After a bunch of experimentation, I seem to have stumbled upon the perfect sustainable nootropic stack. In general, stimulants, while effective at improving performance at repetitive tasks, seem to hinder the highest levels of creative executive cognition of the brain. Below I have explained the experimentation which resulted in discovering the stack, skip ahead to "The stack" if you couldn't be bothered. :p
As someone who requires both attention to detail as well as innovative solutions and arguments (especially in Law School), I experimented with various combinations of common and uncommon nootropics, the results of which are briefly listed below:
1. Modafinil - 100-400mg/day
Very good boost to work capacity, plus in the initial days also had a great motivating effect. On the down side, my ability to think 'out of the box' is noticably blunted. This is backed by studies which note that modafinil has been noted to reduce brain plasiticity and flexibility.
Minor stomach discomfort or headaches are sometimes a side effect, particularly at higher doses and especially if I forget to drink enough fluids.
2. Armodafinil - 50 - 250 mg/day
Similar to modafinil, however cleaner effects with no noticable stomach discomfort.
3. Modafinil + cannabis (small doses)
I tried adding cannabis to the mix to attempt to counter the creativity dulling effects of modafinil. This was a bit of a hit-or-miss. Sometimes I would get the doses right and achieve laser sharp focus, other times I would space out and fail to get much meaningful work done.
4. LSD microdoses - 5-25ug
As a standalone nootropic, this was a revalation. Not only did it improve creativity, it made it absurdly easy to get into a "flow" state doing anything. It could be a mundane or interesting task, on a microdose it usually ends up as the most facinating job ever. Plus, it feels like you have ample motivation to actually achieve whatever you intend, instead of succumbing to laziness.
On the other hand, emotions are magnified, which can be both productive and distracting. Plus, it is easy to get lost in details and lose sight of the big picture. Plus, any addition of cannabis can easily create a world of distraction. Finally, the comedown 6-8hrs later can be quite exhausting.
This combination has so far enabled me to achieve the most consistent performance increases across both repetitive and creativity related tasks, while also having a great, consistent motivating effect. The stack is:
lsd microdose (~10ug) and Modafinil (~100mg)These two are perfect as the lsd completely eliminates any flexibility reducing effects of modafinil and allows you to make amazing, creative connections. On the other hand, the modafinil keeps you focused enough to actually apply your creative insights to your work. Further, it counters the fatigue common at the end of microdose days, and in my experience, seems to legnthen the effect of the microdose.
I'll be happy to share more details of the specific ways in which this stack helped if anyone is interested. Also open for any suggestions, comments, and especially experiments to try!