Inside the 2025 Biohacking Conference, Where Science, Psychedelics and Raving Converged

What do science, psychedelics and spirituality have to do with electronic dance music? More than you might think. 

Those three themes were front and center in Austin, known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," at Dave Asprey’s 13th annual Biohacking Conference, a gathering that felt less like a tech summit and more like a future-forward wellness festival. From May 28–30, thousands came together to explore cutting-edge tools for upgrading and optimizing the human experience through biohacking, a term coined by Asprey over a decade ago.

Year after year, the event hosts a community driven by the same values that pulse through EDM culture: joy, connection and the freedom to evolve. "Living longer only matters if you can feel joy, connection, and purpose while doing it," reads one of the event’s guiding philosophies, courtesy of Asprey.

And just like rave culture has long explored altered states as a gateway to healing and unity, so too did this summit. At one point, the iconic Steve Aoki appeared and DJed a mid-conference dance party to put these mind-blowing health discoveries to use.

Speakers unpacked everything from "Unlocking the Quantum Brain: How Neuroplasticity, Brainwaves, and DNA Interact" to “Hack Your Love Life: Optimize for Togetherness, Avoid Regret," plus deep dives like “Rewiring the Brain: The Power of Forgiveness, Neurofeedback and Ketamine."

In a session titled "Revolutionizing Mental Performance: The World's First Psychedelic-Assisted Neurofeedback Experience," the team from Asprey's 40 Years of Zen brand showcased how ketamine, when combined with neurofeedback, can rewire the brain. The process, they said, has the ability to heal trauma, enhance neuroplasticity and unlock suppressed emotions for clarity.

Elsewhere, nutritional biochemist Shawn Wells spotlighted MDMA’s emerging clinical role in treating PTSD, anxiety and depression—not unlike the substance's presence on dancefloors, where it’s long been used to dissolve boundaries and amplify empathy. The key difference? Science is finally catching up.

The conference reached its apex with Asprey’s keynote, "Harnessing Altered States for Peak Performance," in which he mapped out what he calls the mind's "control panel." He described a toolkit of neurofeedback, breathwork, psychedelics and more that collectively allow us to reset outdated patterns and access flow states at will.

In other words, the tools may be evolving, but the prevailing goal remains: get out of your head, into your body, and connect, both with yourself and others.

Asprey’s next conference, rebranded to BEYOND, returns to the Fairmont Austin in 2026 and promises an even deeper dive. According to the website, it's "an upgraded experience for those committed to elevating both body and mind, performance and consciousness."

You can find out more about next year's event here.