“I’VEALWAYSBEEN INTERESTED inenhancement,” says theRussian-born
scientist, whopractises neural stimulationwith low-intensitymagnetic
fields, usingwhat is known as a “GodHelmet”. “If somethingmakes
youmoreproductive– thenwhy not?”Whilewriting his doctoral thesis
heworkedonperformance-enhancingdrugs, but nowheprefers to
experimentwithelectrostimulation. “It’s easier than trying todesigndrugs
at homebecause you canmonitor results properly,” he says. “Another
advantage is that you can stimulate thewholebrain, or you can choose
onepart over another. If youwant to focus on the right temporal lobe, say,
it couldmake youmore creative; if you favour the left then you get into a
different statewhere you’re very, very active. I remember not being able to
sleep for nearly aweek after one such session.”As the voltageused is only
asmuch as that in apair of headphones, theprocess doesn’t hurt. “People
domakemistakes but it’s not possible to causepain. I knownow it all looks
like sci-fibut look at humanhistory and you thinkhowmuchwe achieved in
the last 200 years.Wehave to start somewhere.”
AndrewVladimirov
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