Sera’s Neudio Journey
By Serafim Pikalov
30th July 2024
From an early age, I was fascinated by how things work and what good things I could create with knowledge. So, it was no surprise that at ten years old, I chose computer science as my profession. After years of development for various companies and products, from billing systems to banking systems, I came to understand that even when my laptop is not with me, I have one of the most powerful computers - my mind. This was pivotal for me - understanding that with knowledge of the human mind, I could create even more.
I switched to team leading, product, and project management. I have created numerous products - from games, to emotional AI assistants and cognitive development assistants for kids. At 37 years old, I even started to pursue a new education in cognitive science, all driven by my passion to understand, create, and help.
All this time, I battled ADHD, intense work, stress, and passion - a dangerous mix that I experienced almost every day. I was constantly thinking about how to solve this too.
I'm writing this long epilogue to explain why, when I saw the open position at a small startup that created a product to change the mind using music and EEG, I started bombarding my current CEO and partner Joern with the following message:
"I am your dream Chief of Product with 12 years of experience in digital products, specialising in mobile applications, and having a network of mobile developers. Additionally, I hold an education in cognitive science and neuroscience."
And I got the job. I am proud and happy about it. One message (actually five or ten), a couple of interviews later, and now I'm spending 8-10 hours wearing EEG, listening to music that changing my brainwaves, exploring wellness products and audiences with different problems, dreams, and desires but with one main need - we all want to help our minds. And it is so fascinating that I'm part of a company that can do it in such a pleasant way - with music.
Working with Neudio has been a transformative experience. Every morning, I start by reviewing the previous day, journaling past events and reviewing results based on my plans from previous days and goals for the week and month. I perform this process with the EEG headset but without music, entering a Flow mind state very easily. However, during the planning phase, if the day ahead is demanding, I can lose this state quickly. Neudio helps me overcome this challenge, allowing me to maintain focus and productivity.
After journaling, I proceed to day planning, which is when the music starts to play. Based on my baseline data, I choose the appropriate brain frequency and mode, making notes and trying different approaches for suppression and enhancement of different brainwaves to find the most effective ones. This phase is crucial for fine-tuning my mental state for the day's challenges.
Throughout the day, I mix suppression and enhancement techniques based on the results, tasks, and intensity of work, aiming for a balance between deep focus and relaxation. Neudio helps me establish better focus for 70-80% of the time, but we are still refining the process. This dynamic interaction with my brain's activity has already shown promising results, enhancing my productivity and mental clarity.
Every week, Joern, Andy and I analyze the results together to find even more efficient approaches. This continuous feedback loop is vital for refining our methods and achieving the best possible outcomes. The ability to influence brainwaves with music is not just a concept; it's a reality I live with every day.
I hope (actually I'm sure) one day people will read this post as part of the fascinating story of how humanity was changed by the new generation of the most beautiful thing created by humanity - music. Music composed with the assistance of our own minds, personalised according to individual goals and tastes.
Buckle up. See you in this amazing future.
P.S. This is my morning when I wrote this post. You can see how suppression theta by listening music (created by Steve) dropped theta for me even when I started doing challenging tasks to create a short but interesting text for this post:
