"Dream-Flipping" (Galantamine plus Propranolol)
Although I was never part of the rave-party scene, I have plenty of friends who were/are. I usually preferred to be alone or with just a few close friends when traveling into terra psychedelia, and being in a party space wasn't my cup of coffee. But I can appreciate the idea. Dazzling lights, electronic music pounding, dozens or hundreds of people all melting in ecstasy. Actually, the drug MDMA, known as Ecstasy, or Molly (for molecule), is a big part of the rave world. Molly is a surefire avenue to break through the troubles in your life and glow from within like there isn't a problem in the Universe - while you're on it, anyway. Chemical Ecstasy is known for harsh come-downs, and being an illegal substance the purity is always iffy. Still, it can be a beautiful thing.
As a bonus, Molly can make more severe psychedelic drugs less threatening. The rave-popularized technique of "candy-flipping" is when someone takes LSD and simultaneously, or a little bit later, swallows a Molly pill. LSD-25, commonly referred to as Acid, is a mind-bending, kaleidoscopic journey into the inner realms of your imagination, and can be heavenly, or hellish, depending on things like your environment, accompaniment, and predispositions. Combined with MDMA, Acid becomes more colorful fairyland, less apocalyptic "where-is-my-mind?" Similarly, "hippy-flipping" is taking the same Molly augmentation approach, but melding the virtues of Ecstasy with the heavy-mental, through-the-looking-glass powers of magic mushrooms. So, am I saying to combine an illegal drug with another legal drug for the purposes of inducing lucid dreams? Not quite. First, let's revisit Galantamine. Good-'ole Galant is probably the most tested, most successful lucidity inducer to date. But for many people it comes with a price: difficulty returning to sleep after taking it, and strong headaches upon waking-up (even when combined with choline). Further, Galantamine may help you break-through to the other side, but it does little to inhibit the threatening nature of the Dream System. If you take Galantamine and don't become lucid, you will likely have realistic, scarier than usual dreams. If you take it and do become lucid, the scary stuff will probably still follow you. Behold, there is a chemical that, like how Molly softens psychedelics, can bevel the edges of lucid dreams. The name of this benevolent miracle is Propranolol (trade name Inderal). Propranolol sort of props-up your bravery. And here we have "dream-flipping." Propranolol is a prescription drug in the US, and is a banned substance in the Olympics (not because it is dangerous, but because of the advantage it bestows). I was prescribed Propranolol when I was a graduate student after asking the school doctor if there was anything I could take for social anxiety with minimal side-effects. I only took my dose when I had to give a presentation or lecture to a class, and the fearlessness it instilled in me was remarkable. This is not something to take all of the time for most people, but it can be a god-send for important moments. Learning is diminished to some degree on it, because you actually need full recruitment of your amygdala and fear-centers in the brain to learn many things (yes, learning/growing/stretching takes work). Therefore, Propranolol is best used by persons who have rehearsed and practiced and drilled in their respective skill, and are now in need of something to take the edge off while performing, when all the chips are on the table. Propranolol is a popular aid for musicians who have to perform in front of large crowds. They may have perfected their craft, but this was done while alone, and the social element can be a game-changer. That seems harmless enough, but it is understandable why athletic commissions have banned this substance. For dream-flipping, I've found that combining Galantamine, Propranolol, and the Wake-Back-To-Bed method are the most reliable means to induce lucidity. Whether your morals prevent you from taking this approach is your business. And obviously, there are medical conditions (like low blood pressure) which would contraindicate taking propranolol, so you need to talk to your health care practitioner(s) if you are interested in getting a prescription for this chemical. And don't think that you can just skip the basics (developing critical thinking, state-awareness, understanding stability and prolongation techniques, journaling and becoming familiar with your dream life, etc.) and use Dream-Flipping to become an accomplished lucid dreamer. This is just one tool, it doesn't make you a master. |