During the Renaissance, members of the European nobility started traveling across Europe in search of culture, knowledge, and enjoyable experiences. This “Grand Tour” provided education and a great deal of happiness to nobles much like modern backpackers and nomads. For all the enjoyment, there were plenty of downsides for our ancestors and in the modern day. People in certain professional roles live on the road for hundreds of days out of the year and despite the desperate attempts to remain healthy, there are still ailments. Traveling is incredibly difficult on the immune system and creates a whole host of problems...

Thousands of years ago our ancestors had similar ideas about brain enhancement as we have today. Using the plants and herbs surrounding them, civilizations on the Indian subcontinent utilized what they could to become mentally balanced, happier, and more intelligent. These early nootropic users from what is now known as modern day India developed an entire repertoire of knowledge that helped them 5000 years ago similar to how they are effecting us now. Despite the long history of Ayurvedic medicine, very little is outdated or unusable by modern humans. In fact, many of the herbal remedies that saved lives thousands...

We've mentioned it previously, sleep is important for optimal cognitive function. Without proper sleep the brain doesn't operate at 100%, and nootropics simply are not going to make up the difference. While you may be one of those people who do not need, what most consider a full night of sleep, and can function perfectly fine on less, most of us are not that lucky. Here's the ultimate guide on getting the best night sleep possible. Of course none of the below is medical advice and should not be substituted for the advice of your primary care practitioner regarding your...

Meditation is defined on Wikipedia as “a practice in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content...or as an end in itself.” It's obvious to me from this definition that meditation is an incredibly difficult practice to accurately define. Shunryu Suzuki, a Japanese zen practitioner credited with bringing the practice to America, said that “...you become very idealistic, and you set up an ideal or goal which you strive to attain and fulfill. But as I have often said, this is absurd....

The names sums them up perfectly. Fish oil is oil that comes from fish. Krill oil is similar, but limited to only Antarctic krill (that’s a type of small crustacean). Despite being so simple in theory, fish oil and krill oil both have a major effect on the body of a human because of the Omega 3 fatty acids they contain. Getting enough of them is absolutely vital to being healthy. Here at Pure Nootropics, we all take an Omega 3 source. We've begun to think of krill oil as a slightly-superior alternative to fish oil. We’ll talk about the...

Nootropic: L-theanine L-theanine is an amino acid that comes from green tea.  The combination of caffeine and l-theanine is what powers our 1-2-Go energy/focus booster. This powerful combination of caffeine and l-theanine in a 1:2 ratio respectively has been studied and shown to reduce susceptibility to distraction and increase alertness.   Jitters: L-theanine helps to control the jittery feeling that you get when you either have a low caffeine tolerance or have a tolerance but take a lot at once (multiple cups of coffee or tea within a few hours). Poor sleep: some have trouble sleeping after taking caffeine, even if...

How To Lucid Dream & What You Need To Know We’re not exaggerating, here - lucid dreaming is being conscious during your dream and being able to do anything that your mind can imagine. It’s the ability to control your dreams. And usually, with it comes a deep, overwhelming sense of euphoria. Lucid dreaming is very intriguing and has been talked about (and utilized) by people like James Cameron, Christopher Nolan (director of Inception), Stephen King, and more. From a biohacking perspective, lucid dreaming is especially intriguing because an individual has multiple dreams every night, and thus multiple opportunities to...

The word nootropic is derived from the greek words noos, meaning mind, and trope, meaning turning. In essence, nootropic perform one function: they “turn” your mind to boost your cognitive abilities and make your mental state better in some way, shape, or form. Different groups classify different drugs, chemicals, or supplements as nootropics, but for the most part, everyone agrees that nootropics have two defining characteristics: 1. They improve your cognitive abilities; and 2. They have very few or no side effects when used in the recommended dosages. Keep in mind that nootropics are not vitamins or minerals. Usually, they’re...

Parties of all kinds have been a long part of human history. Tribal gatherings were prevalent before “civilization”, the Greeks and Romans drank more wine than water, and the Medieval ages saw the rise of liquor, beer, and other intoxicants to help people enjoy themselves. The human body is one of the ultimate survival mechanisms forged from millions of years of evolution. Nonetheless, functioning optimal and merely surviving after a party are two different things. For those who want to be able to get things done, feel better, and reduce the side effects, this nootropics guide can help through three...

Entering the world of neuro enhancement is fun and rewarding, but nootropics aren’t necessarily the first place that you start. Your brain functions optimally with certain chemical balances, but diet plays a huge role in neurotransmitter regulation. In the case of enhancing your cognitive ability, remembering and learning better, choline is a great nutrient to include in your diet in adequate amounts. There are plenty of food sources (more below) that provide choline, but often need to supplement with a bit more. What follows is a beginners guide to help you understand choline from a practical perspective, how it may...

There are countless studies on the efficacy of nootropics, and racetams in particular, but there is an individualist element missing from all of these. Whether nootropics can improve cognitive ability in rats or even large groups of other people might make it worthwhile to try it yourself. However, without an understanding of whether or not the nootropics are actually improving your brain, it becomes difficult to justify the continued expenditure. Due to great technological advancements, it is possible to track your own cognitive improvement from the comfort of your home. What follows is a tutorial for using specific online tools...