The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey

This episode dives into the brutal, mind-altering experience of spending 60 days alone in Antarctica, and how extreme suffering became a catalyst for spiritual awakening, peak performance, and deep inner peace.  Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:  https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR [https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR]   Host Dave Asprey sits down with elite adventurer, Marine Corps veteran, and Fearvana founder Akshay Nanavati, who dragged a 420lb sled solo across Antarctica in a brutal test of endurance, fasting, and spiritual transformation. Akshay shares how he used suffering as a tool to transmute PTSD, expand consciousness, and awaken what he calls the “paradox of oneness”—where discomfort unlocks the deepest joy.  Together, they explore how cold therapy, isolation, and extreme hardship reshape dopamine, mitochondria, neurochemistry, and the stories we tell ourselves. Akshay’s journey through darkness retreats, trauma healing, and polar expeditions opens a raw and unfiltered look at self-quantification, mental resilience, and human performance at the edge.  This episode will challenge your assumptions about comfort, suffering, and what it means to live fully awake. Whether you’re optimizing for longevity, exploring consciousness, or breaking free from invisible scripts, this conversation blends science, spirituality, and hardcore biohacking with moments of unexpected humor and wisdom.  You’ll Learn:  • How intentional pain resets your dopamine response and boosts performance  • Why Akshay chose fasting and cold exposure over nootropics and psychedelics  • How darkness retreats and solitude sharpen consciousness and intuition  • The neuroscience behind pain, trauma, and transformation  • Why true freedom lies in facing discomfort—not avoiding it  • How to find God in suffering and create meaning from chaos  Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.  Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.  SPONSORS:  - Zbiotics | Go to https://zbiotics.com/DAVE [https://zbiotics.com/DAVE] for 15% off your first order.  - IGNITON | Go to https://www.igniton.com/ [https://www.igniton.com/]  Resources:   • Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/ [https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/]  • Akshay’s Website –  https://fearvana.com/ [https://fearvana.com/]  • Akshay’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearvana/ [https://www.instagram.com/fearvana/]  • 2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025 [https://biohackingconference.com/2025]  • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com [https://dangercoffee.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com [https://daveasprey.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey [https://linktr.ee/daveasprey]  • Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com [https://www.ourupgradecollective.com/]  • Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com [https://ownanupgradelabs.com/]  • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com [https://upgradelabs.com/]  • 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com [https://40yearsofzen.com/]  Timestamps:  • 00:00 – Trailer  • 00:58 – Intro  • 01:55 – Meeting His Wife Through Intuition  • 06:28 – Pain, Dopamine & Neurohacking  • 15:19 – The Paradox of Oneness  • 21:20 – Darkness Retreats & Mysticism  • 34:39 – Constructing Reality  • 38:32 – Consciousness & Perception  • 39:18 – Polar Travel: Mental & Physical Strain  • 40:22 – Calculated Risk vs. Suffering  • 43:40 – Trauma as Fuel  • 56:26 – Solitude & Self-Reflection  • 01:05:45 – Embracing Fear & Building Courage  • 01:09:29 – Death, Meaning & Bliss  • 01:12:53 – Final Reflections on Purpose  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

This episode reveals how one simple breath pattern can rewire your nervous system, regulate stress in seconds, and become your most powerful tool for human performance and longevity.  Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:  https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR [https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR]  Host Dave Asprey sits down with Aaron Alexander, a world-renowned human performance coach, manual therapist, and creator of The Align Method. Aaron has worked with elite athletes, high-level entrepreneurs, and celebrity performers to transform the way they move, breathe, and live in their bodies. He merges structural alignment, functional medicine, emotional awareness, and deep nervous system science to help people get unstuck, physically and emotionally.  Together, they explore the science and strategy behind breathwork, vagal tone, posture, and fascia, revealing how the body stores trauma, how breath shifts brain states, and how physical misalignment can sabotage mental clarity, energy, and even mitochondrial function. They also dive into why mouth taping, tongue posture, nitric oxide, and movement patterns are foundational to sleep optimization, cold therapy adaptation, and long-term vitality.  You’ll learn how to regulate your state in 10 seconds or less, how to shift from sympathetic overdrive to parasympathetic calm, and how to use tools like humming, OMing, and deep exhales to control your biology in real time. This is a tactical, science-rich, emotionally grounded guide to neurohacking from the inside out.  If you care about biohacking, functional medicine, sleep optimization, or want to feel stronger, calmer, and more in control—this episode is essential.  You’ll also hear how Aaron:  • Uses breath patterns to hack the nervous system and improve strength, mood, and cognition  • Teaches mouth taping and facial alignment for deeper sleep and recovery  • Connects trauma, honesty, and physical tension through a somatic lens  • Guides clients through cold therapy, touch, and movement to recalibrate resilience  • Applies fascia science and polyvagal theory to elite performance and everyday health  This is essential listening for anyone exploring Smarter Not Harder protocols, high-level biohacking, and the connection between movement, mitochondria, and mind control.  Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.   Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, where Dave asks the questions no one else dares and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.  SPONSORS:  - Sunlighten | Go to https://www.sunlighten.com/dave/ [https://www.sunlighten.com/dave/] and enter code DAVE at checkout to save up to $1,400.  Resources:   • Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/ [https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/]  • Aaron’s Website –  www.alignpodcast.com [https://www.alignpodcast.com/]  • Aaron's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronalexander/ [https://www.instagram.com/aaronalexander/]  • 2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025 [https://biohackingconference.com/2025]  • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com [https://dangercoffee.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com [https://daveasprey.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey [https://linktr.ee/daveasprey]  • Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com [https://www.ourupgradecollective.com/]  • Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com [https://ownanupgradelabs.com/]  • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com [https://upgradelabs.com/]  • 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com [https://40yearsofzen.com/]  Timestamps:  • 00:00 Trailer  • 01:39 Intro: Walking, lifestyle design, and longevity  • 05:38 Breathwork to shift state and boost energy  • 21:16 Honesty, alignment, and nervous system health  • 29:35 Safety, regulation, and somatic awareness  • 30:43 Touch as therapy and connection  • 31:53 Pheromones and subconscious signaling  • 35:00 Breath as a tool for emotional control  • 39:33 Growth through relationships and repair  • 43:03 Nature’s role in healing and performance  • 47:25 Tongue posture, eye movement, and fascia  • 56:32 Final thoughts on presence and physical truth  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

This episode reveals the ancient health protocols Western medicine forgot, and how they are now being used to heal stress, rewire the nervous system, and radically improve human performance.  Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:  https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR [https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR]  Host Dave Asprey sits down with Mona Sharma, a renowned Ayurvedic practitioner, celebrity wellness expert, and functional medicine advocate who grew up in a Canadian ashram. Mona combines ancient Vedic practices with cutting-edge science to help her clients, including Will Smith and other high-profile figures, achieve high performance, emotional resilience, and deep-rooted healing. She translates the 5,000-year-old system of Ayurveda into practical strategies anyone can use to optimize health in today’s chaotic world.  Together, they explore how Ayurvedic biohacking techniques like breathwork, circadian alignment, detoxification, and herbal medicine are now being validated by data in neuroscience, mitochondrial biology, and functional medicine. They also dive into trauma, stress rewiring, nervous system resilience, and how to build your own modern “ashram” for healing and longevity.  You’ll learn how to shift from hypervigilance into calm, how to optimize vagal tone, and how ancient practices like tongue scraping and ghee detox intersect with modern tools like cold therapy, nootropics, sleep optimization, and self-quantification.  If you care about biohacking, neurohacking, longevity, or want to understand how emotional states shape mitochondrial function, this episode is packed with grounded insight and powerful takeaways. It offers a masterclass in approaching health through both spiritual and systems biology perspectives, while avoiding burnout and noise.  You’ll also hear how Mona:  • Reversed her own heart condition after failed surgeries and medication  • Guides high-stress clients using Ayurvedic principles and modern lab testing  • Connects vagal nerve stimulation, breathwork, and emotional detox for lasting nervous system regulation  • Uses personalized nutrition, pulse reading, and lifestyle upgrades to treat the root cause  • Brings ancient healing into modern wellness spaces like Upgrade Labs  This is essential listening for anyone exploring Smarter Not Harder protocols, blending functional medicine with high-level biohacking, and finding sustainable ways to enhance vitality without relying on pharmaceuticals or performance fads.  Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.  Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, where Dave asks the questions no one else dares and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.    SPONSORS:  -Calroy | Head to https://calroy.com/dave [https://calroy.com/dave] for an exclusive discount.   -ARMRA | Go to https://tryarmra.com/ [https://tryarmra.com/] and use the code DAVE to get 15% off your first order.  Resources:   • Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/ [https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/]  • Mona’s Website –  https://www.monasharma.com/ [https://www.monasharma.com/]  • Mona’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monasharma/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/monasharma/?hl=en]  • 2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025 [https://biohackingconference.com/2025]  • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com [https://dangercoffee.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com [https://daveasprey.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey [https://linktr.ee/daveasprey]  • Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com [https://www.ourupgradecollective.com/]  • Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com [https://ownanupgradelabs.com/]  • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com [https://upgradelabs.com/]  • 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com [https://40yearsofzen.com/]  Timestamps:  • 00:00 Trailer  • 00:54 Intro  • 01:44 Mona’s Personal Healing Journey  • 03:42 What Ayurveda Really Is  • 07:15 Breathwork and Daily Rituals  • 09:41 Where Western Medicine Falls Short  • 13:27 Ancient Tools That Still Work  • 22:02 Nervous System as the Healing Key  • 31:50 Rewiring Through Visualization  • 32:59 Transformations with Celebrity Clients  • 33:31 Stress in the Public Eye  • 34:18 Finding Core Values and Alignment  • 35:48 Home Detox, Real Impact  • 37:52 Blending Body and Spirit  • 48:52 Understanding Your Dosha  • 54:02 Applying Ayurveda Today  • 58:34 Final Thoughts and Takeaways  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

You’re being programmed, and it’s more subtle and pervasive than you think. From invisible influence to psychological manipulation, this episode shows you how to recognize when your thoughts aren’t really yours.  Host Dave Asprey uncovers the hidden science of mind control with Harvard historian Rebecca Lemov. She is a professor of the History of Science at Harvard University and one of the world’s leading experts on psychological manipulation, surveillance science, government experimentation, and Cold War brainwashing programs. Her groundbreaking research into MK Ultra, behavioral psychology, and reeducation campaigns reveals exactly how external forces hijack your thoughts, emotions, and decisions, without you knowing.  They break down how mind control evolved from CIA-funded brain implants and LSD experiments into today’s algorithmic persuasion, trauma-based manipulation, and tech-driven influence. This episode gives you practical tools to defend your thoughts, upgrade your awareness, and reclaim your mental sovereignty.  This is essential listening for anyone serious about biohacking, mindfulness, longevity, mental performance, self-awareness, hacking the nervous system, emotional control, and high-performance mindset training.  You’ll Learn:  • How the CIA used MK Ultra, psychedelics, hypnosis, and implants to test behavior control  • What mind control looks like in modern media, social platforms, and persuasive technology  • How unresolved trauma and emotional blind spots leave you vulnerable to manipulation  • The connection between neurohacking, mindset, and mental autonomy  • How to recognize when you are running someone else’s code  • The best psychological tools to build resilience and conscious awareness  • How to build a “mental firewall” with meditation, breathwork, and attention training  Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:  https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR [https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR]  Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.  Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.  SPONSORS:  -Quantum Upgrade | Go to https://quantumupgrade.io/Dave [https://quantumupgrade.io/Dave] for a free trial.  -Zbiotics | Go to https://zbiotics.com/DAVE [https://zbiotics.com/DAVE] for 15% off your first order.  -OneSkin | Get 15% off your first purchase at https://oneskin.co/ASPREY [https://oneskin.co/ASPREY] with code ASPREY.  Resources:   • Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/ [https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/]  • Rebecca’s New Book – The Instability of Truth: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324075264 [https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324075264]  • Rebecca's Website: https://rebeccalemov.com/ [https://rebeccalemov.com/] • Rebecca’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccalemov/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/rebeccalemov/?hl=en]  • 2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025 [https://biohackingconference.com/2025]  • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com [https://dangercoffee.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com [https://daveasprey.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey [https://linktr.ee/daveasprey]  • Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com [https://www.ourupgradecollective.com/]  • Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com [https://ownanupgradelabs.com/]  • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com [https://upgradelabs.com/]  • 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com [https://40yearsofzen.com/]  Timestamps:  • 00:00 Trailer  • 01:01 Intro  • 01:49 Mind Control at Harvard  • 02:54 Hypnosis and Mental Programming  • 04:48 Morning Routines and Meditation  • 06:02 AI Companions and Digital Influence  • 11:17 MK Ultra and Government Experiments  • 20:25 Archives and the War on Truth  • 24:49 Marketing and Manipulation  • 27:22 Chilling CIA Mind Control Stories  • 33:59 Meditation and God Encounters  • 34:40 Biohacking Origins  • 35:15 Building Mental Resilience  • 36:11 Compassion as Control  • 37:54 Escaping Modern Programming  • 39:57 Free Will vs. Influence  • 46:03 Therapy and Suggestion  • 49:25 SEER Training and Torture Simulation  • 01:03:27 One-Pointed Focus  • 01:06:46 Final Reflections  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Your brain runs slow when it’s running on the wrong fuel.  In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Dave Asprey sits down with Geoffrey Woo, Stanford-trained computer scientist and founder of Ketone-IQ, to reveal the high-performance brain fuel once reserved for Special Forces and elite athletes.  Discover how ketones helped operators in combat zones sharpen focus, recover faster, and boost reaction speed by up to 30%. Learn why glucose falls short, how to hack your mitochondria for better cognition, and what it takes to unlock rapid-fire thinking on demand.  This is brain energy for people who want to win, at life, work, and everything in between. Whether you’re fasting, flying, or facing real pressure, ketones flip the switch.  You’ll Learn:  • Why ketones beat glucose for focus, speed, and mental clarity  • How Special Forces use ketones to recover brain function under stress  • The truth about esters, salts, and the new wave of ketone diols  • How ketones support faster thinking, emotional control, and clean energy  • What makes Ketone-IQ different, and how Dave stacks it for peak performance  • The best ways to combine ketones with fasting, workouts, and meditation  • Why your metabolism controls your mood, reaction time, and resilience  Resources:   • Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/ [https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/]  • Ketone-IQ Website –  https://ketone.com/pages/dave-asprey?utm_source=partners&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=DAVE [https://ketone.com/pages/dave-asprey?utm_source=partners&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=DAVE]  • Geoffrey's Website: https://www.geoffreywoo.com/ [https://www.geoffreywoo.com/]  • 2025 Biohacking Conference: https://biohackingconference.com/2025 [https://biohackingconference.com/2025]  • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com [https://dangercoffee.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com [https://daveasprey.com/]  • Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey [https://linktr.ee/daveasprey]  • Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com [https://www.ourupgradecollective.com/]  • Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com [https://ownanupgradelabs.com/]  • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com [https://upgradelabs.com/]  • 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com [https://40yearsofzen.com/]  Timestamps:  • 00:00 – Trailer  • 02:00 – Intro  • 02:12 – Ketosis & brain performance  • 02:53 – Geoffrey’s background  • 03:52 – Ketone supplement evolution  • 04:41 – What makes Ketone-IQ different  • 07:18 – Manufacturing breakthroughs  • 13:53 – Entrepreneur mindset  • 18:58 – Future of biohacking  • 45:59 – Why classics still matter  • 46:23 – Cultural decline  • 47:04 – Decentralization  • 48:25 – Info overload & mental clarity  • 49:38 – Ketones & consciousness  • 57:49 – Religion & belief systems  • 01:03:32 – Key biohacking biomarkers  • 01:12:47 – Brain data & future upgrades  • 01:26:34 – Listener offer  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].