Chemical Reactions in the Brain

Brain Chemistry: Reason We Feel Like We Do

When we think a thought, or feel a sensation from the outside world, it's the result of major chemical reactions in our brain. Billions of messages are sent throughout the body on a regular basis because of these chemicals in the brain. Some of the important chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

In the brain, different neurotransmitters make us feel different ways: high, low, sleepy, awake, happy, sad, etc. Sometimes the brain may have too many of one type of chemical or not enough of another. As a result, we may feel too high or low, or too sleepy. Certain antidepressant drugs, such as prozac and imipramine, are sometimes used to manipulate brain chemistry in the hopes of creating a balance of neurotransmitters. The diet and nutritional state can also have a profound effect on the brain's chemistry. In other words, what we eat (and how well it is digested and absorbed) can have a significant effect upon our brain chemistry. What we eat for dinner can influence our sleeping, our dreaming, and how we feel upon waking.

The three most important neurotransmitters are serotonin, norepinephrine and acetylcholine. Most of the 35 or more neurotransmitters are made from amino acids derived from dietary protein. In addition, certain vitamins and minerals are required for their production. Some of the more common ones include vitamin B-6, folic acid, niacin, iron and vitamin C.

Serotonin is produced with the help of the amino acid tryptophan. This neurotransmitter has a calming effect in the brain. A high carbohydrate meal, such as pasta or oatmeal, will provide the brain with more tryptophan. So, the individual who is easily agitated, or overactive could benefit from a high carbohydrate meal.

Norepinephrine is produced from the conversion of the dietary amino acid tyrosine. A high protein meal will provide a high amount of tyrosine and can increase norepinephrine levels. This neurotransmitter has a stimulating effect on the brain. The person who needs a "pick-up" or who sleeps all the time could benefit from a high protein meal, without carbohydrate.

Acetylcholine is produced from the vitamin choline. Egg yolks are one of the best dietary sources of choline. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter used more when the person is under greater stress.

As mentioned, drugs have also been used to balance brain chemistry. For example, depressed patients are sometimes given medication to enhance or block certain neurotransmitters. Prozac, Elavil , Aventyl , Tofranil and Norparmin are anti depressants which affect the balance of serotonin and norepinephrine. (Certain tranquilizers, such as Valium and Ativan, affect other neurotransmitters.)

Fortunately, most people do not need medication. But many are too overactive, too sluggish or are not handling stress very well. They may benefit by simply altering their diets to modify their brain chemistry and improve their health.

Nutrition and the Brain

The brain's 200 billion cells have numerous nutritional requirements for good function. These include not only proteins and carbohydrates (amino acids and glucose), but also a number of different vitamins and minerals, and water. Fats are also important for good brain function, especially cholesterol (the brain contains more cholesterol than any other area of the body). Any dietary inadequacy can potentially have a dramatic impact on brain function. Of utmost importance is the availability of these nutrients for the fetus during pregnancy, making the diet of the mother important for infant nutrition.

Numerous symptoms have been associated with a faulty diet's influence on the brain. These include aggression, learning disabilities, crime, depression, hyperactivity and various behavioral problems.

Minerals

� The minerals sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium are all important for sending messages through the brain.

� Iodine has an important role in brain maturation, beginning in the fetus soon after conception.

� In children, a strong association has been made between iron deficiency and attention deficit disorder (ADD). This was first recognized almost 75 years ago when hookworm infections (which causes significant blood loss) was closely related to impaired behavioral performance in school children.

� Zinc is important for growth and maturation of the brain. Equally important is the fact that zinc is an important mineral for many chemical reactions in the brain, especially those related to behavior.

� Copper is also related to growth and maturation of the brain. Copper deficiency and excess has been associated with deterioration of mental function and physical coordination.

� Manganese, like copper, is both important for proper brain function and has potential for excess, adversely affecting the brain.

� Lead and mercury are both significant because they are toxic to the brain and pose real health problems in the general population throughout the world. Lead poisoning has been known for centuries. For years the scientific literature has described mercury poisoning, including contamination of fish (accumulated methyl mercury from the food chain originating from industrial waste) to consumption of grain treated with mercury fungicide. Also, the debate over dental fillings is still a concern to many in the scientific community.

Vitamins

Numerous vitamins affect brain function. Two important ones include choline and vitamin B-6.

� Choline was mentioned above as an important nutrient for the production of acetylcholine, and for communication within the brain.

� Vitamin B-6 is another necessary nutrient used in the regulation of other neurotransmitters. Because estrogen inhibits vitamin B-6, this may be important for some women, especially those taking estrogen containing birth control pills.

Caffeine

Although caffeine is not considered a nutrient, its use has a significant effect on the brain. This is obvious to those who regularly consume caffeine in coffee, and to a lesser degree from tea, cola and chocolate. The most obvious effect shown by most studies is increased mental performance and alertness.

Finally, dietary and nutritional factors throughout the body may indirectly play a major role in brain function. The blood sugar mechanism, for example, can have powerful control over brain activity. The ability to absorb nutrients from the diet is also a significant item when considering brain function. And certainly the mind is another powerful factor in brain function.

Editors Note: For some people dependent on caffeine for "alertness" there exists the risk of addiction. Others may find caffeine consumption comes with side effects-jitteriness and hyperactivity. This may cancel the clear alert state they seek. For them, cutting down, or avoiding caffeine altogether may be the ideal way to be alert. In general, it's best to rely on your own mind and body for improved function.

Mental abilities, if you believe they are possible, would be nothing more than Chemical Reactions in the brain. However unlocking them would be the hard part... Perhaps certain substances could enchance them... Perhaps that whats it takes for Telepathy and the such...

I know CIA has done extensive studies on pshycoactive substances and they have a love for '___'... MKULTRA...

lets take a look at what '___' is






('___'-25)
(d-lysergic acid diethylamide)
(German=Lyserg-S�ure-Diaethylamid)

Now I am not saying '___' is going to be the key but it does have interesting effects as it will make you see, hear, taste, and smell things that are not there, and can overload your brain with many thoughts/feelings all at once.

I suddenly became strangely inebriated. The external world became changed as in a dream. Objects appeared to gain inrelief; they assumed unusual dimensions; and colors became more glowing. Even self-perception and the sense of time were changed. When the eyes were closed, colored pictures flashed past in a quickly changing kaleidoscope. After a few hours, the not unpleasant inebriation, which had been experienced whilst I was fully conscious, disappeared. what had caused this condition?
- - Albert Hofmann
- - Laboratory Notes (1943)
POSITIVE
increase in energy (stimulation)
increase in associative & creative thinking
mood lift
increased awareness & appreciation of music
increased awareness of senses. (eating, drinking, smell)
closed and open eye visuals
profound life-changing spiritual experiences

NEUTRAL
general change in consciousness (as with most psychoactives)
pupil dilation
difficulty focusing
increased salivation and mucus production (causes coughing in some people)
unusual body sensations (facial flushing, chills, goosebumps, body energy)
unusual thoughts and speech
change in perception of time
quickly changing emotions (happiness, fear, gidiness, anxiety, anger, joy, irritation)
slight increase in body temperature
slight increase in heart rate

NEGATIVE
anxiety
tension, jaw tension
increased perspiration
nausea
dizziness, confusion
megalomania
over-awareness & over-sensitization to music and noise
paranoia, fear, and panic
unwanted and overwhelming feelings
unwanted life-changing spiritual experiences
flashbacks


I find it interesting that such a small dose of this chemical can alter your mind in such a way. And it leaves your blood stream rather fast. Yet it goes into your brain and traces of it stay in your spine.

Disclaimer: I am not condoning the use of it.

I want to know if you think we will ever get to the point were we can use chemical substances to enhance brain activity and unlock parts of our brain we do not use?

Look at this chart to see what '___' duration is





Many user's have claimed to have spiritual journeys while on it.
I have read reports were the CIA was experimenting with it and they would slip it into eachothers food/drink unknowingly so they could see what would happen to someone who didnt know they've been drugged. Some thought they were going insane, one CIA worker was quoted as saying he wished it would never end and that it was so beautiful. He than began to weep. Because he knew it would end in a few more hours.

Also '___', well a form of it occurs in nature, it's LSA can be found in psycoblin mushrooms and in morning glory seeds I am sure there are more.

I've heard it effects you addrenaline glad... it pulses rapidly while high on it.

but as I stated earlier I want to know what you all think about chemical reactions in our brain and if in the future we will figure out chemical compounds which unlock the potentail power of our minds.

never done '___', but I think a WAY more interesting drug is '___' (Dimethyltryptamine). Only done that once, but it has to be the most amazing experience in the world. It's not even possible to describe it. I mean, I know it was just a drug, but it seemed real, but in a totally different reality. It also seemed like it meant something. I'm sure you can find experience reports or whatever somewhere else, because I don't have time to type it, and it's too hard to put in words. I want to get more, but I have no idea how.

General description of my '___' trip:
I smoke 2 hits of '___' through a '___' pipe. There was about 50 or 60mg of '___' in the pipe. The smoke is bloody harsh and tastes like ass, so on my first hit I hacked it up almost instantly. I was better prepared for the second one, and held it in for a while. While holding in my second hit, everything started to buzz, or vibrate, or something, and then I find myself dropping through this big flower. Meanwhile, the world around me is pretty much already collapsed, and nothing makes sense in this new reality, compared to ours. There were like, aliens, or something, and they seemed friendly, but I couldn't really tell what was going on. I couldn't really figure anything out on this, it's way too hard to put it in words. Anyways, as soon as I started to get a sense for what was happening, it started fading and it was over soon, except for spirally things in my vision, and the room seemed a little distorted for a few minutes. I guess I was totally normal after about 50 or 60 minutes.

Quite the amazing thing '___' is.
I can imagine '___' would be fun.

INFO FROM EROWID.ORG!


"[The feeling of doing '___'] is as though one had been struck by noetic lightning. The ordinary world is almost instantaneously replaced, not only with a hallucination, but a hallucination whose alien character is its utter alienness. Nothing in this world can prepare one for the impressions that fill your mind when you enter the '___' sensorium.
"The extraordinary brevity of the experience," he continued, "argues that it is incredibly harmless. It virtually disappears from the organism in about ten minutes. The paradox is that '___' is the most powerful yet most harmless of all these things. This is probably because, for reasons which are mysterious to us, '___' occurs in normal brain metabolism [in Serotonin]."

-- Terence McKenna


- - Load Universe into Cannon. Aim at Brain. Fire. - -


POSITIVE
short duration
immersive experiences
intense open eye visuals and kaleidescopic patterning
powerful "rushing" of sensation
radical perspective shifting
profound life-changing spiritual experiences

NEUTRAL
change in perception of time
auditory hallucination (buzzing)
colorshifting (for example red green and gold coloring to the whole world)

NEGATIVE
overly-intense experiences
hard on the lungs to smoke
slight stomach discomfort
difficulty integrating experiences
overwhelming fear
fast onset and intensity can lead to problems if not prepared (dropped pipe, knocking things over, falling)



"Drifting deeply into the visual ebb and flow of the '___' I just walked through the thin fabric of the visual fractal fantasy. It was like a gauze layer of the dream just separated and boom .. it was like walking from a dark night into a brightly lit casino in Las Vegas. I felt like I had walked behind the scenes into a series of rooms. Everything was prime color cranked up to it s fullest potential. The images were clear, crisp and vivid. many times more vivid then the early pre-room images.

There were two people a man and a women or a girl and a boy. They appeared to me like simple balloon computer generated images. As soon as I stepped in the room, they glided up to me and spoke directly to me. They kept saying welcome back and words like: the big winner, he has returned, welcome to the end and the beginning, you are The One! As I looked around the room I felt the sense of some huge celebration upon my entry to this place. Bells were ringing, lights flashing fear began to rise in me as I felt the deep change in my world. The sprites begin to lead me around the room showing me how all my life they had been preparing me for this return. I was shown dozen of experiences simultaneously in my life, that had lead up to and been clues to this moment. I was shown in a flood and a onslaught of images, thoughts, situations, raw feelings that everything had been building to this moment. That this moment had been planned.

They told me it was a gift. That I had been selected to be The One. I felt feelings of huge relief, excitement and fear in the sprites. At this moment in the experience I became afraid for my life. I felt that this gift would cost me my life. I did not want to be The One. The sprits felt this fear in me and begin to hold my hands and arms rushing me deeper into their world. I felt their fear and I begin to believe that I had stepped out of the dream, out of the drug, out of my body and mind and into this super world. I begin to believe in the transformation. As I walked deeper I could see standing in the middle of the room, in the center of this place, an object similar to an hour glass. It was slowly turning over. I became aware that this vessel, as it tipped over, transferring its contents from the small red end to the larger blue end was transforming me. I felt my humanity slip out as I was filled with this new powerful light. A light of greater perception, of clarity. It felt like returning home. It felt familiar. It felt like I was waking up from a hollow, pale dream of reality. I felt god like and omnipotent. I realized the this gift was not only a gift but equally a death sentence for my physical body. I felt like I had been chosen to receive this not out of benevolence but out of a need to release this power and perception There had to be The One, to relieve the others. There had to be The One who perceived completely. I felt like Christ at the moment of realization of godhood and the inevitable moment of his crucifixion. I also felt like all this knowledge and perception was far too large to be processed by my physical mind and that death was the obvious transition.

As this moment of realization hit me I felt the sprites smile and step back. They told me I WAS The One and this WAS real and that it would never end.

They said do you not believe..... then see.

At this moment I sat up (in the real world) and opened my eyes. This moment true panic set in. I was deeply hallucinating. The real world was being covered, transformed into a psychedelic kaleidoscope of energy. Every surface had something like movie film, one image after another lined up like film shown through an overhead projector. These were the prime images of our symbolic nature. Slowly rolling over every surface. like the sprites of the objects. I felt I was seeing time in a singularity. I felt like I was seeing the symbolic patters like a second perception of true meaning. In the real room there were two people sitting next to me. When I looked at them I felt reassured momentarily. Then they exploded into dozens of two dimensional layers of light. Looking like computer generated futurists paintings. Wafer thin halos created the shapes of my friends. Dave looked up at me and said Welcome Back causing me to panic. Because when he said welcome back I did not think it was back to reality but back into the fold of this super world I was in. Back as there chosen one or at least one amongst them. I perceived Dave and Poon as personal guides or Guardians or gatekeepers there to welcome me into this new exalted state. That moment striped me of my world, my truths leading me to believe that my hallucinations were truth. I once again had the crashing feeling of winning, of being chosen, and being forced to receive this unwanted sentence of total vision. I had this crash as I could see once again the cause and effect of my being there and the price I would have to pay. I was the Bean King and the price of my gift would be perceptual transcendence but physical death.

At this time I felt a collapsing feeling as I gave in to the experience excepting my fate. I remember thinking that the hour glass had turned a little farther and I was pouring out of this life into my new one. I said out loud I am dying. Then I lost the support of my body, my self, my existence and I began to drift.

Dave then touched my leg I remember being drawn back into my body and thinking to hell with this I am not going to die, not yet and I felt the sprites smiling around me looking at me. I felt the fear. I felt the exhilaration of my visions. I was back in the sprites room. Even though this place was vibrant and psychedelic it was within my ability to comprehend. The sprits began there pitch at me being a winner and The One. I felt they were taking me back down the hallway to open those iconic, electric vision and to my death. I then said out loud again I am dying to which Dave responded only three more minutes and you will be all right.

Three more minutes.. Three more minutes was like a life raft that I sailed out of that world. As soon as I was able to believe that in three more minutes I would be normal again and everything began to fade. I felt in control of my body and my life. Slowly I drifted out of the their world, back through the gauzy world of colors and patterns. With a little extra coaxing from my friends I was able to wake up and separate my self from that moment.

I still vibrate from the experience.

I am very grateful to have been with my friends.


Exp Year: 1998 ID: 1839
Added: Jun 14, 2000 Views: 25097"

oh my God! that is amazing, something i want to expeirence for myself but not at the same time, i believe myself to be very weak minded or mentally instable, let me clear things up a little, i am sane, but i always fear that one day something might just send me over the edge i am only 18 years old and and occasional smoker of weed ( once a month probably less) i know what its like to 'spin out'. But many times i catch myself thinking about how the universe was created and i constantly ask myself over and over who created God? or where did the original carbons come from which created the universe. Just sittting there thinking about these things makes you realise how limited our intelligence and knowledge is. Another thing that gets me worried is a part from my favourite movie "Shawshank Redemption" where andy is placed in the 'hole' for two months!! could someone really comeout of there totally sane. You would strain yourself to keep yourself busy for a day let alone two months.

Anyways sorry for draggin on just letting you know of my fears and experiences, let me know of yours. I think the person that had '___' must be extremly strong minded cause if it was me i probably would of died, just from fear, sometimes when im really drunk and your just sitting there spinning out and you realise you are, i think that is the worst feeling casue you start to panic. One time when i had a very big jay and I was going 2 up's with my mate i started feeling cold but hot at the same time, and then another friend of mine told me just to embrace it and let it take over for a little while, so i did and i guess i did get through it although my heart was beating a 1000 times a minute, and i couldnt sit down. thanx for listening

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious ; it is the
fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.
-- Albert Einstein

Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes
a butterfly. I was conscious only of following my fancies as a butterfly, and was unconscious of my
individuality as a man. Suddenly I awoke, and there I lay, myself again.. Now I do not know whether
I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming that I am a man.
--Chuang-Tzu, 3rd century BC