"Jay is a scientist in Silicon Valley. He was trained in philosophy, neuroscience, and cognitive psychology, and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Arizona on neural processes of visual perception and unconscious processes. His current interests include using noninvasive brain stimulation to enhance cognition and well-being. Jay is presently investigating whether focused ultrasound can be used to augment meditation practice. Link to video: https://youtu.be/vCyWHtraa0Y https://www.jaysanguinetti.com/

1. Catch the Wave…Ultrasonic
Neuromodulation of Conscious
States
Jay Sanguinetti

2. • Researching neuromodulation with Alchemas,
Inc.
• Consultant on neuromodulation projects.
Disclosures

3. Society for Neuroscience, SfN

4. Beneficial effects on well-
being and cognition:
• Improved immune function (Carlson, et al
2007; Davidson et al., 2003)
• Reduced blood pressure and cortisol
levels (Carlson et al.,2007)
• Increased telomerase activity (Jacobs et
al., 2010)
• Enhance cognitive functioning (Jha, et al
2007; Ortner, et al 2007; Pagnoni & Cekic, 2007; Slagter et al.,
2007)
Ameliorates psychiatric and
neurological symptoms:
• Depression (Hofmann et al., 2010; Teasdale et al., 2000)
• Anxiety (Hofmann, Sawyer, Witt, & Oh, 2010; Roemer, et al
2008), depression (Hofmann et al., 2010; Teasdale et al., 2000)
• Substance abuse (Bowen et al., 2006)
• Eating disorders (Tapper et al., 2009)
• Chronic pain (Grossman, et al, 2007)

5. Noninvasive neuromodulation
can accelerate the
contemplative path --
“techno-boost.”

6. Do not try this at home!
Controlled environment with
the ability to test the effects
and support the participants.
ALARA Principle: As Little
As Reasonably Possible

7. Temporarily change in
the excitability of
neurons.
Modulate brain function in way
that boosts in practice.
Direct activation/inactivation.
tDCS
TMS
Neuromodulation Shekhawat, et al., 2018

8. Shinzen Young
E-Meditation, Badran et al., 2016
First Full Meditation Retreat with
tDCS

10. Tang, Holzel, Posner, 2015
Brewer et al., 2014

11. Li et al, 2013
• TMS to DMN hubs reduces self
—referential processing and
behavior (Lou et al., 2010; Luber
et al., 2012).

13. Brewer et al., 2014
I get angry
easily
My future is
bright
I’d rather
be alone
Johnson et al., 2002
Adjectives Task

14. 20 Hz-20 kHz 2 MHz - 10MHz
human hearing therapeutic medical imaging
100 KHz-1 MHz
Low IntensityLow IntensityLow Intensity

15. Cudova et al., 2018
Younan, et al., 2013

16. Tyler, 2016
Yoo 2012
Legon et al, 2018

17. Neuronavigation

18. Tang, Holzel, Posner, 2015
• Reduced mental chatter
• Open awareness and
”oneness” with the
environment
• Less attachment to self-
referential thinking
• fMRI study underway
• Adjectives task
• Are neural substrates of the
self less activated?
PCC Inhibition With Ultrasound

19. Mindfulness awareness: a skillset that can be
developed.
Unified Mindfulness
Shinzen Young, 2015
Shinzen’s hypothesis:
Increasing a skill in one
quadrant makes others
easier to train.

20. Characterized by a deficit in
spontaneous activation of mental
processing.
• Mental emptiness – “psychic
akinesia”
• Cognitively spared (few deficits)
• Loss of self-activation
• Reversed by external stimulation
Athymhormia

21. ”They describe a mental state, that, to our knowledge, has never
been reported, and which is almost unimaginable to a normal
conscious human being: conscious awareness without any
content, i.e., consciousness per se” (Laplane & Dubois, 2001).
There is perceived
pain, but no suffering.

22. Extremely pathological
• Biophysical cause, as clear as day.
But also, extreme equanimity.
BUT, as a pathological state – they are totally dysfunctional.

25. Pilot Study
• n = 5
• Neuronavigation w/ MRI
• Long-term meditators (20+ years)
• 4-day with sham on Day-1 and
Day-3
• 1-hour protocols (30 min on Day1
and Day-3)
MeanDecentering
0
9
17
26
34
Day 1 Day 4
Toronto Mindfulness Scale - Decentering
Decentering: Awareness of one’s
experience with some distance rather
then being carried away by one’s thoughts
and feelings (equanimity).

26. Culadasa (John Yates)
• Stage 9/10:
• meditative joy: great
happiness and physical
pleasure.
• Samatha: effortlessly
stable attention,
mindfulness, joy,
tranquility, and
equanimity.

27. “In just a few minutes, it pulled me much deeper
into PNSE. To a place it would take a considerable
amount of work to get to otherwise. Since then,
subsequent sessions have taken me to novel forms of
PNSE that have not showed up in our 12+ years of
research.”
Persistent Non-Symbolic
Experience (PNSE) - catch phrase
for non-duality, enlightenment,
etc.
Jeffery Martin

28. “I spend a few hours in meditation
every day, [if we get neuroscience-
based enlightenment] then no need
for these things.”

29. Thank you