CAWILD - Caffeine Addiction Withdrawal Induced Lucid Dream

[Alex Lou]

Well, the half-life of caffeine in the body ranges from 2.5 to 4.5 hours.  It's worth noting that women on oral contraceptives have impaired caffeine elimination [reference].  Withdrawal symptoms should begin 12 to 24 hours after last consumption, and peak at 20 to 48 hours.  Withdrawal lasts for about one week [ref]
after 15 days without caffeine, previously caffeine-dependent rats had returned to normal numbers of adenosine receptors in the forebrain, but still had significant up-regulation in the cerebellum [ref].  In humans, one adenosine receptor subtype, A_2A (one of the 2 for which caffeine is an antagonist), returns to normal numbers after 48 hours of withdrawal [ref].  A_2A receptor stimulation does induce sleep, btw.  Considering it's short withdrawal time, A_2A is probably the receptor type that we would be interested in here.  And you would have a different experience than someone who has not been tolerant because, theoretically, you will still have caffeine tolerant levels of A₁ receptors.

After intake, caffeine reaches peak levels in the blood after 15 minutes to 2 hours.  So yes, it would start to have an effect within minutes.

And since I'm on a spider kick, poor spiders:


And video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc


I should still research the two receptor types and sleep cycles.

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[Alex Lou]

I did see that post in your DJ, and wanted to let you know that I do intend to try and answer your question.  But first I'd have to research caffeine and sleep, and adenosine and sleep.  I think that it is possible that you're getting deeper sleep during withdrawal, which enhances the quality and length of your REM later, but I really have no idea without looking it up first. 

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[pj]

I'm setting up for a second try at this.  I normally drink about four mugs of coffee each morning, spread between wake-up (any time between 5 and 5:30,) and ending some time before 10:00.  This past week I've been drinking evening coffee too, just to up the ante a bit.

This morning I started the day with two mugs, being done with those by 6:30 - which pushes back the beginning of withdrawal by about three hours.  Additionally, I will not be having any evening coffee.  I expect to wake some time during the night with a headache, when I'll either have some coffee or Excedrin and attempt to return to sleep.

[pj]

I had no luck with this go, but will try again soon.  I woke at 4:00 with a slight headache and took a single Excedrin.  Perhaps I wasn't far enough into withdrawals.  Perhaps the furious chocolate cravings I was experiencing in the evening - and succumbed to - partly compensated for the caffeine withdrawal, and perhaps the one Excedrin (65 mg of caffeine) wasn't enough to do the trick.  I decided to use one because the first time this worked for me I only had a half cup of coffee before going back to sleep - and settling right into lucidity.  But I was way further into withdrawal and in considerable pain at that point.

A slight headache remains.  It doesn't even begin to approach migraine status, thankfully.  A couple mugs of coffee and some exercise should settle that right down.

Onward!

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[pj]

We're playing cards tonight for the first time in ages.  That means lots of night coffee. . . I might forgo coffee in the morning and try getting into withdrawal earlier in the night tomorrow nigh.  We'll see.

I drank a LOT of coffee today.  Come to think of it, I haven't had anything else to drink today.

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[joshbotch]

wow!  i do need to try this!  my question is this, do you have success with this by WILD or DILD?  also i wonder if you are just more mentally aware during the dream... perhaps MB, you have had the success because you mind is already well trained to question reality, i wonder if someone just starting out (or someone lazy about that like me ) will have the same success.

we'll see... i'll peruse the house for excedrin tonight and give it a try if i find some.

how many pills would you recommend starting out with?

[Sunshine]

(content removed by user request)

[joshbotch]

well i'll be damned... it worked for me too!  i took 2 excedrin last night at a WBTB, i couldn't WILD although i was really close.  it took a while to fall asleep but as soon as i did i had an epic lucid with great control and awareness.  the downfall is that it was hard to fall asleep and after the dream when i woke up to write it down it was REALLY hard to go back to sleep.  also the excedrin gave me a really nasty stomach ache all night.

but hot damn, the technique works!