Another Tuesday, another chance to reflect.

Has anyone watched the most recent series of Black Mirror?

The other night, my partner and I watched, I’d say, one of the darkest Black Mirror episodes - traumatizing, and not one I'd recommend. But it sparked something in me: How close are we to real-time tracking and modulation of our brain states? In the story, the character simply slides her "serenity level" to max, and her state changes instantly.

Beyond the metrics provided by devices like Whoop or Aura ring that currently measures bio-markers such as heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, respiratory rate, SpO2, sleep performance, and skin temperature, can we already tap ‘add-to-cart’ for a little gadget that monitor and influence our neurotransmitters, therefore our brain health, mood, and cognitive functions in real-time?

Imagine whenever you pick up a glass of wine or a piece of cake, a little AI voice says in your ear: "Feel free to indulge, but be aware - this might reduce your cognitive performance by 90% for your 9 am meeting." You'd probably want to turn her off forever. Lucky for my husband, he can't turn me off...

This week, let’s explore how close we are to having neurotech companies destroy, I mean, help humanity…

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Are we near the Sci-Fi line?

“Kamiya, working with EEG and operant conditioning, gave the subject a visible feedback when the alpha wave frequency in his own EEG reached a certain point. In this way, by permitting human subjects to correlate an external event or signal and a subjectively felt state of affairs, it was possible for Kamiya’s subjects to establish voluntary control over their own EEGs. That is, he demonstrated that it was possible for a person to bring his own alpha wave frequency to a particular desired level. Kamiya discovered quite fortuitously that bringing the alpha waves to a particular level could produce in the subject a state of serenity, meditativeness, even happiness. This is to say that it is already possible to teach people how to feel happy and serene.”

This was written in 1970 by pioneer psychologist Maslow, before the internet, before most neuroscience research advancements, before meditation went mainstream, and certainly before we had Black Mirror episodes.

Since Kamiya's pioneering work, neuroscience has made significant strides:

1. Neuroplasticity: Research has shown that the brain is more adaptable than previously believed, capable of reorganizing itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.

2. Neurostimulation: Techniques like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and vagus nerve stimulation are being explored to directly influence brain activity, with potential applications in enhancing focus, mood, and sleep.

3. Neuro-feedback tech: Wearable technologies now allow for the continuous monitoring of physiological signals such as electroencephalography (EEG), and electrodermal activity (EDA), providing insights into our cognitive and emotional states.

So the answer is, yes, there are consumer-grade EEG devices available today that provide real-time feedback on your brain's alpha wave activity, allowing you to train yourself toward states of serenity and relaxation, much like the neurofeedback techniques described by Kamiya.

Real-time EEG devices

The pursuit of personalised optimisation

I’m a fan of Bryan Johnson - a somewhat polarizing figure in the tech and health world. His "Blueprint" aims to optimize every aspect of his biology through rigorous data collection and analysis. He claims to possess "the best comprehensive biomarkers in the world," positioning himself as "the most measured person in human history".

While Johnson's approach is intensive, it underscores a broader trend: the pursuit of personalized, data-driven strategies for health and performance optimization.

To design a system that truly works for us, we first need to understand what throws our mental and physical states off balance. From there, it's about experimenting - trying various routines, habits, or diets, tracking the results, and learning what patterns show up in our own biology.

For founders, this isn’t just biohacking. The more intimately we understand our neurobiology, the better we can build without burning out. But zooming out, we’re also facing a profound turning point in human evolution. Neurotech doesn’t just promise better focus or deeper sleep - it signals a future where self-regulation, emotional control, and even subjective well-being could be technologically mediated.

That raises bigger questions: If we can modulate our own reality, what happens to emotional authenticity? Agency? Will success belong to those who learn to optimise - or to those who resist the need to?

The global neurotechnology market will increase from USD 15.35 billion in 2024 to USD 53.18 billion by 2034, experiencing a CAGR of 13.23% over the next 10 years. We're on the cusp of a new era where technology can help us understand and optimize our brain function in real-time. While we're not yet at the point of sliding a "serenity level" to max, the advancements in neurotechnology suggest that such capabilities may not be far off.

With the rise of AI and neurotech, a deeper question emerges: how much of our brain data are we willing to hand over to private companies? Beyond the obvious privacy and ethical concerns, if we gain the ability to adjust our brainwaves at the push of a button, what are the long-term health implications? And how does this differ from traditional medical interventions like pharmaceuticals?

Until next week.

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