Cognitive improvement thread

cont'd

>the excel spreadsheet has LOTS of things in it, like duration of sleep, number of sleep cycles, calories, weight, amount of protein, carbs, fat, amount of supplements along with the times i took the supplements with a function that calculated how mcuh is left in my body using their individual half-lifes, etc.
>most important thing though is the amount of time i studied, i would enter that in for every day, and have a column for the average time and a column for the cumulative time studied.

i took the mcat 4ish years after i graduated, so i had to re-learn everything. but this was a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to view everything as a beginner and new.

i went through threads on sdn and made a spreadsheet of the study habits of people who scored in the 99th percentile, and they all averaged 700-1000 cumulative hours of studying.

when i took the exam, i had 600 cumulative hours. this i think is mostly because i used ANKI.

>after studying and inputting data into excel, i would go outside and actually smoke weed.
>i would come home and answer MCAT study questions on sdn and other forums, which was a relaxing way to do something that i had completely immersed myself in. i don't necessarily recommend the weed, but that's just something i like to do as a reward/come-down from such a productive day.

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also, i should mention that if i was completely sick of looking at MCAT stuff, i would do things like use mental math apps, riddles, brain teasers, puzzles, etc. i would think about them for weeks, as somethign to think about if i was bored.

also, i am a private tutor and standardized tests are my forte. 2350 on the SAT, 177 on the LSAT, the list goes on. i learn a LOT when i teach others because it forces you to really understand the material in the simplest way possible, and to nudge your student in the right direction so he/she can come across the answer him/herself and thsi gives them confidence in their self-efficacy.

also, i took practice tests in a different way.

i didn't need any practice in the verbal section because i already maxed that out from doing probbaly like 1000 verbal passages in numerous tests in my tutoring career. so when taking practice mcats, i would do the physical sciences section and biological sciences section only, but i would do three in a row.

this deflated my average sample test scores, which made my actual test score really fucking high.

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things like the excel spreadsheets i made, and other strategies i use in my private tutoring. i actually get paid $100/hr. minimum for specialty students in the city i live in. it's all untaxed and quite awesome.

>private tutoring
what do you do when tutoring a total brainlet?

Smoking weed didn't give you brain fog at all?

i don't believe in that term. i learn about my student's personality and interests and i'm relate able. i do a lot more than tutoring actually, more mentoring and life coaching. for instance when tutoring this HS kid for the SAT vocab, he had an interest in rapping, so i recommended some albums/rappers with high vocabulary. i also like to give my students very hard problems without telling them that they are very hard problems, and you'd be fucking surprised how intuitive they can be.

it made me high. i like to think of it as taking everything i learned that day and turning it into its gaseous state while i think about it laterally. i also would just think about things around me like photons coming from my red lamp and how that would affect the colors observed (how green ink would appear, how red ink, etc). it is a pleasurable thing for me personally, and if i didn't smoke weed i wouldn't be doing work at that time anyway, so it's a nice way to decompress.

i've smoked weed every single night for about a decade. i have no long term side effects. my memory is very good.

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i also believe in journaling. i also make my students do this. i think thoughtful self-reflection is key. you can ask me what i was doing on any date in the past 7 years. every journal entry i make, i make additional rows that state what i was doing on this very day one year ago, two years ago,etc.

goals should be concrete and measurable.

If you're so dedicated to self-improvement and have knowledge of 'high vocabulary', why is your typing so poor?

Confirmed brainlet

because i'm typing on a laotian basket weaving forum as an anonymous person who gives no shits about my typing especially because i'm offering advice to a thread asking for said advice.

and i never said i had knowledge of "high vocabulary" but i do. i have words. the best words.

How can you do mentally stressing work after exercising? After my workouts/runs I am basically trashed and done with any productive work for the day and just wanna lie in a bed etc. (This is why I exercise in the evening)
If I try to do math or w/e after exercising, I just get brain fog and its gg

my workouts aren't that strenuous at all. strength training is as taxing as you make it and i don't have a rigorous cardio routine. imo the hardest part is getting out of bed in the morning and getting back to work after i come home

Regardless of whether you're on an Albanian apple picking forum or not it simply shows bad habits as the majority of people at least bother to maintain some semblance of cogent English regardless of whether they are tired or not, because they don't have poor typing habits.
The fact you do, despite being a supposed tutor and such a great student makes those claims awfully spurious.

>so i recommended some albums/rappers with high vocabulary.
To do this, you would have personally had to have had knowledge of what 'high vocabulary' was.
Which is why I drew the assumption:
>and have knowledge of 'high vocabulary'

In conclusion, you're pretty slow for such an 'elite' tutor.

I've read a bit about meditation and it seems intriguing. Does anyone have any good links to resources or tips?

>keep sketchbook for drawing concepts
>daily journal and self-reflection
>keep track of performance, mood, intake on spreadsheet
>answer people's questions on forums in related subject of study
>daily aerobic exercise
>flashcards

Saved. Thank you for typing this all out. I do all of these things and it is good to know there are other people out there doing the same and finding benefit from them.

I currently walk about 4-5 miles a day. Would jogging the miles give any significantly greater benefit? I also do heavy weight lifting and am skeptical of your claim that it is not as beneficial for performance. I have a lot of trouble focusing but after hitting the bar my mind is calm and I can get a good couple hours of uninterrupted studying in. Any moodiness vanishes, all my problems disappear. Aerobic exercise alone has never given me that.

Would anyone mind directing me to some studies correlating depression and attention, aptitude, memory, or something of the sort? Asking for a friend.

Headspace app is pretty good, not even shilling. They have a 10 day program you can try.

shut up autismo, the dude seems cool and has decent advice for people without structure in their life or studies

I agree, I just being a pedantic bellend.
To make it worse?
I saved a text document of all of his advice and plan to follow it. :^)

what do you guys think of alpha brain? there was one instance where a uni student got busted for drugs in his dorm room, and the cops found alpha brain container which "contained meth". the manufacturer claimed it was meth hidden/stored in the AB container, and the police report didn't clarify if their test was as such manufacturer claimed or if they tested the actual AB and it had meth in it

It kind of goes into the subjective side of things. You would probably find more about it on Veeky Forums, discussing philosophy.
I believe that self improvement in the sense of changing the way you think about stuff, changing your way of tackling problems and so on is largely a personal task without a ruleset and without a set number of things that would help everyone equally.

Good shit, man.
Gonna post my way of studying new stuff. Don't know whether it would be effective for everyone but for me the best way of remembering something is writing it down and summarizing it.

>Have 2 notebooks
>A big one and a small one like pic related
>In the big one take notes from lectures, notes from textbooks, notes from other sources and solve problems
>After I finish a section of material, I try to summarize the whole mess into a few white sheets of paper
>On them write the most important shit, maybe one or two of the key problems and always try to draw some diagrams or charts or anything to visually represent the data
>After that I condense that even more into my small notebook
>Write only the key concepts/words/formulas
>Carry it around everywhere and read it when I have a few spare minutes here and there

It depends on the person. I get horrible brainfog after a few weeks of smoking, but some of my friends stay sharp.

Maybe you are straining yourself too much? Maybe you aren't yet used to the strain of exercise? Try a cold shower after your workout. It will probably give you a boost of energy.

Aerobic exercise and strength training affect neurochemistry in different ways. Ofcourse, strenght training also includes some level of aerobic activity so yeah. Just look up "BDNF aerobic exercise" if you want to go in depth

>
Don't know about studies but they are definitely correlated. Google "dysthimia" and look at the symptoms. They are basically what you described just now

Watch a few videos on youtube and you will get the jist of it. Just don't try to get too in depth with information because you will judge yourself more that "you aren't doing it right" when you start practicing.
>Meditate in the morning (clearer brain, less distractions)
>Preferably somewhere quiet (less external stimulation)
>Sit in a comfortable position but don't slouch your back too much
>Close your eyes
>Do 3 very slow and deep breaths into your belly
>Notice how your stomach rises and falls slowly as you inhale and exhale
>try to focus on that sensation
>after the 3 deep breaths continue breathing normally, but still focusing on the rise and fall of the stomach
>try to FEEL every breath
>every time you catch yourself thinking about something else, just come back to the sensation of breathing without judging yourself or getting frustrated
>You can count on every exhale in order to concentrate more easily
>Count 10 exhales and go back to 0

It's not going to work in the beginning and you are going to be thinking "am I doing this right", "this doesn's seem right", "ugh, why am I thinking, I shouldnt be thinking" etc etc. However, after a week or two you will get used to "shutting off" your brain and focusing on the breath. After 2 or 3 more weeks you will be amazed at the depths of concentration and relaxation you are going to experience.

A usefull trick (that doesn't really work for everyone) is instead of trying to reach the state of non-thinking, to think about the state of non-thinking.
>Try to think about what would it be to think about nothing.
The reverse psychology will get your brain into thoughtlessness atleast for a few seconds so you can get what the idea is.

Why is a state of non thinking valuable?

It's valuable in the context of trying to explain meditation to somebody. The value of thoughtlessness outside of that is moreso the mindfulnes which it teaches you. Even a proficient meditator will have intrusive thoughts interrupting their meditation. But after you have practiced for a while you learn to be mindful of them and not get sucked into them.

Mindfulness outside of meditation is very much valuable on its own. A non-mindful person might for example get annoyed at a coworker, get out of work, still being annoyed, then go back home still carrying their annoyance and negative emotions with them. A mindful person will still get annoyed at their coworker but wouldn't entertain the thought or feeling of being annoyed for long. They would get out of work and appreciate their spare time.

In a sense meditation teaches you to control which thoughts and emotions to allow into your life. It teaches you to not get attached to negative shit in your life because attaching to it only prolongs it and makes it worse.

Ofcourse, you need to make plans for the future, you need to have negative interactions sometimes, you need to do unpleasant shit. That's how life works. But you don't need to carry the negativity with you. I could suggest you read up on some eastern philosophy but I will rather suggest a western one since I assume you are of the more rational, skeptical guys.

Check out stoicism. The basic principles are more or less tied with what I said.
>Feeling bad is most often your own fault
>Happiness is rarely achieved by external things or events
>It's up to you to maximize positive emotions and minimize negative ones (via mindfulness that you could develop by meditation)
>Don't be pissed at things you have no control over
>Accept misfortune as inevitable and not important

Just do some research on mindfulness, dude. Deriving happiness from not thinking seems counterintuitive but it's legit.

Oh,and watch this.
youtube.com/watch?v=yu7n0XzqtfA

I found myself at my sharpest when I was in the habit of reading difficult prose. Reading difficult books requires introspection which forces you to think, and it expands your usable vocabulary which allows you to communicate your thoughts better both internally and to other people.

What books would you recommend?

>look up "BDNF aerobic exercise" if you want to go in depth

Thanks buddy.

i'm glad my advice was helpful to someone!

any type of exercise will give you benefits. i live in NYC, so i walk a lot anyway, i wear a fitbit so it always lets me know when i make my 10k step quota (~5miles).

but i run in the morning doing HIIT, and that is very good for you in terms of cardiovascular benefits. increased VO2 max, and a jumpstarted metabolism are few of its health benefits.

i've been lifting weights for years, so now i'm mainly focusing on just doing some cardio because it really wakes me up and gets the endorphins pumping.

i tend to have a hard time personally lifting when i am firing all cylinders in terms of school. this is because i lift to get sore, and especially when my legs and back are sore from squats and deadlifts, it's just fucking unbearable. i can't even walk around without having to stop because of painful pumps.

ha yes, same. i am very fucking picky about my notebooks and notes and everything. so i have a grid-line type of notebook (with very faint gridlines because i hate any type of real dark or bold lined paper) the brand is miquelrius. i use this for everyday notetaking from lectures, and from textbooks, and things. it's basically my default.

my moleskine, which is aactually a leuchtturm, is where i put the notes for posterity. i use that book for reference.

i have small ones too for journaling, and other miscellaneous information that i want to keep with me in case i need it.

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i really recommend colored pens. i go through all my notes with black ink, i use blue ink for things i need to emphasize, and i use green ink to show how particular mechanisms work (like pushing electrons using arrows in organic chem), i use red ink for very important things and to circle things i am not sure of that i need to ask the prof about.

i also have orange ink, purple ink, pink ink, light blue ink, light green ink, etc. for other things.

read/listen to eckhart tolle if you want a no-nonsense simple explanation of what meditation/mindfulness is.

i went through so much literature focusing on chakras and hindu terms that just obfuscated it.

tolle's power of now explains it all in like the fucking title.

headspace is goat. i mentioned that i use anki on the subway to campus, but ont he subway ride back home i do meditation. guided through headspace if i can, but i usually just inhale for 4s, hold, exhale 4s, repeat. my fitbit charge HR shows my HR so i like to see it fall 20-30bpm.

it's not very accurate however (the fitbit), and i use a HR monitoring app on my phone also to check its calibration. as long as it's precise, it's good and helpful.

lol, thanks. :)

alpha brain combines various nootropics but any proprietary blend of the sort probably own't have enough of what you need. i just bought the powders in bulk and made my own pills or dissolved them into a drink. i have a tono f shit - ALCAR, oxiracetam, piracetam, aniracetam, noopept, bacopa monnieri, choline, l-tyrosine (to replenish dopamine stores), fuck just plenty of shit.

it's the most invaluable thing i learned. but it's tough to get into and start doing. when you realize 99% of your thoughts are unproductive thought loops, and you quell that, then when you do use your mind to think it's clear and cuts through all the bullshit.

All these tryhard replies with maximum symbols.

Very useful info tho, gotta admit.

My contribution:
>drink more water

It probably depends on your language

If you speak a latin language read saramago

Any good supplements for anxiety besides Meditation? I am always so incredibly uncomfortable and out of it, every stimuli is just too much and I get saturated.

Exer-fucking-cise. There are many factors that correlate exercise with anxiety-reduction. For example, aerobic activities (running, cycling, swimming, dancing, etc) deplete cortisol (the stress hormone), bringing its levels back to normal.

If you are stressed by the idea of running or doing exercise outside or in a gym you can find videos on youtube for home workout routines. I just want to stress that you would get more results from aerobic things (HIIT cardio for example) than from strength routines (push ups for example). However, a combination of both is ideal.
Whatever you choose:
>Do it for atleast 30 minutes/day
>Do it atleast 3-4 times/week (everyday is the most beneficial)
>Stick to it for atleast 2 weeks before giving it up (your body will need some time to get used to it and to readjust your brain chemistry)

As for supplements, there is a shitton. Use examine.com to find in-depth info about them, as well as about dosage, etc.

I'll recommend some of the ones that have helped me:

>Zinc and Magnesium
People are often defficient of these two.
Zinc boosts testosterone (making you feel more confident) and aids with mood-regulation.
Magnesium does a lot of important shit (improves sleep, lowers cortisol, aids with depression, etc) and is overall a vital mineral for your well-being

>Ashwagandha
Look it up. It helps a lot with anxiety and also has some other neat effects. Takes a month of intake to notice it tho.

>Bacopa Monnieri
A little less potent than Ashwagandha, but also imrpoves cognition (memory and other stuff)

>L-theanine
Again, look it up. It's an amino acid found in green tea. Very relaxing and goes amazingly well with coffee (btw, coffee makes anxiety worse so avoid it)

>St. John's wort
It was mentioned somewhere in the thread. Look it up. It boosts your mood.

>Benzodiazepines
I don't recommend them unless you absolutely need them for an interview or something very stressful like that since they are highly addictive and bad for you.

It's really easy, anons. All you have to do is: [spoiler] Win the gene lottery, lol [/spoiler]

Some additional things:

>Make sure you're not making your anxiety worse with your diet
I eat well so I don't know much about that part, but you can look up what to avoid in order to normalize your mood

>Vitamin D if you aren't getting enough sun

>5-HTP
Haven't taken it but I know it's effective. Look it up but keep in mind that it might not be a good idea to take it for long periods of time

>Keep trying to learn meditation
Understand that there is no "wrong" way to do it and it's a long process before you become proficient. Don't get frustrated when you think you're "doing it wrong" and keep at it. If you follow my advice about exercising, try meditating immediately afterwards (your mind will be more clear and in a more positive state)

>Self-administer CBT
Cognitive behavioral therapy is just a fancy way of saying - change the behaviors you want to remove from your life (in your case being anxious of things). This is done by gradually going out of your comfort zone, going into situations which would trigger your anxiety and trying to do them with an open mind. You will get embarassed, you will get nervous, but try not to judge yourself (stop victimizing yourself "ugh, I fucked up", "aw,I can't do this")

>Look up mindfulness and stoicism

>Read "the power of now" by Eckhart tolle
This was the game-changer for me. It was like a fucking revelation. It offers a mindset and perspective which for anxious people is completely wierd and counterintuitive, and yet he describes it so simply and proficiently that you suddenly want to adopt it.

Ask any questions you have about these tips or any aspect of anxiety you need help with. I have experienced the depths of social anxiety and agoraphobia and have gotten out. It's not helpless. Getting over anxiety is a process that you just need to commit to and get started somewhere.

Thanks.

How's LSD microdosing? What sort of effects does it produce?

temporary to permanent or recurring psychosis with likelihood increasing in the case of ancestral history of mental illness. even without psychosis you are also still voluntarily lobotomizing yourself by dampening activity in your frontal lobe and all the major intersections of the brain's "modules", i.e. decreasing global connectivity and inducing a temporary schizophrenic-like state.

the only reason people recommend it is a consequence of the substance, they are incapable of seeing the damage it does to them because the substance impairs their ability to discern between things that are harmful and things that are not.

it is not worth taking the chance. read the thread and realize the answer to all your problems is exercise.

I only partially agree with what he's saying.
Habitual microdosing is harmful and ineffective. The thing is that either way if you microdose everyday you are going to stop feeling it after a while. It kind of impairs your mental capacity in some areas while it boosts your mental ability in other areas that might not be as beneficial to everyday activities and traditional "cognitive enhancement". For example, it will somewhat impair your judgement, your spatial awareness and stuff like that while it may improve empathy and creativity.

All that is irrelevant tho, since microdosing just isn't worth it except if you just want to try it out once or twice.

Now if you want to see the full potential of LSD, take a regular dose in a comfortable setting. It can lead to some revelations about your life and it is an experience worth having.

>tl;dr - Microdosing isn't worth it for more than just trying it out
-Regular doses of LSD are worth it. Don't overdo that too and read up on trip reports and shit to be prepared

>To answer the question of "What sort of effects does it produce" just google LSD microdose trip report

On a semi-related note, Erowid.org is the go-to place for trip reports and any info you might need on all any drugs you are interested in.

I knew a guy in college who swore by microdosing. Huge dipshit.

LSD is interesting and worth doing one to a few times if you have a good source, but any longer causes some nasty effects. I don't care what anyone says, if you think mckenna wasn't a charlatan, you're not a smart person. It's not what you're looking for

t. Spent lots of time with acid dealers for a while.

I already do exercise, even jump into cold water when I finish. I am still a lazy fuck anyhow, unless I am taking stimulants. It's always up or down too, very hard to keep stable in a routine.

But what kind of meditation?

>meditation and exercise
nice meme science

How do you stabilize your mood and sort yourself out so you can stick to your goals? I took a vacation after working pretty hard trying to improve skills, but now I just can't get back to it.

ROFL MICRO-DOSING DRUGS
I FEEL SO SMARTER I CAN SPELL MY THOUGHTS; COLORS AND SHIET

kys all of you niggers who think that glorifying brain damage and lack of insight are good. You only feel smarter because the necrotic effect of your drugs produced the impression of being smarter, not that you're noticeably more intelligent or '''''creative'''''. Shrooms and LSD are neurotoxic, and no, the dose won't change anything, you're deluding yourself

STOP. FUCKING. POLLUTING. THESE. THREADS.
YOU. WASTES. OF FUCKING MATTER
AND STOP YOUR PITIFUL PROLETIZING. YOU'RE A HIPPY PIECE OF SHIT WHO RUINED HIS OWN LIFE, DONT BRING REEDEMABLE FINE GENTLEMEN IN YOUR DEMISE. THATS NOT ENLIGHTMENT, NOR EGO DEATH: THAT'S LITTERALY THE MOST EGOISTICAL COURSE OF ACTION TO FOLLOW. POISON YOURSELVES ALONE, AND STOP DISSEMINATING YOUR RUBBISH ADVICES, YOU ORGANIC-EATING, THIRD PARTY-VOTING, FOUL-SMELLING SCUM

If there's a scientific consensus on something, it doesn't qualify for "meme science", sorry.

now back to my crystal therapy for chakra-astrology and pyramid chem-trails.

No,but really, exercise and meditation are very well researched at this point and if this isn't bait then you're just a fucking caveman.

This bait is too obvious, dude. Learn from the guy above.

>DONT BRING REEDEMABLE FINE GENTLEMEN IN YOUR DEMISE.

I recognize this gay blowjob. Nice copy pasta.

i know a person with the same issue. but the thing is, he deserved to stay pressed
umm, play work bitch by britney spears.

I need pain to get me pent up

i'm this guy, i'm in med school right now, and i gotta say to be careful taking some of these compounds.

>5-htp
chemical precursor to serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan.

it's for mood, but do not take this if you are already on an SSRI or you'll get serotonin syndrome.

>zinc and magnesium
get a ZMA stack, but take on empty stomach and while going to bed. i think you should not take this with vit D, but i may have misremembered that.

>bacopa
takes about 4-6 wks. to see noticeable effects

>st. john's wort
aka hypericum. its' also used as an antidepressant, so don't take it if you are on an antidepressant or else you'll get serotonin syndrome as i mentioned above with 5-htp.

this is generally a bad supplement to take because it has lots of bad drug interactions. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypericum_perforatum#Interactions

good shit on eckhart tolle. it was a game-changer for me as well. i still listen to his videos as i go to sleep if i'm feeling especially depressed or anxious.

LSD is awesome, but no need to use it for improving mental faculties. it's a good drug to take, or any psychedelic, yearly to get a mental reset.

Yeah dude, I know that pain. I pretty much function in cycles of productivity and lazyness. I get so lazy and unmotivated that I get angry at myself and get motivation to be productive. Then I am productive for a while and start to feel like I deserve a break and go back to being a slob.

Best thing I can offer you is to try to introduce productive habits gradually into your life so you don't get burned out as quickly. Don't try to implement exercising, reading, writing, meditating and consistent studying all in the same week. Rather try implementing each one every next week so the individual habits have time to stick.

Doesn't really matter. Don't get too caught up in the different types and techniques, because in the end the goal is the same - to clear your mind and free your body of stress. Still, I'll offer you two easy ones to look up
>Zen meditation
basically, the idea is to just sit still. No focusing on anything, no special mantras, no bullshit. Just try to experience sitting on its own for 10-20 minutes.

>Breathing meditation
I forget the traditional name...it's either Vipassana or Anapana. Also called concentration meditation. The goal is to use your breath as an anchor for your attention. To focus entirely on your breathing so you don't get distracted by thoughts and external stimuli.

Read my other post