Did anyone read this Johann Hari article about taking provigil?
Even a cursory glance makes it sound like Flowers for Algernon. But still, it is tempting, no. Wouldn’t you like to think more clearly? Wouldn’t everyone?
Type ‘buy provigil’ into google and the first hit is a spam injection on Prospect magazine. Further down is a spam injection on epolitics. It seems like they’re really going for these politicos. When I finally did hit an online pharmacy, it crashed my computer. As such, I’m very reluctant to make a purchase. So I was wondering if anyone else has taken it and where they recommend I get it from.
It’s not that I particularly want to use it all the time, more that I just want to try it out.
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The article discussing modafinil was a little over-enthusiastic, I think. It’s more suited for people who have to say alert and watchful for long periods of time, rather than people who need to make better decisions. It would help night watchmen or troops on combat missions more than it would help a scientist or software developer. I think Johann was exaggerating just a little and other reports I’ve read don’t express the same enthusiasm.
The article actually kinda pissed me off, to be honest. “Viagra for the brain?” Come on! That’s the kind of crap you’d expect to read in marketing literature, not a newspaper article, but then again, this is the Evening Standard we’re talking about, so perhaps that’s exactly what I should have expected. The real reason it pissed me off so is that he gave up entirely on accuracy for sensationalism. It doesn’t make you smarter, doesn’t improve your memory, and won’t help you make better decisions, unless you’re currently sleep-deprived. It’s no wonder pill, and Johann should be ashamed for such sensationalism.
If you want to read more about this, I recommend Smart Drugs and Nutrients. There are plenty of things that are freely available which should be enough to satisfy your curiosity, and they’re discussed in the book above. In fact, I expect some things to start showing up in the “people who bought this also bought” section of that page. There’s no need to visit dodgy web-based pharmacies.