Tier 1
This was the original sci-fi idea, also known as grinding. The question was “How can I augment what I am?” and included things like RFID chip implants under the skin to open doors, cosmetic modifications and enhancements (implants, piercings and tattoos), and even DIY gene editing which has a very high risk:reward ratio. Despite some of it being very interesting from a science point of view, none of these things are particularly transformative in a wellbeing sense and some present significant risks to our health.
More useful things like shoes are also tier 1 biohacking because they enable us to walk over otherwise uncomfortable ground, but they have also changed the shape of human feet, preventing toes from spreading out which, in turn, has caused us all posture and mobility problems. There are now a number of barefoot shoe products which are great when we are in nature but present issues when transitioning to hard paved surfaces. In a way we need shoes now to simulate the cushioning effect of the natural ground that our bodies evolved to deal with so they are a necessary adaptation for the environment that humans have created.
Man I wish I never wore shoes, during my time in Asia I was barefoot for most of the time and it did not take long for the skin on the soles to toughen up and the toes start to spread out to the point where I could run on gravel and not be bothered about it. Sadly that doesn’t work in the UK with such bad weather and unnatural surfaces, not to mention the pain of driving my car barefoot… I will not talk any more about (1) because it doesn’t lead anywhere that interests me or, more importantly, help you. I’m far more interested in the transformative power of (2) working with healthy habits and (3) the mind itself.
Tier 2
This is where things get interesting and is a very good starting point for 99% of people. The question is “How can I optimise what I am?” and deals with the optimisation of our habits and lifestyles to improve long term health outcomes, eliminate mental health issues and extend life. Elsewhere I talk about the six pillars, and this deals with the first five of those. Tier 2 is about making conscious deliberate choices about what you expose yourself to for ALL of your activities; how you sleep, how you breathe, what you consume, how you move and how often, what you do to relax – you know, the life choices that make up your lifestyle. Lifestyles can either be net positive or net negative in terms of measuring their effect on our wellbeing. Here are just some of the many activities that come under the banner of level 2 biohacking:
- Sleep hygeine
- Breathwork
- Nutritious diet
- Saunas & Cold exposure
- Cardiovascular exercise
- Strength training
- Yoga/stretching
- Mobility training
- Avoiding toxicity
Tier 2 is about the deliberate influence and management of our physiology (the processes and systems in the body). The main ones are the endocrine system which dictates our wellbeing through the management of cortisol and the effect it has on the autonomic nervous system and the brain, and the digestive system which obviously deals with turning food into energy and waste. When done badly this can kills us and when optimised we can really fly. Biohacking differs from “trying be healthy” as it goes a bit further than just “looking after yourself”; it generally involves the use of data and rigorous science to choose best practice for any particular activity and for the best results that gets written into a routine which is closely followed and developed over time. It involves basing your choices on evidence not just “i think x,y and z are good for me”. There is so much junk knowledge in society that is generally accepted as being OK, despite being absolute nonsense. Things like “A few drinks don’t hurt” are generally accepted truths. However they do. One drink destroys your HRV, dehydrates you and gives your liver an extra job to do. You also feel crap the next day. What people mean is that relaxing and having fun is good for you, but there are dozens of better ways to achieve that than drinking alcohol. Most “conventional wisdom” is just ignorance wrapped up in pseudo science and mindless adoption of cultural norms. Biohacking is a new mindset and a new culture.
There are millions of medical research studies which can be used to determine the best foods to eat or avoid, and protocols to use for any number of lifestyle choices. This is important because you want your efforts to give the best results. You can over eat, over train and over complicate anything as much as you can do too little of it. There is always a sweet spot of best practice , or to put it another way, if something is worth doing then it is worth doing properly. For example, we know exactly how much exercise is optimal to achieve certain outcomes so I do that and not any more. Why waste, time and energy if I have committed to the idea of optimal? It doesn’t make sense. This is why we use personal algorithms.
Upon consistently following such a coherent, well designed lifestyle plan for a little while we see ourselves change for the better and as we gradually increase the scope of our healthy activities we have more room in our lives for the things that we value. Routines which at first seem painful become things we look forward to, and an attempt to solve our problems effortlessly becomes a way of life.
Tier 3
This is my passion, as my tier 2 activities and habits are pretty well dialled in now and only really change with the arrival of new science. The question is “How can I develop what I am?”. You could spend 10 years optimising your sleep, diet and nervous system so that you felt pretty good all the time and look a picture of optimal health, yet not get a glimpse of personal growth or develop your horizons and the way you relate to life itself. Actually this is where it all started for me back in 2011, and is where I would urge you all to eventually set your sights.
For me the cutting edge of this is the intersection between biology, psychology, spirituality, and the hidden depths of the subconscious itself – it is an information based tier which is more aligned with the true nature of the universe and what we are as beings. Here is where my work at AONOS Lab and the group sessions with Beyond the River come into relevance. This information frontier where we dive into the subconscious using ancient and modern techniques that increase neuroplasticity and allow for change to happen from within.
By increasing coherence in our minds and bodies we create space for personal growth and development. All of my transformation work was preceded with the breath – using it to shift the dominant balance of my physiology, increasing autonomic flexibility to put me more in the driving seat of my own life and less prone to reactivity. The activation of my brain in a new way allowed me to approach problems head on and see more clearly into the solutions required to move my life forward. You could say that i started with Tier 3, long before Dave Asprey was talking about red light and modafinil.