096 Daniel Schmachtenberger: Emotional Resilience, Nootropics, & Outsmarting The Modern World

"We fully believe that optimized human beings lead to a better world. People being productive and creative in whatever it is that is theirs to do. But in many ways, our modern world works against us.” - Daniel Schmachtenberger, Co-Founder of The NeuroHacker Collective 

On this special episode of Wellness Force Radio, Daniel shares far beyond how Nootropics like Qualia can provide a comprehensive hardware upgrade for radical cognitive enhancement and emotional resilience, but also how he believes it is creating the building blocks towards a better planet.

You, The N Equals One [2:47]

In a world of mass distractions, responsibilities, cumulative stressors and more notifications than ever in the palms of hands, millions of Americans have long since met their cognitive and emotional capacity.   

Cognitive capacity is a nuanced relationship between many variables. Optimizing for one variable of cognitive function at the expense of other critical ones would not give us the result of comprehensive enhancement of human capability. For instance, having drive without the ability to focus well, or willpower without emotional resilience. For that reason, The Neurohacker Collective have designed a formula that deliberately balances subjective effects to give meaningful enhancement in a comprehensive way – a whole system upgrade called Qualia.

If you're here reading, you felt the call towards Qualia. If you're in the contemplation phase or in the process of learning, this is an optimal time for your N=1.

What is N=1?

N-of-1 or single subject clinical trials consider an individual patient as the sole unit of observation in a study investigating the efficacy or side-effect profiles of different interventions. The ultimate goal of an n-of-1 trial is to determine the optimal or best intervention for an individual patient using objective data-driven criteria.

From baseline to Qualia for 4 weeks, here are the 5 steps to start your own personal N:1 experiment in emotional resilience and cognitive performance: 

1. Inspired Action: Order your 30 day supply of Qualia
2. Baseline: Once your Qualia is received, take a baseline memory, reason, concentration and/or comprehensive cognitive test(s) on either Quantified Mind or Cambridge Brain Sciences and mark the date
3. Stage 1: Begin stage 1 of Qualia on an empty stomach each morning for 30 days. Download the Qualia Quick Start Guide for full directions on stage 2 and total program here
4. Journal: Each day for 30 days, journal for 5-7 minutes after your meditation session, or at minimum, during the same time each day.
5. After 30 days: Congrats, you did it! How do you feel? What did you learn about yourself and Qualia? Now, reassess the same tests again for memory, reason, concentration and/or comprehensive cognitive performance (then email Josh and tell him how you feel!)

Rising Above All The Noise [11:36]

"What could a person of normal intelligence do with their life if they fully dedicated themselves to developing themselves comprehensively for the benefit of humanity?" - Richard Buckminster Fuller

People of all ages seek thier life purpose and calling. Maybe you've been called to a career or a responsibility that you now realize is keeping you from what you feel is really your life calling?

If you're aware your vocation doesn't coincide with who you really are, you have the power change it because it's never too late to start a new path that benefit yourself and others.

Rising above all the noise of modern society that's distracting you starts by creating the space to look inside. 

To begin, use meditation or box-breathing to enter a calm mindset in the stillness and ask yourself these questions:

• What does the future of the world look like?
• How does this transition look like for everyone? What does it look like for me?
• If all my financial needs were met, what would I do?
• What would be the most meaningful thing for me to do?

Answering these questions will raise your awareness above the noise and closer to true alignment with your most authentic self.

"By asking yourself these questions, we're not looking to answer how do we gain or how do we win at life. Rather, we're looking at what problems in the world bother us the most and what interest us."- Daniel Schmachtenberger

About Daniel Schmachtenberger [13:08]

Daniel Schmachtenberger is a social engineer and evolutionary philosopher and strategist. He is the Founder of Critical Path Institute, The Emergence Project, and The Co-Founder of The Neurohacker Collective. With an early childhood in the Transcendental Meditation community of Fairfield, Iowa, Daniel was homeschooled on the works of Buckminster Fuller, Fritjof Capra, and David Bohm.

After many relocations in childhood, Daniel returned to Fairfield to further math and eastern philosophy studies at Maharishi University, before delving into the work of his adult life. After accumulating comprehensive inventories on behavioral influence, coupled with an already comprehensive literacy of complex systems and whole systems science, he then founded The Emergence Project and began working with a host of luminaries to tackle global scale problems with global scale solutions.

Concurrently, he researched the epistemological frontier of neuroscience, delving deeply into integrative medicine as well as emergent neurotech tools and psychological techniques to optimize solutions on both sides of the mind/brain interface. All of these approaches, within an overarching framework of whole systems problem solving, have resulted in his axiomatic deconstruction of assumed scientific boundaries, and the emergence of a more integrally connected body of knowledge from which to understand scholarship. Daniel is not only a founder at Neurohacker Collective, but moreover a uniquely educated pioneer who is broadening the definition of scientific rigor itself.

What are Nootropics? [19:57]

A Nootropic is a chemical that enhances some aspect of our cognitive ability beyond our normal capability without any impactful side affects.

When our brain power and cognitive ability drops below normal baseline, Nootropics help  to support existing and to create new capacities for our brainpower.

Nootropics like Qualia are not "medicine," but they can optimize our capability to overcome when we face different challenges such as brain fog.

The Difference between Nootropics and "Smart Drugs"

A lot of people will take "smart drugs" such as Adderall to help them focus, but Adderall also has a lot of long term side affects such as irritability, anxiety, loss of empathy and ability for digit span.

Adderall can help enhance one aspect, but unlike Nootropics that support systemic enhancement, it won't fully supplement the brain in a comprehensive manner.

Emotional Resilience, Curiosity & Wellness [24:50]

How many times have you felt the pull of distraction today? Maybe caught yourself looking at your phone too much? Did you try to have a conversation with someone, but they were absorbed by their phone?

It is easy to become slaves to emails, notifications, and social media messages. So much so, that the present moment is lost. 

When we're practicing emotional resilience however, we can take on deeper personal connections, and our biggest and brightest goals. When we're present, we're naturally curious, which allows us unlimited access to our wellness force: our ability to create a positive vibration in that moment, and in the collective world.

It's the burning curiosity of visionaries like the Co-Founder of The Neurohacker Collective, Daniel Schmachtenberger, who believes that it is now both possible and necessary for human beings to dramatically upgrade our individual and collective capacities and safeguard the wellbeing of all, and he is on a mission to help build a global alliance of responsible, empowered individuals