PTNS-501 Lessons

At last, your Fifth Year has arrived. Even though you expected things to feel different upon reaching this new milestone, everything still looks the same - including the chilly dungeons that you visit weekly for your Potions lessons. You begin to look around, wondering whether you plan to - and whether you’ll be able to - proceed with your Potions studies after your O.W.L.s; still, your train of thought is suddenly interrupted when the door to the classroom swings wide open, with a familiar man entering.

Introduction and Administrative Procedures

Welcome to the Fifth Year of Potions. I would congratulate you all for the effort you’ve made so far, but doing so would be slightly premature of me when there’s an important examination looming overhead. As you already know by now, the O.W.L. Examinations are carried out at the end of the Fifth Year, which means that your time in Potions may be coming to an end.

Do note that I require an Outstanding for students to proceed into N.E.W.T. level courses, differently from most professors - after all, potioneering is a precise art, and I expect the same degree of precision from the pupils that want to try their hand at dangerous and experimental potions. I do not institute this requirement just to be strict or demanding, but because it is my duty to protect all students from harm and catastrophe. We will deal with experimental brews by Year Seven, and I believe that this, by itself, is sufficient for you to understand the dangers associated with this course. You have been warned.

This is not to say that I do not want you to proceed to N.E.W.T. studies - quite the contrary. For that reason, I will provide you all with the opportunity to review crucial concepts related to Potions throughout the entire year via extra credit assignments. Those tasks are voluntary; still, they are bound to help you tremendously in reinforcing concepts that might be discussed in your Theoretical or Practical Exams.

Having said that, let us delve into the procedures for the year. First, I would like to introduce the topic we are going to discuss throughout the year - namely, psychological potions. This is, interestingly enough, a field that has very strong parallels with Muggle sciences - most notably, a mundane field of science called “pharmacology”. Thus, expect to see many discussions on how Muggles attempt to solve the issues we will cover this year and how our solutions are more efficient, safer, or able to solve additional problems that Muggle science cannot.

The outline for this year shall be as follows:
Lesson 1 - Introduction to Psychological Potions and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (Concentration Concentrate)
Lesson 2 - Magical Energy and Wandless / Nonverbal Spellcasting (Mopsus Potion)
Lesson 3 - Happiness and Hedonic Treadmill (Elixir to Induce Euphoria)
Lesson 4 - Depression and Psychological Immune System (Temperament Modifying Potion)
Lesson 5 - Bipolar Disorder and Seasonal Affective Disorder (Placating Philtrum)
Lesson 6 - Truth and Lies (Veritaserum Potion)
Lesson 7 - Morality of Decisions and Sociopathy (Theory of Malevolent Mixture)
Lesson 8 - Love and Lust (Amortentia)
Lesson 9 - Luck and Chronesthesia (Theory of Felix Felicis)

By now, you know what my expectations are with regard to assignments and effort. As usual, your word count buffer has been reduced once more - assignments that are ten words or less under word count will lose 10%, whereas assignments whose word count is under that buffer zone will receive a full deduction for that criterion.

Introduction to Psychological Potions

Let us start with a brief introduction to psychological potions. In simple terms, a psychological potion is any brew that affects the way we think or act, based on changes done to our nervous system. For those that are unfamiliar with the concept of the nervous system, let me provide an analogy.

Have any of you taken the Knight Bus? If so, you can consider the bus itself as an equivalent to a person’s physical body. The wheels of the bus enable the vehicle to go anywhere, in the same way your legs do; the walls of the bus protect the passengers inside and sustain the vehicle’s structure, in the same way your bones protect your vital organs and help you stand; the windows of the bus let you see outside, in the same way your eyes allow you to see the world.

If the Knight Bus itself is the body, then what can be compared to the nervous system? The people inside the bus - both the driver and the passengers - can be compared to the nervous system, as they are the ones that provide the instructions on how the bus should operate. The bus driver is responsible for controlling the functions of the Knight Bus, including steering (movement) and the windshield wipers (sight), among others. Conversely, the passengers react to the movement of the bus and tell the driver where to stop as soon as they arrive at their destination.

You might have noticed that I divided the nervous system of the Knight Bus into two parts, “bus driver” and “passenger”. That is based on the fact that, likewise, our nervous system is also divided into two main parts, named the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS is composed of our brain and spinal cord - these organs, like the bus driver, control the main operational functions of our body, such as breathing, sight and movement. On the other hand, the PNS consists of the nerves we have all throughout our body. These nerves do not control our body by themselves - however, they do provide instructions for our brain to act via involuntary reflexes.

Have you ever touched a hot pan and recoiled from the burning pain? This is a result of your PNS in action - the nerves feel the heat, and, in order to protect the body, they tell the CNS to move away from the source of pain. If we go back to our analogy one last time, this is similar to a passenger telling the Knight Bus driver to stop the bus for them to get off.

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder

We have discussed the usual operation of the nervous system - having said that, the mental aspect of a person might also deviate a little bit from normalcy. These issues are called “mental disorders”, as they are simply composed of patterns that do not match the usual order of the nervous system.

A word of caution for you - having a mental disorder is not a sign of weakness or inaptitude, but simply a biological phenomenon that is out of the person’s control. If I see anyone acting in a prejudiced way towards any psychological disorder, they will be ejected from my class posthaste. Likewise, if you have a disorder that you would like to discuss with me, feel free to see me after class. I am not a qualified healer to give you treatment or counseling, but I will definitely provide you with the resources necessary for you to seek qualified help.

One of these disorders is called Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, also known by its acronym ADHD. This syndrome, which was formerly known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), had its name changed in 1987 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), as they realized that hyperactivity was a correlated symptom to the disorder.

Having said that, what are the symptoms included in ADHD? This disorder is based on the inability to focus on a task for long periods. This means that people with ADHD usually have issues concentrating on a long lecture or in doing important, yet unengaging, tasks such as homework. There are two ways through which ADHD can manifest - symptoms can be defined as stemming from inattentiveness and/or from impulsiveness.

Inattentiveness refers to a person’s difficulty in keeping their attention up for long - in other words, they cannot concentrate for long on a given piece of work and suddenly lose interest in it; thus, those with ADHD-PI (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive) tend to daydream or stop working on the required task. On the other hand, impulsiveness refers to the constant need for changes and new impulses. Those with ADHD-PHI (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive) jump from task to task and/or cannot sit still during a long class, causing them to have issues in completing their work.

Naturally, both forms of ADHD can exist in the same individual; a person can both become inattentive if not engaged properly and restless when they must stay still. Those that possess both traits are stated to have ADHD-C, or Combined Type ADHD.

Muggle Approaches to ADHD

As I mentioned before, there are several methods through which Muggles attempt to manage the symptoms of ADHD. Today, we are going to discuss both non-medical and medical treatments for this disorder.

I would even daresay that some of you have already tried your hand at some techniques that Muggles use to treat ADHD. Raise your hand if you do meditation as part of your Defense Against the Dark Arts exercises. Good, I see that many of you are following the recommendations we provide in class. Perhaps you’ll be surprised to know that, even though Muggles cannot get the magical benefits of meditation, they can acquire better focus and concentration via this practice; this, in turn, helps them control the symptoms of ADHD. Another correlated technique is called “mindfulness”, which is simply the act of giving one’s full attention to what they are currently doing. Due to modern-life pressures, some people attempt to multitask (that is, do two or more tasks at the same time), causing their brains to effectively work in overdrive in order to process all stimuli at the same time. The process of mindfulness reprograms the brain into solving one problem at a time, increasing one’s focus and attention span.

However, there are certain ADHD cases that cannot be solved as easily with non-chemical methods. It is for that reason that Muggles have developed certain chemicals, such as methylphenidate, that help the body control the patient’s attention deficit. Simply put, those medications act as stimulants for the central nervous system, increasing one’s focus.

In simple terms, a stimulant is a type of substance that increases the rate of sensorial processing from the brain, causing people to take in more information from their surroundings. Given how people with ADHD (and, most notably, ADHD-PHI) require high stimulation, one can definitely see how that need is met after consuming this type of medication. As an analogy, compare an interesting conversation with a friend to boring small talk with someone you do not care about - which conversation would you likely pay more attention to?

This example illustrates how stimulation is linked to focus, and both hyperactivity and inattentiveness are linked to a lack of stimulation. In the former example, because of the stimulation provided, your mind pays complete attention to the conversation; in the latter case, you might feel compelled to walk around, fidget or daydream in order to fulfill your brain’s need for an interesting activity.

Effects of ADHD in Wizardkind

Why is it that we care about ADHD, then? Even though this disorder is frequently minor and does not pose much harm for Muggles, ADHD can be quite dangerous for wizards and witches alike. This danger is directly correlated to the role of our minds when casting spells, which has no parallels in the Muggle world.

Recent studies identified that children with ADHD have a greater propensity to bouts of accidental magic during their developmental years, which might not only cause harm to those nearby but also jeopardize the safety of the wizarding world by breaching secrecy. As you probably have surmised, this is a direct result of the brain’s need for an output: if a child’s energies are unfocused, they might end up expressing themselves in an unexpected and uncontrolled manner - a magical fidget, so to speak.

Furthermore, those with ADHD are more susceptible to all forms of magical mishaps - including, but not limited to, spells with insufficient willpower and/or concentration, difficulty in sustaining dynamic charms and magical backfires. Given how dangerous some backfires can be, you likely can see the harms associated with ADHD in the wizarding world. A topic of particular interest lies in whether ADHD-PI and ADHD-PHI differ in magical effects, although the discussion is unfortunately quite specialized and outside the scope of this course - nevertheless, if you would like to know more about the topic, feel free to drop by my office with your questions.

Let us get back on track. It is for these reasons that the Concentration Concentrate was developed. This potion, similar to Muggle medication, provides the drinker with the necessary focus in order to complete their tasks. However, there are multiple advantages associated with the Concentration Concentrate, which are as follows:

A - Humans do not develop tolerance for the Concentration Concentrate. We discussed methylphenidate previously; however, I did not tell you at the time that this medication causes a process of biological tolerance. In simple terms, biological tolerance occurs when higher and higher amounts of a certain substance are required in order to obtain the same effect, leading the user to dependence. Perhaps one pill is sufficient to treat a patient’s ADHD at first, but soon enough the body “gets used” to that dosage and requires more in order to properly focus.

The same does not hold true for the Concentration Concentrate. Since this brew acts directly on the brain areas that control focus and concentration, rather than stimulating those regions via external chemicals, no tolerance or dependence are developed.

B - The Concentration Concentrate also provides a slight dopamine boost when you complete a task. We will study dopamine more in depth in the future; still, a brief introduction is in order for you to understand the effects of the Concentration Concentrate. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter - that is to say, a chemical that creates a specific sensation in the brain. More specifically, dopamine is responsible for the sensation of elation, happiness and personal satisfaction.

Some of you who are into sports may have already experienced what’s called a “runner’s high”, which is the feeling of satisfaction you get upon doing intense exercise. This is connected to dopamine, as the release of this chemical causes a generalized feeling of well-being.

The Concentration Concentrate uses that chemical as a way to incentivize the drinker into completing tasks. Upon finishing a necessary share of work, the brew identifies the neural activity associated with the task completion and releases a very small dose of dopamine in the wizard or witch’s bloodstream as a reward. As you can guess, this can be quite useful in order to ensure that one’s work is completed on time.

Concentration Concentrate

Estimated Brewing Time:
Pewter Cauldron: 3 hours and 1 minute
Brass Cauldron: 2 hours, 47 minutes and 12 seconds
Copper Cauldron: 2 hours, 34 minutes and 46.8 seconds

Ingredients:
2.2 L of water
10 g of powdered dragon claw¹
3 frog brains¹
15 g of chopped newt spleen¹
2 Runespoor eggs¹
28 g of octopus powder²
4 poppy heads²
3 snowdrop flowers²
2 standard measures of melted butterscotch³
3 g of coarsely ground cinnamon bark³
3 sugar cubes³

Instructions

Part One:
1. With the heat still off, add 1.2 L of water and 2 standard measures of melted butterscotch to your cauldron.
2. Stir the contents of your cauldron five times counterclockwise, making sure to bring the heat to 368 Kelvin (94.85°C/202.73°F) as soon as you complete the third stir.
3. Crack open a Runespoor egg into your cauldron’s contents exactly at the end of the fifth stir. Failure to add the Runespoor egg into the mixture at the right time will cause the egg’s yolk to explode, creating a loud noise that will prompt all other eggs in the nearby area (radius of approximately 50 centimetres) into exploding as well.
4. Allow the contents of your cauldron to bubble for 4 minutes, regardless of cauldron type.
5. Stir the contents of your cauldron once counterclockwise.
6. Add 15 g of chopped newt spleen and 14 g of octopus powder into your mortar, then macerate both ingredients until you obtain a uniform paste.
7. Siphon 10 mL of your cauldron’s contents into the mortar containing the prepared paste.
8. Stir the contents of your mortar twice clockwise.
9. Pour the contents of your mortar back into the cauldron. Your potion must produce a deflating sound immediately after you complete this step.
10. Bring the heat to 333 Kelvin (59.85°C/139.73°F), then let the potion simmer in your pewter cauldron for 68 minutes.
(This would be 61 minutes and 12 seconds in a brass cauldron and 55 minutes and 4.8 seconds in a copper cauldron.)

At this point, your potion will be indigo. The brew’s steam is black and released in spherical clouds.

Part Two:
1. Squeeze 4 poppy heads over your cauldron until the seeds are released.
2. Bring the heat to 398 Kelvin (124.85°C/256.73°F) and let the potion simmer for 13 minutes, regardless of cauldron type.
3. Slice 3 frog brains lengthwise, with each slice being 5 millimeters thick.
4. Add the 3 sliced frog brains to your cauldron.
5. Stir the contents of your cauldron three times clockwise.
6. Crack an opening on the top side of 1 Runespoor egg, then add 10 g of powdered dragon claw via that opening.
7. Stir the contents inside your Runespoor egg shell once clockwise. (Note: Be very gentle. Using too much willpower in the Stirring Charm will cause the shell to crack under the pressure.)
8. Add the contents inside the Runespoor egg to your cauldron.
9. Bring the heat to 348 Kelvin (74.85°C/166.73°F), then let the potion simmer in your pewter cauldron for 41 minutes.
(This would be 36 minutes and 54 seconds in a brass cauldron and 33 minutes and 12.6 seconds in a copper cauldron.)

At this point, your potion will be neon orange with a bright green sheen, similar to the color of a text highlighter. No steam is produced, but the brew must smell like rubbing alcohol.

Part Three:
1. Add 1 L of water to your cauldron.
2. Bring the heat to 305 Kelvin (31.85°C/89.33°F), then let the potion brew for 22 minutes, regardless of cauldron type.
3. Crumble 3 sugar cubes on top of your potion.
4. Stir the contents of your cauldron four times counterclockwise, wait 2 minutes, then stir it again twice clockwise.
5. Add 14 g of octopus powder and 3 snowdrop flowers to your mortar, then process the ingredients together with your pestle until you extract all juices from the snowdrop flowers.
6. Siphon 10 mL of your cauldron’s content into the mortar used for the previous step, then use your pestle to combine all ingredients into a coarse paste.
7. Add 3 g of coarsely ground cinnamon bark to your mortar.
8. Stir the contents of your mortar once counterclockwise, then once clockwise.
9. Add the contents of the mortar to your cauldron, then stir the contents of your cauldron twice clockwise.
10. Bring the heat to 372 Kelvin (98.85°C/209.93°F), then let the potion simmer in your pewter cauldron for 29 minutes.
(This would be 26 minutes and 6 seconds in a brass cauldron and 23 minutes and 29.4 seconds in a copper cauldron.)
11. Leave the potion to cool for 12 minutes before siphoning it into its appropriate vial.

The final potion will be cyan and remain mostly still even if you shake its container violently. It smells and tastes like a blend of mango and plum.

Storage:

The Concentration Concentrate must be stored in a cool and dark place, preferably in a place with low air humidity. Do not consume a Concentration Concentrate that has been exposed to strong sunlight for more than one hour. Usually, the potion can be safely stored for a period of time spanning from two to three years. In order to determine if your Concentration Concentrate is still suitable for consumption, shake its container violently. A safe brew will resist the motion, whereas an expired brew will act like a normal liquid.

Usage:

One tablespoon of the Concentration Concentrate must be administered when necessary. The potion must be taken by itself and cannot be mixed into any other beverages. This brew begins to take effect approximately one minute after its consumption.

Caution:

Do not use the Concentration Concentrate more than five times in a period of ten days. Even though this brew does not cause dependence, its consumption creates some harmful byproducts that take a while to be eliminated from the body. Failure to follow this direction may cause jittery hands, heart palpitations, and uncontrollable arm flailing.

Those who are allergic to the Concentration Concentrate will experience symptoms such as facial rashes and random eyelid closures for periods of up to 30 seconds. In that case, discontinue use immediately and seek the guidance of a healer.

Closing

Some of you might also be acquainted with a product called Concentration Capsules. As you might have deduced already, Concentration Capsules are manufactured by simply brewing the Concentration Concentrate you have learnt today, followed by a series of industrial processes that incorporate the liquid in a capsule with its internal volume expanded via the use of wizard space. They both work in the same way; likewise, the same side effects and cautions apply.

For this week, in addition to the typical quiz, I also want you to complete two essays. One of them will require you to draft logical theories on some of the processes used and results obtained during the brewing process. The second one shall be a type of assignment I believe you have not been exposed to yet - you will conduct a survey in order to assess the correlation between ADHD and certain magical phenomena. More detailed instructions are included in the task.

Dismissed.

Original lesson written by Professor Vaylen Draekon
Image credits here, here and here