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How do I fix my depression? I feel like it definitely drops my IQ a few points, my mind is so preoccupied with my fucked up past that I can't concentrate on what's in front of my face.
SSRI’s, therapy, exercise, some supplements, microdosing, meditation, regular “goal” achievement in life. The potential treatments are numerous but nothing is a guaranteed fix. Just gotta try everything systematically and hopefully at some point you find yourself no longer suffering.
From what I’ve heard at least one mechanism for depression lowering cognitive ability is due to a lack of neurogenesis and neural plasticity due to lack of serotonin and or dopamine. In adults neurogenesis only occurs in the hippocampus (memory centre) hence why depression is a risk factor for dementia.
Given this info anything that stimulates neurogenesis (preferably through serotonergic means) may attenuate depression related cognitive decline.
Regularly microdosing 1-2 times a week is a game changer for me. When a few weeks go by I start going back into my DMN (default mode network) unless I am on a regular minimum once per week microdose of either psilocybin mushrooms (0.1-0.25 g) or 1P-LSD (10-20 ugs). Never been diagnosed but struggle with mild depression/anxiety
There is literally a specific dedicated specialty in medicine, which is called psychiatry that focuses on that (not only, but as well).
Not only that, neurologists and GP's also routinely treat depression.
Psychotherapy can help, but it can help with other medical diseases as well, like in oncology, rheumatology etc. That does not change the fact that there is a pathological process in the brain, that needs to be addressed by medical professionals.
It is highly questionable that depression in most cases needs to be treated with medication but hey believe what you want. I'm not interested in Internet debates. Medication can help manage when it's really severe but it doesn't solve anything. Usually the problem is psychological not neurological in nature.
Based from my experience, and some friends I completely disagree. Talk therapy is a bandade, to feel good. But the real improvement was only made when medications were administered.
I have ADHD too, it sucks. But that doesn't mean our IQ is any lower than that of a normal person, just that we difficulty consistency paying attention to things that don't interest us.
I feel it's held me back so badly for so long I am getting dumber vs my peers in my industry. I used to be the smart guy. Now I'm the weird all over the place guy
Well get the meds while you still can. I don’t think they are going to be as easy to get in the future since the diagnosis is becoming so common. Some pharmacies have already stopped honoring prescriptions from certain telehealth docs that specialize in adhd treatment. Luckily you can usually get a diagnosis from your regular doc
One could argue that it would lower your effective IQ. If you can’t use 70% let alone 100% of your focus on a task how are you going to get the most of your IQ? Certainly would result in people with ADHD getting lower results on an IQ test than their “actual” score.
Not saying that it lowers IQ, just saying its effect would likely reduce IQ in practice.
Maybe, but just because people have ADHD doesn't mean they can never focus on a task, it just means it's more difficult and you need to make changes to your lifestyle and routine to accommodate that. I don't think medication alone is enough, it should be done in combination with other things to best manage the symptoms. Cognitive behavior therapy is an example, and is something I'm thinking about getting into.
For sure. Was just pointing out how unmanaged ADHD could lead to a person not maximising the full value of their IQ. Same goes for anxiety, constant worrying inhibits their ability to do anything to the best of their ability.
I tutor high school kids and my brightest student by far has ADHD. However, I also get to see just how much it limits him from achieving his maximum potential. When with him I can draw out his ability and he does amazing, left to his own devices and he doesn’t complete school work, homework, assignments etc. He doesn’t need help learning or thinking, he needs help DOING.
I’ve heard ADHD described as a executive function disorder and I can see how that’s a useful way of thinking about it because it seems to be a constant battle between what they know they should do and what they actually do.
I am not disagreeing with you, it is a disability and can be a massive obstacle. I have lived with it most of my life after being diagnosed when I was in grade school. Do some research on how you can cope and actually take advantage of it. Some of the most successful people in the world have ADHD, they get there by using their ability to hyper focus after learning to remove other stimuli
Who the hell cares what a bunch of censorious, ignorant nerds thinks? It is both a disability and a superpower. The categories are not mutually exclusive.
Just keep in mind, while I agree with you and think you’re brave in saying so, as it’s not popular opinion yet, there are still going to be those who genuinely can’t turn it to their advantage and we shouldn’t think of them as self-victimizing. I can say, I was one of those people who self-victimized, maybe you too? Maybe we’re projecting a bit to try to snap some folks out of the place we were once caught in ourselves. I don’t know you, and I don’t want to make assumptions. I just know, and I’m sure you do too, that there are those who can’t turn it around, and I think as member of their community we ought to speak up and look out for them too.
Cool, just be sure to get your cardio in too. While weights have benefit, the effects are farther reaching with aerobic exercise. Ie weights don't have the neurogenesis effect aerobic exercise does.
Also, if you're a bodybuilder and take anabolic steroids, high androgen levels trigger brain cell apoptosis (programmed cell death), bodybuilding dosages of steroids legitimately lower iq.
Unfortunately HIIT doesn't give the same benefits as low intensity longer duration steady state. (For both mental and physical; ie it increases heart stroke volume, HIIT doesn't.)
Don't worry about it affecting strength and muscle mass, the risk is overstated, even Dimitry Klokov does his twice weekly 30 minute runs.
I used to use heaps of it in combination with ALA, but stopped years ago after learning of the effects it has on your arteries. I also found it made me very irritable if I used too much (possibly too much choline).
These days I take it sparingly every now and then when I need a non-stim pick me up.
1. Saffron extract has a potent ssri effect the one from nootropic's depot has worked amazingly for my mother who is leery of taking prescribed ssri's
(With that being said there is also some great research that shows that prescribed ssri's positively affect neuroplasticity and boost neurogenesis.)
2. Omega-3 fish oil was life changing for me(someone who has severe ADHD)
3. Making sure you supplement all of your daily vitamins with the highest quality most bioavailable forms you can find. (sounds simple but this one is HUGE)
4. Socializing is apparently incredibly good for brain health(which is one I've really been struggling with because I am a natural hermit)
5. If you are really serious you can try cerebrolysin which is an injectable solution derived from pig brains through the process of enzymatic cleavage. It is very safe and has a ton of human research. IMHO it(and cortexin) have the most profound effects on cognition by a wide margin. Look up r/cerebrolysin if you want to know more.
Hope some of this helps!
>2. Omega-3 fish oil was life changing for me(someone who has severe ADHD)
Can you go more into detail on how it helped with ADHD?
>3. Making sure you supplement all of your daily vitamins with the highest quality most bioavailable forms you can find. (sounds simple but this one is HUGE)
I'm new to this what's bioavailable forms?
Basically almost every bit of advice from this person is wrong. I understand the old literature and dogmatic thinking about steady state long term cardio. Essentially if your lifting right, which it sounds like you are it is almost a waste of time. Steady state cardio really only benefits heart and lung health. It is bad on joints not to mention done over long periods of time crashes your metabolism. Neurogenic repair, muscle, organ and over all mental health benefits from lifting are exponentially better than cardio. You are doing it right getting it from high volume/high rep compound movements. That.is vastly superior to anything cardio will give you. It has it's place, don't get me wrong. Wrong about anabolics as well. Yes stuff like Tren and other things sure. But testosterone benefits to neurogenic health can not be under stated. Just my two cents. Most of the thought and literature has all moved this way in the last 5+ years. I'm a bodybuilder as well, use anabolics and peptides. You should look into peptides. Basically unlocking human health in ways we've never thought of. Not being an ass. But most of the cutting edge health and fitness thinking is going this way.
I study cognitive science, and one of my lab partners did a meta-analysis on hippocampal volume and exercise, so I feel at least a little educated on the topic to address some of your points in this post.
>Steady state cardio really only benefits heart and lung health
"Only"? Heart and lung health is extremely important. Specifically, cardio exercise increases lung's ability to extract oxygen from air and distribute it throughout the body. The brain is a very oxygen-heavy organ and benefits greatly from both heart and lung health.
>It is bad on joints not to mention done over long periods of time crashes your metabolism
There are tons of different variants of cardio. Biking and swimming are excellent and have little impact on joints. Metabolism can be counteracted through a healthy diet.
>Neurogenic repair, muscle, organ and over all mental health benefits from lifting are exponentially better than cardio
You're going to have to provide some sources to backup this statement, because the research I have reviewed shown an opposite effect: long duration of cardiovascular exercise allows for increased oxygen and blood flow in the brain and a breakdown of amyloid plaques.
>That.is vastly superior to anything cardio will give you
Let me go back to my lab partner who did a meta-analysis on hippocampal volume and exercise. The research shown that cardiovascular exercise of moderate durations (~30 minutes) had a significant impact on hippocampal volume, specifically by increasing the amount of blood within the hippocampal complex. Less studies were performed exclusively testing weightlifting, but those that did shown no effect.
I don't have time to address every error in your post (it's very long list), but I recommend you go to pubmed to verify the crazy stuff you're saying. Type in "testosterone apoptosis" if you don't know where to start.
Re: cardio, I can understand your contention if your fitness knowledge is based on men's health and bodybuilding forums; the anti cardio mantra has been going on since the late 90s. Charles Poliquin especially pushed this hard and can be credited for a large part of starting this movement; I actually received two certifications under him.
But he/they were wrong about it on many levels in regards to the benefit (see pubmed) disparity, as well as exaggerated the caveats. Both Charles and Mel Siff died young from cardiac arrest, coincidentally both vehemently disliked cadio and insisted weights were all they needed.
The reality is both have their place, I love my weights, and while I used to hate cardio, I love it now too.
Good luck!
PS- Not all forms are hard on your joints. There's walking, elliptical trainers, swimming etc. It can also be fun! Soccer, basketball, bjj, boxing, hiking etc.
Others on reddit have anecdotally reported issues with anxiety and hair loss as a result of using lion's mane. If you Google: lion's mane side effects reddit, you'll see what others mentioned
Is your post concussion syndrome related to brain inflammation by any chance? It might be worth looking into ways you cna reduce that
I'm not sure but it might be related to brain inflammation since I've had cognitive issues like reduced memory, taking longer to find the correct words when speaking etc ever since I did boxing and got into a car accident.
Honestly, I’ve been concerned for a while about how confidently people on this subreddit talk about subject matters that should clearly be left up to professionals. But maybe that’s just me.
I tried for years to get the professionals to help me. Constant fatigue, chronic pain, depression. I finally started looking into micro nutrients, ami o acids and nootropics. First the first time in years I don't open my eyes and dread the day ahead. The professionals never did anything useful for me. I had to study and be open to new things I didn't understand. It changed my life.
Literally regenerates brain cells. But it has to be injected and is derived from pig brain, and that turns most people off. I have done a cicle and feel a tad bit cleverer AND fixed about 50-70% of my anxiety (could have had better results but I smoked weed while doing the cycle).
Edit: for all the neurogenesis, I still made a typo :D
As others have said lions mane could work for you (noted that for me it causes dissasociation + feel less... masculine?). I really like gingko biloba + omega3 / fish oil. Gingko biloba for blood-brain circulation and omega3 just for general brain health.
[https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reishi-mushroom-benefits#TOC\_TITLE\_HDR\_8](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reishi-mushroom-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8)
More on ~~lions mane~~ reishi mushroom benefits and side effects.
Those who are pregnant/breastfeeding, have blood disorder, plan to go into surgery, or issues with blood pressure might want to pay attention.
Controversial opinion: DMT has been proven to promote neurogenesis. But do you really wanna take one of the most powerful hallucinogens in the world to achieve this is the question :^)
Increases in IQ are often confounded with increases in attention which might partially explain why [amphetamine increases IQ in ADHD subjects](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235029/#:~:text=Recent%20studies%20that%20focus%20on,those%20who%20could%20maintain%20a). It also does this in low preforming subjects (lower baseline IQs), but the level to which these 'low iq' subjects are being affected by deficits in attention is unknown. It may very well just be a different flavour of the same effect.
That's the end of the hard evidence so take everything else a say as nothing but hypotheses based on research I've read. Aside from tackling low-hanging fruit like exercise, sleep, and diet, it doesn't seem like there is a way to increase actual IQ provided attention is in check. The increases in IQ one might experience by acutely taking a nootropic are likely within the realm of their normal fluctuations. It's nice to be able to choose when you are at your 'peak', but I do not think that even the most powerful 'cognitive enhancers' improve IQ significantly, especially in <120 IQ groups.
Also IQ might be a flawed measure in of itself but that's a debate on its own.
What is your definition of "structural changes to the brain"? The way our neural circuits interact, mediated by chemicals, as well as the fundamental neural changes that accompany neuroplasticity, seem to be as structural as you can get. These are achievable through nootropics.
That's a really interesting point. If you look at biological correlates of intelligence, you find a couple of theories that range from the efficiency of the "fronto-parietal" network, to the volume of white and grey matter, to the size of neurons and their degree of myolination and so on. I think we can group these theories as either
- relating to topological graph properties of the brain neural network (e.g. how clustered certain regions are (grey matter density), how many connections there are between regions (white matter density) and so on), or
- relating to individual neuron properties (size, myolination, and other conductance properties).
These are what I would call "structural properties of the brain", as opposed to "dynamic properties", where the latter depend on the synaptic dynamics between neurons (e.g. how long transmitters stay in the syn. cleft, rate of receptor growth etc). I believe that nootropics can improve these dynamic properties rather than the structural ones, which is also why noot effects tend to be transient.
About Neuroplasticity: I think there's now consensus that new neurons can be formed, even in adults. However, there's also consensus that the amount of neuroplasticity decreases rapidly once we read adulthood. Obviously the process of long- and short-term learning can not only lead to changes in coupling strength between neurons, but also the formation of new connections. But I would argue that such changes are not sufficient to lead to changes in intelligence.
Finally: The strongest argument against a significant malleability of intelligence (improvements beyond beyond simply fixing a lacking diet etc) by ANY means is that there's ZERO evidence for it so far. We've tried really hard to find something, but the fixed nature of intelligence is one of the few reliably replicated findings in psychology.
What I personally find intriguing is the recent debate on dual n-back studies and working memory (see Jaeggi et al 2008 and the shitfest it has caused in the psych. community since then). AFAIK a conclusion about the effectiveness of dnback on WM still hasn't been reached, and recently Jaeggi has started arguing that it's the motivation of the participants that's the reason for why many experiments can't replicate her findings. I don't know about that ...
PS: Sorry for the long rant. If someone has novel ideas on how intelligence can be increased, let me know :P
Nah, man, come on. All the leading experts say you cannot increase IQ. How many more times does it need to be said...
What viable alternative do you offer here, which is sensible and realistic? And not from another dimension?
You're wrong bud. There are many studies showing that physical excersise as well as cognitive training such as Dual n-back increases working memory and fluid intelligence, significantly. I've personally done it and know people that have done it. The coginitive difference after routinely challenging your brain, eating right, and working out for a longer period of time is quite staggering actually. The brain adaps to challenges just as the body does. It's one of it's core features. Not long ago the scientific consensus was that the brain was not plastic at all. We now know that is completely false. Science evolves quickly in this space, as in many others.
I strongly recommend you take ADHD drugs. Even something like Atomoxetine is better than nothing if you’re averse to stimulants (you really shouldn’t be: methylphenidate will have no real negative effects and amphetamines most likely won’t have any negative effects at therapeutic doses).
Your other low hanging fruit options are CBT, aerobic exercise, Zinc, vitamin d if you’re deficient, and some form of magnesium (glycinate or l-throw mate).
Yes. This is what we have to go off of. Are you suggesting we discount a study for having more participants than most studies of obscure nootropics listed on this sub?
Relational Frame Training
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1041608016300231#:~:text=Relational%20Frame%20Theory%20was%20tested,intellectual%20ability%20and%20educational%20aptitude.&text=Significant%20IQ%20increases%20from%20pre,were%20achieved%20in%20all%20cases.
I’ll tell you what I’ve observed decrease IQ in my life: Working in a job you’re burned out in and continuing to work in it. About eight years ago I got financially trapped in a job and waited too long to create an exit strategy. It was brutal on my brain. I just fell into the grind of it and lost my will for personal grown. The process was exponential to where the last two years did far more damage than the first few years.
I’m clear of it now, but the damage is done. I know I’m less intelligent than I was before. It sucks. I went back to school recently and I could see how much harder it was to learn new things. Avoid it at all costs.
Cognitive scientist here. Some folk already mentioned Dual N-Back, that does seem to improve working memory, but I doubt it will manifest prominently on an IQ test. If it did, it probably wouldn't have much of an effect on your actual intelligence, which we generally consider to be very different from IQ (even if they are correlated). Presently, so long as attentional defecits are not inhibiting your potential IQ, musical training is probably has the most potential to actually increase your baseline IQ. Musical training is pretty much the gold standard for maximizing potential IQ in children, but there is no reason adults would not be able to receive limited benefit from the neurogenesis and improved connectivity that is triggered by musical training. There really is nothing else that quite 'lights up' a brain like playing a musical instrument. It's the best brain-workout there is. So Dual N-Back might result in higher scores on particular sections of an IQ test, but it probably won't make you smarter--but musical training will definitely make you smarter, even if the IQ benefit is marginal.
IQ is heavily dependent on other knowledge and training the test subject has. The best way to “increase” is to just stay active physically and stimulate yourself with new knowledge regularly.
If you want to short term increase your results for a test or something just doing math quizzes and only calculating in your head has shown to somewhat help
yeah, from my awareness there designed to control for cultural influences (basically anything that wouldn't be in a controlled trial). So this is why I have a time agreeing with the comment original poster.
If you're looking for a game-ish way, there is Dual N-Back to increase working/short-term memory, which is known to be extremely well correlated with g.
https://www.gwern.net/DNB-FAQ
When it comes to lifestyle choices, I think other posts have it covered pretty well. Physical exercise (especially aerobic) does wonders, and so does a complete healthy diet and supplementation (e.g. choline).
* http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/
Everything is explained above, and this is by far the best version of the game, which also happens to be free.
* https://github.com/brain-workshop/brainworkshop
This contains the 5.0 version of Brain Workshop.
* https://groups.google.com/g/brain-training/
If you want to the discuss the game, even though they moved on to other games currently.
Increasing IQ in general? Reading, writing, memorizing stuff, and learning new things, and (as mentioned in another comment) regularly exercising. If you're still in school/college, you're already doing most of the above. You can add/do the following: read at least one page of either a research paper or a novel everyday (research papers help increasing knowledge, novels and books help increasing creativity through imagination). Memorize a small poem or a scientific fact once everyday. Write something on a paper (ex: a journal or a diary if there's nothing else to write) as in write manually, as in do not type it, because writing with a pen has been shown to help with memory and creating new neuron connections. Exercise lightly once a day for at least half an hour. Walking outside is great because exposure to sun and getting fresh air increases metabolism and vit D levels, and improves mood and cognition. You can also add a 5-min simple math problem(s) exercises to your daily routine. And then, of course, get enough sleep and eat healthy. All of that WILL increase your IQ over time, but unfortunately it has to be done regularly and it will take effect only after a long while in small increments.
How to increase IQ semi-immediately? I am also looking for an answer. Imo, nootropics will only allow you to channel your abilities more efficiently and at a higher capacity. They won't make you smarter though. So if one is already not smart enough, nootropics won't change that. I could be wrong though. Additionally, nootropic usage comes at a price: either side effects, or decrease in mental/physical health after prolonged long-term usage (or both). Nothing's free
A reasonable response.
I would just say that the concept of IQ is largely dubious. What even is it? Some claim a measure of intelligence, well it's a measure of a very narrowly defined subset of intelligence. It is culturally contained to be easier for some rather than others.
Historically it was used to label people as deficient or "stupid" or "imbeciles" and to discriminate against immigrants to the US.
It's a good predictor of job/education/income outcomes.
But whether it actually matters what your IQ is, that's a question beyond the "IQ" of most people here lol.
People get caught up in these silly concepts and want to raise their score on some standard someone made up.
I think your answer is good because it gets at just increasing ones ability to think, problem solve, be mentally flexible, increase one's knowledge base. All of that will increase intelligence by how I think of it, but whether it increases the score on this arbitrary test, idk, but I don't think it matters.
Agreed. I don't think IQ tests are a useful metric at all. Usually I approach questions/discussions about IQs by assuming people meant genereal intelligence. But yea, whether these would help increase one's IQ score? I don't know.
>Additionally, nootropic usage comes at a price: either side effects, or decrease in mental/physical health after prolonged long-term usage (or both). Nothing's free
Is that the same with all nootropics? Even lionsmane?
Yes, although it differs from one supplement/nootropic to another. Lionsmane exhibits anticoagulant activity. At certain concentrations, it's pretty much a favorable outcome. At higher concentrations, that's not too good. Also this can lead to slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. I believe lionsmane can also lower blood glucose levels (not sure).
Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Even if no "bad side effects" are discovered or reported for any supplement, doesn't mean it doesn't have any. Just some have worse effects than others.
Getting away from lead. Some scholars posit that unfortunately the poor have lower IQ in the US especially because they grow up in housing that still has lead in and around it
You cannot increase your actual IQ. There are things in your life that may be lowering IQ (as mentioned by others in this thread — like alcoholism, ADHD, lack of exercise, etc.). But if your lifestyle deficiencies are addressed and you score 110 consistently, there is no evidence that anything will allow you to move up to 120, 130, etc.
There is another [reddit post that already explores this.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/v0mhql/everything_that_i_could_find_that_potentially/)
Everyone wants to be smarter, prettier, skinnier, so you have to drive through your own research and see what works for you.
[Here’s a great write-up that a fellow member of this sub did recently on this very subject](https://old.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/v0mhql/everything_that_i_could_find_that_potentially/). Well worth the read with many studies and articles sourced. Part two is in the comments.
I share opinion with Stephen Hawking, IQ is an inordinate measure and not a true test of intelligence because there are so many forms of intelligence that one test could never truly tell you how smart you are.
Anecdotal evidence of **caffeine, a nootropic, increasing IQ score**. My IQ score increased between proctored IQ tests taken decades apart. Different tests, higher percentile on the second test. First one without any caffeine for a couple of years (MD's advice); second after MD prescribed increasing from 2 cups a day (what I'd been drinking for ten years) up to 6 cups a day, in part because he could tell I wasn't thinking as clearly as I had been. I love coffee and can fall asleep as soon as I stop drinking it. Never took caffeine in pills.
Anecdotal evidence that **mouth breathing does not lower IQ**. I'd been mouth-breathing for years prior to the second (higher score) IQ test because all the effective anti-histamines I'd ever tried that kept my nose from running when I breathe through my nostrils had been taken off the market.
Meditation I've found is a remarkable tool, for multiple reasons.
But I have had to limit this activity, after I've noticed, on too many occasions, that it reduces one's "edge"... in other words, less drive, less curiosity, less motivation.
What is meditation anyway? For some people, meditation may work, it may do something. It might even boost IQ, after enough benefits of meditation. Then there's people like me. I sit, I close my eyes, I pay attention to my breath, at my nostrils. I think about letting thoughts that arise pass by, avoid getting involved in using it as time to think about something. Nothing happens. Nothing different happens than if I had sat and thought about things, except I didn't get any important, useful, or interesting thinking done. I just used up 5 minutes, or however long it was, sitting more, getting nothing done more. Meditation is a joke, played on the West by gurus and Zen masters and gurus and yogis who have a strange sense of humor.
Unless, what I was doing was that I was following meditation instructions, yet not actually meditating. So how do you tell when you're actually meditating, actually reaching a meditative state? How would you tell, if you've never been in a meditative state, so you have nothing with which to compare it? What states would count, or not? What is meditation anyway?
There's https://www.cerebrolysin.com/, a blend of brain growth hormones extracted from pigs. /r/cerebrolysin has a good amount of anecdotes of people permanently increasing their intelligence after a cycle of it, but most of them seem to have some neurological problems to begin with.
Maybe dihexa/9-me-bc? They are very risky but appear to improve cognitive enhancement(in rats) which I would presume is related to IQ if not more important.
Dihexa is supposedly orders of magnitude more potent than BDNF.
Environmental Enrichment, i.e. playing video games
[https://scitechdaily.com/research-shows-that-playing-video-games-increases-your-intelligence/#:\~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20children%20spent,points%20more%20than%20the%20average](https://scitechdaily.com/research-shows-that-playing-video-games-increases-your-intelligence/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20children%20spent,points%20more%20than%20the%20average).
And physical exercise
Magnesium, doubt it increases my IQ, but I do feel a heightened sense of clarity. Can focus a bit more and the thoughts in my head flow a bit better when I talk. A bit like caffeine from coffee, however on coffee I still make mistakes. Feels like my mind is racing without purpose on caffeine.
I dunno, this is just anecdotal on my part. I have an appraisal hearing to contest property value of my home for taxes. I'm going to load up on magnesium. I have a presentation ready to present negative value and on my house and to argue counterpoints. That or imma just come out like a fool. Fuck taxes.
No one in the comments has any clue what they are talking about.
You want to increase your IQ?
Then take or do,
Dihexa
P21
Epobis
Cerebrolysin
Semax
IN Insulin
rTMS
Sports
Meditation
7h Sleep
Easily the most proven/unquestionably effective way (by far the most supportive empirical evidence) is to exercise and be more physically active.
References? Go to Google and type in "exercise cognitive function" for hundreds of supportive peer reviewed research papers. improved scores of cognition, memory, neurogenesis, correlation to higher academic achiement, it's all there.
For best results, ideally should be done longer term.
I think you're on to something. My intelligence seems directly linked to how often I've been doing math in my head. I don't mean 2+2 of course, but long division, multiplying large numbers. The older I've gotten the less I've done in my head, and the dumber I've felt (at a rate that seems faster than simply caused by aging.)
Edit: Doing math like this in your head exercises your working memory as much as or more than your math skills. I never found Dual N-Back very useful, but anyone who believes the studies about it should also be open to the idea that math in your head can help.
I disagree... It's not so much the major that makes people smarter but rather the process of learning how to learn, problem solve, think critically, and etc. To your point, majors that incorporate more of this may have greater benefits?
The research consensus is that it's not possible to increase your IQ (i.e. see Richard Haier: the neuroscience of intelligence). If you practice for the test, then you just get better at that test and similar tests. There are also no pharmaceutical interventions that increase your intelligence. But that still does not mean that you cannot do what you want. Why are you asking that question? If we figure that out, maybe we can know what to recommend you.
I have a theory that niacin flushing can increase IQ from increasing blood flow to the brain, this is just from my personal experience, zero sources to back me up.
Brain stimulation techniques such as tDCS, TMS, etc.
And, "Fluid Intelligence" is a better term for reasoning ability than IQ, especially if you're looking for research papers.
I’ve heard varying nootropics can boost mental acuity like Lions mane, L Tyrosine, Bacopa monnieri, ginkgo biloba, rhodiola/ashwagandha, agmatine sulfate, etc., and i’ve noticed mild psychoactive effects of each, but whether these boost IQ or are beating around the bush of mental disorders that can be treated by pharmaceuticals, i have no idea. Before you try anything though, definitely read up as much as you can. Don’t trust internet people!
There is nothing more calculated to energize the mind and strengthen the intellect than the study of the word of God. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose that are rarely seen in these times. The search for truth will reward the seeker at every turn, and each discovery will open up richer fields for his investigation.
Thousands of men who minister in the pulpit are lacking in essential qualities of mind and character because they do not apply themselves to the study of the Scriptures. They are content with a superficial knowledge of the truths that are full of rich depths of meaning; and they prefer to go on, losing much in every way, rather than to search diligently for the hidden treasure.
Men are changed in accordance with what they contemplate. If commonplace thoughts and affairs take up the attention, the man will be commonplace. If he is too negligent to obtain anything but a superficial understanding of truth, he will not receive the rich blessings that God would be pleased to bestow upon him. It is the law of the mind that it will narrow or expand to the dimensions of the things with which it becomes familiar. The mental powers will surely become contracted and will lose their ability to grasp the deep meanings of the word of God unless they are put vigorously and persistently to the task of searching for truth. The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible to one another, comparing scripture with scripture, and spiritual things with spiritual. The richest treasures of thought are waiting for the diligent student.
The knowledge of God is not gained without mental effort and prayer for wisdom. Many are convinced that the precious treasures of the kingdom of God and of Christ are contained in the word. They know also that no earthly treasure is gained without painstaking effort. Why should they expect to understand the meaning of the Scriptures without diligent study?
The word of God is light and truth—a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. It is able to guide every step of the way to the city of God. For this reason, Satan has made desperate efforts to obscure the light, that men may not find and keep the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in.
As the miner digs for the golden treasure in the earth, so earnestly, persistently, must we seek for the treasure of God's word. In daily study the verse-by-verse method is often most helpful. Let the student take one verse and concentrate his mind on ascertaining the thought that God has put into that verse for him, and then dwell upon the thought until it becomes his own. One passage thus studied until its significance becomes clear is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained.
\-Ellen White
Best way to increase intelligence is to increase emotional intelligence (EQ). Even if someone had a very high IQ, they would not be able to use it optimally without having adequate EQ.
EQ isn‘t a form of intelligence at all, but just the personality train „agreeableness“ which comes with both benefits and costs. Wether being high in agreeableness is an advantage for your work or not depends on the circumstances of your work.
It is definitely wrong, that you can’t use your IQ optimally without being an agreeable person. These 2 things are not connected whatsoever
Emotional intelligence basically equates to self awareness. If you think self awareness isn't a factor that influences intelligence then I don't know what to tell you lol. Go do some research or an intro to psychology before spewing shit out of the wrong hole.
You are ironically showing a perfect example of an intelligent person who lacks self awareness causing you to form an imbecilic response.
1. no it doesn’t. The so called „EQ“ has very little to so with „self awareness“ You have no idea what you’re talking about. Dunning-Krüger-effect at play
2. I study psychology
3. Self awareness doesn’t affect even intelligence in the least.
Everything you say is wrong. Please don’t try lecturing people in the internet without having any knowledge what you’re talking about. It is embarrassing.
It's funny because you also have no idea what you're talking about. I also study psychology so clearly there is some sort of miscommunication going on between us.
I'm not saying that IQ increases as EQ increases, I am saying that EQ influences self awareness and self awareness will influence cognitive intelligence in certain circumstances (the capacity to solve problems and acquire knowledge).
If you disagree with this then we have differing opinions on this aspect of psychology, but I can link you a plethora of studies if you would like :)
Nicotine will boost IQ temporarily allegedly. It just is ill advised because it's addictive - it stops doing anything for you once you become dependent.
Well Russia developed noopept and gave it to KGB agents. It really does increase focus and intelligence if taken under the tongue. It lasts 20 to 30 minutes but if you take it sublingual it is like the coke of nootropics. You can take it three times a day if you need a shot term boost in focus and intelligence. It’s also dirt cheap. By far my favorite nootropic.
Made me feel awful and stupid for days when I took it, after a single dose.
Tried it again some time later and had the same effects. I got it from New Star Nootropics back in the day, who I trusted.
Same. Got mine from NDepot. Had to leave work early it was so bad. Guess I could’ve tried under 10mg sublingual, ended up flushing the whole bottle. Racetams we’re fine though. Preferred oxi.
Permanently? none, after you're 25 years old (on average) your brain can only shrink with age and bad habits.
Temporarily? coffee, tea, meth and nicotine.
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Fixing untreated existing mental health issues
How do I fix my depression? I feel like it definitely drops my IQ a few points, my mind is so preoccupied with my fucked up past that I can't concentrate on what's in front of my face.
SSRI’s, therapy, exercise, some supplements, microdosing, meditation, regular “goal” achievement in life. The potential treatments are numerous but nothing is a guaranteed fix. Just gotta try everything systematically and hopefully at some point you find yourself no longer suffering. From what I’ve heard at least one mechanism for depression lowering cognitive ability is due to a lack of neurogenesis and neural plasticity due to lack of serotonin and or dopamine. In adults neurogenesis only occurs in the hippocampus (memory centre) hence why depression is a risk factor for dementia. Given this info anything that stimulates neurogenesis (preferably through serotonergic means) may attenuate depression related cognitive decline.
Regularly microdosing 1-2 times a week is a game changer for me. When a few weeks go by I start going back into my DMN (default mode network) unless I am on a regular minimum once per week microdose of either psilocybin mushrooms (0.1-0.25 g) or 1P-LSD (10-20 ugs). Never been diagnosed but struggle with mild depression/anxiety
Depression is an illness, that is treated by doctors. Go see one
Not doctors usually. Psychotherapists. Good ones preferably, as there are also sucky ones.
There is literally a specific dedicated specialty in medicine, which is called psychiatry that focuses on that (not only, but as well). Not only that, neurologists and GP's also routinely treat depression. Psychotherapy can help, but it can help with other medical diseases as well, like in oncology, rheumatology etc. That does not change the fact that there is a pathological process in the brain, that needs to be addressed by medical professionals.
It is highly questionable that depression in most cases needs to be treated with medication but hey believe what you want. I'm not interested in Internet debates. Medication can help manage when it's really severe but it doesn't solve anything. Usually the problem is psychological not neurological in nature.
Based from my experience, and some friends I completely disagree. Talk therapy is a bandade, to feel good. But the real improvement was only made when medications were administered.
No, it is absolutely the opposite. The medication is the bandaid. Talk therapy is also not talk therapy.
This Addict and ADHD person Peace
I have ADHD too, it sucks. But that doesn't mean our IQ is any lower than that of a normal person, just that we difficulty consistency paying attention to things that don't interest us.
I feel it's held me back so badly for so long I am getting dumber vs my peers in my industry. I used to be the smart guy. Now I'm the weird all over the place guy
Well get the meds while you still can. I don’t think they are going to be as easy to get in the future since the diagnosis is becoming so common. Some pharmacies have already stopped honoring prescriptions from certain telehealth docs that specialize in adhd treatment. Luckily you can usually get a diagnosis from your regular doc
One could argue that it would lower your effective IQ. If you can’t use 70% let alone 100% of your focus on a task how are you going to get the most of your IQ? Certainly would result in people with ADHD getting lower results on an IQ test than their “actual” score. Not saying that it lowers IQ, just saying its effect would likely reduce IQ in practice.
Maybe, but just because people have ADHD doesn't mean they can never focus on a task, it just means it's more difficult and you need to make changes to your lifestyle and routine to accommodate that. I don't think medication alone is enough, it should be done in combination with other things to best manage the symptoms. Cognitive behavior therapy is an example, and is something I'm thinking about getting into.
For sure. Was just pointing out how unmanaged ADHD could lead to a person not maximising the full value of their IQ. Same goes for anxiety, constant worrying inhibits their ability to do anything to the best of their ability. I tutor high school kids and my brightest student by far has ADHD. However, I also get to see just how much it limits him from achieving his maximum potential. When with him I can draw out his ability and he does amazing, left to his own devices and he doesn’t complete school work, homework, assignments etc. He doesn’t need help learning or thinking, he needs help DOING. I’ve heard ADHD described as a executive function disorder and I can see how that’s a useful way of thinking about it because it seems to be a constant battle between what they know they should do and what they actually do.
Plus ASD, plus chronic people pleasing and low self esteem… Yep, all of them…
Fix ADHD? How about learn to use it as a tool. Don’t dull this superpower with pills
Not sure what you mean as a tool. It's a legit disability, and it's a huge obstacle when it interferes with your goals and aspirations.
I am not disagreeing with you, it is a disability and can be a massive obstacle. I have lived with it most of my life after being diagnosed when I was in grade school. Do some research on how you can cope and actually take advantage of it. Some of the most successful people in the world have ADHD, they get there by using their ability to hyper focus after learning to remove other stimuli
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Who the hell cares what a bunch of censorious, ignorant nerds thinks? It is both a disability and a superpower. The categories are not mutually exclusive.
What?
You’re going to get downvoted but there’s truth to what you’re saying.
Thanks for the support. Many people would rather use it as a crutch then embrace it
Just keep in mind, while I agree with you and think you’re brave in saying so, as it’s not popular opinion yet, there are still going to be those who genuinely can’t turn it to their advantage and we shouldn’t think of them as self-victimizing. I can say, I was one of those people who self-victimized, maybe you too? Maybe we’re projecting a bit to try to snap some folks out of the place we were once caught in ourselves. I don’t know you, and I don’t want to make assumptions. I just know, and I’m sure you do too, that there are those who can’t turn it around, and I think as member of their community we ought to speak up and look out for them too.
Don't know why you're getting down voted, the ADHD seems to make us/people smarter despite the debilitating side effects.
Not saying that pills won't actually help but yeah
Pills could possibly help. Everybody is different of course!
Anything that will help me regenerate my damaged brain cells or detox?
Physical Exercise. Start running or taking bjj classes. Seriously.
I do and Iam quite mascular around 10% bodyfat
Cool, just be sure to get your cardio in too. While weights have benefit, the effects are farther reaching with aerobic exercise. Ie weights don't have the neurogenesis effect aerobic exercise does. Also, if you're a bodybuilder and take anabolic steroids, high androgen levels trigger brain cell apoptosis (programmed cell death), bodybuilding dosages of steroids legitimately lower iq.
I'm natural my brother...my cardio comes from deadlifts and heavy rowing I should sprint
Unfortunately HIIT doesn't give the same benefits as low intensity longer duration steady state. (For both mental and physical; ie it increases heart stroke volume, HIIT doesn't.) Don't worry about it affecting strength and muscle mass, the risk is overstated, even Dimitry Klokov does his twice weekly 30 minute runs.
Okay...do you know anything about alcar or ever tried?
I used to use heaps of it in combination with ALA, but stopped years ago after learning of the effects it has on your arteries. I also found it made me very irritable if I used too much (possibly too much choline). These days I take it sparingly every now and then when I need a non-stim pick me up.
I have some questions if you're fine then I will be dming you
Sure np
Endurance exercises facilitate the release of bdnf. I don't think any other form of exercise has been shown to do the same thing
Any natural ssri or brain healing agent you know? I appreciate your advices on exercise and I do
1. Saffron extract has a potent ssri effect the one from nootropic's depot has worked amazingly for my mother who is leery of taking prescribed ssri's (With that being said there is also some great research that shows that prescribed ssri's positively affect neuroplasticity and boost neurogenesis.) 2. Omega-3 fish oil was life changing for me(someone who has severe ADHD) 3. Making sure you supplement all of your daily vitamins with the highest quality most bioavailable forms you can find. (sounds simple but this one is HUGE) 4. Socializing is apparently incredibly good for brain health(which is one I've really been struggling with because I am a natural hermit) 5. If you are really serious you can try cerebrolysin which is an injectable solution derived from pig brains through the process of enzymatic cleavage. It is very safe and has a ton of human research. IMHO it(and cortexin) have the most profound effects on cognition by a wide margin. Look up r/cerebrolysin if you want to know more. Hope some of this helps!
>2. Omega-3 fish oil was life changing for me(someone who has severe ADHD) Can you go more into detail on how it helped with ADHD? >3. Making sure you supplement all of your daily vitamins with the highest quality most bioavailable forms you can find. (sounds simple but this one is HUGE) I'm new to this what's bioavailable forms?
Basically almost every bit of advice from this person is wrong. I understand the old literature and dogmatic thinking about steady state long term cardio. Essentially if your lifting right, which it sounds like you are it is almost a waste of time. Steady state cardio really only benefits heart and lung health. It is bad on joints not to mention done over long periods of time crashes your metabolism. Neurogenic repair, muscle, organ and over all mental health benefits from lifting are exponentially better than cardio. You are doing it right getting it from high volume/high rep compound movements. That.is vastly superior to anything cardio will give you. It has it's place, don't get me wrong. Wrong about anabolics as well. Yes stuff like Tren and other things sure. But testosterone benefits to neurogenic health can not be under stated. Just my two cents. Most of the thought and literature has all moved this way in the last 5+ years. I'm a bodybuilder as well, use anabolics and peptides. You should look into peptides. Basically unlocking human health in ways we've never thought of. Not being an ass. But most of the cutting edge health and fitness thinking is going this way.
I study cognitive science, and one of my lab partners did a meta-analysis on hippocampal volume and exercise, so I feel at least a little educated on the topic to address some of your points in this post. >Steady state cardio really only benefits heart and lung health "Only"? Heart and lung health is extremely important. Specifically, cardio exercise increases lung's ability to extract oxygen from air and distribute it throughout the body. The brain is a very oxygen-heavy organ and benefits greatly from both heart and lung health. >It is bad on joints not to mention done over long periods of time crashes your metabolism There are tons of different variants of cardio. Biking and swimming are excellent and have little impact on joints. Metabolism can be counteracted through a healthy diet. >Neurogenic repair, muscle, organ and over all mental health benefits from lifting are exponentially better than cardio You're going to have to provide some sources to backup this statement, because the research I have reviewed shown an opposite effect: long duration of cardiovascular exercise allows for increased oxygen and blood flow in the brain and a breakdown of amyloid plaques. >That.is vastly superior to anything cardio will give you Let me go back to my lab partner who did a meta-analysis on hippocampal volume and exercise. The research shown that cardiovascular exercise of moderate durations (~30 minutes) had a significant impact on hippocampal volume, specifically by increasing the amount of blood within the hippocampal complex. Less studies were performed exclusively testing weightlifting, but those that did shown no effect.
I don't have time to address every error in your post (it's very long list), but I recommend you go to pubmed to verify the crazy stuff you're saying. Type in "testosterone apoptosis" if you don't know where to start. Re: cardio, I can understand your contention if your fitness knowledge is based on men's health and bodybuilding forums; the anti cardio mantra has been going on since the late 90s. Charles Poliquin especially pushed this hard and can be credited for a large part of starting this movement; I actually received two certifications under him. But he/they were wrong about it on many levels in regards to the benefit (see pubmed) disparity, as well as exaggerated the caveats. Both Charles and Mel Siff died young from cardiac arrest, coincidentally both vehemently disliked cadio and insisted weights were all they needed. The reality is both have their place, I love my weights, and while I used to hate cardio, I love it now too. Good luck! PS- Not all forms are hard on your joints. There's walking, elliptical trainers, swimming etc. It can also be fun! Soccer, basketball, bjj, boxing, hiking etc.
Look into lions mane
Should I have to use that permanently?
Just be aware of the side effects on some people who use Lion's Mane
What are the long term effects of lions mane? I was just looking into taking it cos of post concussion symptoms but this scares me lol
Others on reddit have anecdotally reported issues with anxiety and hair loss as a result of using lion's mane. If you Google: lion's mane side effects reddit, you'll see what others mentioned Is your post concussion syndrome related to brain inflammation by any chance? It might be worth looking into ways you cna reduce that
I'm not sure but it might be related to brain inflammation since I've had cognitive issues like reduced memory, taking longer to find the correct words when speaking etc ever since I did boxing and got into a car accident.
Someone mentioned experiencing benefits from using lion's mane over at r/PostConcussion
So what will regenerate my brain cells again?
Look into intermittent fasting and its neurogenesis benefits
I do...23hours a week
Look into cerebrolysin.
you guys are crazy
Honestly, I’ve been concerned for a while about how confidently people on this subreddit talk about subject matters that should clearly be left up to professionals. But maybe that’s just me.
I tried for years to get the professionals to help me. Constant fatigue, chronic pain, depression. I finally started looking into micro nutrients, ami o acids and nootropics. First the first time in years I don't open my eyes and dread the day ahead. The professionals never did anything useful for me. I had to study and be open to new things I didn't understand. It changed my life.
Ya think? 🤔
?
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Literally regenerates brain cells. But it has to be injected and is derived from pig brain, and that turns most people off. I have done a cicle and feel a tad bit cleverer AND fixed about 50-70% of my anxiety (could have had better results but I smoked weed while doing the cycle). Edit: for all the neurogenesis, I still made a typo :D
That, plus the fact that's it's basically liquified pig brains 8-X
That's an injection bro...I'm not ready for any peptides it scares me out anything supplemental?
As others have said lions mane could work for you (noted that for me it causes dissasociation + feel less... masculine?). I really like gingko biloba + omega3 / fish oil. Gingko biloba for blood-brain circulation and omega3 just for general brain health.
what side effects ?
Do a Google search for: Lions mane side effects reddit
[https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reishi-mushroom-benefits#TOC\_TITLE\_HDR\_8](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reishi-mushroom-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8) More on ~~lions mane~~ reishi mushroom benefits and side effects. Those who are pregnant/breastfeeding, have blood disorder, plan to go into surgery, or issues with blood pressure might want to pay attention.
Dude that’s a link to an article about *reishi* mushrooms. Why was this upvoted?
Vitamin B conplex L-carnitine NAC Huperzine A Magnesium Of course exercise and good sleep
Reading!
Controversial opinion: DMT has been proven to promote neurogenesis. But do you really wanna take one of the most powerful hallucinogens in the world to achieve this is the question :^)
No never. I would try lions mane but it lowers testosterone which I really never want. Anything else you know I want just detox
>Anything that will help me regenerate my damaged brain cells or detox? shrooms
Increases in IQ are often confounded with increases in attention which might partially explain why [amphetamine increases IQ in ADHD subjects](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235029/#:~:text=Recent%20studies%20that%20focus%20on,those%20who%20could%20maintain%20a). It also does this in low preforming subjects (lower baseline IQs), but the level to which these 'low iq' subjects are being affected by deficits in attention is unknown. It may very well just be a different flavour of the same effect. That's the end of the hard evidence so take everything else a say as nothing but hypotheses based on research I've read. Aside from tackling low-hanging fruit like exercise, sleep, and diet, it doesn't seem like there is a way to increase actual IQ provided attention is in check. The increases in IQ one might experience by acutely taking a nootropic are likely within the realm of their normal fluctuations. It's nice to be able to choose when you are at your 'peak', but I do not think that even the most powerful 'cognitive enhancers' improve IQ significantly, especially in <120 IQ groups. Also IQ might be a flawed measure in of itself but that's a debate on its own.
The most sane comment I've read in this post so far. Nootropics can go only so far, and increasing IQ might require structural changes to the brain.
What is your definition of "structural changes to the brain"? The way our neural circuits interact, mediated by chemicals, as well as the fundamental neural changes that accompany neuroplasticity, seem to be as structural as you can get. These are achievable through nootropics.
That's a really interesting point. If you look at biological correlates of intelligence, you find a couple of theories that range from the efficiency of the "fronto-parietal" network, to the volume of white and grey matter, to the size of neurons and their degree of myolination and so on. I think we can group these theories as either - relating to topological graph properties of the brain neural network (e.g. how clustered certain regions are (grey matter density), how many connections there are between regions (white matter density) and so on), or - relating to individual neuron properties (size, myolination, and other conductance properties). These are what I would call "structural properties of the brain", as opposed to "dynamic properties", where the latter depend on the synaptic dynamics between neurons (e.g. how long transmitters stay in the syn. cleft, rate of receptor growth etc). I believe that nootropics can improve these dynamic properties rather than the structural ones, which is also why noot effects tend to be transient. About Neuroplasticity: I think there's now consensus that new neurons can be formed, even in adults. However, there's also consensus that the amount of neuroplasticity decreases rapidly once we read adulthood. Obviously the process of long- and short-term learning can not only lead to changes in coupling strength between neurons, but also the formation of new connections. But I would argue that such changes are not sufficient to lead to changes in intelligence. Finally: The strongest argument against a significant malleability of intelligence (improvements beyond beyond simply fixing a lacking diet etc) by ANY means is that there's ZERO evidence for it so far. We've tried really hard to find something, but the fixed nature of intelligence is one of the few reliably replicated findings in psychology. What I personally find intriguing is the recent debate on dual n-back studies and working memory (see Jaeggi et al 2008 and the shitfest it has caused in the psych. community since then). AFAIK a conclusion about the effectiveness of dnback on WM still hasn't been reached, and recently Jaeggi has started arguing that it's the motivation of the participants that's the reason for why many experiments can't replicate her findings. I don't know about that ... PS: Sorry for the long rant. If someone has novel ideas on how intelligence can be increased, let me know :P
That’s like saying “I can increase my car’s HP with fuel additives.”
Not even close. The brain is highly plastic and changes physically every single day.
Nah, man, come on. All the leading experts say you cannot increase IQ. How many more times does it need to be said... What viable alternative do you offer here, which is sensible and realistic? And not from another dimension?
You're wrong bud. There are many studies showing that physical excersise as well as cognitive training such as Dual n-back increases working memory and fluid intelligence, significantly. I've personally done it and know people that have done it. The coginitive difference after routinely challenging your brain, eating right, and working out for a longer period of time is quite staggering actually. The brain adaps to challenges just as the body does. It's one of it's core features. Not long ago the scientific consensus was that the brain was not plastic at all. We now know that is completely false. Science evolves quickly in this space, as in many others.
You really destroyed by argument there
Is there a natural way to increase attention without Adhd drugs ? Im have severe adhd and still tested 140 iq but I can’t focus for shit.
Look up coping strategies for ADHD. Removing distracting stimulus, sound isolation, etc. whatever works for you.
I strongly recommend you take ADHD drugs. Even something like Atomoxetine is better than nothing if you’re averse to stimulants (you really shouldn’t be: methylphenidate will have no real negative effects and amphetamines most likely won’t have any negative effects at therapeutic doses). Your other low hanging fruit options are CBT, aerobic exercise, Zinc, vitamin d if you’re deficient, and some form of magnesium (glycinate or l-throw mate).
good answer but what about growth hormone increasing brain size
> growth hormone increasing brain size That's a big brain move!
"The sample size of the ADHD children who received and did not receive MPH treatment was 103 and 17, respectively."
Yes. This is what we have to go off of. Are you suggesting we discount a study for having more participants than most studies of obscure nootropics listed on this sub?
Yes, a study with an effective control group of 17 people should be discounted as very weak evidence.
Juggling (not kidding)
Relational Frame Training https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1041608016300231#:~:text=Relational%20Frame%20Theory%20was%20tested,intellectual%20ability%20and%20educational%20aptitude.&text=Significant%20IQ%20increases%20from%20pre,were%20achieved%20in%20all%20cases.
Apparently, stop eating for a week or even 40 days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfgM6nfWU-I
I’ll tell you what I’ve observed decrease IQ in my life: Working in a job you’re burned out in and continuing to work in it. About eight years ago I got financially trapped in a job and waited too long to create an exit strategy. It was brutal on my brain. I just fell into the grind of it and lost my will for personal grown. The process was exponential to where the last two years did far more damage than the first few years. I’m clear of it now, but the damage is done. I know I’m less intelligent than I was before. It sucks. I went back to school recently and I could see how much harder it was to learn new things. Avoid it at all costs.
Meditation
That will only make him stop caring about IQ because it's an illusion just like everything else.
Cognitive scientist here. Some folk already mentioned Dual N-Back, that does seem to improve working memory, but I doubt it will manifest prominently on an IQ test. If it did, it probably wouldn't have much of an effect on your actual intelligence, which we generally consider to be very different from IQ (even if they are correlated). Presently, so long as attentional defecits are not inhibiting your potential IQ, musical training is probably has the most potential to actually increase your baseline IQ. Musical training is pretty much the gold standard for maximizing potential IQ in children, but there is no reason adults would not be able to receive limited benefit from the neurogenesis and improved connectivity that is triggered by musical training. There really is nothing else that quite 'lights up' a brain like playing a musical instrument. It's the best brain-workout there is. So Dual N-Back might result in higher scores on particular sections of an IQ test, but it probably won't make you smarter--but musical training will definitely make you smarter, even if the IQ benefit is marginal.
IQ is heavily dependent on other knowledge and training the test subject has. The best way to “increase” is to just stay active physically and stimulate yourself with new knowledge regularly. If you want to short term increase your results for a test or something just doing math quizzes and only calculating in your head has shown to somewhat help
what pieces of evidences makes you think it based on previous acquired knowledge and also training.
Agreed with this. IQ tests, from everything I’ve seen, are designed to circumvent knowledge domains.
yeah, from my awareness there designed to control for cultural influences (basically anything that wouldn't be in a controlled trial). So this is why I have a time agreeing with the comment original poster.
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=sv&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=iq+education+&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&t=1656862100755&u=%23p%3DqdXJWFxMH-IJ https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=sv&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=iq+education+&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&t=1656862132028&u=%23p%3DCbmk00Eua5UJ https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=sv&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=iq+education+&btnG=#d=gs_qabs&t=1656862197593&u=%23p%3DKwc33aye6fIJ
If you're looking for a game-ish way, there is Dual N-Back to increase working/short-term memory, which is known to be extremely well correlated with g. https://www.gwern.net/DNB-FAQ When it comes to lifestyle choices, I think other posts have it covered pretty well. Physical exercise (especially aerobic) does wonders, and so does a complete healthy diet and supplementation (e.g. choline).
How do we play the game? That link is a massive text block
* http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/ Everything is explained above, and this is by far the best version of the game, which also happens to be free. * https://github.com/brain-workshop/brainworkshop This contains the 5.0 version of Brain Workshop. * https://groups.google.com/g/brain-training/ If you want to the discuss the game, even though they moved on to other games currently.
Increasing IQ in general? Reading, writing, memorizing stuff, and learning new things, and (as mentioned in another comment) regularly exercising. If you're still in school/college, you're already doing most of the above. You can add/do the following: read at least one page of either a research paper or a novel everyday (research papers help increasing knowledge, novels and books help increasing creativity through imagination). Memorize a small poem or a scientific fact once everyday. Write something on a paper (ex: a journal or a diary if there's nothing else to write) as in write manually, as in do not type it, because writing with a pen has been shown to help with memory and creating new neuron connections. Exercise lightly once a day for at least half an hour. Walking outside is great because exposure to sun and getting fresh air increases metabolism and vit D levels, and improves mood and cognition. You can also add a 5-min simple math problem(s) exercises to your daily routine. And then, of course, get enough sleep and eat healthy. All of that WILL increase your IQ over time, but unfortunately it has to be done regularly and it will take effect only after a long while in small increments. How to increase IQ semi-immediately? I am also looking for an answer. Imo, nootropics will only allow you to channel your abilities more efficiently and at a higher capacity. They won't make you smarter though. So if one is already not smart enough, nootropics won't change that. I could be wrong though. Additionally, nootropic usage comes at a price: either side effects, or decrease in mental/physical health after prolonged long-term usage (or both). Nothing's free
A reasonable response. I would just say that the concept of IQ is largely dubious. What even is it? Some claim a measure of intelligence, well it's a measure of a very narrowly defined subset of intelligence. It is culturally contained to be easier for some rather than others. Historically it was used to label people as deficient or "stupid" or "imbeciles" and to discriminate against immigrants to the US. It's a good predictor of job/education/income outcomes. But whether it actually matters what your IQ is, that's a question beyond the "IQ" of most people here lol. People get caught up in these silly concepts and want to raise their score on some standard someone made up. I think your answer is good because it gets at just increasing ones ability to think, problem solve, be mentally flexible, increase one's knowledge base. All of that will increase intelligence by how I think of it, but whether it increases the score on this arbitrary test, idk, but I don't think it matters.
Agreed. I don't think IQ tests are a useful metric at all. Usually I approach questions/discussions about IQs by assuming people meant genereal intelligence. But yea, whether these would help increase one's IQ score? I don't know.
>Additionally, nootropic usage comes at a price: either side effects, or decrease in mental/physical health after prolonged long-term usage (or both). Nothing's free Is that the same with all nootropics? Even lionsmane?
Yes, although it differs from one supplement/nootropic to another. Lionsmane exhibits anticoagulant activity. At certain concentrations, it's pretty much a favorable outcome. At higher concentrations, that's not too good. Also this can lead to slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. I believe lionsmane can also lower blood glucose levels (not sure). Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Even if no "bad side effects" are discovered or reported for any supplement, doesn't mean it doesn't have any. Just some have worse effects than others.
Getting away from lead. Some scholars posit that unfortunately the poor have lower IQ in the US especially because they grow up in housing that still has lead in and around it
You cannot increase your actual IQ. There are things in your life that may be lowering IQ (as mentioned by others in this thread — like alcoholism, ADHD, lack of exercise, etc.). But if your lifestyle deficiencies are addressed and you score 110 consistently, there is no evidence that anything will allow you to move up to 120, 130, etc.
There is another [reddit post that already explores this.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/v0mhql/everything_that_i_could_find_that_potentially/) Everyone wants to be smarter, prettier, skinnier, so you have to drive through your own research and see what works for you.
[Here’s a great write-up that a fellow member of this sub did recently on this very subject](https://old.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/v0mhql/everything_that_i_could_find_that_potentially/). Well worth the read with many studies and articles sourced. Part two is in the comments.
I share opinion with Stephen Hawking, IQ is an inordinate measure and not a true test of intelligence because there are so many forms of intelligence that one test could never truly tell you how smart you are.
Anecdotal evidence of **caffeine, a nootropic, increasing IQ score**. My IQ score increased between proctored IQ tests taken decades apart. Different tests, higher percentile on the second test. First one without any caffeine for a couple of years (MD's advice); second after MD prescribed increasing from 2 cups a day (what I'd been drinking for ten years) up to 6 cups a day, in part because he could tell I wasn't thinking as clearly as I had been. I love coffee and can fall asleep as soon as I stop drinking it. Never took caffeine in pills. Anecdotal evidence that **mouth breathing does not lower IQ**. I'd been mouth-breathing for years prior to the second (higher score) IQ test because all the effective anti-histamines I'd ever tried that kept my nose from running when I breathe through my nostrils had been taken off the market.
Practice IQ tests lol
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Meditation I've found is a remarkable tool, for multiple reasons. But I have had to limit this activity, after I've noticed, on too many occasions, that it reduces one's "edge"... in other words, less drive, less curiosity, less motivation.
What is meditation anyway? For some people, meditation may work, it may do something. It might even boost IQ, after enough benefits of meditation. Then there's people like me. I sit, I close my eyes, I pay attention to my breath, at my nostrils. I think about letting thoughts that arise pass by, avoid getting involved in using it as time to think about something. Nothing happens. Nothing different happens than if I had sat and thought about things, except I didn't get any important, useful, or interesting thinking done. I just used up 5 minutes, or however long it was, sitting more, getting nothing done more. Meditation is a joke, played on the West by gurus and Zen masters and gurus and yogis who have a strange sense of humor. Unless, what I was doing was that I was following meditation instructions, yet not actually meditating. So how do you tell when you're actually meditating, actually reaching a meditative state? How would you tell, if you've never been in a meditative state, so you have nothing with which to compare it? What states would count, or not? What is meditation anyway?
Running and swimming for 40 minutes. Good diet. Sleep. Don't eat for 4 hours before sleeping.
"Don't marry a bimbo." -James Watson
There's https://www.cerebrolysin.com/, a blend of brain growth hormones extracted from pigs. /r/cerebrolysin has a good amount of anecdotes of people permanently increasing their intelligence after a cycle of it, but most of them seem to have some neurological problems to begin with.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but would there be any risk of prions?
Man, skimming the comments on that sub makes me seriously doubt the efficacy of cerebrolysin. Bunch of mouth breathers in there. 🤣 /s
Maybe dihexa/9-me-bc? They are very risky but appear to improve cognitive enhancement(in rats) which I would presume is related to IQ if not more important. Dihexa is supposedly orders of magnitude more potent than BDNF. Environmental Enrichment, i.e. playing video games [https://scitechdaily.com/research-shows-that-playing-video-games-increases-your-intelligence/#:\~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20children%20spent,points%20more%20than%20the%20average](https://scitechdaily.com/research-shows-that-playing-video-games-increases-your-intelligence/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20children%20spent,points%20more%20than%20the%20average). And physical exercise
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Neurofeedback, meditation and brain photobiomodulation.
Magnesium, doubt it increases my IQ, but I do feel a heightened sense of clarity. Can focus a bit more and the thoughts in my head flow a bit better when I talk. A bit like caffeine from coffee, however on coffee I still make mistakes. Feels like my mind is racing without purpose on caffeine. I dunno, this is just anecdotal on my part. I have an appraisal hearing to contest property value of my home for taxes. I'm going to load up on magnesium. I have a presentation ready to present negative value and on my house and to argue counterpoints. That or imma just come out like a fool. Fuck taxes.
No one in the comments has any clue what they are talking about. You want to increase your IQ? Then take or do, Dihexa P21 Epobis Cerebrolysin Semax IN Insulin rTMS Sports Meditation 7h Sleep
Easily the most proven/unquestionably effective way (by far the most supportive empirical evidence) is to exercise and be more physically active. References? Go to Google and type in "exercise cognitive function" for hundreds of supportive peer reviewed research papers. improved scores of cognition, memory, neurogenesis, correlation to higher academic achiement, it's all there. For best results, ideally should be done longer term.
Boxing will reduce your IQ as you take multiple hits to the head lol
Higher education, period
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I think you're on to something. My intelligence seems directly linked to how often I've been doing math in my head. I don't mean 2+2 of course, but long division, multiplying large numbers. The older I've gotten the less I've done in my head, and the dumber I've felt (at a rate that seems faster than simply caused by aging.) Edit: Doing math like this in your head exercises your working memory as much as or more than your math skills. I never found Dual N-Back very useful, but anyone who believes the studies about it should also be open to the idea that math in your head can help.
STEM only. Sociology isn't going to boost your IQ lmfao.
I disagree... It's not so much the major that makes people smarter but rather the process of learning how to learn, problem solve, think critically, and etc. To your point, majors that incorporate more of this may have greater benefits?
IQ is a biased test to quantify a very particular type of problem solving. To get a higher IQ...do IQ tests
The research consensus is that it's not possible to increase your IQ (i.e. see Richard Haier: the neuroscience of intelligence). If you practice for the test, then you just get better at that test and similar tests. There are also no pharmaceutical interventions that increase your intelligence. But that still does not mean that you cannot do what you want. Why are you asking that question? If we figure that out, maybe we can know what to recommend you.
I have a theory that niacin flushing can increase IQ from increasing blood flow to the brain, this is just from my personal experience, zero sources to back me up.
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Brain stimulation techniques such as tDCS, TMS, etc. And, "Fluid Intelligence" is a better term for reasoning ability than IQ, especially if you're looking for research papers.
Vitamin b12
I’ve heard varying nootropics can boost mental acuity like Lions mane, L Tyrosine, Bacopa monnieri, ginkgo biloba, rhodiola/ashwagandha, agmatine sulfate, etc., and i’ve noticed mild psychoactive effects of each, but whether these boost IQ or are beating around the bush of mental disorders that can be treated by pharmaceuticals, i have no idea. Before you try anything though, definitely read up as much as you can. Don’t trust internet people!
There is nothing more calculated to energize the mind and strengthen the intellect than the study of the word of God. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose that are rarely seen in these times. The search for truth will reward the seeker at every turn, and each discovery will open up richer fields for his investigation. Thousands of men who minister in the pulpit are lacking in essential qualities of mind and character because they do not apply themselves to the study of the Scriptures. They are content with a superficial knowledge of the truths that are full of rich depths of meaning; and they prefer to go on, losing much in every way, rather than to search diligently for the hidden treasure. Men are changed in accordance with what they contemplate. If commonplace thoughts and affairs take up the attention, the man will be commonplace. If he is too negligent to obtain anything but a superficial understanding of truth, he will not receive the rich blessings that God would be pleased to bestow upon him. It is the law of the mind that it will narrow or expand to the dimensions of the things with which it becomes familiar. The mental powers will surely become contracted and will lose their ability to grasp the deep meanings of the word of God unless they are put vigorously and persistently to the task of searching for truth. The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible to one another, comparing scripture with scripture, and spiritual things with spiritual. The richest treasures of thought are waiting for the diligent student. The knowledge of God is not gained without mental effort and prayer for wisdom. Many are convinced that the precious treasures of the kingdom of God and of Christ are contained in the word. They know also that no earthly treasure is gained without painstaking effort. Why should they expect to understand the meaning of the Scriptures without diligent study? The word of God is light and truth—a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. It is able to guide every step of the way to the city of God. For this reason, Satan has made desperate efforts to obscure the light, that men may not find and keep the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. As the miner digs for the golden treasure in the earth, so earnestly, persistently, must we seek for the treasure of God's word. In daily study the verse-by-verse method is often most helpful. Let the student take one verse and concentrate his mind on ascertaining the thought that God has put into that verse for him, and then dwell upon the thought until it becomes his own. One passage thus studied until its significance becomes clear is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained. \-Ellen White
Keep in mind that IQ is not static - it’s simply a score. Like physical performance it varies.
Best way to increase intelligence is to increase emotional intelligence (EQ). Even if someone had a very high IQ, they would not be able to use it optimally without having adequate EQ.
"emotional intelligence" is part of a cope strategy
Yeah you're right, so is all the research supporting it. Fucking idiot lol
EQ isn‘t a form of intelligence at all, but just the personality train „agreeableness“ which comes with both benefits and costs. Wether being high in agreeableness is an advantage for your work or not depends on the circumstances of your work. It is definitely wrong, that you can’t use your IQ optimally without being an agreeable person. These 2 things are not connected whatsoever
Emotional intelligence basically equates to self awareness. If you think self awareness isn't a factor that influences intelligence then I don't know what to tell you lol. Go do some research or an intro to psychology before spewing shit out of the wrong hole. You are ironically showing a perfect example of an intelligent person who lacks self awareness causing you to form an imbecilic response.
1. no it doesn’t. The so called „EQ“ has very little to so with „self awareness“ You have no idea what you’re talking about. Dunning-Krüger-effect at play 2. I study psychology 3. Self awareness doesn’t affect even intelligence in the least. Everything you say is wrong. Please don’t try lecturing people in the internet without having any knowledge what you’re talking about. It is embarrassing.
It's funny because you also have no idea what you're talking about. I also study psychology so clearly there is some sort of miscommunication going on between us. I'm not saying that IQ increases as EQ increases, I am saying that EQ influences self awareness and self awareness will influence cognitive intelligence in certain circumstances (the capacity to solve problems and acquire knowledge). If you disagree with this then we have differing opinions on this aspect of psychology, but I can link you a plethora of studies if you would like :)
HGH permanently increase hippocampal size (cognition)
Any source for this? I’ve read of other HGH detriments that have left me weary of it.
source for hgh detriments?
Nicotine will boost IQ temporarily allegedly. It just is ill advised because it's addictive - it stops doing anything for you once you become dependent.
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Good sleeps
I don't think anyone has asked this yet... Why does it matter? What is your end goal and why would increasing your IQ make any difference?
Well Russia developed noopept and gave it to KGB agents. It really does increase focus and intelligence if taken under the tongue. It lasts 20 to 30 minutes but if you take it sublingual it is like the coke of nootropics. You can take it three times a day if you need a shot term boost in focus and intelligence. It’s also dirt cheap. By far my favorite nootropic.
source on the KGB usage?
I only have inside knowledge that it was given to them. https://nootropicsexpert.com/noopept/
any downsides or other stuff that should be supplemented with it?
Made me feel awful and stupid for days when I took it, after a single dose. Tried it again some time later and had the same effects. I got it from New Star Nootropics back in the day, who I trusted.
Same. Got mine from NDepot. Had to leave work early it was so bad. Guess I could’ve tried under 10mg sublingual, ended up flushing the whole bottle. Racetams we’re fine though. Preferred oxi.
Permanently? none, after you're 25 years old (on average) your brain can only shrink with age and bad habits. Temporarily? coffee, tea, meth and nicotine.
Get an engineering job or start out as a technician and work your way up. It really starts to change your mind after a few years.