The Energy Stimulant as Technology of the Mind.
During the 19th century, human society, moving swiftly toward its fast-paced, financially-driven form that we know today, embraced a new tonic born out of nature and necessity -- the stimulant. Stimulants to boost energy were used widely by traditional cultures for long days of hunting or farming, but it wasn't till our modern world that we begun to see their daily use. In fact, the first widespread form of social stimulant was not a drug or energy pill, but was an energy drink.
In the mid 1800s, at the same time that coffee was becoming immensely popular, another stimulant, cocaine, was being widely lauded by scientists, doctors, artists and priests alike. With different methods of consumption, the most widespread throughout Europe and the Americas was an alcoholic beverage called Vin Mariani, a combination of French red wine and coca leaves that was claimed to both reinvigorate and rejuvenate, and was even considered a cure for melancholy. Among its many users on both sides of the Atlantic were rulers, politicians and cardinals of great note, writers like Jules Verne, and scientists like Thomas Edison. The stimulant had become firmly entrenched in daily life.
Despite the fact that people themselves eventually urged governments to ban cocaine, its popularity underscored a deep-rooted desire in humans. The industrial revolution had sparked something in the psyche that drove people to ardently seek wealth. There was a burgeoning need to be on the ride in the new rush to success. The French philosopher de Toqueville, who wrote Democracy in America, noted that "It is odd to watch with what feverish ardor the Americans pursue prosperity, and how they are ever tormented by the shadowy suspicion that they may not have chosen the shortest route to get it." It seemed the whole world was enraptured with success and stimulants were a powerful aid in that endeavor.
It was this emerging force that shaped the role of the stimulant. Historians and sociologists agreed that the first adopters of these energy stimulants were (and still are) people who are most highly driven, the goal-oriented who are working toward achievement. They were quickly enamored of a product that gave them an advantage, making them full of vitality, clarity of thought and focus, and best of all, a positive disposition.
After all, who isn't looking for a cheerful, happy state of mind on the way to success?
In 1877, Dr. Archie Stockwell wrote in the now New England Journal of Medicine that the stimulant "causes increased arterial action, stimulates the alimentary secretions and peristaltic action, diminishes weariness, strengthens the pulse, calms nervous excitement, retards waste, facilitates repair, alleviates spasms, and increases mental activity. In fact, it is an economizer of vital energy and an effective aid to nutrition. It invariably contributes to the mental cheerfulness and withal, not infrequently, causes unequivocal aphrodisia."
By this point, pretty much everyone saw them as an effective way to get where they needed to go, quickly and with a smile. In one form or another they were omnipresent. Well into the 20th century, cocaine alone was found in over 15 variations, including the iconic brand coca-cola, which in its hey-day was publicly advertised as the "ideal brain tonic," good for many uses from headache remedies to allergy medication. Energy stimulants were enjoying a boom in popularity and global use.
Eventually cocaine's distribution was curtailed and placed solely in the hands of health professions, but stimulants were already deeply ingrained in the social consciousness. Over the last two hundred years, coffee became the most consumed beverage on the planet. Cocaine finally morphed into amphetamine products like Benzadrine, and amphetamines became weapon of the day during world war two when vigor and alertness were critical. It seems that regardless of the circumstances, for one reason or another, people loved their stimulants.
At this point, the stimulant as a form of technology really takes off.
The post-war struggles, the new baby boom, and the push toward capitalistic enterprise fueled the need for a product that could help both alleviate the stresses and provide requisite energy for the tasks at hand. Demands in the modern society were ever increasing.
People now lived in a world where it was all about producing more, more, more, faster and faster.
A quick energy pill that gets you pepped up, ready to be productive and filled with enthusiasm is clearly a beneficial piece of technology. In fact, for periods of the 20th century, everyone from children miners to factory workers to truckers were given stimulants by employers to get them to work longer, better and harder. They were a part of the technologies of capitalism. Energy boosting products appeared in infinite variations (including cigarettes.)
And so we arrive at the modern 21st century world. More than ever we are living in the fast lane and stimulants are a huge part of our daily life. Witness the rise of Pepsi, Starbucks, Red Bull, and all the variants. In our experience with our own energy and mood stimulant supplement, JUMPSTART EX, we have found that its popularity far exceeds any of our other health formulas. As the demands placed upon us are ever increasing, so is the demand for the stimulant.
Even though there are unhealthy and dangerous natural stimulants still available, the technology has reached a point where we can now find products that will allow us the benefits of amphetamines but without the side-effects. Natural stimulants like caffeine, kola nut, guarana, green tea, carnitine, and synephrine, and mood elevators like theanine, tyrosine, and 5-htp can be precision-formulated so that we get the advantages of vitality, focus and improved mood without the danger of addiction or risk to health. It has truly become a technology of the mind.
But like anything, knowledge is the key to proper use. While the energy stimulant may have its place, moderation and discipline are required. For those who want to constantly run their engines at high speeds, just remember that a lead foot means quicker breakdown. Use them to power your efforts, but use them wisely.
The opinions expressed in this article are of the author. Content and other information presented on the site are not meant to be medical advice or any substitute for professional advice, counseling, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard professional medical or mental health advice from your physician or other qualified health provider.
