Collective Insights Blog

Shawn Ramer, PhD joins ranks as Senior Vice President of Product Development; Gregory Kelly, ND signs on as Lead Product Formulator; Sara Adães, PhD expands research duties

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator (i.e., a messenger molecule released by nerve cells to signal and regulate other nerve cells). It plays important roles in cognitive function, most notably, in the neural mechanisms of memory. In addition to this memory function, acetylcholine is involved in supporting alertness, attention, and learning. It is also responsible for the neuromuscular junction. It helps skeletal muscle contract and has many health benefits.

What is glutamate? Learn more about the most abundant neurotransmitter and how it affects our brains. 

From air and water filters, to therapy lights, to exercise tools this list has a little of everything.

Huperzine A is commonly used as an ingredient in nootropic supplements and is found naturally in Chinese club moss Huperzia serrata, from which the nootropic gets its name. 

A great example of a nootropic that has a lot of benefits, but isn’t examined closely is pyrroloquinoline quinone. While many may focus on the surface level benefits from taking it, understanding how it works reveals the full impact it can have on the human body.

D-calcium pantothenate is a form of pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5. Found in plants and animal tissues as well as cereal grains, eggs legumes, and milk. Most known for protecting cells against peroxidative damage by increasing the level of glutathione--an important compound aiding in the oxidation-reduction of cells. 

Artichoke extract, sometimes called artichoke leaf extract, has all the benefits of artichokes in a concentrated form. Artichoke extract offers a wide range of benefits. Let’s start by looking at some of the nootropic benefits.

DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA) is an amino acid supplement, a synthetic phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is a neutral,non-polar amino acid that plays a crucial role in many functions within the body. One of those functions is to produce tyrosine, a major component for synthesizing hormones.

Plato used the expression “techne tou biou” which translates to the craft of life.  The craft of life is the ongoing learning, discovery, and work of what it means to be you in your world and how you are consciously guiding that experience as it unfolds before you.

Phosphatidylserine s a nootropic that has been the subject of a large number of studies intended to take a closer look at the variety of phosphatidylserine benefits. Some of these benefits stand out as particularly strong.

Hordenine HCl brings some notable benefits to the table, which is a substantial reason for its rise in popularity among biohackers and neurohackers. Hordenine can be a fairly versatile nutrient that can bring substantial value to any nootropic stack, supporting human system function at an optimal level.

Qualia's Mission: Advancing Human Sovereignty

Sovereignty relates to the capacity for and demonstration of good (omni-positive) choice-making.

We define sovereignty more formally as the product of sentience, intelligence, and agency.

When discussing nootropics, several are usually the first to come to mind. Hordenine HCl (hordenine hydrochloride) is only just starting to come to the forefront of the nootropic movement. Research is still in the early stages, and we’re only beginning to understand the kinds of benefits hordenine provides.

Nootropics are active compounds that act on the central nervous system to enhance cognitive function. There are myriad compounds with nootropic activity, each targeting different elements of the vast assortment of processes that give rise to cognitive function.

Chances are you have black pepper somewhere in your home. While this common cooking ingredient can certainly spice up a meal, it also contains something that can at times be beneficial to your health. That nutrient is called Piperine. More often it is referred to as Bioperine. For those confused over the differences of Piperine vs. Bioperine, just know that Bioperine is Piperine’s trademarked name, so the two terms are often interchangeable.

As people grow more concerned about caring for their bodies, a greater emphasis has been placed on caring for the brain. The brain, after all, acts as the control center for the rest of the body. If something malfunctions at the level of the nervous system, chances are it will affect many other systems as well. One of the most important chemicals for maintaining proper brain function is choline.

Many people who are health conscious have likely heard of the benefits you can get from vitamin B6. Including vitamin B6 in your diet is relatively easy as you can find it in foods such as bread, pork, fish, eggs, and wholegrain cereals. These foods, however, may have depleted amounts of vitamin B6, in part because food preparation can lower that amount. Food that is frozen, canned, cooked, or processed usually leads to a lower level of vitamin B6 that you would get otherwise, so other dietary strategies should be pursued. For that reason, many people are choosing to include pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) as part of their diet.

This is part 3 in a 3 part series exploring tools and practices reviewed in Stealing Fire, all designed to shift your state of consciousness and unlock new realms of human possibility. We’ve already covered ways to reprogram our psychology and tweak our neurobiology.

Neurobiology, the study of the nervous system, is a field of science that investigates the biological mechanisms that underlie behavior as well as how brains process information. With advances in the field, we can now harness biometric data to map and measure what’s happening in our bodies and brains when we’re experiencing both the ordinary and extraordinary. By deliberately shifting our neurophysiology - our breathing, posture, facial expressions, movements, or brainwaves - we can reverse-engineer a whole host of non-ordinary states.

Can altered states of consciousness boost creativity, problem solving, and performance?

Getting poor sleep can badly damage your health, career, and relationships. Sleep specialist Dan Pardi explores the lesser known causes and solutions for poor sleep.

The Collective Insights Podcast is a voyage through the topics and technologies revolutionizing our individual and collective wellbeing.

Time. It’s the one thing in life you can never get back. And while it seems that people everywhere in today’s world are working harder and longer than ever, are they using their time as effectively as they could?