I've always wondered what my thoughts look like. Not the words I write or speak—but the actual electrical storm happening inside my skull. The mysterious dance of neurons firing, the ebb and flow of oxygen, the momentary constellations of activity that somehow become... me.
Turns out I'm not the only one curious about this. A neurotechnology company called Interaxon has created something that genuinely fascinates me—a wearable device called Muse S Athena that can track both your brainwaves and the oxygen flowing to your brain.
Think about that for a second.
A headband that lets you see your own thoughts.
The Invisible Made Visible
For years I've taught people about mindfulness, about understanding their patterns, about becoming more self-aware. But we've always been working somewhat blind—relying on feelings, intuition, and self-reporting. "How do you feel right now?" becomes the starting point for everything.
What if we could see beyond feeling? What if we could actually witness our mental patterns in real-time?
This technology combines two different brain sensors: EEG (which measures electrical activity) and something called Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy—basically a way to measure oxygen in your frontal cortex. Together, they create a window into your cognitive state that no amount of introspection could provide.
And yes, I still find it strange to talk about "monitoring" my brain as if it were something separate from me—but here we are.
The Mind's Mirror
What draws me to this concept isn't the gadgetry (though I'm admittedly a sucker for innovative tech). It's the potential for deeper self-understanding.
I work with people every day who struggle to understand their own reactions. Who feels overwhelmed by thoughts they can't control? Who are searching for clarity amid mental chaos?
The most powerful mirror isn't in your bathroom—it's the one that reflects your thoughts back to you.
This device doesn't just passively monitor. It actively trains. It shows you when your attention wanders during meditation. It helps you develop the mental equivalent of muscle memory through consistent feedback. It can even challenge you to control an owl's flight using only your mental focus—turning brain training into something playful rather than clinical.
What interests me most is how it bridges the gap between ancient practices and modern science. Meditation has existed for thousands of years, but never before could we actually see the neurological effects of different techniques in real-time, in our own homes.
Beyond the Brain Waves
The oxygen measurement piece strikes me as particularly revolutionary. When I teach about energy management in my programs, I'm talking about both emotional and physical energy—how they intertwine, how one affects the other.
But oxygen is the most fundamental energy source. Every thought you have and every feeling you experience, depends on oxygen reaching your brain cells. When certain areas don't get enough, your cognitive performance suffers. Your memory weakens. Your focus scatters.
This technology doesn't just tell you that you're distracted—it can potentially show you why. Maybe your breathing is shallow. Maybe certain thinking patterns are creating inefficient energy use in your brain. Maybe your posture is restricting blood flow.
The implications for personal development are profound.
The Human Element
Still, I'm not suggesting we should all become walking brain scanners, obsessively monitoring our neural activity. Technology should enhance our humanity, not replace it.
What draws me to this concept is how it might help us bridge the gap between our subjective experience ("I feel foggy today") and objective reality (reduced prefrontal oxygen levels). Between what we think is happening and what's actually happening.
I believe the most significant breakthroughs in personal development happen when we see ourselves clearly—when we recognise patterns we've been blind to, when we understand connections we've been missing.
In my Kaspari OMMM program, I teach people to find inner freedom by breaking through limitations they don't even realise are holding them back. Tools that make the invisible visible can accelerate this process.
But they're just that—tools. Not solutions in themselves.
The Bigger Picture
What fascinates me about the Muse S Athena isn't just what it does, but what it represents: our growing ability to understand the physical basis of consciousness itself. To bridge the gap between the subjective world of experience and the objective world of biology.
We're entering an era where the ancient philosophical question "know thyself" takes on new dimensions. Where self-knowledge isn't just introspection but also observation. Where personal development might be guided not just by how we feel but by what we can measure.
I wonder about the possibilities this opens. Could we develop more personalised approaches to mental wellness? Could we identify unique cognitive patterns that explain why certain techniques work brilliantly for some people and not at all for others?
Could we finally move beyond one-size-fits-all advice and toward truly individualised development?
The mind has always been our most powerful tool. And our most mysterious.
Perhaps it's time we got to know it a little better.
Katie Kaspari 🦋
Unshakeable People Club
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