'Feel-good' wearables promote dopamine, endorphins

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As I sit here writing these words, I’m calm. Focused. Almost serene.

It’s a stark contrast from my usual pacing, stressing, nail-biting process. This is anything but business as usual.

So what’s different? I’ve been trying out a trio of feel-good wearables: electronic devices designed to stimulate brain activity and promote the production of neurotransmitters — dopamine, serotonin oxytocin and endorphins — to elicit feelings of accomplishment, serenity and focus. And if what I experienced is any indication, at least two of the alternatives do help. A lot.

The three devices employ dramatically different technologies in the pursuit of happiness. But they have this in common: they are all part of a new breed of wearables designed to help us be happier and perform better. Oh yeah, and none of them track activity or monitor heart rate.

I encountered the three devices in the vast halls of CES in Las Vegas earlier this month. And one way or another, I got to spend time with each in the comfort of my own home.

The first one I tried is a meditation aid called Muse ($299, choosemuse.com). Muse is a horseshoe-shaped, head-worn device with a companion smartphone app. The device stretches snugly across your forehead and hooks in behind your ears to monitor brain activity. The app, meanwhile, takes you through a meditation session accompanied by calming nature sounds, like the ocean lapping the shore. And when the device senses too much brain activity, the gusting winds gently alert you to refocus.

The calmer the session, the more points you earn. The app also rewards you for regular meditation sessions. At first, it struck me as ironic that Muse has blended elements of competition and achievement with such an introspective activity like meditation. But it makes perfect sense: what better way to pull Type A personalities into the decidedly Type B world of meditation than by keeping score. (I rocked my last session, by the way! Woohoo!)

Whatever the rationale, I can’t argue with the result. After I tried it at CES, I ordered one for myself. It’s worked. I’m calmer — somewhat calmer. But most important, I’m motivated to make time for my next session. So I’m building on previous sessions. And scoring more points than you’ll ever hope to get. Ha!

The next device I tried is called Nervana, from a Boca Raton, Fla., start-up with the same name. I tried it on the CES show floor, and the resulting calm and focus that washed over me was profound. The feeling was intensely serene. I realize that sounds as odd as competitive meditation. But that’s how it felt.

The card-deck-sized device sits between your smartphone and Nervana-supplied earbuds. The music from your phone streams through the device. The left earbud also delivers pulses that tap a nerve connected to your brain’s pleasure center. The nerve, in turn, stimulates production of feel-good neurotransmitters.

It’s called the vagus nerve — ironic, given CES as the backdrop — and it winds through the body, impacting many different systems before stretching back up into the brain’s pleasure center. The nerve’s ability to positively, and safely, impact mental health has been well documented. For nearly 20 years, physicians have been implanting pacemaker-like devices in the chest that stimulate the vagus nerve to help curb epileptic seizures. More recently, the implantable devices have been used to treat severe depression in cases where traditional alternatives have failed.

Using a specially designed pulse paired with the music, Nervana is able to make the desired impact on the vagus nerve without the need for surgery. The mood enhancement was much more dramatic than from Muse. But it didn’t last nearly as long.

It feels a little like cheating, but the best thing about Nervana is that you don’t need to carve out quiet time to benefit. I was surprised to find Back in Black from AC/DC and Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion on the playlist. I soon found it didn’t matter what music I played, or what I was doing. It worked just as well.

Nervana (http://experiencenervana.com) will go on sale soon, with delivery promised by summer. It will set you back $299.

The third device is called Go Flow from foc.us. The company was one of the early providers of a controversial technology called transcranial direct-current stimulation, or tDCS. Foc.us has been, uh, focusing on the gaming market, promising yet another way for hard-core gamers to get an edge on their shoot-‘em-up competitors.

At the last minute, Foc.us decided to show up to CES because the first shipment of Go Flow devices arrived from the manufacturer. So they occupied a mostly bare booth, with little more than a Go Flow poster and briefcases full of devices.

Foc.us gave me an unpackaged device. So far, all Go Flow has done is given me a headache and slight burn marks on my forehead.

But I may not be placing the pads correctly. Go Flow didn’t give me any directions. And they didn’t respond to emails. So I had to figure it out by watching YouTube videos.

You can buy a Go Flow (foc.us) for just $9.99 — $29.99 with a 9V battery, cables and pads. And maybe even instructions.

Clearly, the Go Flow device wasn’t my favorite. But I’m hard-pressed to choose between Muse and Nervana. I feel like Muse is designed more in the image of the ideal. But the impact of Nervana on focus and serenity is hard to ignore.

I’m going to sleep on it. But first I’ll log some quality meditation minutes. And rack up some more points. Catch me if you can!

Follow USA TODAY technology columnist Mike Feibus @mikefeibus