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Thundering bass rattled the dance floor as a sea of sweat-soaked revelers threw their heads back and belted in unison: “Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young.”
The irony was impossible to miss.
Just hours earlier, many of the same people had been on a mission to outsmart Father Time, packing into lectures on longevity science, testing cutting-edge health technology and trading tips on how to add years — if not decades — to their lives.
But when celebrity DJ Steve Aoki cranked up Kesha’s 2012 hit at Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Biohacking Conference at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Austin, the crowd wasn’t thinking about biological age, mitochondrial health or life expectancy.
They were too busy partying like immortality could wait — which, oddly enough, may be part of the secret they traveled to the Texas capital to learn in the first place.
“If you look at the numbers for longevity, having a community and a place where you belong makes you live longer,” Asprey, the founder of biohacking, told The Post. “So does movement and so does dance.”
Researchers agree that social connection helps people live longer, healthier and happier lives, with the impact of isolation on mortality comparable to major health risks like smoking.
Engaging in joyful, playful activities has also been shown to lower stress hormones, improve mood, enhance cognitive function and support healthier aging.
Yet many Americans seem to be missing out. A recent poll found that 48% of US adults say their lives lack fun, and just as many report being lonely on a regular basis.
It’s part of the reason Asprey encourages attendees to cut a rug alongside 5,000 fellow biohackers at his conference every year.
“People come here to change their state,” he said. “It’s not just about learning — it’s about being in a room full of people who care about it as much as you do, walking around, experiencing serendipity and curiosity, and then actually getting to go play.”
And play they did.
This year’s party theme was “Spirit Animal,” with a multigenerational crowd donning leopard suits, peacock feathers and butterfly wings and dancing to electronic remixes of Fleetwood Mac, Lana Del Rey and Pink Floyd.
“We don’t need no education,” guests sang out. “We don’t need no thought control.”
“We want to live long, but we also want to live a vibrant life.”
BEYOND Biohacking attendee
That anti-establishment spirit runs through much of the biohacking world, a do-it-yourself culture that encourages people to take charge of their own biology — often outside conventional healthcare systems, research environments and regulatory oversight.
Asprey was inspired to start the movement after struggling with severe health and weight issues in his 20s, finding that traditional advice wasn’t working and turning instead to personalized treatments, experimental technology and holistic medicine to upgrade his mind and body.
Today, he’s aiming to live until 180. And while biohacking was once dismissed by the establishment, the practice is increasingly moving into the mainstream.
When Asprey joined Aoki on stage in devil horns and wings, the crowd’s reaction bordered on rock-star frenzy, with fans clamoring to join the 52-year-old who claims to have rolled back his age — though he still hasn’t quite figured out how not to look like an awkward dad while dancing.
Behind the throng of bodies, bartenders passed out cans of TRU KAVA, a sparkling beverage made from the root of a tropical plant used ceremonially by Indigenous communities across the South Pacific for thousands of years.
Kava has gained popularity among sober and wellness-minded people in recent years as a “functional” alternative to alcohol, said to promote relaxation, mental clarity and a more positive outlook on life.
For those still drinking, the evening’s sponsor offered a helping hand. Instead of house shots or themed cocktails, attendees were invited to try De-Liver-Ance, an herbal elixir said to support liver detoxification and fend off hangovers.
Across the floor, the scene shifted from rave to medspa.
Attendees could be seen with cannulas threaded below their noses as they tried the NanoVi, a device that produces water vapor infused with electromagnetic waves and is marketed as a tool for supporting the body’s natural repair processes.
Nearby, others watched the DJ set while gathered around a BioCharger, a gadget that looked straight out of a science fiction movie and claimed to revitalize cells using light, voltage, frequencies and harmonics.
And as if the strobes on the dance floor weren’t enough, some partook in BrainTap sessions during the party, a form of neurofeedback training that uses light, binaural beats and guided audio to support focus, sleep and stress reduction.
Farther back, the energy turned more spiritual. Guests had their palms, tarot cards and astrological charts read, while others sank into sound meditation sessions.
And, of course, no rave would be complete without body paint, with hordes of scantily clad attendees lining up to be turned into walking pieces of art.
In the end, the evening blurred the line between nightclub and wellness expo, where lasers, lab-grade gadgets and raucous merrymaking all collided under one roof.
Most importantly, perhaps, it gave a group of people focused on the future a chance to live in the present — together, in a way only biohackers could.
“It’s just so nice to be on the same frequency as other people,” said one attendee, a sparkling unicorn horn perched on her head. “We want to live long, but we also want to live a vibrant life.”
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