Hack Your Brain

by Pavel Aubuchon-Mendoza

In the 1995 film Johnny Mnemonic, we see Keanu Reeves dive into a simulated representation of his brain and remove malware that had been slowly killing him.  What a gift to have direct access to your brain with the ability to make changes for the good.  Well, it turns out you can - no cybernetic dolphin required.

Your thoughts and emotions are not an abstract construct that emerges from your brain.  Every thought has direct physical representation in your brain in the form of electrical and chemical interactions.  If we had the technology, we could watch the electrical interplay of neurons that represent the words you are reading right now.  Your thoughts literally are the physical interactions of your brain, and by changing our thoughts we can change the physical structure of our brain via the miracle of neuroplasticity.

In this article, we will draw an analogy between your brain and a computer system, and then absolutely beat that analogy to death.  Please keep in mind that I am not a mental health professional (more of a hobbyist) and nothing I say should be considered medical advice.  Talk to your doctor.

End Bad Processes

Over time, your brain inevitably has some bad inputs.  You've got some recursive processes that just keep cycling back around and eating up resources.  This can leave little remaining for the productive programs that you want to use.  You can end the bad processes and assign a higher priority to the ones you want to enjoy.  Learn to identify the negative thoughts before they spiral out of control, and stop them in their tracks.  Know the things you want to enjoy, and revel in them.  Let the enjoyment of small everyday things sink in.  Your baseline emotional state can be generally positive, but sometimes it requires work.  Reference Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry (Pittman/Karle) and Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence (Hanson) for specific instructions on how to do this.

Defragment Your Hard Drive

Okay kids, listen up.  Back in the day, we had to defragment our hard drives to keep them running efficiently.  Computers, much like our brains, don't always do a good job of storing information in real time.  Events (particularly trauma) need time to get processed and filed away correctly.  You know how sometimes you go to bed and you start thinking about everything you did that day?  That's your brain starting this work.

However, most of this happens while you sleep.  If you're not getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, your brain is not getting enough time to put everything away where it needs to go.  The effects of not doing this are cumulative.  Prioritize your sleep.  If meditation is your thing, that achieves some of the same goals, but cannot replace sleep.

Invest in a Good Anti-Virus

Malware inevitably ends up on an unprotected system.  It is simply the result of existing in the world.  Sometimes they are insidious and indistinguishable from normal processes.  In the worst case, they can give outside actors access to your core system.  Fixing this is not something you can do on your own.  Therapy is the anti-virus for the brain.  These are trained professionals who can identify and root out the malware that is disturbing your system.  Therapy does not mean you are not strong and capable.  Asking for help is an act of courage and should be commended.  Check out the "Find a Therapist" option on psychologytoday.com to get started.  It can be overwhelming to begin this process if you are already suffering, so enlist a friend to help if needed.

Install More Memory

Many people, myself included, take Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) or similar medications that increase the amount of the "happy" chemicals circulating in your brain.  These are often the first line drugs used by physicians to treat depression and anxiety.  In my experience, these give you extra resources to deal with the challenges life brings.  They may not necessarily fix the problem, but they do make the machine run better - which is sometimes all that you need to start the repair work.  If you do not have a primary care doctor, these services are available online.  Cerebral is a popular choice.

Reboot In Safe Mode

This is an advanced topic, and should only be undertaken with medical supervision.  You can obtain direct access to your core OS by use of psychedelics.  There is so much exciting research coming out about the use of psychedelics to treat and, in some cases, completely cure treatment-resistant anxiety, depression, PTSD, and others.  As of this writing, psilocybin is a Schedule 1 drug in the U.S. - the same category as heroin.

However, starting in 2023 therapeutic psilocybin will be legal in the state of Oregon.  The cost and availability to the average consumer remains to be seen.  Ketamine is another popular agent, and can be obtained for mental health purposes with a doctor's prescription in some states.  Mindbloom and Peak are popular online options.  Savvy readers are probably thinking that they could obtain these substances on their own.  I can guarantee that catching a felony drug charge will not be beneficial to your well being.  These are potent substances and should not be taken without supervision.

Conclusion

This is truly the tip of the iceberg.  There are many other options and strategies, and I encourage you to seek out professional help if you need it.  We need every single hacker, weirdo, and deviant we can get right now to help make this world a better place.

Take care, and be excellent to each other.