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IN PHOTO: A woman sleeps in an undated photo. Relatively healthy individuals who experience sleep disruptions at night appear to have an increased risk activity of factors associated with the development of a blood clot, also referred to as a thrombus. REUTERS/PRNEWSFOTO

A new consumer wearable device claims that it could calm or energise its user in a few minute. Called Thync, which combines the words “think” and “sync,” the gadget uses neurosignaling technology to achieve by digital means what drinks, drugs or meditation could do.

It is placed directly above a person’s right eyebrow, using medical adhesive so it would not fall. Thync is controlled by a mobile app that sends pulsations, called Vibes, from the gadget to the wearer’s brains, reports the New York Daily News.

Isy Goldwasser, CEO of the company that makes the device, explains that the pulsations activate facial nerves connected to the brain in spots where the user could boost or reduce stress response. “It’s a trigger that sets of a bit of energy in motivating response or in the relaxation calm response. You’re using it to access something you already have,” Goldwasser adds.

To perfect the device, he said the product was tested on 3,000 people such as students who would take their final exams, men and women going on their first date, gym goers and others who were stressed or need comforting. Since Thync used electrical pulsing, considered a safe signaling approach, the US Food and Drug Administration exempt the gadget from regulation by classifying it as a wellness item rather than a medical device.

Both the Energy and Calm features have three moods. For Calm, it is Ease, Unwind and Rest. By pressing Rest, the user sleeps for 20 minutes. The Energy feature likewise have progressive intensities. Those who have used Thync compare the feeling they experience to having a glass of wine, an espresso cup or ecstasy produced by using cannabis, the CEO said. The effects lasts from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the user and pulsation level selected.

By July, shipments of Thync would start. The price tag of $299 includes the gadget and 10 Calm and 10 Energy strips which have a lifespan of three uses. Replacement strip is at $20 for five pieces. Beyond its wellness use, the firm is eyeing using Thync for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other ailments that involve high anxiety levels.

Pre-orders for the device, which was also featured at CES 2015, started on June 2. Gizmag writer Will Shanklin, who tried Thync twice, describes the gadget as “like a safe, digital version of drugs.” He said that when he tried it first at CES 2015, it provided him a Zen-like calm and presence similar to how young college freshmen fell on their first day in college.

To contact the writer, email: vittoriohernandez@yahoo.com

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