Comment by Anonymous6284 on In which I fantasize about drugs · 2010-10-12T17:10:25.985Z · LW · GW

I strongly recommend anonymity when participating in this thread.

I don't know of anything that could achieve (1), except perhaps a general depressant, which wouldn't be worth it.

For (2), there are a wide variety of stimulants to do this, but most of them have side effects that aren't worth it; and the state where this happens, mania, is not a particularly pleasant one.

For (3), I think that state is because some parts of the brain are shutting off, leaving less interference for the remainder. You may be able to get something like this with marijuana (though individual reactions and strains both vary widely), but you might not like the "creative" things you come up with, and you might not be able to remember them either.

For (4), what you're looking for is a drug that increases confidence. Cocaine does that, and is used primarily for that purpose. It is also addictive and illegal in the US.

for (5), I don't think that's possible, because curiosity is not a chemical state; it's more like the brain's reinforcement learning mechanisms combining with a positive feeling from having learned things. However, you might be able to strengthen that by using something like nicotine intermittently whenever you make a discovery.