mellowparty said:

So you may actually experience withdrawal symptoms if you do it very consistently.

I suppose if used carefully it might be quite beneficial. For example I would use it during an exam session so that my memory is optimized for the better.

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Tchan909 said:

How would tanning benefit as a sleep aid? Doesn't light on the skin reduce melatonin production?

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SquaReSaltine said:

mellowparty said:

So you may actually experience withdrawal symptoms if you do it very consistently.

I suppose if used carefully it might be quite beneficial. For example I would use it during an exam session so that my memory is optimized for the better.

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I've took it every night for 6 months now. I do less lighter if i miss my dose.

Mellow, its a sleep aid, i don't think it would help at exam time....

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I've noticed that my memory works a lot better when my sleeping is regular and consistent. From what I've read it has something do to with circadian regulated levels of cyclic AMP in the hippocampus. Basically if you don't sleep the levels of this molecule drop significantly and thus sleep deprivation results in impaired memory (weed lowers cAMP levels but through a different mechanism - hence you can't remember shit while baked).

So my idea was that if you use melatonin to optimize your sleeping pattern then you could probably benefit in regard to memory formation and recall

mellowparty said:

SquaReSaltine said:

mellowparty said:

So you may actually experience withdrawal symptoms if you do it very consistently.

I suppose if used carefully it might be quite beneficial. For example I would use it during an exam session so that my memory is optimized for the better.

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I've took it every night for 6 months now. I do less lighter if i miss my dose.

Mellow, its a sleep aid, i don't think it would help at exam time....

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I've noticed that my memory works a lot better when my sleeping is regular and consistent. From what I've read it has something do to with circadian regulated levels of cyclic AMP in the hippocampus. Basically if you don't sleep the levels of this molecule drop significantly and thus sleep deprivation results in impaired memory (weed lowers cAMP levels but through a different mechanism - hence you can't remember shit while baked).

So my idea was that if you use melatonin to optimize your sleeping pattern then you could probably benefit in regard to memory formation and recall

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Quote:

Melatonin produced in the pineal gland, which is outside of the blood-brain barrier, acts as an endocrine hormone since it is released into the blood. By contrast, melatonin produced by the retina and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract acts as a paracrine hormone.

In humans, 90% of melatonin is cleared in a single passage through the liver, and a small amount is excreted in urine.

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Quote:

The pineal gland (also called the pineal body, epiphysis cerebri, epiphysis or the "third eye") is a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate  brain. It produces the serotonin derivative melatonin, a hormone  that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and seasonal functions. It is shaped like a tiny pine cone (hence its name), and is located near the center of the brain, between the two hemispheres, tucked in a groove where the two rounded thalamic bodies join.

Melatonin is a derivative of the amino acid tryptophan, which also has other functions in the central nervous system. The production of melatonin by the pineal gland is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. Photosensitive cells in the retina detect light and directly signal the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), entraining its rhythm to the 24-hour cycle in nature. Fibers project from the SCN to the paraventricular nuclei (PVN), which relay the circadian signals to the spinal cord and out via the sympathetic system to superior cervical ganglia (SCG), and from there into the pineal gland. The function(s) of melatonin in humans is not clear; it is commonly prescribed for the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

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Quote:

The third eye (also known as the inner eye) is a mystical  and esoteric concept referring in part to the ajna (brow) chakra in certain Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. It is also spoken of as the gate that leads within to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. In New Age spirituality, the third eye may alternately symbolize a state of enlightenment or the evocation of mental images having deeply personal spiritual  or psychological  significance. The third eye is often associated with visions, clairvoyance  (which includes the ability to observe chakras and auras),  precognition, and out-of-body experiences, and people who have allegedly developed the capacity to utilize their third eyes are sometimes known as seers.

The pineal gland

Some writers and researchers, including H. P. Blavatsky[5] and Rick Strassman, have suggested that the third eye is in fact the partially dormant pineal gland, which resides between the two hemispheres of the brain. The pineal gland is said to secrete dimethyltryptamine (DMT)  which induces dreams, near-death experiences, meditation, or hallucinations. Various types of lower vertebrates, such as reptiles and amphibians, can actually sense light via a third parietal eye—a structure associated with the pineal gland—which serves to regulate their circadian rhythms, and for navigation, as it can sense the polarization of light.

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cubicle said:

Melatonin is really a fascinating substance. It is found in virtually every living thing, in fact the melatonin in pills is extracted from plants. It pretty much controls everything. From women's menstrual cycles to birds migrating to sunflower plants following the sun across the sky,and most importantly for us the circadian rhythm. The fact that most melatonin in the human body is produced by the pineal gland, and that the third eye is the second from top of the chakra's in Hinuism/Buddhism is no coincidence. Medically I think that the pineal gland may hold the key to solving many disorders. Including cancer. It and melatonin need to be studied more. It produces DMT naturally in the body for fucks sake.

Quote:

Melatonin produced in the pineal gland, which is outside of the blood-brain barrier, acts as an endocrine hormone since it is released into the blood. By contrast, melatonin produced by the retina and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract acts as a paracrine hormone.

In humans, 90% of melatonin is cleared in a single passage through the liver, and a small amount is excreted in urine.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

Quote:

The pineal gland (also called the pineal body, epiphysis cerebri, epiphysis or the "third eye") is a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate  brain. It produces the serotonin derivative melatonin, a hormone  that affects the modulation of wake/sleep patterns and seasonal functions. It is shaped like a tiny pine cone (hence its name), and is located near the center of the brain, between the two hemispheres, tucked in a groove where the two rounded thalamic bodies join.

Melatonin is a derivative of the amino acid tryptophan, which also has other functions in the central nervous system. The production of melatonin by the pineal gland is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. Photosensitive cells in the retina detect light and directly signal the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), entraining its rhythm to the 24-hour cycle in nature. Fibers project from the SCN to the paraventricular nuclei (PVN), which relay the circadian signals to the spinal cord and out via the sympathetic system to superior cervical ganglia (SCG), and from there into the pineal gland. The function(s) of melatonin in humans is not clear; it is commonly prescribed for the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineal_gland

See where it says Third Eye?

Quote:

The third eye (also known as the inner eye) is a mystical  and esoteric concept referring in part to the ajna (brow) chakra in certain Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. It is also spoken of as the gate that leads within to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. In New Age spirituality, the third eye may alternately symbolize a state of enlightenment or the evocation of mental images having deeply personal spiritual  or psychological  significance. The third eye is often associated with visions, clairvoyance  (which includes the ability to observe chakras and auras),  precognition, and out-of-body experiences, and people who have allegedly developed the capacity to utilize their third eyes are sometimes known as seers.

The pineal gland

Some writers and researchers, including H. P. Blavatsky[5] and Rick Strassman, have suggested that the third eye is in fact the partially dormant pineal gland, which resides between the two hemispheres of the brain. The pineal gland is said to secrete dimethyltryptamine (DMT)  which induces dreams, near-death experiences, meditation, or hallucinations. Various types of lower vertebrates, such as reptiles and amphibians, can actually sense light via a third parietal eye—a structure associated with the pineal gland—which serves to regulate their circadian rhythms, and for navigation, as it can sense the polarization of light.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_eye

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