Circuit Breaking My Brain

How an Accidental Electrocution Made Me Limitless

Let There Be Light: Flipping the Switch

I ripped open the package, skimmed through the manual, and stuck the wet sticky electrodes to my forehead. This I believed, was going to make me a better dancer.  In went the 9V battery into the device that was going to flood my brain with a stream of electrons.

With the cathode on the left and the anode on the right, I hesitated for a moment. Was I about to make a groundbreaking discovery or a catastrophic mistake? I turned the dial to the maximum setting at 2 amps. I was off to the races.

I had two hours before I had to leave for dance class.  With the clock ticking and nowhere to go, I opted for comfort, thinking, “Might as well lie down in bed”.

The discarded manual lying beside me warned: 

DANGER. DO NOT LIE DOWN IN BED AS YOU MAY FALL ASLEEP.

I fell asleep…for the entire two hours.

Genesis: From Two Left Feet to Transcranial Discoveries

In the beginning, I always had two left feet.  Two flat, left feet for emphasis.  I was as graceful as a donkey on the dance floor.

I had a superpower that no 25-year old looking for a partner wanted. I had the power of invisibility.  People didn’t just pass by me without so much as a glance.  They seemed to look right through me.

Time and time again, I would enroll in Salsa for Beginners and never make it to Novice. 

“I ain’t got the moves.”

That was then, a little over 20 years ago. 

With my recent move, I knew it was my last shot at mastering salsa. The pressure was on, and failure was not an option.In my quest for self-improvement, I began exploring alternative methods to enhance my learning abilities.

The Experiment and Transformation: Wiring a New Reality

One lonely evening, I stumbled across a random article on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. The article was about how TDCS could increase neuroplasticity in the brain, essentially giving your brain the absorption capability of a 5-year old for about 30 min at a time.  

I was fascinated by the idea that by attaching two electrodes to the forehead, the cathode (positive) could increase electrical activity in the brain, while the anode (negative), could reduce electrical activity. The electrical current helps neurons communicate more efficiently, making it easier for the brain to form new connections. Much of the research and experimentation had focused on the pre-frontal cortex (PFC), the part of the brain that is responsible for executive function, focus and attention.  

Excited by the prospect of a physical device that could actually send electrons into my skull and activate all these dormant neural pathways, I quickly searched for a DIY kit and bought one online for $500. 

Then I attached it to my skull, I turned it on and promptly fell asleep.

Exodus: Parting of the Hemispheres

Waking up to a red, mildly burned forehead, I realized something had shifted—either I had unlocked a new potential, or I had made an irreversible error. 

It was now dark outside.  I was facing the window, and I saw lightning. Bolts of lightning appeared to be coursing through the sky in front of me.

My eyes were still closed but I could see electricity.

It continued to flow through my optic nerve into my brain for the next 30 minutes.

I was surprisingly calm. The thought of calling 911 or the doctor’s office had crossed my mind, but what would I tell them?  So, I did the next most logical thing.

I put on my shoes and went to dance class and didn’t think anything of it.  This nonchalance never occurred before.  I used to be anxious, hyper-focused to the detriment of having fun. This time, I went to class, not terribly worried about anything.

Basic moves that I once thought were next to impossible were suddenly…basic.  New turns that would typically take me nine or ten times to get right, I seemed to get right after one or two.  Awkward moves that nearly dislocated my partners’ arms became graceful. Steps forward and back finally moved in rhythm, instead of two steps forward and one step back.  The best part was, I had zero awareness of it during class.  Beats from the music traveled in harmony from my ears to my feet in a fraction of the time it used to, or so it seemed. 

I rocked my way from Level 1 to Level 6 back to back without repeating a level. The experiment seemed to have unlocked not just my dancing ability but also a newfound sense of confidence.

I had my Bradley Cooper moment.  I was suddenly limitless, even if for a limited time.

I had clarity…clarity as to where my limbs needed to be.

A year later I was in my first amateur performance group.  Five years later I danced at my own wedding with my wife.  Better me than someone else.

Today my wife complains I don’t dance enough with her because I dance too much with my daughter.

The Essence of Feeling Superhuman: 

Here’s the rub.  I will never know for sure if a boost of electrons actually rewired my brain or if it was merely the belief that it did due to seeing bolts of electricity.

After all, sometimes seeing is believing.  And just maybe, seeing electricity in my eyeballs was all it took to jolt me into a new way of perceiving my reality as a dancer.

What I learned that day is that while your brain is full of electrons running along various circuits, it’s really up to you to open and close the right circuit.  It has to be intentional on your part. You have to overcome the resistance and not let fear impede you.

Please don’t try electrical brain stimulation without proper supervision.  You may end up with a spouse and child when all you wanted to do was dance.  Red scorch marks on your forehead aren’t particularly inviting to a dance partner either!

Having danced my way into a new life, one can't help but wonder: what other dormant skills do we all possess that are just a 'switch' away from activation?