Rewiring Stress: How Vital Neuro Uses Real-Time EEG to Reset the Brain with John Golden

Nov 24, 2025

John Golden, CEO of Vital Neuro, shares his incredible journey from surviving a life-threatening heart attack to summiting Mount Everest. He emphasizes how gratitude reshaped his life after facing death. The discussion dives into how his company utilizes real-time EEG and neuroresponsive music to enhance focus and calm the nervous system. John also explores the 'volume' analogy for brain overstimulation and shares daily rituals like cold plunges and breathwork that promote mental clarity. His insights combine resilience with neuroscience for a vibrant life.

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ANECDOTE

Near-Death Resuscitation And New Perspective

John Golden described suddenly experiencing severe chest pain, losing consciousness, and coding in the ER before being resuscitated and taken for surgery.
He emphasizes gratitude and perspective after surviving a

INSIGHT

Emotional Recovery Often Outlasts Physical

John Golden says emotional recovery after a near-death event can be harder than physical recovery.
He now prioritizes presence, family connection, and asks whether his time is spent on the right things.

ANECDOTE

Career-Ending Knee Injury Led To Transplant

John shared his catastrophic football knee injury, multiple revisions, and how compensatory movement damaged his other leg.
He pursued a meniscus and cartilage transplant that rebuilt his joint and changed his life trajectory.

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Welcome back to Beautifully Broken, where healing meets high performance. Today’s guest, John Golden, is a walking miracle—and a man who’s defied odds most of us can’t even imagine. After coding on an ER table from a full arterial blockage known as a “widowmaker,” John was revived and left with a second chance at life. We talk about the raw emotion of facing death, how gratitude becomes your default operating system afterward, and why community, family, and reflection matter more than anything else.

John shares his journey from college football linebacker to multiple knee surgeries, a human bone transplant, and ultimately, summiting Mount Everest. Through that journey, he learned how the body compensates, adapts, and rebuilds—and how the same principles apply to the brain. Now as CEO of Vital Neuro, he’s leading a new era in personalized neurofeedback—where real-time EEG and neuro-responsive music help calm the nervous system, restore focus, and reduce overwhelm.

Together, we unpack the neuroscience of balance, the volume of modern life, and the small daily practices that bring peace and performance back online. This one’s about more than surviving—it’s about learning how to be vital.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] – “I died last week”: John’s Widowmaker heart attack and the miracle of modern medicine

[05:50] – Facing mortality: emotional recovery and gratitude for a second chance

[09:40] – Lessons from near-death: family connection, presence, and living intentionally

[15:22] – John’s football career, catastrophic knee injuries, and the first-ever leg tissue transplant

[20:50] – Relearning how to move: compensatory patterns, 20 surgeries, and climbing Mount Everest

[24:08] – From EXOS to Vital Neuro: merging neuroscience, music, and mental health

[29:10] – How Vital Neuro reads your EEG and tunes music to your personal brain frequency

[35:45] – The “volume” analogy: why our brains can’t think clearly when overstimulated

[41:26] – Cold plunges, fly fishing, and the daily rituals that bring us back to zero

[47:15] – Tiny habits and behavior change: building resilience through practice

[51:40] – The next evolution of wellness tech: oxygen baths, vibration therapy, and data synergy

[57:00] – Setting realistic goals and finding community support for lasting change

[1:11:30] – “Be vital”: John’s message of compassion, control, and collaboration

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