Thread: Yohimbine

Hello everybody!

Do you have any experience with using Yohimbine for LDing?
I haven't found much information about it, so I am interested in your experience and opinions. If you have tried Yohimbine unsuccessfully, report it too.
Because it isn't very well known supplement, I am posting some information about it.

Overview:

Mechanism of action:
1) alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist
2) MAO inhibitor

Peak time: 1 hour
Elimination half-time: 40 minutes

Yohimbine boosts level of norepinephrine strongly and also increases levels of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine slightly.
Serotonin promotes NREM sleep and suppresses REM sleep. However slightly elevated level of serotonin may help to become lucid.
Melatonin is a sleep hormone. The more melatonin you have, the easier you can fall asleep. However high level of melatonin suppresses REM sleep.
Dopamine is needed to create dreams and it does so even outside REM. High level of dopamine results in more confidence in dreams and more "adventurous" dream content.
The most distinctive effect is high norepinephrine level. Yohimbine is the only supplement that boosts norepinephrine significantly afaik. High level of norepinephrine results in improved memory and good intellectual abilities. Not only it helps to remember dreams after awakening, but it also helps to remember dream tasks within the dream.
However if the level of norepinephrine is too high, an overflow appears and norepinephrine flows from the brain into the blood. While in blood, norepinephrine increases blood pressure and blood flow. This overflow effects is used to combat impotence. Several negative side effects appear together, too.
If you want to use Yohimbine for LDing, you need to avoid the overflow effect. Therefore the dose for LDing is much smaller than typical therapeutic dose, usually less than 1mg.

Resources:
Wikipedia
Thomas Yuschak: Advanced Lucid Dreaming - Power Of Supplements

Comments:

I don't think that Yohimbine is the most effective LD trigger. However it is much cheaper than Galantamine and it doesn't cause desensitisation of acetylcholine receptors, so it is worth to consider even if you already use Galantamine or other supplements with success.
If you see any mistake or if you want to add something to the overview, tell me.