Markets 
The $6.8 trillion global wellness industry knows how to capitalise on a moment, and right now, it’s attuned to the fact that people are feeling increasingly stressed and burnt out.
It’s why I wasn’t surprised when a video came across my feed for a new wellness clinic in Brisbane offering “Australia’s first high-tech nervous system reset studio”.
Like stress and burnout, nervous system dysregulation is a hot topic, and in the information age, once a trend seeps into the collective consciousness, you know a fix is waiting in the wings.
While I’m cynical about capitalism’s encroachment on the wellness industry and the pseudoscientific claims underpinning many products and practices, I suffer from stress and am perpetually exhausted.
If 30 minutes on a vibrating chair in a dark room could make a difference, I was willing to try it.
What is Cheatcode Playground?
Founded by Lachy and Renee Huddy, Cheatcode Playground is described as a recovery and performance centre in Fortitude Valley that uses specialised equipment “to shift how your body and mind are operating”.
Each treatment room is fitted with the same devices: a vibration chair, a light-and-sound lamp, and a cellular recovery device. These are used in combination with a guided breathing program.
You don’t need any prior experience and the team will tailor the session – which runs for 18 or 30 minutes – to your needs, whether that’s stress relief, energy, or a general “reset”.
For whatever reason, Cheatcode emphasises that you stay fully clothed throughout the session.
The devices
The tech used isn’t new, but Lachy says his team is the first in Australia to combine these specific devices in a commercial setting.
The main device – the Shiftwave vibrating chair – retails for about $10,000. Not the kind of wellness gadget the average punter can afford.
According to its makers, Shiftwave uses “pulsed pressure waves and breath-guided audio to support the body’s natural stress and recovery responses, working below conscious effort to help you feel calm, clear, or ready when it matters most”.
While you can control the intensity of the vibrations, it takes a minute to get used to the feeling that you might pulsate off the chair at any moment.
The audio component of Shiftwave is essentially a guided meditation with breath work – someone telling you when to breathe, and at what pace and level of intensity.
This happens under a stroboscopic lamp called the “roXiva RX1”. Positioned over your face, the lamp looks like an epileptic’s worst nightmare, but the idea is to close your eyes and allow flickering lights and timed sounds to guide your brainwaves into alpha and theta states.
Depending on the program, you’ll see different colours, patterns and imagery – not dissimilar to a psychedelic experience.
The final device – the “NanoVI” – delivers humidified air to speed up cellular repair.
After the session, Renee, who doubles as Cheatcode’s “Beverage Alchemist” whips up a coffee with a bunch of ingredients anyone who’s stepped into a Flannerys health food store would be familiar with.
What the founders say
Before launching their business, Renee and Lachy managed a thoroughbred farm on the Sunshine Coast, and in 2024, they wrote, produced and acted in a feature film. The stress of making the film motivated them to create Cheatcode, which opened in June.
Travis Wesley, Cheatcode’s client flow director and front-of-house manager, has a background in theatre.
Lachy says they’re not making any scientific claims about what the tech can do, but they believe they’ve created a genuine experience that can combat a range of concerns.
“What we sell is the shift,” Lachy says.
“The world that we have constructed is simply not good for the human nervous system. Stress is a natural part of life; constant stress is not.
“The issue is no one can switch off any more … and that’s part of what we want to address.”
Renee says the beginner-friendly nature of the service is part of its appeal, with many people struggling to master activities that help them switch off.
“[A lot of people] find meditation really hard. It’s one more skill to learn,” she says.
“I find it funny that we have invented all of this tech to just take us back to if we lived as cavemen, not doing all of these things. That’s the state we’re trying to get to.”
Wesley adds that the $59 service (for first-time users) is accessible to those who would never otherwise afford the devices.
“We want it to be accessible because everyone has burnout,” he says.
What the research says
Studies exploring controlled breath work practices show it can reduce stress and anxiety and improve mood.
Stroboscopic light stimulation research is emerging, but there is some evidence that consistent use can impact depression, insomnia and cognitive functions such as memory and attention.
Research conducted by Shiftwave, including on police officers and first-responders, has shown positive results, with participants reporting lower work-related stress after sessions, and reduced tension. But this has not been peer-reviewed, so take it with a grain of salt.
There’s no evidence for Cheatcode Playground’s approach of using all the devices in unison, only studies supporting the tech in isolation.
The verdict
Parts of the session that I was sure would be uncomfortable and overstimulating – like the lamp – were pleasantly surprising. Other aspects bordered on too intense or were distracting.
At times my mind, which I had hoped would enter a blissful state of surrender, wandered incessantly, and there were moments where I felt panicked about work or things around the house that needed fixing.
I felt a buzz immediately after the session, a bit like stepping off a rollercoaster, and I was grateful to be quarantined from my devices for 30 minutes.
While I was optimistic that the session would result in an exceptional night’s sleep and unlock creative excellence, that wasn’t my experience, and the stress and anxiety I tried to overcome returned with a vengeance the next day.
Maybe if the schedules were reversed – a session after a particularly stressful event – the outcome would have been different.
After only one session, it’s hard to deliver a concrete verdict. I’m not sure I’ll be back, but would recommend the experience to the wellness-curious crowd.
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