Robin Gustafsson

I don’t see myself as Bryan Johnson, but as a collection of 68 trillion cells. Over half of those cells (38 trillion) are foreign bacteria. Aliens that I host.  There’s also various versions of me. There’s a version of me that feels energetic and vibrant in the mornings; there is another Bryan at 7 pm who is worn from the day. There’s a dad version of me and so on. Each of these Bryans has a distinct physiological configuration. My brain tries to smooth over these differences and contradictions and fuse them into a single identity, but the data tells a different story. I’ve spent the past few years trying to characterize each version of me. Unsurprisingly, I’ve found that data can explain my subjective mental and emotional states. Explaining why I feel vivacious, or lethargic, or in love.  There are biochemical signatures for all of it. We know this, but seeing it makes it hit differently. Measuring myself and seeing these emergent states in real time has led me to be especially thoughtful about the factors that influence my conscious experience. I am basically my inputs. Things such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, environment, stress, biomarkers and relationships. Carefully designing these, I’ve been able to create more predictability and control over my conscious existence. Where it felt kind of random before, or that I was being pushed around by forces outside of my influence, so much of my lived experience now feels algorithmic. While that might sound dystopic to some, it feels liberating and empowering to me.