What Is the Limitless Pill? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Many of us wish we could pop a pill and suddenly become better at every aspect of our lives. If only health, wealth and success all came in the form of a capsule, life would be so much easier. This is the premise behind the blockbuster Hollywood movie, Limitless starring Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro. It introduced the world to the infamous drug NZT-48, which has the potential to unlock 100% of your brain. Bradley Cooper played struggling writer Eddie Morra, and Robert De Niro flawlessly portrayed finance mogul Carl Van Loon.

The drug promised to transform anyone struggling with poor memory, bad finances or a lack of energy and motivation into a success story. The only problem—such a pill doesn’t exist.

What Is the Limitless Pill (NZT-48)?

If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, you may be wondering what the hype is all about. The limitless pill is a fictional super-drug also referred to as NZT-48. In the movie, this cognition-enhancing drug helps Bradley Cooper’s character go from the brink of unemployment to a rising star of the financial world. His ascent to fame is fuelled by a handful of NZT-48 pills. These pills provided him with superhuman mental acuity, making him feel “limitless.” The enhanced memory function, creativity, and motivation were exactly what he needed for his meteoric rise to the top.

While all this sounds amazing, unfortunately, the limitless drug as it is portrayed in the movie doesn’t exist. A few supplement companies have attempted to take advantage of the movie’s success and the rising public interest by creating their own versions of the NZT-48 nootropic pills. These promise to help you dominate life, just like Bradley Cooper’s character did in the movie. It is important to stay as far away from these pills as possible!

While NZT-48 pills are not real, there are a number of other smart drugs and nootropics like Armodafinil (Nuvigil) and Modafinil (Provigil) that offer similar benefits. While none of these can solve all of life’s problems, they’re as close as you’ll get to an actual NZT pill. 

What Is the Best Substitute for The Limitless Pill?

Many of us find ourselves in jobs and circumstances that require high focus and performance, no matter the situation. You may also need to work optimally for long stretches of time. So, you may be looking for a way to boost your focus, mental ability, and motivation. 

There are a number of performance-enhancing drugs that can help you with this, provided you follow the basics of healthy eating and regular exercise. A mix of nootropic and nutraceutical compounds can have a positive impact on cognition, motivation, focus and mental agility. So, forgo the sugary drinks, NoDoze, and energy drinks and give these a try instead.

While none of these drugs can fully mimic the same positive effects of NZT-48, they have demonstrated a significant improvement in motivation, focus, dexterity and cognitive ability.

These are some of the substances that can mimic the effects of NZT-48 like increased cognitive performance and feeling less mentally tired.

Modafinil

Modafinil is rumored to be the drug that limitless is based on, although this has never been confirmed. Modafinil (or the trademarked version, Provigil) was approved by the FDA in 1998. It is intended as a treatment for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders, and you’ll require a prescription to buy it legally.

Modafinil is also known to promote wakefulness and has been proven to improve reaction time, vigilance and fight fatigue in fit adults. While the benefits of using Modafinil are many, it does come with its set of adverse side effects. Some of these include ulcers, trouble sleeping, and an unhappy mental state. It is not ideal to use Modafinil daily as it could lead to a snowball effect when regularly used to overcome tiredness.

Adderall/Ritalin

Similar to Modafinil, Adderall is a prescription drug that was developed to treat people dealing with narcolepsy and ADHD. It was approved in 1996 by the FDA, and you’ll require a prescription to buy this legally. It is used by students before big tests or professionals who need to pull all-nighters. It is also a highly effective treatment for ADHD. If used for a limited period, it can help you stay alert and awake. If you are juggling a lot of different responsibilities, it can help you get it all done. However, Adderall contains amphetamines and is highly addictive in nature. It is also associated with a long set of harmful side effects. 

The unfavorable effects can start to appear pretty quickly. An undesirable side effect of taking Adderall is that is can leave you feeling “too focused,” which will interfere with your ability to do ordinary things. When the impact of the drug begins to wear off, you’ll start to feel drowsy or moody and will need to continue using it to stay focused and alert.

CILTeP

CILTeP is a nootropic stack developed by someone with the pseudonym “Abelard Lindsay.” The formula for this was posted in 2011 on the LongeCity forums. Since then thousands of people have tried the formulation for themselves. This stack rose in popularity as entrepreneurs like Dave Asprey and Tim Ferriss started to use and discuss the positive effects they experienced. This lead to hundreds of people joining the conversation on forums like Reddit. In 2013, the Natural Stacks CILTeP product was created, which is one of the most affordable versions of this drug. This drug has several positive effects and benefits.

Lucid Smart Pill

If you’re looking to improve how you work or your quality of life, the Lucid smart pill may be the one for you. It is a smart pill that has been developed after many years of trial and error and doesn’t require a prescription. It is specifically formulated to improve cognitive ability, motivation, and mental agility. This is one combination that can have a profound effect on your motivation, mental capacity, and attention levels. It will give you the ability to focus no matter what. The best part is that it doesn’t have the adverse side effects of Adderall, NZT-48 or Modafinil.

Benefits of Nootropics

Better Memory Recall and Faster Learning

As you grow older, you will have less retention of your past memories. Any issues with memory and recall can be improved using nootropics. These pills are formulated to boost memory retention. Taking nootropics can lead to increased density being built in your memories, which can make you feel like time is passing faster. These drugs also make learning easier, which could be the result of your altered perception of time. 

Improved Creativity

Nootropics can combat writer’s block and boost creativity. They bring about neuroplasticity or rapid changes in the structure of your brain. As a result of this, you’ll experience improved learning faculties, be more creative and be able to adapt to new scenarios easily. You’ll also have the ability to build new concepts by interlinking ideas. 

Due to the rewiring of your brain, improved thoughts will surface, and you’ll also be more self-aware. NZT-48 may be a fictitious drug, but it points to the fact that it is essential to have powerful focus to perfect any task. Taking a nootropic such as Noopept can help you with this.

Anti-Aging

It’s a well-known fact that various stressors affect the brain negatively. They can lead to diminished brain health and result in problems like poor memory power. What you may not be aware of is that these same stressors can lead to other issues like decreased metabolism, impaired vision, wrinkles and premature aging. 

One way to combat this issue is by following a healthy lifestyle, eating balanced meals and getting regular exercise. But the damage you’ve already done to your brain is likely to remain. Certain nootropics can diminish the harm done and calm the mind, slowing down signs of aging in the process.

Improved Brain Health

Have you ever wondered if you’re doing enough to take care of your brain? Most of us don’t take care of it the way we should. Poor dietary and lifestyle choices, coupled with busy, stressful schedules can cause several issues and take a toll on the health of your brain. 

Nootropics can increase the flow of oxygen to your brain to maintain neurons and other brain cells, thereby combating these adverse effects. This is the reason why cognition enhancing nootropics like choline and vitamin B derivatives are used as a way to treat Alzheimer’s disease. They reduce the deterioration of the mind that happens naturally with age. Some nootropics can also promote the development of brain cells to protect your brain as you age. Therefore, taking nootropics as a preventative measure can have several benefits both in the present and in the future.

Better Mood

While poor concentration can be brought on by a range of factors, one of the most common reasons behind your lack of focus is related to your mood. Poor eating habits and irregular sleep patterns could be the culprits behind foul moods. Nootropics like vitamin B derivatives stimulate specific receptors in the brain that have mood-enhancing effects. Taking them can empower people to get relief from symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and other issues they’ve been dealing with. They can also improve your memory and focus in the process. 

Focused Attention

Bradley Cooper’s character was able to write a book in just 4 days in the movie, Limitless. This was solely because he took the drug NZT-48 which gave him the ability to focus on what he was doing for long hours without distractions. While NZT-48 is fictional, there are other cognitive enhancers like Armodafinil and Modafinil that help improve focus by acting as stimulants. They have been proven to improve attention and are safer to use than amphetamines. 

For instance, if you take Modafinil your brain will be focussed the entire day, and you won’t feel tired. You won’t be distracted by random thoughts entering your brain. You’ll be able to set a single goal and have the vision to reach it. These substances are legal in many countries and are available online as well.

Limitless Pills: Not A Shortcut for Hard Work

Many of the most successful people in the world got where they are through sheer hard work and determination. Their success came through deliberate and steady discipline and practice. So, it is important not to become dependent on any of these pills and expect them to solve all your problems. 

This doesn’t mean that cognitive enhancers and nootropics don’t work. Many successful entrepreneurs have used and publicly talked about their success with nootropic usage. But these aren’t magic pills that can be attributed to all their achievements.

Nootropics can definitely help, but it’s essential to follow a healthy lifestyle and put in the hard work that’s required for success. Be wary of limitless pills that overpromise and underdeliver. These can never be a substitute for hard work.

It is important to note that cognitive enhancers like Modafinil are not NZT-48. So, you cannot expect the same effects that Bradley Cooper’s character experienced in the movie. However, these drugs have the ability to start a modern scientific revolution if they become widespread. It’s not exactly a coincidence that the rise in the popularity of coffee in Europe happened at the same time as the scientific revolution.

Final Thoughts on Becoming Limitless

Science has proven that Nootropics work remarkably well as cognitive enhancers and they are the only real limitless pills in existence. 

Remember that no capsule or pill has the ability to bring you success overnight. And there’s no genius pill that can make you smarter instantly. Success is achieved from the ground-up by building your life around your core values and being focused on your mission.

However, nootropics can help support healthy brain function. They will allow you to amplify your results and fortify habits that lead to success. By supplementing your brain with these nutrients, there will be nothing holding you back from achieving everything you want to.