Transcranial DC Stimulation

[andygates]

TDCS is an... experimental... technique for brain tweaking.  Basically, you put a bit of DC (circa 9v, 2mA) through your brain and it responds in interesting ways.  The sexy thing de jour is "flow", which happens to be a thing I love above almost all other brain-states.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328501.600-zap-your-brain-into-the-zone-fast-track-to-pure-focus.html?page=1

Linksaucing around gets to this paper:

http://www.mendeley.com/research/transcranial-direct-current-stimulations-effect-novice-versus-experienced-learning/

From which we can take the F8 location (right temple), the polarity (anode: anodes stimulate, cathodes depress; what you want depends on what effect and what brain-part you are playing with), and the method (the other end of the circuit is down the body on the opposite arm, use about 20 mins, etc).

I need to get me a toy current limiter circuit and some trodes.   

Edit to add: Here's a how-to! Yay! Science! http://www.jove.com/video/2744/electrode-positioning-and-montage-in-transcranial-direct-current-stimulation

[Adam]

ECT-lite!

[andrewc]

Wireheading!

From the article:   "That hasn't stopped a vibrant community of DIY tDCS enthusiasts from springing up. Their online forums are full of accounts of their home-made experiments, including hair-curling descriptions of blunders that, in one case, left someone temporarily blind"