What do you get when you cross peer-reviewed, academically rigorous neuroscience with the super-squishy feels-based world of wellness? A lot of FCC compliant (but not FDA approved) devices, a little bit of hope, and, sadly, far too many broken promises.

Marcus and Esme discuss the burgeoning trends of neurotech and neurowellness in this week’s episode and share some “yellow flags” you should consider before spending a lot of money on a miracle device or treatment. They also share their golden rule for assessing the validity of any mental health-related service or product: consult a professional before making any treatment decisions. They also watch a video of an influencer testing out a vagus nerve simulator and experiencing some . . . um . . . unexpected benefits. Surprises abound!

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Sources for this episode include:

• Müller, Oliver, and Stefan Rotter. “Neurotechnology: Current Developments and Ethical Issues.” Frontiers in systems neuroscience vol. 11 93. 13 Dec. 2017, doi:10.3389/fnsys.2017.00093 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5733340/
• Loo, Sandra K et al. “Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Cognitive and Electroencephalographic Predictors of Treatment Response.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry vol. 60,7 (2021): 856-864.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2020.09.021 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9714960/#S14
• Global Wellness Summit. Neurowellness—One of the Biggest Wellness Trends of 2026. Global Wellness Summit, 2026, https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/trendium/neurowellness-one-of-the-biggest-wellness-trends-of-2026.
• “NeuroSigma Launches Next-Generation Monarch Device for Pediatric ADHD After Successful Pilot Program.” Yahoo Finance, 18 Nov. 2025, PAID PRESS RELEASE https://finance.yahoo.com/news/neurosigma-launches-next-generation-monarch-160000572.html.
• Radytė, Emilė. “The Future of Neurotechnology in Mental Health: What’s Coming for Women’s Wellness.” Samphire Neuroscience, 13 Oct. 2025, https://www.samphireneuro.com/blog/the-future-of-neurotechnology-in-mental-health.
• Israel, Ira. “Neuroplasticity and the Legacy of a Scientific Mistake.” Psychology Today, 24 June 2026, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/authenticity-101/202606/neuroplasticity-and-the-legacy-of-a-scientific-mistake.

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• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

Just because Marcus and Esme are taking a little bit of time off to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend doesn't mean they have forgotten about you, dear listener. To ensure you get your weekly fix of their unique brand of neurodivergent meandering, they've decided to replay one of their most downloaded HYPERFOCUS BONUS episodes ever: 61. Who’s That Lady (Doing All That Sewing)?

Marcus and Esme will be back with new episodes next week.

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Our theme music

• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

Esme-heads: prepare to be disappointed. Or, prepare to be delightfully surprised! Such is the power of novel experiences.

Marcus is flying solo this week. And while he realizes the throngs of Esme fans out there might be loath to listen to him meander his way through an episode without the patient guidance of his better half, he has endeavored to keep it (relatively) short and sweet.

In this week’s episode, Marcus discusses the concept of novelty and its impact on the reward pathways in our brains. He also describes the positive impact novel experiences have on our attention and well-being, differentiates novelty from novelty-seeking behavior, and provides some helpful tips for adding some novelty to your daily routine.

Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com

Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact

Sources for this episode include:

• Reichardt, Richárd, Bertalan Polner, and Péter Simor. “The Graded Novelty Encoding Task: Novelty Gradually Improves Recognition of Visual Stimuli under Incidental Learning Conditions.” Behavior Research Methods, vol. 55, no. 4, 2022, pp. 1587–1600. PMC10250520, doi:10.3758/s13428-022-01891-8. Accessed via PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10250520/.
• Hall, Karyn. “The Magic of Novelty: Why It Matters and How to Embrace It.” Psychology Today, 6 Jan. 2025, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pieces-of-mind/202501/the-magic-of-novelty-why-it-matters-and-how-to-embrace-it.
• O’Connor, Alexander J., Charlan J. Nemeth, and Satoshi Akutsu. “Consequences of Beliefs about the Malleability of Creativity.” Creativity Research Journal, vol. 25, no. 2, 2013, pp. 155–162. Published online 17 May 2013. Taylor & Francis Online, https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2013.783739.

Our theme music

• Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun... Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp