For Newbies (and for others too; it will do no harm)

Well, well, well... My friend, I know it might be a painful experience, but if you've just arrived here, we all must surrender to the burden of proof: you are a newbie, or even more affectionately, a newb!  

But right from the start, let's throw away any anxiety about that fact: not only have we all gone through that stage, but moreover, we have good reason to envy your position. As a matter of fact, all of us would have loved to find such a place as this site, at the time when we were in your current shoes. 

So, welcome aboard! Relax, forget all the bullshit, assume a comfortable position, take some lembas*, you don't need to switch off your laptops or mp3 players during take off, you don't even have to extinguish all smokable material, although... maybe you might want to fasten your seat belt, and be sure to enjoy your flight...  

This site is the new headquarters of the Neurohacking Association (and hopefully the final one), which is an international community of lighthearted friends dedicated to Intelligence Augmentation (IA), and whose main objectives with this site are:

• Building an open-source reference library of the latest scientific data & discoveries in the field of neurosciences.

• Designing, out of this corpus of information, a set of methods, techniques and behaviors oriented toward our general goals of improving intelligence, brain & mind health (collectively called Neurohacking).

• Providing a series of neurohacking tutorials to allow anyone, motivated by the genuine desire to learn, to experiment and beneficially use these resources in a whole range of objectives; from reducing and eliminating anxiety to reaching the full potential of the human mind, and beyond...

• Allowing neurohackers from all over the world – with their necessary diversity - to interact on the forums, in order for everybody to benefit from the experience of the others in an open-source spirit (registration is required to fully access the forums' features).

• Developing our individual and collective talents by encouraging our members to be creative and submit their work, whether articles, graphic artwork, music, designs or fictions. The coolest pieces will be published in the Workshop section (the process might involve a bit of editing though, depending on the piece).

• Offering to our members the possibility to join (free) the Homeworld network, with its own material and forum; Homeworld is dedicated to the extension of our interactions offline through a network of real life Embassies, on a more Earther territory.

• Outlining progressively, through our interactions, productions and projects, a scientific although warm and shining "mythology of the neurohacker", a story of the Universe's creation and evolution that we can tell to our children, knowing that it is as beautiful and as close to the truth as it could be.

• And last but definitely not least: Having Fun and Playing! 

Okay... maybe you’re smiling, dude. You probably think “fun and playing” sounds a bit childish, as a "not least" objective for such a list. Well, we will address that issue, I give you my word.

What's Different About This Site?

We're very aware that a lot of diverse publications appear everyday on the net and off it, about subjects that we study here. The thing is, you have to understand that we are not exactly like most people or even like most researchers in the field.

Within the kind of techno-economico-politico-financial societies we're living in, all mainstream research is, at best, "well-meaningly guided" by technical, economical, political and/or financial purposes, and at worst, strongly driven and controlled by them. Therefore mainstream researchers are quite rarely – if ever - completely free to determine what direction their research should take, or what should be the top priorities. As for independent research, it is rather systematically ignored, unpublished, suppressed, discredited, hidden or denied for as long as possible wherever it threatens these systems.

And in most cases, even when some publications contain truly vital information for us all, there is still much that is outdated and so many myths about the brain in general  (and this includes among neuroscientists and neurologists themselves if they haven’t kept up with recent discovery). So often we find these (however brilliant) pieces of scientific work are "embedded" in an obsolete paradigm about the brain or mind, or old false beliefs about the nature of intelligence.

Our minds are not for rent,

To any god or government

(paraphrased from Neil Peart, Rush)

Our approach is different in the sense that we are independent and not funded by the mainstream (or anybody except ourselves). We are systematically collecting verifiably accurate information about how the mind works, how the brain is wired, and so on, with very careful selection, and we use this information to build a model of "what really happens" in our little heads, based upon incontrovertible evidence from discoveries about human brains in interaction. Here we assemble data, from which we draw the most obvious conclusions; not any conclusions we are paid to draw.

Here, we are primarily committed to the blunt truth about reality; to seeking that truth in whatever shape it may take, even when it may piss us off. And we are seeking this truth in total freedom; we have no investors to whom we have to report about our research, no sponsors, no commercial ventures whatsoever, and no other masters than our own minds. We do not sell anything, we have no hidden agenda, no top-secret control plan for the masses, we don't even contrive to “set you free”, we just give you all the latest relevant scientific information that we consider it your right to know and that is vital for you as a 21st Century Earth citizen, to develop your full potential safely if you feel like it.

To summarize: mainstream research on the whole doesn't chase the truth in itself because you don't get funding for doing that. We're free to research whatever we please and follow the path to truth wherever it goes.  

"Any way the wind blows..." - Freddie Mercury - Queen (Photo by Roger Noguera Arnau)

The Truth Is Out There, But So Are Lies

A part of what we do here is going through all the latest science publications and picking out the truth (thus making it easier for people to find - like a truth filter if you like). We filter out anything that’s inaccurate, deceptive, vague, misinformed, or promotional bullshit  In the same way the TV news ignores everything that doesn't have financial incentives (eg sex, money or violence) in it, we ignore everything that doesn't have verifiable truth in it. Most other sites aren't doing that -partly because of the fast rate of discovery- knowledge of what the truth actually IS about the brain and intelligence isn't very common yet; certainly not as an overall picture; and in that we think we are rather unique. We have a unifying paradigm for the brain and mind, and that's extremely rare -we actually have a working brain theory. The more that is discovered, the more accurate it keeps proving to be! (To get yourself quickly up to date, read: “Intelligence: The Basics” in the Basics section of the library.)

Verification of all information is an issue for all neurohackers (in particular when we start our journey on this path of discovery) because the big contradictions, between recent great discoveries and what many people still believe is true about the brain, can be very confusing and slow our progression. Now, above all don't get me wrong here. We're certainly not saying that we are the only ones to have found the truth, and that everyone else is badly mistaken, far from it. Searchers are facing a huge territory, folks, that had previously been badly charted, and you can’t blame the navigators for getting lost if the map is wrong. The whole field is currently working on improving the accuracy of our “navigation charts”, and making mistakes... nobody is exempted from that! We also assure you that we are not in any way into censorship. We are the very opposite of sectarian people; we are integrators, super-adaptors, collators, synthesizers of science, art, spiritual vision, and wisdom.

Our members are people like you, and you'll benefit from their experience if you interact (politely) with them on the forum. However, one of the main goals for a growing intelligence is autonomy, and it's important you learn to evaluate the relevance and reliability of any information by yourself, including here.  We must all understand how to distinguish the truth from hype and discard inaccurate or obsolete info.

'Cause you know, first, we won't be behind you all the time when you'll be facing real life situations, or surfing on websites, or reading magazines, or watching some footage on television, and stumbling upon "new stunning data" about the mind, the brain or anything else related to these issues. And second, since we intend to provide the most truthful and correct information possible, we need your vigilance, and we want you to be ruthless with us in order to optimize the quality of our material, avoiding as much confusion as possible for everyone. So be polite, but if you think we have something wrong, send us the proof.

Set Your Own Pace, Follow Your Own Path

Now if you want to, you can progress here in small steady steps, looking at all the evidence for yourself so you understand the proof behind each thing as you go along, and that is one good way to improve yourself. Or you can take an intuitive leap and proceed as though our ‘map’ has got most things right because most people here experience noticeable changes for the better when they follow our tutorials (See: What is Neurohacking).

In any case, the fastest way to progress is to approach neurohacking with the attitude you would approach a really cool game. The most exciting, fun, inspirational, educational, mind-expanding, rewarding game you could possibly imagine. A game that is so cool the objective becomes to keep playing, because there is always something new to enjoy or wonder at and things never, ever get boring.

I know, I know... this might sound "too simple" to be true, right? Well, as a matter of fact, it isn't. I mean, it's true, but it's far from simple...

So, What's Next?

Well, this is your call, dude, as always. On the next page, you will find a collection of testimonies, commentaries, definitions and reports about neurohacking by our members, that hopefully will give you 'The Basics' about it.

Then, you'll find a page called 'The Details', where you'll find a map of the site and information about how to use it.

The 'Practice & Variations' page will guide you to determine what is the best way for you to approach the material on this site, in line with your own way of learning new things.

And if you're curious about it, the last page will give you more information on 'Creative Play', and show you how and why we consider it as our "Ultimate Objective".

Notes

*: lembas: Elvish bread, well known by striders and wanderers to keep you out of hungers claws while on a long journey; even the smallest bite of it can sustain you for a whole day.

Seeking a Definition for Neurohacking...?

Rather than giving you one strict definition, which is never the truth for everyone, we asked group members: “How would you explain what neurohacking is, and why do you do it?” The comments below are their replies:

“I see neurohacking simply as neuroscience-based self-improvement, and I do it to narrow the gap between the life I have and the life I want.” 

***

“Neurohacking teaches you how your brain works and how you can improve your mood and health. For me it was a way to repair some problems because I got rid of migraine and backaches by learning one of the first things, the relaxation response. Then I got into biofeedback because that way I didn’t need tablets for blood pressure because I can control it. I notice that my confidence has got better as well.”

***

“Neurohacking is about ways of keeping your mind healthy and your brain performing at its best. I do it for maintaining and improving my mental health and partly to avoid decline with age, the same reasons I go to the gym for health of my body.

Why have a fit healthy body and a weak confused mind?”

***

“Neurohacking helps you to understand yourself. When doing NH you can go beyond "I must have got out of bed on the wrong side" way of thinking and figure out which side exactly is better to get out of bed on.”

***

“The Matrix had me. Neurohacking was the Red pill.”

***

“Neurohacking is changing your mind by changing your brain chemistry and learning how to control these states and work with them. Sometimes we humans do this just for fun, but it is what shamans have been doing since ages past. I like experimenting with drugs and methods of changing perception. I’m also interested in intelligence augmentation or as I would call it the pursuit of Wisdom and enhancing our creativity and imagination, basically expanding all the frontiers of our minds, working with nature and our biology.”

***

"Neurohacking is… The act of evolving from a simple lab-rat to a pandimensional being."

"Self-Help gone right."

"Trying to keep the fragile balance required to be a sturdy human being."

***

“To me, neurohacking begins with the acknowledgement that you are your bodybrain. From there, it's just a system of practical advice designed to reground yourself in the physical and mental capabilities that you were born with. It's not 'hacking' in the sense of overclocking, but in the sense of 'lifting the hood, understanding what's going on, and making obvious and natural improvements'. It's open-source and voluntary.”

***

"The culmination of millenia old philosophy, psychology, physiology and more, in one little red pill. The fastest means to achieve the most valuable human resource: Freedom. Why do I do it? There is no way not to do it, I only get it (right)." (Marcos Rojas)

***

For me, neurohacking (the concept as it has evolved for me, as a part of this forum), is simply having some knowledge and techniques for improving the functioning of my body/mind/emotions,  to improve the overall quality of my life, including longevity, health/vitality, mental functioning, emotional balance, as well as interpersonal communication, cooperative ventures, including art, music, poetry/prose/ songwriting, etc., and even on-line discussion. 

For me, knowing things and learning things are not the ultimate achievements in my life, however they can help me to create a much better foundation and framework, (or matrix) for what I do value most. ( a synergy of physical emotional, mental and spiritual growth or evolution of consciousness, interaction/communication,  and expression.)”

***

“Neurohacking is the 'practical' to the 'theory' of neuroscience. Neuroscience gives you knowledge as facts about the brain and mind and intelligence. Neurohacking gives you knowledge as ability to use that information to improve yourself.”

***

“Neurohacking is another word for 'entelechy' for me –that means learning how to do the most beneficial things for the good of intelligence, and that has fulfilled me personally as well. I have always been interested in how intelligence works. The more I learn, the more interested I get. I now see NH as a path to imaginative creativity in all things, interactions and relationships. I am hoping to learn enough to start running workshops and courses in the future.”

***

“I would say that neurohacking is having a conscious awareness of the forces shaping your consciousness, and consciously altering those forces in order to improve the interaction between your consciousness and the outside world.  Neurohacking is inherently recursive, since the system doing the altering is also the system being altered, and I would say that any form of 'self-improvement' that has that feature probably qualifies as a neurohacking technique.”

***

“Neurohacking is just like computer hacking –you change the system to do something better, to perform better, or sometimes to stop someone doing something nasty to you. I’m interested in "Artificial Intelligence" and biotechnology stuff like mind/brain-computer interface and uploading, virtual reality. Intelligence is like the most important thing that humans (and machines) have access to, but most of them don’t really even have a clue what it is and what it can do.”

***

"Hacking is often associated with the quest for efficiency, expanding the concept to the ultimate machine, our own brains, seems to encompass much more than just brain efficiency, since the brain can assimilate the real world and expand its domain over it. True freedom of choice is impossible without knowing the full spectrum of your choices.

Expanding your mind is a requirement to fit that spectrum in, and start to glance its magnificence.

NGI = Natural General Intelligence.   (contrasting with the search for AGI)”

***

"Neurohacking is any act of intentionally altering/modifying your bodybrain state resulting in either temporary or long-term effects. The primary goal of NH is developing a bodybrain in full health with access to all it's functions in all networks, and in the process repairing any pre-existing damage and building the potential for experiencing an extraordinary life."

***

“There’s a formal definition of Neurohacking (NH) here:

Wiki Page

I like being able to learn the latest discoveries about intelligence and discuss it. My reasons are various: intellectually & scientific interest, improving my intelligence and to keep my mind sharp as I get older, personally because the “relief” at being free from anxiety and really feeling personal power in my life has made me a much happier person and my life much happier (and much better organized!) I can only describe the process as like ‘stepping out of a cloud’ and it’s a clear day.”

***

“Neurohacking for me is used for a spiritual path, but I know it can be used for many more purposes. The Dalai Lama’s talks got me interested in neuroscience. I use some biofeedback to aid my meditation progress and I plan my diet and things like Tai Chi exercises. I also do NH techniques to support emotional stability and clarity of perception. My goal is I seek wisdom, understanding, and unity.”

***

“Neurohacking is any ability distilled by knowledge that deliberately seeks to promote the growth of complexity in any intelligent system."

A Couple of Personal Accounts:

“To be completely honest, neurohacking is the story of my life; as long as I can remember I've been fighting those dragons: beings, institutions and ideas that wanted to implant in my head the seeds of their controlled universe. Yes, way back to the times when even the word "hacking" was not part of my vocabulary, I remember... I remember the terrible shock of their blades, I remember the dry sound of their shields blocking my sword, I remember the smell of my skin burning under the repeated assaults of their fire-breathing steeds, and I remember the loneliness. I remember how I could have felt so alone in this never ending struggle, desperately seeking to meet some other brave knights out there, ready to stand and fight at my side. It took me 34 long years to find the first one, his name was Sir Alexander Ramonsky...

So yeah, maybe you can now better understand what kind of relief it was for me to find a neuroscientist who actually confirmed the righteousness of my holy war. And it might explain why, at first, I was rather focused on the will to build something like the New Camelot, reforming the old Round Table, and living in that golden stronghold with young and strong and brave knights, patiently furbishing our weapons, preparing for the day of revenge... I was so hurt, so weary, I needed a place for retreat. Although the quest for a 100% hassle-free zone was like another unattainable Holy Grail unworthy of our - quite limited - time. Avalon is the resting place of the dead, it is not made for the living.

So these days are over now. Today, my own neurohacking practice have led me to the land where Voltaire spent his late years, or as Candide himself did put it: "we must cultivate our garden". And then I understood that even if I spent so many years wondering what was my true mission on this planet, still I've always fulfilled it by being true to myself, by being the living example that one can refuse all the bullshit they pretend to seriously care about. What has changed, though, is that today I know why by cultivating my own garden I'm doing precisely the only best thing I can do to utterly slain all the dragons...

That's what neurohacking has done in my case, that's what neurohacking does anyway, because it simply allows Intelligence to blossom naturally; and if Intelligence speaks many languages, it speaks only in one voice. Hence the delicious feeling of unity in which my mind is increasingly wandering these days.

So from now on, my focus will simply be on participating in this wide movement which - somehow - will consist in offering to the Spirit of Candide, of Voltaire and of the Enlightenment philosophers, but above all to any living dude who'll be smart enough to really care about it, what I would dare to call: a 'Science of Gardening'..." - Scalino Corleone di Napoli

***

“I work in Biological Psychology and I got into Neurohacking as part of a search for the truth about what intelligence really is and what’s happened to most people’s minds. I searched because I had to; I was driven, because for my life to have personal meaning it has to make sense to me, and the way my society was structured and the way that most people behaved did not make sense to me.

I searched because I knew there was something wrong, and that it was hidden from our eyes, like a computer virus running in the undercurrents of society, running in the unconscious minds of people going about their conscious business, living out their lives like duped slaves in a mindless soap-opera-in-the-matrix existence, oblivious to any real truth or any real satisfaction, and because I knew that whatever was wrong was going wrong in epidemic proportions.

I searched because I knew there was something more. Along the way I met others, potential explorers driven by their own needs, people baffled by their own experiences that did not make sense, thrown off balance by sentiments and anxieties that should not exist in healthy human intelligence (and to be truly human, or truly intelligent, I have now come to believe is the very thing humans may have to fight for). Chronic anxiety rules the world, creating the very problem that makes people unable to face it.

I went looking for the causes of humanity’s dysfunctional state and my own, and I found them, in the hard, undeniable evidence of human science. The truth is way too much to swallow, for the ‘many’. Trying to think intelligently with anxiety is like trying to swim in quicksand. You can get out if you stop struggling and let intelligence save you, but most people really do not want to be unplugged. Most people are too busy hiding from, rather than looking for, the answers.

But nevertheless, I’m here because it’s in biological psychology that I found my answers, and through neurohacking I managed to change my mind.

I am not Morpheus  If people want to be unplugged, seek to understand the truth about intelligence, and want to free their minds, I’m here to work with them, but if they want to 'stay in the matrix', they can stay by all means. Neurohacking is not for wimps. It's Red Pillsville, buckle your seatbelt, and Kansas is about to go bye bye. There are lots of potentials (‘the many’) but very few actuals (‘the few').

And now it’s a part of my life to work with the few, wherever I can. Mend the wires. Stop the virus. Make healthy intelligence 'software' and mental health information open source. Create a space for intelligent people to get on with real things. I make no predictions about what I’ll be doing next, because from my point of view it’s as simple as "whatever's necessary".

Why are we here? "Because there is still some good in the world, Mr Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for"."

***

Now… Perhaps you can empathize with some of the views above or perhaps you will discover your own definitions and reasons; whatever they are you are welcome aboard  

We hope you now have a clearer idea of what NH is about and what we are doing here.

Here are brief descriptions on every section of the site:

Homepage

From the homepage you can access all the different sections. Also there is an overview of latest and popular articles, as well as the tag cloud. In it, the size of each keyword represents an estimation of the number of times the word has been found in the articles' metadata tags (relatively to other ones).

Some material from the news section will be displayed in the homepage's content area, in particular tutorials releases.

Also, don't forget: each section has its own RSS feed; don't hesitate to subscribe to anyone of them, in order to get a dynamic bookmark in your browser that will be updated as soon as the section on the site is updated.

News & Latest Articles

Here we'll post either on (what we consider) huge breakthroughs in mainstream research (it'll probably be less often than you might think), or alerts about such or such mainstream event that requires particular awareness and discriminating judgment. We'll also communicate on important additions to the library, tutorials in particular. And maybe some other things, depending on necessity and the randomness of the flow of events.

For Newbies

YOU ARE HERE, DUDE!

The newbies’ section contains an overview of what we're doing and how, the site map you're looking at, members' descriptions and testimonies on neurohacking, and a short guide on how to approach our material in the way that best suits you.

The Community

This bit is about giving you a hint on the neurohackers' spirit and vision of what we could call an "ideal way of life in the best possible world".

FAQ

If you still ask yourself questions about neurohacking, have a look there, your question(s) might have already been answered. If not, don't hesitate to drop a little post in the forums (you need to register to do this).

Web Links

In this section you will find places that we recommend for diverse reasons, sometimes in totality, sometimes only in parts. Each link is presented along with a short review of the material. We're thinking of a ranking system... 

Search

If you know your keywords and you’ve come looking for something specific, the best place to start is with the search function. See the last page of 'newbies' - “Practice & Variations”- for a list of the most important things to learn about first.

By the way, we are outrageously proud to present you the "NHAR system". Articles in the library have a rating system that indicates you what material we consider as the most important to get acquainted with first. All articles are tagged with a “NHAR” number (NHA Rating). The most important articles are tagged with the keyword “NHAR1” (the second most important are tagged “NHAR2”, and so on). If you use these terms in search or in the tag cloud, you'll just get the most important articles. For the most recent articles or those from a particular period, use the date as a keyword. Look out, the search function accepts only 3 characters words at least.

Library

The core of our work. We have here the largest library of information about neurohacking available online. There is a section for each main area of study. Inside each section is an introductory document like this one, sometimes with a guide, and all the articles relating to that section. Be aware that some files are to be approached as "classified material".

What Are Classified Files?

We encourage personal censorship of your own input by yourself in your own best interests, as we believe that YOU should be responsible for what you choose to read.

Files are classified when it has been discovered from experience that they are not suitable input for all persons. This means you need to know whether they are suitable for you, so you should read their introductions and decide for yourself from the information given to you whether or not you want to read on.

A file is classified 'Sensitive' if it may not be suitable for people who do not yet have anxiety control and good emotional stability. Basically a sensitive file contains information that makes some people freak out. The most common bad reaction is panic, denial, hatred and anger.

A file is classified 'Confidential' if it contains material that should not be shared outside the site and we are trusting you to keep the information only between members within the group. Confidential files may contain inventions or ideas not intended for mainstream circulation or research materials that can be used privately for research, for example details of personal medical histories, counselling session notes, therapy discussions, research results, data not yet published or archived, results of psychology tests, functional analyses etc. It is illegal in many places to fileshare or publish personal medical information without permission outside the research group/s it is intended for and NHA accepts no responsibility for any results of you doing this.

A file is classified 'Top Secret' if it contains information that is for responsible advanced students' use only, for example working with dangerous chemicals, wireheading, untried or in-trial hacking techniques or drugs. While students may view some of these files for learning purposes you are advised NOT to try anything out unless you have sufficient knowledge and experience to know what you are doing. This is your mind you are messing with, unacceptable risks are not worth taking and NHA accepts no responsibility for any results of you taking them.

Tutorials

The tutorials are situated in a sub-section of the library where you'll find the Intal program for Intelligence Augmentation in itself, along with an introductive document to this program.

Forum

Interaction is essential for developing intelligence. The forum is a matrix for interaction. It’s a safe space (flamer, spam and troll-free) where there is plenty of energy and input. Guests may read  but are not allowed to post at The Bay forum, so you don't need to be a member in order to interact with us. However, as a guest you won't have access to all the forum's features like posting new topics or polls, private messaging and to other more specific forums (or just in read-only mode).

The main location for those of us who want to work out specific neurohacking issues like anxiety control, emotional balance, meditation techniques, bio and neuro feedback, mind machines and so on, is called: The Lab. It is a working place, so guests may access our discussions but they won't be able to post.

Other forums exist for long-term residents, Homeworld members and for the station's crew, although their access is restricted to trusted members (and therefore requires you to be logged in).

NHA forum rules are very simple: No Coercion, and Keep the Core Conditions.

Core Conditions are: empathy, genuineness (honesty) and unconditional respect.  Carl Rogers' Core Conditions are mainstream science, all over the web, and a major feature on the NHA site. It isn't difficult to keep them, even if you don't yet understand them or why they are used. You can start to learn more about them in the Basics section of the library.

Everything we do on NHA has a practical scientific dimension, and the forums have an extra function as an ongoing experiment into communication & behavior under core conditions. Having viewed the theory and evidence that interacting using "core conditions" produces improvements in behavior, abilities and intelligence, we would like to see for ourselves how well it works in practice, in real life. This also gives students the opportunity to chart our own progress over time in correlation with data from discourse analysis, interactional analysis and various other tools.

Workshop

In the workshop we will publish more personal productions from our members. We intend to encourage everyone to be creative and channel their creativity towards the different issues we're dealing with.

Galleries

In this section, you'll find graphical approaches of our material. One is dedicated to the scientific approach, that is to say graphs, models, diagrams and so on. Another is dedicated to the artistic approach and will receive the graphic production of the workshop.

Homeworld

This is a menu dedicated to the Homeworld network, which consists mainly in bringing offline - on the very Earth - the way of life, the values, the culture, the methods and behaviors we're outlining here online. We have chosen to implement this network through the creation of Embassies distributed around the world.

If neurohacking is "not for wimps", then Homeworld is "not for wimps²", and we require from the members an actual commitment to the practical realisation of Homeworld objectives, that's why we don't automatically register new neurohackers members to the Homeworld network. It must be a well-thought-through personal decision, and you don't have to do that to get interaction and friendship, if you don't really want to. This menu allows Homeworld members to access the Homeworld introductive material which will give all the information needed to make ... well, an informed choice. 

User Menu

This is a menu that appears once you're logged in. From it you can access your profile information, upload a picture for your avatar, and so on.

A Few Tips on How to Use the Site's Features

Our site is powered by the Joomla CMS (Content Management System), so if you happened to have already navigated on such websites, you will find it quite familiar to wander through the material. However, most sections aren't displayed in the classic "blog layout" of most websites made with Joomla. So this bit will be useful for everybody.

On this site, what we call "our material" is presented in articles, sorted by sections and categories inside each section. For example, you got the 'Neurohacking' section inside which you got the following categories: Basics, Nutrition, Disorders & Problems, Spirituality, Tutorials, and so on. When you click on a category's name, articles are displayed as a list on the category's page, and from there you may access articles through which you may navigate. BUT! Little subtlety here... articles may have several pages, and you may also navigate between the pages of a same article. So, the most important thing to remember when you're reading an article with several pages, in order to avoid confusion, is this:

• To navigate between the pages of a same article: 
• To navigate between the articles of a category:

Concerning the question of how articles are sorted inside a category,  well... in fact you decide. The default sorting (in most categories) is "the most recent first" but if you click on columns' titles on the category's page's list, you will sort the articles along that column (once ascendingly, once descendingly). For example, click on 'Article Title' to sort the articles alphabetically.

So, where you go from here is up to you. This page is to direct those who wish to explore neurohacking as a means to improving intelligence and enhancing their abilities, to improve mood, confidence, learning, imagination, memory, social ability, intellect, creativity, relationships or quality of life, to treat problems such as depression, shyness or ADHD, or as a spiritual journey or a general path to learning, self-improvement, strong intelligence, and good mental health.

Whether you want to do any of this, or lots of it, you will need to know some of the same basics to start. There have been enormous recent discoveries in neuroscience, and even if you have studied it before you may well be out of date.

• First we recommend that you join the Forum. This is your first port of call for up-to-date discussion, questions and exchange of facts, experiences and ideas. Newbies’ opinions are particularly valuable because they help us to improve the site. Remember to check out Core Conditions (see Basics section) before interacting on the forum, as posts breaking CC's will be edited.
• If you want to learn neurohacking well and safely and practise while you learn, use the Tutorials. They will give you all the basics and show you how to design a personal plan from choices of techniques that suit you, and how to assess your own progress. There are exercises and hacks to try that you can start right away.
• If you have no knowledge of brain science at all, and/or you want a brief history and a good updating in what has been discovered about the brain and mind, read: A Brief History on Studying the Brain & Mind in the library's Basics section. This section is the best place for learning all the basics on most of the important stuff. In ‘Basics’ articles you will often be told which tutorials they relate to, to guide your progress.
• If all this sounds really interesting but you have a lot of difficulty with reading science or non-fiction in general, read the comedy series Beyond The Porcelain Throne in the workshop section, which will give you a good laugh and a good introduction to many of the ideas used in Neurohacking, just by reading a novel!
• If you prefer to dip into things at random but want to be up to date fast, here are the keywords for the most important things to learn about first: anxiety, input control, stress/relaxation, interaction, core conditions, factors of intelligence, golden rules, emotion & sentiment, learning cycle & COMP. You will find the tutorials a great help for these also.
• If you are rather keen of spirituality, and/or if you wonder where the heck did go the spirit of rock'n'roll, then we recommend you to listen to COMP~Position (Le Scal's debut album, 100% "home blend") that you will find in the workshop section.
• The library is a good general source of info. Click here to get to the categories list.
• If you are still unsure where to start or to find what you need, post something on the forum. The more clearly we know what you want to know, the more easily and quickly we can help you find it.

Now, if you begin to see more clearly the path under your feet, then: "Ladies and gentlemen and highly regarded dudes, the passengers for 'Destination Anywhere' should:

• If you're practical, please proceed to Gate 1:

• If you’re explorative, please proceed to Gate 2:

 

• If you're pictorial, please proceed to Gate 3: 

 

• If you're a story lover, please proceed to Gate 4: 

• If you’re intellectual, please proceed to Gate 5:

 

• If you're spiritual, please proceed to Gate 6: 

And make sure to ENJOY your flight!" 

Now, if 'Destination Anywhere' seems to you a bit too vague and if you prefer to know more about your destination before embarking on any journey, take a look at the next page on 'Creative Play'. Cause if Intelligence Augmentation is our primary objective, it is to be seen as a 'resulting objective'; creative play is about 'how we can get there' in the most efficient way, it is the 'practical objective' that will trigger the results.

Creative Play

Play is a state in which your optimal development takes place naturally, but before being able to have fun and to play within an environment actually allowing it in real life, we have to get to know the game and ourselves as players, and how to perform the maneuvers to get us through each level. And sometimes it seems like there is tremendous loads of practice ahead of us, before entering the real game.

It is not a game for wimps. Some have described neurohacking as ‘The Hero’s Journey’. You will need to develop your own skills of attention, curiosity, awareness, flexibility, open-mindedness, interaction, humor and willingness to “boldly go”. Play is a "state" of body and mind free from the boundaries, limitations and categories imposed by harmful conditioning. Our innate curiosity, flexibility, humor, trust, feeling of place and belonging keep us free and keep growing our intelligence, and people don’t find that out until they are brave enough to try it.

As a matter of fact, most people who genuinely engage on the path to discover what really lies beneath their skull very often reach a point where they come to realize the kind of "tremendous loads" I'm referring to, in a very practical and very personal "inner-viewing" way. How we see this depends on our perspective. For some people, the game landscape they see may take the "inner shape" of a huge mountain to be climbed that suddenly appears to their "mind's eye", for others it might be a bit freakier like an abyss crossing their path or some terrible monster to fight. Whatever shape it may take, it's - quite often - sufficiently “unknown” (eg frightening or confusing) to stop people from going any further.

So, knowing right from the start that you are very likely to reach such a point if you intend to genuinely dig all the information stored in this place, maybe - and I mean maybe - you will be more prepared to face it with the proper perspective. And if your outlook includes ‘the big picture’, you’ll see that we have to go all the way in order for our societies (groups of people in competition and dysfunctional decline) – to become cultures (groups of people in cooperation and healthy growth). Only real life interaction will create such an environment, that allows having fun and playing to be our major tools for learning new abilities and growing together as well as individuals.

We know it sounds far-fetched to claim such a thing today, with our societies as they are, but still we do. And we tend to think that those inner pictures of mountains to be climbed, abysses to leap over, monsters to override, and so on, are simply mental images built by our brains to represent the colossal quantity of individual and collective work we now know IS to be done if we want the human species to remain intelligent (and indeed, alive) in the long term... Those are messages from the unconscious layers of our mind to tell us: "Yeah, dude! That's the challenge we have to overcome in order to become who we really are".

And... the truth IS out there, but if we don't know what to look for, the truth can be invisible; sense drowned under nonsense. We have been misinformed for so long and so frequently, not only by an anxiety-based society, but as anxiety-based individuals, to believe that fight/flight, survival of the fittest and competition is the only way to be. The challenge here is for us to explore a different way of being (the healthy way) and share truths which most people think don't exist.

Just to give you a hint of the spirit (because we'll get back to this more thouroughly later on), here are the rules of the game:

• Anyone can play.
• The object of the game is to keep playing. We are seeking the development and ongoing experience of optimal intelligence. This is the easy part; the difficult part is that in order to find it, we must not be afraid of the truth.
• We play to cooperate, not to compete, and in doing so create authentic play spaces of safety and love, where everyone is included.
• We are all newbies, allowing ourselves to touch and be touched by the wonder and mystery of reality.
• Playing well is an ability requiring both knowledge and practice.
• Play is not a thing to be contrived, but a thing to be loved.
• Play is the fulfillment of our optimal potential; the creation of what we are meant to be; the path of entelechy.
• In real play everybody wins.
• Play enables the union of biology’s intent (unconscious intelligence) through interaction, with conscious intelligence, in situations clearly perceived and competently performed.
• We play determinedly; interacting wholeheartedly in a situation, refusing numbness and anxiety in favor of love, honesty and trust, hacking the fears, judgments and boundaries in which we live our everyday lives. This is the path of mastery.
• This game is not a fairy tale and it's not idealistic, rather, it is absolutely essential and absolutely real.

You most probably wonder how we intend to use this to change anything in that "fucked up situation in which we're living", right? But you know... first that situation is not so fucked up as we usually tend to think - it's above all a question of point of view, and second, our environment is only the outcome of each and every one's interactions with each other, and (as you will learn in this place) it feeds back to us and makes us "more like what we are surrounded by". That's the principle you can consider as the "engine" of the change we aim for.

There is no clear decision center in the social environment - now that it has become "global", but there IS one in each and every one of us. That's why WE have to take responsibility for our own futures (not waiting for governments or institutions on that one) and make the decision on our own individual basis. Once we firmly decide to progress and improve ourselves and our surroundings, we just have to take the first step for the game to start and keep on, cause it will come halfway to meet us.

So, well... Here we are, one step short of "ultimate grooviness". We believe we are living through one of the greatest periods of human history, we're looking forward to seeing how the potential of intelligence will continue to unfold, and we hope to give you all the vital tools you'll need to navigate this age of discovery with confidence, competence, humor and lightheartedness.

Okay, my dear companions, that's it. Now... we have a better reality to create together. Let's do it! And don't even think about trying...