Thread: SMOKING. Tobbaco and possible negative effects on Lucid Dreaming?

Originally Posted by Sir Mark

However, according to a friendly psychiatrist I know (along with some reading I've done on the topic) nicotine receptors in the brain are separate and distinct from acetycholine receptors.

Well, that contradicts everything I've read on the subject, which says that nicotinic receptors are a subtype of acetylcholine receptors. So it would be interesting if you could provide some citations for these claims.

Smoking does not affect production or re-uptake of acetycholine.

I think that's correct, but do you dispute that nicotine is an acetylcholine agonist?

Originally Posted by Thor

Well, that contradicts everything I've read on the subject, which says that nicotinic receptors are a subtype of acetylcholine receptors. So it would be interesting if you could provide some citations for these claims.



I think that's correct, but do you dispute that nicotine is an acetylcholine agonist?

I stand corrected. Yes, it would seem that nicotonic receptors ARE a subtype of acetycholine receptor. I'll have to have another chat with my buddy the psychiatrist.

No, I don't.

As a smoker of many years, if the information in Yuschak's book is correct, I have damaged those receptors longterm. I've tried the Galantamine/Choline combination with limited success in regard to lucidity. I tend to believe that maybe it is due to my smoking. Therefore, I am going to refocus my supplement regimen to focus on REM suppresion/rebound and dopamine enhancement, hopefully bypassing the damage done by my lifestyle choices to achieve higher level LD's.

Im sure that any damage can be undone.
Probably just by giving up and giving your body time to adapt to living without nicotine. I expect once you no longer crave nicotine it would mean that the receptors are starting to heal.

Originally Posted by Sir Mark

As a smoker of many years, if the information in Yuschak's book is correct, I have damaged those receptors longterm. I've tried the Galantamine/Choline combination with limited success in regard to lucidity. I tend to believe that maybe it is due to my smoking. Therefore, I am going to refocus my supplement regimen to focus on REM suppresion/rebound and dopamine enhancement, hopefully bypassing the damage done by my lifestyle choices to achieve higher level LD's.

If it may be any consolation to you, I used to smoke too (though that was many years ago and lasted for only two years), but it hasn't prevented me from having lucid dreams today. I've had many lucids with supplements and even some without them. In fact, the most successful supplement for me has been nicotine patches. So maybe it suggests that the long term desensitation of nicotinic receptors is reversible.

Originally Posted by Sir Mark

I stand corrected. Yes, it would seem that nicotonic receptors ARE a subtype of acetycholine receptor. I'll have to have another chat with my buddy the psychiatrist.

No, I don't.

As a smoker of many years, if the information in Yuschak's book is correct, I have damaged those receptors longterm. I've tried the Galantamine/Choline combination with limited success in regard to lucidity. I tend to believe that maybe it is due to my smoking. Therefore, I am going to refocus my supplement regimen to focus on REM suppresion/rebound and dopamine enhancement, hopefully bypassing the damage done by my lifestyle choices to achieve higher level LD's.

Okay, call me stupid but I don't know if trying reverse effects done by 20 years of smoking, while still smoking will really work. Good luck though.

My guess would be that after you stop craving, that would probably be a sign that desensitisation is reversing. As i'd guess that means that your brain chemistry is returning to its normal levels and not expecting an external source of nicotine, so presumably the receptors would highten sensitivity and return to "normal."

Seems to make sense.
I'd also expect that during quitting that lucid dreaming would probably not happen.

Smoking tobacco is clearly only for total bad asses.

Other than tobacco, the leaf of every other plant on earth tastes like shit, burns your throat and has no substantial pleasurable effects. Then there is tobacco, tastes amazing, smoother than air, and has a wide range of beneficial psychoactive effects. Call it coincidence, but to me its a gift.

For me it works wonders for my ADD, anxiety, memory, energy, and mood. Not to mention its the greatest LD enhancer.

Heres some links about the neuroprotective and nootropic effects of nicotine.


NEUROPROTECTION:

A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR NICOTINE’S NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECT
Nicotine's protective effect against neurodegenerative disorders
Investigating the Receptor-independent Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Nicotine in Mitochondria
Study Supports New Theory For Nicotine's Protective Effect Against Neurodegenerative Disorders
Neuroprotective Effects of Nicotine Against Salsolinolinduced
New Theory On How Nicotine Protects The Brain
Cigarette Smoking May Lower Rates of Neurodegenerative Diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's


NOOTROPIC EFFECTS:

Mechanism of nicotine's learning effects explored
Nicotine Metabolite May Improve Memory, Protect Against Disease
Nicotine-Like Drugs Can Enhance Learning, Memory In Rat Model Of Alzheimer's Disease
NEW STUDIES FIND THAT NICOTINE, OR A SIMILAR SUBSTANCE, MAY IMPROVE MEMORY AND PROTECT AGAINST DISEASE; ONE DAY MAY FIND USE AS TREATMENT FOR DISORDERS
Nicotinic effects on cognitive function: behavioral
characterization, pharmacological specification,
and anatomic localization
Nicotine Linked to Enhanced Memory
Nicotine for Memory Loss
Chronic nicotine improves working and reference memory performance
and reduces hippocampal NGF in aged female rats


Theres many more studies supporting the benefits of nicotine.

Ofcourse it can be harmful to your body, but like with all things if you just use it moderately the risks are reduced to almost nothing.

It's not the nicotine that is so harmful, although it is a poison and can kill at low dosages. The main problems are all the other chemicals that go along with cigarettes, including the tar and carbon monoxide just to name two out of thousands.

Originally Posted by Fiddler's Green

It's not the nicotine that is so harmful, although it is a poison and can kill at low dosages. The main problems are all the other chemicals that go along with cigarettes, including the tar and carbon monoxide just to name two out of thousands.

Like I said, moderation is key.

Tons of things we consume are harmful, toxic, carcinogenic, etc. like cane sugar, fried/grilled food, coffee, the computer you are typing on, medications, fats, etc.. It doesn't mean you should completely avoid them, just don't overdue it.

I don't smoke, so I don't really pay attention to it and I can't really add anything.

But I've read about this a lot on DV and I'm thinking of using it to help my mom quit smoking Hopefully since nothing else motivates her, her love of LDing will do the job Plus from a behavioral aspect she could probably smoke in LDs and get the same relaxing effect hahaha

I agree, but most of those things you just mentioned I could not use to make an easy poison. It only takes about 50mg of nicotine to drop a person. Now I'm not going to explain how readers could extract that tiny amount of nicotine, suffice to say that it is very easy.