleted by mj consumption. This is why that first night you stop smoking, sleep is such a tricky thing, and the next night when your resources come back, sometimes the night after, dreams are so vivid and powerful. When you take melatonin as a supplement dreams are like this (which may or may not be desirable, but i really enjoy it, personally!)..

In my experience, the morning after i take it, i wake up much earlier than i usually do (morning sleeper also), and even if i have not gotten as many hours sleep sometimes, still feel like i have had a full mental and bodily rest, i feel refreshed and have a very serotonergic like peace when i get up (pretty sure increased melatonin means increased serotonin also?).

You can get more melatonin for you money by shipping it in from the us, though you may have to deal with customs.. however the best stuff i have ever had i found in the shop "Conscious Dreams" in Amsterdam last year. Its called "Melatomatine". The tablets actually smell like tomatoes! The entire packaging is in Dutch so i don't know a lot about it, but the ingredients i can translate are interesting, there's vit c, magnesium and tryptophan in them.. the interesting thing is they refer to the melatonin as "Tomatenextract" ... so like.. is melatonin extracted from tomatoes or what? anyone know?

Yeah ahh okay and i can't resist mentioning another neurotransmitter supp ^_^ --- for dopamine - L - Dopa extract from Mucuna Pruriens. (You may remember this is what Robin Williams' character gave to the coma patients in 'Awakenings' to wake them up!) Its pretty powerful stuff.. i felt it rewired my whole system, gave a huge sustained energy boost, felt truly *alive* on it. Also, interestingly, while on it i wasn't attracted to cigarettes at all and when i did smoke i couldn't finish them!

Got it from "S.A.S Labs" in the U.S. no probs importing, though i have no idea on the regulations regarding it (i don't know if anyone really does).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

thats a good post planthelper.

i quit cannabis and i felt great - did my exams, got on holidays, tried a little biit at the start again and it went right back to three or so times a week eventually. now i am getting back off of it again. been 5 days so far. i am recognising all the feelings etc and am slowly getting stronger again. what sold it for me is how much i cant handle weights etc when i have been smoking - i have no energy etc.

i have posted a thread in the chill space about qi gong (chi kung). thats my latest thing to help build my energy and increase my health. i used to do a bit of kung fu and encountered it there. its great stuff - you feel really good after.

i eat pretty healthy generally so thats kinda covered - never got into junk food.

also gonna try and get into yoga etc again. there is a place for learning near by but also bought book called "light on yoga" by BKS Lyengar which is meant to be a classic.

if you are looking for more exciting ways to exercise there is always le parkour which a mate of mine is getting into.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

botanika, the ideas listed weren't so much in order of importance as stream of conciousness :P

Thanks for the post Being, I am aware of melatonin but in this case it slipped my mind. I haven't smoked at all since Monday, but I have never found abstaining from the ganja to not let me sleep (although many people say they have trouble in this area). My main problem sleeping is to pull myself away from the computer or book and actually go to bed! :P

As for the rush of bizarre dreams after stopping smoking, yes I love these too, I seem to remember one from when I stopped smoking before exams, that had zombies, a pirate ship (and related pirate rafts and such) and various whacky hijinks.

For the matter of actually purchasing it, one would require the invention called money, of which I am always shorter than I would prefer. I have resolved however to begin eating lots of tryptophan rich foods, tryptophan of course being a precursor to melatonin.

This http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-B00001-01c20mk.html website says for every 110g of sundried tomatoes, there are 40.7mg of tryptophan.

Evening Primrose oil is also meant to be high in tryptophan.

And lastly, L-Dopamine. This is a subject I am very interested in, the whole dopaminergic thing, I am growing my own Mucuna vine, and plan to dig into the broad beans in the meantime.

From an economic and nutritional point of view, I reckon it is better to eat food containing goodies rather than pills, and also it's probably all I can afford :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
botanika, the ideas listed weren't so much in order of importance as stream of conciousness :P

Streams of conciousness are great, would never want to redirect your flow ;) Just meant that excercise should be fundamental to any quest for health improvement and I think its more of a priority than supplements. You can put good oil into a datsun but it will never be a porsche if you know what I mean.

That said, a few people at work take melatonin when travelling across the pacific on long flights. They swear by it. If your growing your own sources of natural supplements, then your helping a lot more than just yourself but helping local small business nurseries, plant suppliers, us here on the forum and keeping profits away from mega pharmacuetical and nutrition corporations :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In regard to smoking hooch - I've found its effects change with experience of use, situation/context and mental issues versus pyhsical issues. Its really subjective. I envy people who can only smoke 2 or 3 times a week or every now and again. If I've got it I smoke it. To be off it I have to not have any around.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

hahahahhaha

\

who here hasnt played the justification game?

i smoked last night i may as well smoke tonight

this movie will be good but it will be even better if im stoned

this food looks tasty but imagine how tasty it will be if im stoned

thats a sweet album i would like to hear it stoned

those are my main excuses :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
i smoked last night i may as well smoke tonight

LOL... I think I've been using that one for the last 10 years

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

website says for every 110g of sundried tomatoes, there are 40.7mg of tryptophan.

That's really quite negligible. The problem with tryptophan is absorption. It shares the sam absorption pathway as 4 other more common amino acids and these others ones all have priority over tryptophan. Thus, a high protein diet will leave you starving of tryptophan. Also, a high protein meal such as an egg, which is packed with tryptophan, is almost useless because of the rest of the protein.

For some reason the high protein issues do not apply to salmon. I don't know why. There must be something in salmon that helps to absorb the tryptophan.

Evening Primrose oil is also meant to be high in tryptophan.

I doubt it. It is however high in some oil that apparently helps in the absorption or metabolism of tryptophan. Can't remember - most of it is hype.

And lastly, L-Dopamine. This is a subject I am very interested in, the whole dopaminergic thing, I am growing my own Mucuna vine, and plan to dig into the broad beans in the meantime.

I've got some mucuna extract I can't get much effect from myself. Others have said it is potent though. I can send you some to play with and to get feedback.

From an economic and nutritional point of view, I reckon it is better to eat food containing goodies rather than pills, and also it's probably all I can afford :P

I think food is much more important than supplements. Our bodies prefer to obtain precursors and slowly metabolise them into all sorts of goodies, rather than being given a forced amount. Health is about balance and how can you achieve balance if you create a rollercoaster ride with supplements. Sure, supplements are good for acute problems, but for chronic issues foods are much better - if you have the knowledge, patience and persistence.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Melatomatine:

300 mg Tomatenextract (0,1 mg Melatonine)

55 mg Vitamine C 92%

9 mg Vitamine E 90%

4 mg Bètacaroteen

0.1mg of melatonin is VERY little!!!! 3mg is usually the standard, but many people take 6 or 9 or more.

Maybe you are getting most of the effect from the other goodies in this product. I presume the tomato extract also contains large amounts of lycopene, which would be the main reason for taking it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Re tryptophan absorbtion I heard the same thing but there is a uh...method to the madness? If I recall correctly, tryptophan rich food + high carb meal allows tryptophan to be absorbed, but tryptophan rich food + high protein gives a tyrosine kick instead.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T042400.asp

Eating carbohydrates with tryptophan-containing foods makes this calming amino acid more available to the brain. A high carbohydrate meal stimulates the release of insulin, which helps clear from the bloodstream those amino acids that compete with tryptophan, allowing more of this natural sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain and manufacture sleep- inducing substances, such as serotonin and melatonin. Eating a high-protein meal without accompanying carbohydrates may keep you awake, since protein-rich foods also contain the amino acid, tyrosine, which perks up the brain.

To understand how tryptophan and carbohydrates work together to relax you, picture the various amino acids from protein foods as passengers on a bus. A busload containing tryptophan and tyrosine arrives at the brain cells. If more tyrosine "passengers" get off the bus and enter the brain cells, neuroactivity will rev up. If more tryptophan amino acids get off the bus, the brain will calm down. Along comes some insulin which has been stalking carbohydrates in the bloodstream. Insulin keeps the tyrosine amino acids on the bus, allowing the brain-calming tryptophan effect to be higher than the effect of the brain-revving tyrosine.

I am more interested in eggs for their choline content actually :wink:

Re tryptophan in Evening Primrose. I just did some reading on scholar.google.com and it seems you are most likely right, from what I now understand, the oil is just high in vitamin B6, which is a cofactor in tryptophan (and tyrosine) biosynthesis, which is where all the hype probably came from.

Re mucuna bioassays, I would be honoured. I am am soon placing an order for more v. utilis because I feel very drawn to this plant and want more of them, so you can send it along with that :D. Thankyou.

On a different note, does anyone know about sub "active" doses of Acorus daily would do? Not enough to get vertigo hopefully but something to keep you sharp. Does one gain tolerance to daily use because of the indolic nature of the alkaloid(s)?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Being I totally agree.

PH has some pearls of wisdom there too especially with the affirmations etc.To fine-tune this make sure to use positive words other than ones like don't,stop,can't,won't etc as the subconscious responds better to words that conjour images and symbols especially positive ones.It doesn't register(or like)negative descriptions and can actually reinforce the behaviour you are trying to defeat...for example "I (don't) want (to) smoke (any)more" becomes "I want smoke more" to the subconscious mind.

It's much more effective to say "Being smoke-free (is) healthy (for) me"

Torsten, I found Barramundi to be a real feel-good night time meal for sleep as well.A 200g piece with some carbs like mash or a rice-verm type stirfry veeery much like 1.5mg melatonin so there may be something in the oils of these fish too???either alone or the way tryptophan is utilised by the body with the omega oils???

On the melatonin 1.5mg is sufficient enough to put me to sleep and the subsequent dreams are amazingly vivid.I somehow seem to see more and more lately the relationship between feeling happier and more alive and having an interactive memorable and understandable dreamlife.

Hmmm Apoth you dreamed of zombies,pirates,ships and rafts.

The water symbolises your unconscious mind,pirates..rape and pilage,and zombies are mindless beings right???

Ships much like yourself can be directed and steered if you will,pirates take posession of the 'vessel' and steal the cargo.Usually rafts are for escape but are hard to control being subject to the will of the sea.In this scenario It's clear to me the subconscious was trying to reach you through it's only language......Symbolism.

Luckily your starting to want change so at least you're acting on the message :wink:

p.s. I can sling you some melatonin for some COG :D

edit:bugger me Apoth your last post went up as I was posting.So the carbs do the job with tryptophan rich foods..interesting :-)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Absolutely agree with the more holistic approach to chronic health issues, wasn't trying to imply that supplements are any kind of 'cure', but that in my experience they can be useful. Where my post was coming from was mainly addressing the depletions caused by pot use. And in the case of recovery from pot, in my experience these concentrated amounts are more effective than trying to squeeze them out of masses of food for the same healing effect.

And i also think its great if you grow your own (not trying to push any corporations :blush:)

Sounds like you have decided to take an important step in truly caring for yourself, apothecary, something we all need to face up to at some point, good luck! :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Aww shit mesc!

I have a CD right next to me thats labelled "Music for Mesc"...full of illegal zombie mp3 ripping pirate music, all the cog and tool you could want. I even still have the address you pmd me.

I feel bad now, I keep forgetting to send them, expect it within a week and please remind me if I forget! : :blush:

This is a great discussion guys, I am enjoying it thoroughly.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Melatomatine:

300 mg Tomatenextract (0,1 mg Melatonine)

55 mg Vitamine C 92%

9 mg Vitamine E 90%

4 mg Bètacaroteen

0.1mg of melatonin is VERY little!!!! 3mg is usually the standard, but many people take 6 or 9 or more.

Maybe you are getting most of the effect from the other goodies in this product. I presume the tomato extract also contains large amounts of lycopene, which would be the main reason for taking it.

Wow! that really does surprise me. Thanks for that. The bracketed part isn't on the packaging i have here, though maybe i'm just getting lost in the crazy dutch language..

I get a very similar reaction to these as i do to pure melatonin, much better and i thought it may have been the extra tryptophan.. it does feel like the main effect is melatonin though, based on the rapid relaxation and fall into sleep, and particularly the heightened dream state. Perhaps a higher dose is not necessary? I've taken some 'homoeopathic' melatonin tablets (3mg 6x per tab) and even only two of these does the trick. Perhaps stimulating the release is enough?

Didn't know too much about lycopene, did a quick search and the info mostly suggests prevention of cancer, are there other benefits to this?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On a different note, does anyone know about sub "active" doses of Acorus daily would do? Not enough to get vertigo hopefully but something to keep you sharp. Does one gain tolerance to daily use because of the indolic nature of the alkaloid(s)?

We've been there before Apoth - asarone and it's metabolic amines are NOT indoles.

No idea about chronic use, although keep in mind the caution about the possible carcinogenicity of allylbenzenes.

Torsten, I found Barramundi to be a real feel-good night time meal for sleep as well.A 200g piece with some carbs like mash or a rice-verm type stirfry veeery much like 1.5mg melatonin so there may be something in the oils of these fish too???

Yes, quite a few types of fish can have this effect. Salmon tops the list by far, but Tuna and Barramundi work too. Flake & whiting don't in my experience, so the cheap fish n' chips at the pub probably aren't the solution.

Where my post was coming from was mainly addressing the depletions caused by pot use.

Sorry Being, that was just a generalisation on my part. Obviously when the balance has been upset in a dramatic way then supplements are very important for the immediate balance.

The bracketed part isn't on the packaging i have here

I googled a website that sells it and that's what it said on the label.

shit, lightning - gotta go

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

mesc - I'm also noticing the relation of dreaming and general wellbeing in my life. I feel as well as the psychological aspects, the body actually being in the REM state for, what i experience as longer periods of time* -hence a deeper relaxation, does wonders for the entire system.

On that note i wonder how and why the neurotransmitter balance seems so different during morning dreams.. (could sunlight have a part to play?) the dreams i have when i'm awoken in the morning and go back to sleep are truly amazing, So vivid, So bizarre, usually So much fun! Its funny, thinking about it they usually always involve going on some kind of adventure! :D

*or at least of recalled experience - anyone know more about this? whether REM can actually be extended? i know there are cycles and that state is only part of the entire sleep process, i vaguely remember some chart showing the different stages labeled with specific durations..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There was a study done on the effects of sleep deprivation and or/the REM state on consciousness and there were 2 groups studied in this case.Each were awoken at intervals throughout the night,one group as they entered REM state via noticing eye movement, the other at random but both groups missed the same amount of sleep per night regardless.

Of the 2 groups one group started exhibiting schizophrenic behaviour within a week whilst the others were just tired and a bit shitty.

One guess as to which was which :wink:

My best days are always when I feel someone has just finished telling me something important as I awaken...almost like a "thanks for that talk mate ,you understand what I mean don't you?...you have a nice day alright?"and then you shake hands and skip off down the street awakening slowly back to reality with some feeling of purpose and worth.

The dream state consists the bus trip,assembly,classroom and playground of the subconscious mind as the 'you'.When the body is asleep and the ego is no longer a dominant part of your physical world it becomes an impressionable child and craves nutrition,education and recreation.This occurs through seemingly random symbolism or strange scenarios.Much like the fractal patterns we all know too well and try to relate that they talk to us yet the conscious mind can't fathom nor explain to another.

Psychologically or 'ego'logically, we fall into imbalance when we skip class too often especially through partying too often and not entering the REM state each day.Inevitably we have to go back and repeat class, sometimes with a different teacher,classroom or method but the message is the same until we get it...ever had a repetative dream before :wink:

There are basically 3 types of dreams:

1)Prophetic.Which become apparent if remembered or otherwise if not then passed off as De'ja vue.

2)Those directly inspired by life's immediate events i.e.horror film seen that night or PTSD related reliving of horrific events like veterans or child /sexual abuse sufferers.

3)Sorting out your own shit dreams!!

The waking state requires a lot of 'ego' simply to function in a world where not everyone has the best intentions towards us.

The 'ego' is not your enemy nor can it be destroyed forever(as yet!!!).It is a self-preserving living and essential mechanism and also the reason you can function in society and how you do it.It is easily conditioned by simply dividing experience into good and bad and executing a program based on that logic...not that different from a computers binary processes 1 or 0!

Becoming conscious of your dreamlife is a way of meta-programming your life and is as simple as forming a physical ritual before bedtime which is easy on the ego as it likes habits.Since the unconscious mind responds to symbols and rituals in the same way as Pavlov's dog you can prepare to remember and interact with your dreamlife simply by placing a dream diary,lamp and pen beside your bed each night looking at these items and consciously thinking:

"When I finish dreaming tonight I will turn on the lamp and write down what happened immediately"

Make sure you write down the cast,setting and props as well as your emotional feelings, kind of like a quick movie review because you won't have much time if you start to think :wink:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×