Hebbian learning: training vagal tone

Most people stay locked in a constant sympathetic state without realizing it, which drains focus, sleep quality, emotional balance, and long-term resilience. This episode gives you a science backed path to retrain your nervous system, improve heart rate variability, and shift out of stress on command using focused ultrasound technology that targets the vagus nerve. 

Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: 

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR 

Host Dave Asprey talks with Jon Hacker, CEO of NeurGear and creator of ZenBud. Jon is a biomedical engineer who has dedicated his career to bridging neuroscience and daily wellness. His work includes peer reviewed clinical research on anxiety, PTSD, autonomic regulation, and non invasive vagus nerve stimulation. He is one of the first innovators to bring focused ultrasound out of the lab and into a practical wearable designed to help people regulate state, build resilience, and create more conscious control over their biology. 

In this conversation, Dave and Jon break down how ultrasound activates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, why most electrical vagus nerve devices fail, and what actually happens in the first three to five minutes when the system begins shifting out of sympathetic activation. Jon explains how early trauma wires the autonomic system, why chronic stress is often physiological rather than psychological, and how daily stimulation strengthens vagal tone through Hebbian learning. They also explore how HRV reflects hidden state changes, how nervous system training supports clearer thinking and better emotional regulation, and why this type of tech matters as AI, algorithms, and modern stressors continue to push people into dysregulated states. 

You’ll Learn: 

• Why sympathetic dominance is so widespread in the modern environment 

• How the vagus nerve influences stress, recovery, inflammation, and emotional balance 

• What makes focused ultrasound more precise than electrical vagus nerve stimulation 

• How ZenBud produced a 78 percent remission rate in clinical anxiety research 

• How early trauma alters autonomic patterns and keeps people in hidden fight or flight 

• How three to five minutes of stimulation can reset state during panic or overwhelm 

• Why daily use strengthens vagal tone and builds long term resilience 

• How HRV training, consciousness practices, and nervous system workouts fit together 

• Why noninvasive brain interfaces may become the safer future path as AI advances 

This episode is essential for anyone interested in biohacking, stress physiology, nervous system training, emotional regulation, HRV, meditation, trauma recovery, longevity, and building a more adaptable brain and body. It gives you a practical look at how the autonomic system really works and how focused ultrasound may change the future of human performance. 

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. 

New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. 

Keywords: focused ultrasound vagus nerve stimulation, autonomic nervous system regulation, sympathetic dominance recovery, auricular vagus nerve activation, heart rate variability training, anxiety remission ultrasound, PTSD autonomic modulation, Hebbian learning vagal tone, parasympathetic state shift, ultrasound neuromodulation research, trauma induced nervous system wiring, panic attack recovery tools, non invasive brain interface, emotional regulation biohacking, stress physiology retraining, early adverse events autonomic impact, vagus nerve inflammation pathway, TBI secondary injury prevention, ultrasound neural action potentials, HRV resilience protocols 

Resources:   

• Go to http://www.zenbud.health/dave and use code ‘Dave15’ for a discount! You’ll also receive: 

• 3 months of ear buds 
• 3 months of silicone gel 
• 1 copy of Heavily Meditated 
• 1 bottle of Daily Zen supplement by Vatellia Life (60 day supply) 

• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today.  

• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15   

• My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)   

• Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)   

• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com   

• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated  

• Upgrade Collective: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com   

• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com   

• 40 Years of Zen: https://40yearsofzen.com  

Timestamps: 

0:00 – Trailer 

2:00 – Intro 

8:04 – Understanding Stress and the Vagus Nerve 

14:14 – Jon’s Story and Why He Built ZenBud 

16:17 – How Vagus Nerve Stimulation Works 

21:07 – Using ZenBud and Clinical Results 

24:23 – Why We’re All So Anxious 

30:54 – Longevity, TBI and Recovery 

44:01 – The Future of Brain Computer Interfaces 

50:54 – Closing 

Thank you to our sponsors! 

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-TRU KAVA | Go to https://trukava.com/ and use code DAVE10 for 10% off. 

-BodyHealth | Go to https://bodyhealth.com/ and use code DAVE20 to save 20% off your first order of PerfectAmino. 

-Leela Quantum Tech | Check out all HEAL360 products and research and get 10% off at https://leelaq.com/DAVE. 

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