The Untold Science Of Vibration Therapy & The “BioDrive” Breakthrough That Regulates Your Mind and Body, With Dr. Mike North

Ben Greenfield

Dec 11, 2025

Episode description

Full Shownotes: bengreenfieldlife.com/shiftwavepodcast

On this episode of the Boundless Life podcast, I sit down with Mike North, a four-time Discovery Channel host, scientist, engineer, and CEO/co-founder of Shiftwave. Mike shares the remarkable story behind Shiftwave, a technology that uses targeted vibrations and sensory input to reset and regulate the nervous system, boost recovery, and unlock everything from deep relaxation to sharp focus.

We dive into the science and engineering behind the device, tracing its origins in regenerative therapy and showing how custom protocols can optimize mind and body. Mike and I discuss the latest research and breakthroughs shaping this technology, and I share my own experiences using Shiftwave for better sleep, athletic recovery, and nervous system health.

Mike North, PhD, is a scientist-engineer, entrepreneur, and pioneer in human optimization. A
four-time Discovery Channel host—including the hit series Outrageous Acts of Science—North
has taught at UC Berkeley, published in Nature, and developed technologies that bridge
engineering and human performance.

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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Supplement with ashwagandha for deeper heart coherence

Supplementing with ashwagandha before a session can relax the vasculature and help you achieve a slower breathing rate, down to 1.8 breaths per minute, while maintaining heart coherence.

#ashwagandha

#supplement

Implement "Vitality and Immunity" protocol to combat sickness

The "Vitality and Immunity" protocol, which is a Wim Hof-style breathwork session, can be used to reliably knock out the first signs of sickness.

#immune-system

#protocol

Utilize touch to communicate well-being to the nervous system

In a world overstimulated by sight and sound, touch is an underutilized sensory pathway that can be used to communicate well-being directly to the nervous system.

#nervous-system

Analyze cardiovascular data to map emotional states

Using the Russell Circumplex model of affect, it's possible to plot a person's emotional state, such as happiness or depression, by analyzing only their cardiovascular data.

#emotion

#heart

Induce synthetic sleep to mimic deep sleep benefits

A state called "synthetic sleep" can be induced to mimic deep sleep by producing its two hallmarks: increased cerebral spinal fluid pressure and huge slow-wave brain activity.

#sleep

Activate brain's glymphatic system with Shiftwave chair

The Shiftwave chair may help open the brain's glymphatic system to flush out metabolic byproducts, a process that normally occurs during deep sleep.

#device

#sleep

Achieve deeper sleep with four hours of Shiftwave sessions

One user reported getting more deep sleep during four hours of looped Shiftwave sessions than during seven hours of natural sleep, according to their Whoop data.

#device

#sleep

Utilize BioDrive for real-time nervous system feedback

The BioDrive mode uses a finger sensor to create a real-time feedback loop, adjusting vibrations to your heart rate while you adjust your breathing to the vibrations, driving you into coherence.

#device

#nervous-system

Experience awe through dual arousal state

The "wow" feeling experienced in the chair is a state of awe, a rare physiological state where you are both sympathetically and parasympathetically aroused at the same time.