By: Asha Dukkipati and Vijay Dukkipati
“If you take care of your brain, your brain will take care of you." - Dave Asprey
Biotechnology is the integration of the natural sciences and engineering practices designed to improve the quality of human life. Cognitive biotech can be use to improve human thinking, coordination, and even address alleviate symptoms including ones that students with learning differences experience.
Neorhythm
This device utilizes a combination of PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic frequency) and brainwave entrainment to help a person achieve different states of mind, whether it be focus, energy, sleep, relaxation, or even deeper states of meditation. My brother is a double degree graduate from McCombs School of Business at UT Austin. He uses biohacking techniques to compensate for symptoms of his Asperger’s Syndrome. He is an avid sleep hacker, always trying to find ways of optimizing his sleep. For instance, he also has other devices such as an oura ring and a dream headband. With this device, he noticed his average sleep time increased by an hour, and even more so, he spent that extra hour in either deep or REM sleep! On average, he wakes up more rested and serene. He also found this device helped him fall into deeper states of relaxation along with deepening his meditation practice. On more stressful occasions, when he has numerous college assignments or life responsibilities, the device helped him remain in a calm state, reducing his levels of anxiety. It’s one of the devices he wears every day, and thoroughly enjoys.
Vielight
My brother came across many different research articles looking at the cognitive enhancement benefits of red light therapy. Among them followed: improved concentration, attention span, verbal fluency, introspection, sleep enhancement, as well as other numerous claims. The Vie light is transcranial red light therapy. The mechanism of action is increased blood flow, i.e. nitric oxide to the brain, along with activating numerous gene transcriptions in regards to down regulating inflammation, and spurring the growth of new neurons and nerve cells. Using this device provided a cumulative effect for him. He noticed a gradual sense of focus and enhanced introspection. Although that might have also been a result of his daily meditation practice, it does help him wake up in the morning and allows for deeper sleep. He noticed his attention seemed relatively stable, not superhuman levels, but a distinct difference. The main benefit he said, which is interesting, is he noticed an increased capacity to be told to do many things, and have a better handle on how to manage his anxiety when he gets overwhelmed. Overall he found red light therapy devices to be useful for him. The benefits are subtle initially, but noteworthy and cumulative over time.
Apollo
The Apollo neuro technology uses gentle vibrations to activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system to allow it to function better. It has many functions whether it be for meditation, focus, relaxation, socialization, energy, recovering after a workout, or even unwinding before bed. My brother noticed better heart rate variability, lower resting heart rate, and better respiration rates when using this device. If he were to give an arbitrary rating, he’d give it around a 10% improvement as he didn’t notice anything for focus. However, like my brother, I also use the Apollo and noticed its ability to release vibrations that calms the mind, which led to my focus increasing while performing different tasks. With the device, my brother was more at ease and less distracted by his frantic thoughts, which allowed him to recover quicker after an intense workout, and further deepened his meditation practice. He enthusiastically recounts,“I gauge my practices by the clarity and stillness of thought when I open my eyes, and I was amazed by how much more silent my mind became”. My brother and I wear the device every day as it manages any over activity within our mind preventing us from succumbing to a myriad of distractions.
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