Did have a topic a while back on the matter
http://gbatemp.net/threads/nootropics-smart-drugs-thoughts-and-opinions.399108/
Thus far I have no experience. From what I can tell most things are lacking in testing or have such minor effects to be of questionable worth for me -- my concentration, motor skills, motivation, memory and imagination* are all already pretty good and most of what I would care to improve**.
*it has been noted many a scientist over the years got into the fun psychedelics, and departing from established dogma, as has to be done from time to time, is something that drugs my help in.
What sorts of side effects do you fear? I know some fiddling with nootropics claim to be one it has to have none (such that it can be a thing within pharmacology/medicine) but that is rather limiting from where I sit. Are you concerned about some of the things people on stuff for fairly serious mental conditions experience (a dulling of emotion and empathy being a popular one), a comedown/linger effect of some (a la cocaine blues, stopping various antidepressants or MDMA at the end of the night), some kind of adverse reaction to a "loss" of ability (I have measured what dehydration does to me as far as my ability to reason and act and really hate it as a result, I can see this being worse) or something else? I have yet to see anything thus far that risks stroke, organ failure... all the usual suspects or even a passing psychosis so but I will take that as a given, however I imagine if people start to play with the big boy stuff aimed at the various dementias that could change.
**it is a contentious subject within psychology but useful enough here.
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https://blog.adioma.com/9-types-of-intelligence-infographic/
Theoretically a nootropic could help with any one of those. My interests would mostly be in spatial (though to my mind that may fall into logical -- designing a 3d model for something tends to require a fair amount of spatial awareness), bodily-kinesthetic (making 3d models is OK, building is better) and mathematical-logical if that was not already obvious. That said human calculator and to a lesser extent true eidetic memory are not of the highest interest to me.
Also the question I posed before. Is it cheating to use these at school, work or similar?