Bryan Johnson explored the bounds of human consciousness by using psychedelics, ultimately smoking 5-MeO-DMT derived from Sonoran Desert toad venom. The experience produced what he described as the most expansive map of human consciousness and prompted him to tattoo the molecule on his body. Johnson envisions pairing the brain with AI to further investigate consciousness and perceives different substances as revealing different aspects of mind. He pursues an intensive longevity regimen reportedly costing about $2 million annually and credits it with restoring several physiological metrics to younger ages. He founded Braintree, sold it to eBay, and later founded OS Fund and Kernel.
"I know what it feels like to fall in love, and to feel sad, and to feel envy, and to feel joy, and to feel accomplishment, and to feel shame," Johnson said on the Core Memory podcast on Thursday. "But what else?" Johnson said he wanted to create a "map" of human consciousness to explore the convergence of mind and machine. "If you can, in fact, pair the brain with AI, what could AI do with you, in terms of exploring consciousness?" he said.
Alcohol, he said, had shown him one side of the mind. Marijuana had exposed another. Then he smoked a toad. More specifically, he smoked 5-MeO-DMT, a psychedelic compound found in the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad. He said that's when he found the answer. "I got the map," he said. It was the "most expansive map." The experience was so profound that he said he tattooed a picture of the 5-MeO-DMT molecule on his body.
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