L-Alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha GPC, also known as choline alfoscerate) is a cholinergic compound produced naturally in some plants and animals, including humans.
As a dietary supplement, alpha GPC is an effective lucid dreaming trigger and vivid dream oneirogen.
It is often combined with other lucid dreaming supplements to enhance lucid dreams.
Alpha GPC is also sometimes used as a nootropic, to improve cognitive functions in the waking state for both healthy and demented individuals.
What is alpha GPC?
Alpha GPC is a type of choline which can efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning it can get from your gut to your brain.
It is therefore a psychoactive supplement, specifically a mental stimulant.
Studies have found it improves cognitive function in both young and older adults.
What does alpha GPC do?
Alpha GPC breaks down in the brain into choline, increasing choline levels in the brain.
More choline in the brain means increased levels of acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which plays a role in alertness, attention, memory, and learning.
What does alpha GPC feel like?
People who have tried alpha GPC supplements say it makes them feel:
- calm
- alert
- mindful
- focused
- thoughtful
- strongly awake
- more motivated
- physically stronger
- more in control of the body
Is alpha GPC natural?
Choline is found naturally in many food sources and is regarded as an essential nutrient, related to the vitamin B family.
Alpha GPC, which contains 40% choline, in particular is a choline compound found naturally in the brain and in human breast milk.
It is also found in small amounts in meat products, especially organ tissue, and in some plants.
Unfortunately, however, it’s almost impossible to get a psychoactive dose from food.
For example, to get the minimal dose of 100 mg alpha GPC, you would need to eat 300 grams of toasted wheat germ or oat bran (that is more than 3 cups!)
Or you could eat 128 grams (4.5 oz) beef liver.
Now imagine you want to take the minimal lucid dreaming dose which is 6 times that (600 mg)…
Better to take supplements, which contain artificially-produced alpha GPC.
Lecithin sourced from soy and other plants or from eggs is purified in order to produce such alpha GPC supplements.
Alpha GPC Benefits – what is alpha GPC good for?
Alpha GPC supplements are often used as a nootropic to improve cognitive faculties, such as:
- thinking
- learning
- memory
They are also powerful dream supplements and may have other benefits, which I describe below.
Alpha GPC Sleep – Does alpha GPC make you sleepy?
Alpha GPC’s effect on sleep is disruptive when taken before bedtime.
The gradually increasing levels of acetylcholine will make you unable to enter the rejuvenative stages of deep sleep.
However, when taken as a nootropic in the morning, some people report finding themselves more tired in the evening due to increased cognitive exertion.
Alpha GPC Dreams
Alpha GPC has a profound effect on dreaming, including:
- Longer dreams
- More vivid dreams
- Lucid dreams, especially DILDs (dream-initiated lucid dreams)
- Dreams accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack which may even be original
Alpha GPC for Bodybuilding – does alpha GPC increase human growth hormone (HGH)?
Alpha GPC may also increase growth hormone secretion.
Taking it before physical exercise may augment the exercise-induced growth hormone spike.
It may also have the following additional ergogenic benefits:
- enhance power output
- increase maximum power and velocity in specified tests (counter-movement jump test, bench press, deadlift, etc.)
- increase lower body force (isometric mid-thigh pull test)
- upper body isometric strength
Alpha GPC for Dementia
Alpha GPC may improve cognition and halt brain aging in patients with dementia.
This may be due to its ability to reduce inflammation around blood vessels in the brain.
In some countries it has been used as a well tolerated prescription medication for Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions, given by mouth or as a shot.
It is just as effective as the prescription AChE inhibitor donepezil and more effective than rivastigmine.
It may be even more effective coupled with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, such as galantamine.
Alpha GPC for Stroke
Alpha GPC may also be useful for cognitive recovery from stroke and TIA (transient ischemic attack).
Does alpha GPC increase dopamine?
It has been suggested that oral consumption of alpha GPC may increase dopamine in the brain.
Alpha GPC and other neurotransmitters
Alpha GPC may also increase
- serotonin levels
- GABA levels by acting on alpha 1 adrenergic receptors
When to take alpha GPC?
If alpha GPC is taken in order to enhance dreams and induce lucid dreaming, it is best to take it after 4-5 hours of sleep.
It is not recommended to take alpha GPC before sleep because it may cause insomnia and sleep disturbances.
If the supplement is taken during the daytime as a nootropic or ergogen, take it about an hour before you want its effects to start kicking in.
Alpha GPC vs. choline
Alpha GPC is a type of choline supplement.
Other types of choline supplements include:
- Choline salts (choline citrate & choline bitartrate)
- Lecithin (phosphatidylcholine)
- CDP choline (citicoline)
All are well tolerated and have only mild side effects, if any.
Choline bitartrate vs. alpha GPC
Choline salts and alpha GPC are two of the most useful types of choline for purpose of lucid dream enhancement.
Because both are choline supplements, both have the same mechanism of action:
They are acetylcholine precursors.
However, as acetylcholine levels in the brain increase, the effectiveness of choline salts decreases.
Why?
Choline salts can only pass through the blood-brain barrier if there are low levels of acetylcholine in the brain (for example, during the non-REM stages of sleep).
Therefore, choline salts are not normally used as a standalone lucid dreaming supplement like alpha GPC.
Combining choline salts (or alpha GPC) with galantamine is however highly effective.
But in such combination, choline salts may be superior since they reach peak plasma levels at the same time as galantamine.
Choline salts are metabolized faster than alpha GPC (1 hour vs. 3 hours).
This means that you want to be dreaming after 2-3 hours of taking alpha GPC.
But with choline salts, you can take them along with galantamine one hour before dreaming.
CDP choline (citicoline) vs. alpha GPC
Alpha GPC and CDP choline are the most efficient choline supplements in terms of being able to cross the blood brain barrier.
Both these supplements increase levels of acetylcholine in the brain.
As nootropics, the supplements may have similar effects (e.g., improved attention, focus, and learning).
Although some people report having more success with CDP choline for such purposes.
The state of consciousness induced by CDP choline has been described as a sense of sharpness as well as trance experiences, while alpha GPC induces bright, cheerful, and energetic states.
However, as a dream supplement, alpha GPC is better than CDP choline because:
- Taking CDP choline before bedtime can result in sleep disturbances due to its much longer time to peak plasma levels. (6 hours vs. alpha GPC’s 3 hours.)
- The elimination half-life of CDP choline is much longer (around 4-5 hours).
- Alpha GPC is an effective lucid dreaming trigger, while CDP choline does not affect dreams so much.
- Alpha GPC works synergistically with galantamine to improve chances of becoming lucid while CDP choline does not.
- The effects of CDP choline may last for many hours. A second, higher peak 24 hours after consumption is sometimes described.
- There’s more choline in alpha GPC than in CDP choline so less amount of supplement is required, which is significant especially when multiple supplements are used at the same time.
Galantamine vs. alpha GPC
Both galantamine and alpha GPC boost acetylcholine levels.
And both are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain, inducing vivid and lucid dreams.
But while galantamine only inhibits the breakdown of acetylcholine, alpha GPC is an acetylcholine precursor and can increase production of acetylcholine.
Which is why using the two supplements together is so effective.
But what if you want just one lucid dreaming supplement.
Should you choose galantamine or alpha GPC?
The benefit of using alpha GPC is that falling asleep after taking the supplement is easier due to its longer time to peak plasma levels, than with galantamine.
Alpha GPC also causes less side effects, such as nausea and insomnia, than galantamine.
Another problem with galantamine is its much longer elimination half-life (7 hours).
Nicotine vs. alpha GPC
Nicotine is another lucid dreaming trigger which works by increasing acetylcholine levels in the brain.
Smoking a cigarette however will not do since its effects are so short lasting.
Nicotine patches however allow levels of nicotine to gradually increase while you’re asleep.
If timed correctly, nicotine can generate lucid dreams which may be accompanied by a wonderful and original soundtrack.
The downside of nicotine is the possible occurrence of unpleasant side effects, such as disturbing dreams.
Yohimbine vs. alpha GPC
Yohimbine is another lucid dreaming trigger and vivid dream oneirogen, but one which uses a completely different mechanism.
An alpha 2 adrenergic antagonist, yohimbine increases levels of norepinephrine in the brain.
Yohimbine reaches its peak plasma levels after just 1 hour (compared with alpha GPC’s 3 hours), and its elimination half life is even shorter – only 40 minutes.
Yohimbine can also improve dream recall.
The downside of using yohimbine is that it may be difficult to fall back to sleep under its influence.
One must be very careful about dosing when using yohimbine as overdoses may lead to anxiety or insomnia.
Yohimbine may also be less effective during daytime naps and is better taken after 4-5 hours of nocturnal sleep.
Alpha GPC Dosage
According to the FDA, doses of up to 196.2 mg per day are generally recognized as safe (GRAS).
That would be regarded as a light dose and is equivalent to less than 80 mg choline.
More commonly, when used as a nootropic and for Alzheimer’s disease, doses commonly range from 300 to 600 mg are taken up to 4 times per day (for a total daily dosage of 1200 mg).
For exercise improvement, 600 mg can be taken before the workout.
However, an effective alpha GPC dose for dreaming is 1200 mg, once a day,
The highest dose that has been used in research is 3500 mg.
For lucid dream enhancement, when taken with galantamine and/or choline:
- a 600 mg alpha GPC dose improves the odds of becoming lucid and increases the length of the lucid dream
- a 900 mg alpha GPC dose may induce intense periods of acceleration and music playing during lucid dreams
- a 1200 mg alpha GPC dose – the music may be even louder
If you experience any unpleasant side effects, lower the dose.
Can you take alpha GPC every day?
It is not recommended to take alpha GPC too often because acetylcholine levels may become chronically elevated, possibly causing insomnia and nightmares.
The effects of a single large dose may last for up to 24 hours, or even more.
Piracetam
To counteract the effect of alpha GPC once you no longer need it, it has been recommended to use piracetam.
Even if you are able to procure piracetam though, I would not advise to use alpha GPC and other supplements which increase acetylcholine levels more than 2-3 times per week.
Piracetam may also potentiate the effects of alpha GPC.
How to take alpha GPC?
Alpha GPC can be most conveniently taken in capsules.
If using alpha GPC powder, simply mix it into water or another beverage, and drink.
As for the taste, some powders are said to have no taste, while others have been reported to be bitter and/or sweet.
Pure alpha GPC powder is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture in the air extremely rapidly, changing into a gel-like substance.
Which is why alpha GPC powder should be stored in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Moreover, because of this, you will probably not be able to find 100% alpha GPC powder.
It is recommended to take alpha GPC with food, especially a food containing fatty acids, to improve absorption.
Taking alpha GPC may also increase absorption of healthy iron from non-animal products, which can be especially beneficial for women who are iron deficient.
How fast does alpha GPC work?
Effects begin as fast as 45 minutes after consumption of alpha GPC.
It takes about 3 hours for alpha GPC to reach peak plasma levels.
Duration of effects is 4-8 hours.
Alpha GPC Combinations
As a nootropic, alpha GPC can be combined with supplements which require choline in order to achieve optimal results, such as the racetams.
While alpha GPC is an effective lucid dreaming trigger on its own, combining it with galantamine or choline may increase its effectiveness even further.
Moreover, alpha GPC as a standalone supplement is great for dream-initiated lucid dreaming (DILD).
DILD is when you go to sleep, have a normal dream, and within that dream realize you’re dreaming and becoming lucid.
The reason why alpha GPC is mostly useful for DILDs is that it takes 3 hours for it to reach peak levels in the blood.
While levels are building up, you may find it very difficult to fall asleep.
Which is why you want to take alpha GPC and immediately go to sleep so that you will already be dreaming when its effects kick in.
But alpha GPC can also be combined with other supplements for Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreaming (WILD) and astral projection.
Alpha GPC & Galantamine
A combination of alpha GPC and galantamine is an effective lucid dreaming trigger.
Taking galantamine makes it much easier to fall asleep consciously, therefore triggering WILDs and out-of-body experiences.
When the effects of the galantamine start wearing down, those of alpha GPC just begin, making possible very long lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences.
Take the combination after 4-5 hours of sleep or before going on a long daytime nap.
Alpha GPC & Choline Salts
Choline salts supplements (e.g., choline bitartrate and choline citrate) like alpha GPC also increase acetylcholine levels, but they are less effective than galantamine.
Choline salts are best used in addition to galantamine and alpha GPC, which increases the odds of experiencing WILDs.
Alpha GPC & Yohimbine
Yohimbine can be added to other lucid dream triggers such as alpha GPC.
It has the following benefits:
- better ability to think in the dream
- better attention and focus
- better working memory
- easier to remember waking memories in the dream
- better dream recall
Alpha GPC & Nicotine
Using a nicotine patch along with alpha GPC can improve:
- dream recall
- dream vividness
- a heightened auditory sense. Hearing an original soundtrack has been reported
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
As we’ve seen, alpha GPC works by increasing levels of acetylcholine in the brain.
Acetylcholine is formed in the body out of two substances:
- choline
- acetyl-CoA (acetyl coenzyme A)
Alpha GPC provides choline, but where do we get the acetyl-CoA from?
Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5.
Taking a vitamin B5 supplement may therefore increase the effectiveness of alpha GPC.
And while you’re at it, why not add vitamin B6 for better dream recall?
Don’t take vitamin B5 before sleep though as it may cause sleep disturbances.
What are the side effects of alpha GPC?
Alpha GPC is extremely well tolerated, is not addictive, and not habit forming.
In fact, the desire for it can decrease with use.
Alpha GPC has no serious adverse effects in doses of up to 1200 mg.
Mild side effects may include:
- nausea
- fatigue
- skin rash
- dizziness
- insomnia
- headache
- confusion
- heartburn
- teeth grinding
- excitation/nervousness
- redness at the injection site (when taken as an injection)
- gastrointestinal problems (e.g., constipation or diarrhea)
- body odor alteration (especially in people suffering from trimethylaminuria)
Tolerance is built following repeated usage.
Resetting the tolerance requires abstinence of two weeks. (Or using piracetam.)
Warnings
Do not use alpha GPC without consulting with your doctor especially if you are
- pregnant or breast-feeding
- suffer from hypotension (alpha GPC may lower blood pressure)
- taking medications containing scopolamine, such as some motion sickness blocking drugs
- taking MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), such as some antidepressants or ayahuasca
Alpha GPC Reviews
Relentless Improvement alpha GPC
Contains 120 vegan capsules with 300 mg alpha GPC per capsule.
Serving size: 600 mg (2 capsules)
Other ingredients: hypromellose (capsule).
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Pure Nootropics alpha GPC
Contains 60 vegan capsules with 250 mg alpha GPC per capsule.
Serving size: 250 mg (1 capsule)
They also offer a 50% powder with 300 mg alpha GPC per scoop (in 15/30g packages).
Other ingredients: hypromellose (capsule), maltodextrin, vegetable stearate, and silicon dioxide.
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Nootropics Depot alpha GPC
Contains 60/180 capsules/soft gels with 150 mg alpha GPC per capsule.
Serving size: 150 mg (1 capsule)
They also offer a 99% powder and a 50% powder in 30/60g packages. (The 50% powder is recommended for those living in a humid climate.)
Alpha GPC 50% serving size: 600 mg (0.6 grams) once or twice per day.
Alpha GPC 99% serving size: 300 mg (0.3 grams) once or twice per day.
Other ingredients:
- Capsules – Microcrystalline cellulose, maltodextrin, silicon dioxide, vegetable cellulose (capsule).
- Soft gels – Sunflower oil, gelatin.
- Powder – Mannitol, silicon dioxide.
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Mind Nutrition alpha GPC
Mind Nutrition offer the largest range of alpha GPC products, including:
- Powder (50% alpha GPC) – 50/100 grams. A serving size of 500 mg powder provides 250 mg alpha GPC.
- Capsules (60/120) – Serving size is one capsule, which contains 250 mg alpha GPC.
- Alcohol-free solution (30 ml) – 250 mg alpha GPC per serving (0.5 ml).
Other ingredients:
- Powder – dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, silicon dioxide.
- Capsules – powder in addition to microcrystalline cellulose and pullulan (capsule).
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NOW alpha GPC
Contains 60 capsules with 300 mg alpha GPC (from soy lecithin) per capsule.
Serving size: 2 capsules.
Other ingredients: Cellulose (capsule), cellulose powder, silica, stearic acid, and magnesium stearate.
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Nutricost alpha GPC
Contains 120 capsules with 300 mg alpha GPC per capsule.
Serving size: 2 capsules.
Other ingredients: Rice flour, hypromellose (capsule), stearic acid, vegetable magnesium stearate, and silicon dioxide.
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Jarrow Formulas alpha GPC
Contains 60 capsules with 300 mg alpha GPC (from soy lecithin) per capsule.
Serving size: 1 capsule.
Other ingredients: Calcium phosphate, cellulose, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, stearic acid, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (capsule).
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Nutrasal Cerebra alpha GPC Liquid
2 fl oz. (60 ml).
Serving size: 2 ml (providing 600 mg alpha GPC).
Other ingredients: De-ionized water and vegetable glycerin.
Tastes sweet (due to the glycerin).
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Other alpha GPC Products
Many alpha GPC products have been discontinued so I will not address them here.
Additional interesting alpha GPC supplements include:
- Olly Laser Focus Gummies – contain only 10 mg alpha GPC per gummy along with vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius).
- Doctor’s Best Natural Brain Enhancers – each capsule contains 150 mg alpha GPC along with phosphatidylserine.
- Prescribed for Life alpha GPC powder – with 50% alpha GPC.
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Alpha GPC & Choline for Lucid Dreaming FAQ
Like some of the lucid dream supplements I’ve already discussed, choline is aimed at the boosting of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which is responsible for the lengthening of the REM sleep stage, and thus the promotion of dreams as well as lucid dreaming.
Unlike the supplements discussed thus far though, choline is an ACh precursor, meaning that it actually adds to the quantity of available ACh, instead of preventing the already existing quantity from breaking down.
A note of caution regarding choline and choline supplements
Certain bad bacteria in the gut may turn choline into toxic TMAO, which may cause heart disease, stroke, and death.
This is also one of the reasons to also avoid eating eggs and other animal products since choline is naturally occurring in them.
TMAO is created by the body from trimethylamine, a substance derived from choline which has a strong fishy odor.
I would recommend in addition to avoiding eating any animal products to not use choline without consulting with your doctor first, and even if she approves it, you should probably not take it too often.
Moreover, I recommend taking vitamin C along with choline supplements to protect from nitrosamines which can be generated during choline metabolism.
And if you’re getting your choline from lecithin, then you should also consider taking calcium, which is required to tie up the extra phosphorus.
What exactly is choline though?
Considered an essential nutrient by the FDA, choline is compound closely related to the Vitamin B family.
While the human body is capable of producing choline on its own, in the liver, it has been found that supplementation is necessary for proper health.
Most of the choline needed by the body from external sources is ingested through food. There are foods that are rich in choline, but obviously, there are dedicated supplements available out there too, and that’s what we’re really interested in, regarding dream augmentation.
Despite it being recognized as an essential nutrient, there are currently no official recommendations regarding the daily intake of choline. The reason behind that could be the fact that choline deficiency is extremely rare in the general population.
What might happen though if you run short of this nutrient for whatever reason?
In that case, you’ll become more prone to developing liver disease, atherosclerosis – and given choline’s role in ACh production – various neurological disorders. The nutrient may indeed be involved in long-term diseases and disorders too, such as cardiovascular problems and age-related cognitive decline, though its role in this regard has not yet been clearly established.
Choline – in its various forms – is very well tolerated by the organism. That – given its status as an essential nutrient – is hardly surprising, but it is good news nonetheless for those looking to use to compound for lucid dreaming, astral projection and OBEs in general.
By what mechanism is choline supposed to act upon dreams?
As a precursor of acetylcholine (ACh), choline’s action on dreams follows a clear logical path: like so many of the other supplements I have already discussed, it acts upon ACh levels, boosting them.
In one of my previous pieces, I talked about the three different paths through which ACh levels could be influenced via supplements, namely: ACh antagonist-inhibitors (substances which prevent the breakdown of the neurotransmitter), ACh agonists (substances which mimic the actions and effects of ACh without actually being ACh), and ACh precursors (substances which are turned into ACh through natural breakdown).
My conclusion in this regard was that of the three, the first two pathways (inhibitors and agonists) were the more efficient.
Since choline is a precursor, it presents us, dream enthusiasts with a number of problems stemming from this condition.
The problem with precursors (and this seems to be especially true in ACh’s case) is that the body will simply ignore them, unless there is indeed a shortage of the neurotransmitter they are supposed to be broken down into.
Some forms of choline are indeed absorbed quickly by the body, and they cross the blood-brain barrier too, but they do so at a rather inefficient rate.
The good news in this regard is that – as said above – this rate is controlled by the brain, meaning that if it considers its ACh levels to be low, it will allow for more efficient choline transport.
What that means on a practical level for a dream enthusiast is that timing is extremely important with this supplement.
Exactly how the brain makes use of the extra choline made available through supplementation also depends on the type of choline supplement we use.
Let us therefore take a look at what’s available out there in this respect.
Of the multitude of choline supplements, we shall only consider a handful, those that can indeed be used for dream enhancement.
First off, we have the choline salts, more precisely choline bitartrate and choline citrate. Lecithin (you’ve probably already heard of this one) is a choline as well. Alpha GPC choline and CDP choline wrap up the list.
Of these, choline salts are probably the most wide-spread, in the sense that if you pick up a supplement simply named “choline,” you’re probable dealing with one of these salts.
While they do indeed have some utility in regards to lucid dreaming and dream enhancement, these salts are far from the ideal choline supplement in this regard, and I will tell you why shortly.
If you are specifically looking to boost your LD chances, what I personally recommend is alpha GPC choline. We’ll get to why that is the case shortly. Let us first see how the choline salts work though and what advantages they bring to the table.
What are Choline salts?
Choline salts are absorbed extremely quickly, which is quite an advantage in regards to lucid dreaming.
Apparently, there is a correlation between the speed with which ACh levels increase, and the likelihood of LD, and choline salts are the best at that.
The problem is though that their crossing of the blood-brain barrier depends on the amount of ACh already available to the brain, which means that even in the wake of deep-sleep, when the ACh levels are naturally very low, choline salts only have a tiny window to work their magic.
They can be used in combination with galantamine though, and thus they can indeed create the perfect conditions for lucid dreaming as well as for the induction of astral projection.
Why is coupling choline salts with galantamine a good idea?
Galantamine prevents the breakdown of ACh, but it does not really produce more. Salts kick-start ACh production, which is then piled up due to the inhibiting effects that galantamine exerts upon AChE.
The above makes it clear that – much like galantamine or Huperzine A – choline salts should be taken after 4-5 hours of sleep.
One has to bear in mind that choline salts such as choline bitartrate, reach their peak plasma concentration within 1 hour. Their biological half life is 1.5 hrs.
Another problem with choline salts is that their effect on dream-enhancement is not particularly impressive. In this regard, you should probably consider these salts complimentary supplements, whose main role is to intensify the effects of galantamine.
The choline salts/galantamine combination is excellent for WILD though, which makes it a rather attractive facilitator of astral projection as well.
What are CDP-choline and Alpha GPC?
As mentioned above, one of the main drawbacks of using choline salts for LD induction is that their efficiency drops very quickly.
Fortunately, there are choline alternatives which readily cross the blood-brain barrier, without having to deal with restrictions in this regard caused by already available ACh supply.
Both CDP and alpha GPC choline can accomplish this feat, but of the two, alpha GPC is much faster-acting, and it is therefore the better choice for LD-focused dream enhancement.
How much faster is it though?
While CDP takes some 6.5 hours to reach peak plasma levels, GPC only requires ~3 hours for that. GPC is eliminated much faster too: its biological half life is just 1.5 hours, while CDP’s is 4.5 hours.
Like with the above discussed choline salts, you can couple alpha GPC with galantamine for the best results, which is what I did. In fact, I believe this is the only reasonable way to use choline supplements.
Due to CDP’s 6.5 hours peak plasma time, the supplement seems entirely impractical. You will probably say that you might make it work by taking it right before going to bed, or an hour before that. That should time its peak plasma levels just about right.
You’d be wrong though, simply because the added ACh, which would result from such an exercise, would ruin your deep-sleep stages, early in the night.
Peak plasma level doesn’t just come about out of the blue: there’s a buildup to it, and this buildup would add ACh to a side of the equation which needs high serotonin and low ACh levels.
Bottom line: just stick with the combination of galantamine and choline salts (for dream periods of up to 1.5-2 hours) or alpha GPC (for longer dream periods).
Furthermore, there’s a relatively healthy body of research-based evidence backing the parameters I described for alpha GPC above. Apparently, the compound has been studied quite extensively in Europe.
What effects does alpha GPC have on dreams?
Alpha GPC’s effects on dreams can be quite spectacular when combined with galantamine, although in this case, it’s a bit of a tricky exercise telling exactly which supplement is mostly responsible for these effects.
Because through this combination, every angle of ACh supplementation is covered (galantamine acts as an AChE inhibitor as well as an agonist, while GPC is a precursor), ACh levels are indeed thoroughly maxed out.
Let’s just settle for that.
The resulting dreams are exceptionally vivid and long, and lucidity is relatively easy to attain within them. As said above, this supplement combo (perhaps rounded out through the addition of serotonin taken before bedtime), is great for WILD too.
Choline salts do not produce a comparable effect on their own, though when they too are combined with galantamine, their impact is noticeable.
Is the combination of alpha GPC and galantamine suited for astral projection?
Most definitely yes.
While astral projection is far from being the equivalent of a lucid dream on steroids, it is induced in a rather WILD-like manner.
I have personally had a handful of outstanding OBEs while on the above described supplement combination, and I have to say that I found the induction of these experiences much easier than usual – a fact I quickly jotted down to the effects of choline/galantamine.
Furthermore, unlike galantamine – all choline-based dream-enhancing supplements are exceptionally well tolerated by the body.
How do you dose these choline supplements?
When it comes to dosage, due to the very nature of this supplement (it is, after all, an essential nutrient), one can tinker about within a rather generous range. Alpha GPC can be taken in 600 mg, 900 mg and 1200 mg doses, with 8 mg of galantamine.
With alpha GPC, my best results (some of the above mentioned OBEs too) came on the 1200 mg dose.
As far as choline bitartrate is concerned, I usually stick to the 500 mg dose, also with 8 mg of galantamine.
The officially set daily allowance of choline for men is 550 mg, and for women 450 mg. The maximum safety level has been set to a very generous 3.5g though.
Choline Lucid Dreaming – Purchase Options
For ACh (acetylcholine) to form, the body uses acetyl in addition to choline. Acetyl is vitamin B5 though and the good news is you probably already have more than enough of it in your body. If you want to be 110% certain that you indeed do, you may want to add a multivitamin to your diet, taken in the morning.
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