Basement Neurohackers

Perhaps more within the realm of science fiction than science fact,
"neurohackers" are the new do-it-yourself brain tinkerers who have decided
to take matters into their own heads. "There is quite an underground of
neurohackers beaming just about every type of field imaginable into their
heads to stimulate certain neurological structures (usually the pleasure
centers )," a neurohacker wrote to me via e-mail. Several of these
basement experimenters were willing to talk.

Meet Zorn. I got his name (which has been changed) from another
neurohacker who told me a wild tale about a device that Zorn had recently
built. "It's got an electrode ring situated over the pleasure centers of
the brain. I know someone who tried it and he said it was like having a
continuous orgasm." My God, you mean this guy's invented the Orgasmatron ?
I immediately called Zorn, but at the suggestion of the other hacker, I
only talk to him generally about basement brain tech.

Zorn's a psychologist by trade and a weekend electronics hobbyist. He
tells me about several sound and vision devices (brain toys) he's built,
similar to those now commercially available. He seems entirely sane; he's
full of cautions. When I tell him about some of the other neurohacks I've
heard about, he expresses deep concern. "If these people are going to mess
with neuroelectric or neuromagnetic stimulation, they should build in more
safety devices. There's a tremendous potential for harm: brain damage."
When I ask him what he's been doing recently, he becomes quiet. "Well,
it's something I'd rather not talk about. It's a device I built that could
very easily be abused." (Hmmm... My mind flashes with perverse images of
twitching orgasmo-junkies permanently jacked into the Zorn Device.)

"Why would it be abused?" I ask.

"I really can't say anything more about it. It would be a disaster if it
got out into the world." Definitely an Orgasmatron...or perhaps just
another piece of cybernetic mythology.

David Cole of the non-profit group AquaThought is another independent
researcher willing to explore the inside of his own cranium. Over the
years, he's been working on several schemes to transfer EEG patterns from
one person's brain to another. The patterns of recorded brain waves from
the source subject are amplified many thousands of times and then
transferred to a target subject (in this case, Cole himself). The first
tests on this device, dubbed the Montage Amplifier, were done using
conventional EEG electrodes placed on the scalp. The lab notes from one of
the first sessions with the Amplifier report that the target (Cole)
experienced visual effects, including a "hot spot" in the very location
where the source subject's eyes were being illuminated with a flashlight.
Cole experienced a general state of "nervousness, alarm, agitation, and
flushed face" during the procedure. The results of these initial
experiments made Cole skittish about attempting others using electrical
stimulation. He has since done several sessions using deep magnetic
stimulation via mounted solenoids built from conventional iron nails
wrapped with 22-gauge wire. "The results are not as dramatic, but they are
consistent enough to warrant more study," he says.

Part of the danger of monkeying with one's brain, especially with little
or no knowledge of neuroscience, is that most individuals do not have
access to the sophisticated testing and feedback devices that are
available to legitimate researchers. Through devices like the Mindset,
a "desktop EEG," Cole and other researchers hope to change that (see Going
Mental, page 106). "It is imperative that neuroscience research is not
limited to large organizations with big budgets," insists Cole.
The further I got out on the fringes of neurohacking, the more noise
overcame signal. I heard rumors of brain-power amplification devices,
wire-heading (recreational shock therapy), and most disturbing of all,
claims that people are actually poking holes in their heads and directly
stimulating their brains. (Kids, don't try this at home )