Hacking the Human Brain to Get High is Possible Without Drugs, According to New Study

The brain is perhaps the most interesting part of the human body. And yes, this goes without saying that it’s the most complex of all. Interestingly, it’s usually conceptualized as a supercomputer of cosmic complexities – or at least, this is what science tells us.

But believe it or not, the brain can be hacked to hijack it for a range of various purposes. Getting high, in particular, is the most popular of all. Why? Well, it’s simply because of the never-ending increase in drug use. And while you might have entertained the idea of “getting high,” your consciousness says otherwise.

Because getting high doesn’t have to be risky.

Apparently, though, there’s no need for you to join the “evil” fun. There are basically lots of compelling ways to alter your state of consciousness. And the best part of it all? It’s safe and there’s no need for you to utilize drugs.

This is where the experience called “reality” enters. In its most organic form, it’s a trick that your human brain plays on you. It’s done by carefully filtering the sensory information, which is what that the world presents in order to generate an acceptable and working perspective. For instance, you’re seeing an apple because there’s an apple in front of you. It’s reality. It’s what your brain tells you. Judging by this phenomenon, it’s safe to say that one can be modified by simply destabilizing these so-called tuned filters.

The most common way of doing this is through the alteration of electrical signals – also known as brainwaves. Depending on what you want to feel, you must carefully choose from the unique menu of varied brainwaves and their respective effects. Take for example theta waves: They have the frequency of 4 to 8 Hz and are all linked to intuition.

However, too much of it can lead to excessive daydreaming.

Heather Hargraves of the University of Western Ontario is among those who studies the therapeutic applications of the altered states of consciousness. For her, going into trance is somewhat similar to how shamans do it.

She was quoted saying,

Shamans enter into theta states, which is dreamy, intuitive, open but focused in an internal way.”

This was also the reason why many thought that theta waves were the basic key to a psychedelic experience. However, everything changed the moment scientists learned to conduct electroencephalography (EEG) studies to people. It should be noted that this activity is performed under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs.

This state is where all brainwaves – mostly in the range of 0 to 20 Hz – of the human brain are “shut down.” This happens in certain regions of the brain, just before “rebounding” surfaces. The researchers claimed that this effect was quite noticeable in a brain network dubbed as the default mode network. The latter simply regulates consciousness and is also responsible for maintaining a sense of self.

The results of these experimentations is now what Hargraves calls “Broadband Squish.”

While this can be easily achieved through the use of prohibited drugs, it’s still not recommendable. Obviously, you don’t want to be noticed by the authorities. Fortunately, Hargraves and her team are working on a workaround (they call it biohack) to bring about similar effect.

Hargraves describes the technique as somewhat “meditation with a mirror.” This is where neurofeedback enters, enabling the person to learn to control its own brainwaves. She even uses this in her therapy, as it helps trauma patients regulate their alpha and beta waves more effectively. Remember: When these waves are suppressed, it’s when both depression and anxiety kick in.