London: What if you could get high on your headphones? A new stress-busting music gadget is in town that stimulates nerves in the ear to trigger the release of feel-good hormones.
The device Nervana works by using electrical pulses, delivered via one of the headphones, to stimulate the vagus nerve in your left ear and the company claims it could help to "increase calm and reduce stress," the Daily Mail reported.
The Florida-based firm behind the device recommends twice daily sessions of between 15 to 45 minutes, when using the Nervana, the name being a play on nerve and nirvana.
The Nervana has three modes of play—A 'music mode' that analyses the incoming signal from the users own music device to give music's feel, an 'ambient mode' that uses an internal microphone to pick up sound from the wearer's environment, such as at a concert, and the third option is a 'formula mode,' which stimulates the vagus nerve without music, using predefined signal patterns.
According to its makers, it has been tested on hundreds of people and it is proven to be safe. However, it is marketed as a consumer, rather medical, device.
On its Indiegogo crowd funding page, the firm explained: "When the left earbud is placed in the left ear and the Nervana generator is turned on, the electrical signal beats to whatever music is being experienced by the user, whether supplied to the generator through a user's phone or through the environment, such as in a concert hall."
It further read as "The electrical signal stimulates the Vagus nerve, which could result in the release of neurotransmitters. For most users, the results are increased feelings of calm and relaxation and stress relief."
Dr Richard Cartledge, co-creator and co-founder of Nervana, said, "We wanted to bring the wellness benefits of Vagus nerve stimulation to more people in a non-invasive way that is easy for consumers to use on a daily basis. That's what Nervana is all about: making people feel good."
The device is currently available from 279 dollars and is expected to ship from this June.
