Observations placeholder
Instenon and hexabendine
Identifier
005768
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Hexobendine is a vasodilator that acts as an adenosine reuptake inhibitor.
Etamivan or ethamivan , trade name Analepticon, is a respiratory stimulant drug related to nikethamide. It was mainly used in the treatment of barbiturate overdose and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but has now largely fallen into disuse.
Etofylline nicotinate is a vasodilator.
Comment: Driving generally requires memory and thus intellectual skills - learnt function, except insofar as more instinctive reactions are needed - quick reactions when a circumstance arises for which learnt behaviour is no help.
In effect mechanical driving skills can be roughly translated as the realm of the memory and conscious mind, whereas the ability to adapt to unrecognised circumstances and 'save your bacon' is inspirational.
The women did better than the men because the men tried to revert to intellect [as they do], the women 'let the force go with them'. Interesting because it implies that women are better able to accept spiritual input as a whole. So maybe not 'clever', but wise.
Adenosine is a relaxant, although promoted as a vasodilator, this drug is essentially a relaxant without being a narcotic or sedative. As such, at suitably low doses it can help in inducing a relaxed state and thus inspirational composer input. Yoga would have worked just as well, the key is the parasympathetic nervous system.
At high doses it could kill you, as the heart would stop. As the drug is also a reuptake inhibitor it has additional problems associated with it. Regular use would not be a good idea
A description of the experience
Arzneimittelforschung. 1975 May;25(5):831-6. [Experimental psychological study of the effect of a hexobendine-etamivan-etofylline combination]. [Article in German] Klebel VE.
Instenon forte, a combination of hexobendine, etamivan and etofylline for treatment of cerebral vascular insufficiency, was tested in an experimental psychological study. Effects on performance, especially on functions related to driving, were investigated.
The experimental group consisted of 15 male and 9 female, the control group of 15 male and 8 female students, aged between 17 and 25 years. All subjects were tested with the same series of psychological tests before and after long-term medication.
The male subjects showed moderate increase of concentration performance and short-term memory under Instenon in various tests. Taking in complex traffic situations at a glance was significantly enhanced in the male experimental group, whereas reactive behavior under stress showed some impairment.
In the female experimental group an increase of focal attention and an improvement of reactive behavior under stress was found, taking in complex traffic situations at a glance was impaired.
The results of this study indicate that neither in female nor in male subjects a consistent positive or negative effect of Instenon on functions related to driving could be determined. Driving fitness in general is not influenced by Instenon in the dosage applied in young healthy volunteers.
PMID: 1242334