NHA Guide To Methods and Technology

Here we introduce you to some of the methods used in NH.

Most of us don’t have our own MRI scanners! The ways in which we can work with the brain are still many and varied:

Physiology: Many popular forms of neurohacking are based on diet, exercise and supplements and are sometimes aligned with physical health programs. Martial arts and yoga are two of the most popular fitness and relaxation techniques. Massage, bodywork and dancing are all used by some for NH. (These are covered in the 'Methods and Technology' section of the library)

Psychology: By means of what is termed ’introspection’, we can gain some insight into our own minds. Our conscious mind is perhaps the aspect of ourselves about which we have the most awareness. Sometimes our awareness is captured by ongoing events, sometimes it is contemplative or creative. We can use psychological techniques and therapies to explore both the conscious and unconscious mind. Meditation has shown some excellent benefits, as has hypnosis or suggestion. Cognitive behavior therapy, psychoanalysis, ritual, lucid dreaming and altered states are just some of the techniques employed. (These are also covered in the “methods & tech” section of the library).

Biological Psychology: It is one of the most useful branches of study for neurohackers because it builds a picture of the brain that draws upon and integrates inputs from, unsurprisingly, biology and psychology. That means it's partly concerned with the ‘big picture’ (the nature of the complex interdependence between brains, the bodies of which they form a part, and their environment.) But it also looks at how stuff works inside individual networks, how processes such as memory and learning take place on an individual level, and these are facts that are important to grasp about intelligence before we can start planning development effectively and making improvements. (This is covered in the 'Basics' and 'Theory & Research' sections of the library).

Chemicals: Neurohackers may want to take advantage of how chemical manipulations alter mood, as they do for instance in anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication, or with ‘recreational’ drugs. (This is covered in the 'Drugs & Chemicals' section of the library.)

Vitamins, herbal formulas, and aromatherapy: They are used by some. (This is covered in the “Nutrition” section of the library).

Technology: When it comes to brains, n-hackers can use objective science in measuring such things as electrical activity in the brain as well as tension in the muscles, which led to the development of biofeedback devices and the many ‘mind machines’. (This is covered in the 'Methods & Technology' section of the library, as is other technology employed in NH such as REST pods, flotation tanks, TENS, NMS and TMS).

Don’t worry if you don’t even know what these are yet; they’ll be introduced and explained as we’re going along. And don’t worry that you’ll need any expensive supplements or machines; there are always choices in NH for any procedure, including options for the financially challenged!

Practical Assignment

Learning the Relaxation Response

The “relaxation response” is the ‘fulfilment’ half of the brain’s pleasure system. It occurs when your brain chemistry changes in response to assimilation, success, satisfaction, fulfilment or understanding. During this response, heart rate and blood pressure slow, and cortisol (anxiety hormone) production is turned off. Natural opioids and serotonin are released in the brain, making us feel very comfortable and satisfied, yet still ready to interact.

During natural learning, this response occurs naturally. When there is too much cortisol present in the bloodstream, it can’t. Effectively the response is turned off. We have to hack in there, and turn it back on, because it reduces anxiety levels faster than anything else.

To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, the body’s relaxation response should always be activated after the stress response occurs. You can learn the relaxation response with various techniques (see below), and you can learn control in order to keep your mind from habitually reacting with anxiety in the first place.

The Relaxation Response is something some people find very easy and, unfairly, others may find really difficult! A lot will depend on where you’re starting from and what sort of methods you feel attracted to. The relaxation response is something that has to be experienced to be properly understood, and is often only understood in retrospect. Once you can make the response happen on purpose you will become more conscious of the change of mood and understand what it is doing to your body and mind.

Here is one simple method:

Lie down somewhere comfortable and relax. Turn off the phone, radio and/or TV.

Close your eyes. Pay attention to any areas of your body that are tense. Breathe calmly and as you breathe naturally out, deliberately relax the tense areas, beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face.

Go over them all again and keep them relaxed.

Breathe through your nose if you can, unless it is blocked. Become aware of and listen to your breathing. Each time you breathe out, it may help you focus if you silently say the word, "ONE" to yourself.

Breathe easily and naturally.

Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm. Do not worry about whether you are successful in achieving a deep level of relaxation. Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its own pace.

When distracting thoughts occur, try to ignore them by not dwelling upon them and return to repeating "ONE" silently to yourself.

When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes, at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes opened. Do not stand up for a few minutes.

Sometimes the relaxation response takes a while to get control of because when many people first start neurohacking, their nervous system is fatigued and they may find exercises like the one above just send them to sleep. This is good; it also happens when we are recovering from illness or trauma, and is a sign of the healing process taking advantage of your relaxed state. Let yourself sleep; give yourself time and space to sleep, eat foods supportive of healthy brain growth and functioning and this ‘sleepy’ phase will pass.

Towards Entelechy

There is no ‘background philosophy’ or any particular set of beliefs or morals necessary to practise Intal. Common sense explanations and simple analogies are used throughout that you can apply to your own beliefs, ideals, morals and philosophies, whatever they are. Physical exercise is healthy for anyone’s body, and mental exercise is healthy for anyone’s brain. The only side effect is getting smarter.

If you would rather call it ‘becoming enlightened’, that’s fine by us. Some have found following this program comparable to a ‘shaman’s journey’…we say, “Whatever blows your hair back, man!”

We do proceed however from our own awareness that although we should be free to do whatever we wish with our own minds, this does not extend to pushing it upon others. We are firmly against coercion. Changing someone’s mind should only ever be done with that person’s fully informed consent, because anything else will more than likely cause them harm. We also believe that you are responsible for making informed choices about anything you do to yourself and you must therefore make sure that you are informed. That’s what the tutorials are for.