There’s really no better feeling than being able to plug in your headphones and shut out the world. Headphones make long commutes less lonely, they provide relief from uninspiring conversation and probably make going to the gym suck a little less. It’s safe to say that headphones have acquired ‘Prized Possession’ status and they’re a very, very important part of life.
So, music lovers, pay attention – a Florida-based tech startup, Nervana, has just upped the headphone game. At the recently held Las Vegas Consumers Electronics Show, the company unveiled the Nervana headphones that promise to get you high off of the music – both legally and literally.
While that seems like a tall order, the science behind these mood-enhancing headphones is actually pretty simple. The headphones are paired with a device called the generator which receives audio from your music device, generates electrical pulses that match the beat of the music, and sends the music and pulses to the headphones. These pulses then trigger the vagus nerve, via the inner ear canal, thereby prompting the release of feel-good hormones like dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin.
Dopamine is usually released in response to sex, exercise or smoking weed and leaves you with happy thoughts and good vibes!Â
Another cool feature of these headphones is the generator’s Ambient Mode. The generator has the power to analyze the sounds of your immediate environment and match the nerve simulation to it for a modified experience each time. This means that you could plug these in at a music concert and actually get high to the music, which basically changes everything.
The nerve-stimulating headphones have been positioned as a lifestyle and wellness device, like the FitBit, and don’t need FDA approval. The only real roadblock on your path to Nervana is its price as the headphones will set you back by a cool $299. However, if that seems like a price you’d like to pay, the headphones will be up for pre-order in March and will be shipped starting late spring.
The company doesn’t want you to Nervana and drive at the same time, though. Nervana CEO Ami Brannon clarified that while there is no impairment to brain function, the official advice is to avoid driving for 30 minutes after use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpFbPHwFL1s
Here’s what a happy tester had to say about the headphones at the CES:
“I felt the electricity go into my arm, and everything was tingling there, but the best moment for me was afterwards when I finished and stood up. I felt like I reached a personal high point. I couldn’t stop smiling or laughing. I was like, ‘Oh wow.’ For about five minutes, my happiness level was a 10 out of 10. Then it got foggier, but I was still unusually happy for about an hour.
