Lecture Notes: Dave Asprey on Longevity and Biohacking

Introduction

• Host: Dr. Michael Gervais, high-performance psychologist.
• Guest: Dave Asprey, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and biohacking pioneer.

Asprey's Mission

• Aim: Upgrade Humanity.
• Approach: Improve human performance through various methods, including Neuroscience, nutrition, and biohacking.

Asprey's Background

• Issues with term “hacking” but recognizes disruptive innovation.
• Asprey's extensive work in human performance, involving brands like Bulletproof and Upgrade Labs.

Longevity Goals

• Goal: Live to be 180 years old while maintaining vitality.
• Asprey plans to look as good and be smarter at 180 as he does today.
• Focus on maintaining skin thickness and cognitive function.

Upgrading Humanity

• Levels: Hardware, software, firmware, and signaling mechanisms.
• Projects: Danger Coffee, 40 Years of Zen (Exec brain training), Upgrade Labs.
• Objective: Improve energy, performance, and well-being.

Human Performance and Society

• Individual improvement leads to collective improvement.
• Research on critical mass in culture: influential percentage is very small (~15-20%).
• Role of meditation and performance-enhancing techniques.

Personal Experiences and Insights

• Asprey struggled with health issues early in life (brain fog, obesity).
• Journey into biohacking: Eating right, meditation, and introducing concepts like Bulletproof Coffee.
• Shift in mindset: From seeking external validation to internal self-improvement.

Personal Development Methods

• Neuroscience, advanced neurofeedback, meditation, breathing techniques, shamanic journeys.
• Importance of addressing trauma and recalibrating emotional responses.

Challenges and Criticisms

• Pushback from the “calories in, calories out” community and vegans.
• Asprey's arguments against veganism: Health, environmental impact, and ethical concerns.
• Importance of rationality in addressing lifestyle and diet choices.

Biohacking Techniques

• Stem cells, fasting, red light therapy, blood work tracking.
• Focus on latest research and technologies for enhancing life span.

Peace and Equanimity

• Importance of achieving a state of equanimity and resilience in stressful situations.
• Relationships between trauma, psychological well-being, and leadership.

Final Thoughts

• Asprey stands by the potential for significant life extension through biohacking and personal development.
• Emphasizes gratitude, kindness, and continuous improvement as fundamental principles.