The Lost Archives of 90s Biohacking: Forgotten Pioneers Who Shaped Modern Human Enhancement
Editorial Note:
This article is a historical reflection on fringe experimentation in the 1990s. It is NOT instructional content.
Before Instagram wellness influencers and Silicon Valley optimization culture, a underground network of scientists, bodybuilders, programmers, and rogue physicians were injecting magnets under their skin, importing Soviet nootropics through CompuServe forums, and building brain stimulation devices in their garages. While I may not agree with their methods, and most are not safe or ethical, we must remember the past. This is their story.
Medical & Legal Disclaimer
IMPORTANT: SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE AND READ THE MEDICAL AND LEGAL DISCLAIMER BEFORE PROCEEDING. This article documents the history of 1990s underground biohacking culture. It does NOT provide instructions, recommendations, or guidance for any medical or enhancement practice.
The Magnetic Sixth Sense Revolution (1994-1996)
In a Phoenix body modification studio in 1994, Steve Haworth began what would become the grinder movement. Using neodymium magnets typically found in hard drives, he developed a procedure to implant these rare-earth elements under fingertips. The goal wasn't aesthetic—it was functional enhancement. Recipients could sense electromagnetic fields, feel live wires through walls, and detect hard drive spin rates by touch.
Kevin Warwick at the University of Reading took this further. His 1998 "Project Cyborg" wasn't just about magnetic sensing—he implanted an RFID transponder that let him control doors, lights, and heaters in his building. His implant communicated with computers, making him technically the first cyborg recognized by the British government (they issued special documentation for his airport security).
The magnetic implant community communicated through early IRC channels and FidoNet bulletin boards. They shared sterilization protocols, magnet coating techniques (parylene-C became the gold standard), and mapped nerve-dense implant locations. Most of this knowledge lived on now-defunct sites like BMEzine's early forums and the Magnetic Vision Project archives.
The Usenet Nootropics Underground (1990-1995)
Before Reddit existed, sci.life-extension and alt.drugs.nootropics on Usenet were ground zero for cognitive enhancement. The community developed the "PIR-CHO" stack: Piracetam (imported from Europe), Choline (to prevent headaches), and Hydergine (a prescription ergot derivative).
Ward Dean and John Morgenthaler's "Smart Drugs & Nutrients" (1990) became their bible, but the real innovation happened in the forums. Users discovered that Cerebrolysin (a Soviet-developed pig brain extract) could be ordered from Austrian pharmacies. They pioneered intranasal insulin protocols for cognitive enhancement—decades before modern research validated it.
The most exotic experiments involved Vasopressin nasal sprays (Diapid), which users claimed provided photographic memory for 2-3 hours. CompuServe's HEALTH-SIG forum hosted detailed logs of users taking 16IU before exams. These posts are now lost, existing only in private archives of early internet historians.
The Antisense Oligonucleotide Revolution (1991-1998)
While CRISPR gets today's headlines, the 90s saw the first deliberate gene expression hacking. ISIS Pharmaceuticals (now Ionis) developed Vitravene (fomivirsen), approved in 1998 as the first antisense drug. But years before FDA approval, underground biohackers were already experimenting.
The "Milwaukee Biologics Group" (disbanded 1997) pooled resources to synthesize custom oligonucleotides targeting myostatin. Their leader, a biochemist known only as "DNADave" in archives, documented injecting himself with naked plasmid DNA attempting to trigger IGF-1 expression for muscle growth. His GeoCities page, "The Antisense Cookbook," detailed kitchen-sink oligonucleotide synthesis using mail-order reagents from Sigma-Aldrich.
These experiments were catastrophically dangerous—several resulted in severe immune reactions. But they established protocols that legitimate researchers would refine into today's RNA therapeutics.
The TMS Cognitive Enhancement Underground (1994-1997)
Before transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) became a biohacker staple, repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) was the frontier. The Cadwell MES-10 stimulator, designed for neurological diagnostics, became the device of choice for enhancement experiments.
Dr. Mark George's 1995 NIMH studies on TMS for depression inspired an underground. The "Dallas TMS Group" met monthly in a retired neurologist's garage, taking turns under a modified Magstim device. They documented frequency protocols: 10Hz over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for mood, 20Hz over motor cortex for reaction time, 1Hz over right temporal for creativity.
Their Yahoo Groups archive (deleted 2019) contained over 3,000 session logs. Members reported enhanced pattern recognition lasting days after sessions. One member, "MagMike," claimed to have learned Mandarin in six months using daily TMS. While unverified, his detailed protocols influenced modern research into TMS-assisted learning.
The Melatonin Megadose Movement (1994-1995)
When MIT's Richard Wurtman patented low-dose melatonin in 1993, he inadvertently triggered a megadose arms race. Walter Pierpaoli's "The Melatonin Miracle" (1995) suggested anti-aging benefits at doses 100x higher than for sleep.
The Life Extension Foundation's early forums became a testing ground. Users documented taking 300mg nightly (today's typical dose: 3mg). They tracked telomere length through Life Length's mail-in tests, IGF-1 levels, and even hired electron microscopy services to examine their own mitochondria.
"Melatonin Mike" Fossel, a telomerase researcher, ran an email list where members coordinated bulk purchases from Chinese suppliers. His "Melatonin Timing Protocols"—taking massive doses at specific circadian points—influenced an entire generation of sleep hackers. These protocols, distributed as .txt files on BBSes, contained timing charts that modern circadian apps unknowingly replicate.
The Grey-Market Peptide Pioneers (Mid-1990s)
Before Instagram "research chemical" vendors, there was the "Peptide Purchase Club" coordinated through encrypted Hushmail accounts. Members pooled orders for growth hormone releasing peptides from Shanghai-based labs, using Western Union transfers to accounts in Hong Kong.
The standard stack was "GH3": recombinant HGH (from Genentech diversions), GHRP-6 (synthesized by ChemPep), and a CJC-1295 precursor called "Modified GRF 1-29." Bodybuilding.com's earliest forums (archived on Archive.org) show detailed reconstitution protocols using bacteriostatic water and insulin syringes.
Dan Duchaine's "Underground Steroid Handbook II" (1989) became their technical manual, but the real innovation was in storage: the "Baltimore Method" of vacuum-sealing peptides with silica gel packets and storing them in computer server rooms for temperature stability. This technique, developed by "PeptidePatrick" (a Johns Hopkins IT administrator), allowed two-year shelf stability.
The Church of Virus Gene Therapy Experiments (1998-1999)
The most extreme experiments came from the "Church of Virus," an extropian group that believed in accelerating human evolution. Meeting in a Denver warehouse, they attempted actual gene therapy using naked plasmid DNA ordered from research suppliers.
Their target was follistatin overexpression for myostatin inhibition (the "Belgian Blue" cattle mutation). Using a MedJet needle-free injection system stolen from a diabetes clinic, they injected plasmids directly into muscle tissue. Member "BioMorpheus" documented growing 1.5 inches on his biceps in three weeks—along with severe inflammatory responses requiring hospitalization.
Their protocols, distributed on CD-ROMs at Extropy Institute conferences, detailed plasmid design using GeneRunner software, transformation of competent E. coli, and purification using Qiagen kits. While insanely dangerous, these experiments preceded legitimate follistatin gene therapy trials by a decade.
The Photodynamic Therapy Kitchen Labs (Late 1990s)
Before LED face masks became mainstream, biohackers were mixing their own photosensitizers. The key innovation came from "PhotoPhred," a dermatology resident who leaked that aminolevulinic acid (ALA) could be purchased as a "research chemical" and mixed into penetration-enhancing creams.
The rec.arts.bodyart newsgroup hosted detailed "ALA protocols": apply 20% ALA in DMSO, wait 3 hours for porphyrin conversion, then expose skin to 635nm red light from modified laser pointers. Users built light arrays from RadioShack components, following schematics posted to alt.sci.physics.
These experiments weren't just cosmetic. The "Seattle Photodynamic Group" documented using methylene blue (from aquarium suppliers) as a photosensitizer for cognitive enhancement—shining 660nm light through the skull after oral consumption. While seemingly absurd, recent research has validated photobiomodulation for neurological benefits.
The Neural Interface Prophets (1998-1999)
Kevin Warwick's 1998 BrainGate precursor gets the headlines, but the real innovation happened at Emory University. In 1998, paralyzed artist Johnny Ray received an implanted electrode array that let him control a computer cursor with thought alone—the first human brain-computer interface.
But underground experimenters went further. The "Austin Neuronics Collective" built EEG-based BCIs using modified MindDrive units (a 1990s gaming controller). They developed "brainwave protocols" for controlling WinAmp playlists with meditation states, documented in their zine "Axon" (only 12 issues printed).
Most ambitious was "Project Medusa" (1999): an attempt to create computer-mediated telepathy between two people using implanted electrodes. While it failed, their Arduino precursor designs and signal processing algorithms (shared on SourceForge) influenced OpenBCI's later development.
The Lost Knowledge
These pioneers operated without Instagram, YouTube tutorials, or FDA guidance. They coordinated through dial-up BBSes, shared protocols on 3.5" floppies mailed in padded envelopes, and met in person at DefCon's unofficial "WetWare Workshop" (held in hotel rooms, never official programming).
Their websites—hosted on GeoCities, Tripod, and university servers—are mostly gone. Their forums were deleted in the great purges when Yahoo Groups died, when Usenet archives were sanitized, when IRC logs were lost to server crashes.
But their legacy lives on in every magnetic implant sensing a smartphone's vibration, every nootropic stack discussed on Reddit, every DIY tDCS device built from a 9-volt battery. They were the true pioneers—risking their bodies and freedom to push the boundaries of human enhancement.
Today's biohackers stand on the shoulders of giants whose names are forgotten, whose experiments are dismissed as dangerous, whose protocols exist only in scattered archives and the memories of those who were there. This is their memorial.
Medical & Legal Disclaimer
IMPORTANT: READ BEFORE PROCEEDING
This article is provided for historical, educational, and informational purposes only. It documents experimental practices from the 1990s that were conducted outside of regulated medical settings and often violated federal regulations, FDA guidelines, and established medical protocols.
DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY PROCEDURES OR PROTOCOLS DESCRIBED IN THIS ARTICLE.
The practices documented here:
- Were often illegal and violated FDA, DEA, and other regulatory requirements
- Caused serious injuries, hospitalizations, and permanent damage to participants
- Were conducted without proper safety protocols, sterile conditions, or medical oversight
- Used substances and devices not approved for human use
- May constitute practicing medicine without a license if replicated
LEGAL WARNING: Attempting these procedures may result in:
- Criminal prosecution under federal and state laws
- DEA violations for controlled substance possession/distribution
- FDA violations for unapproved medical devices and drugs
- Civil liability for harm to yourself or others
- Immediate termination of health insurance coverage
MEDICAL WARNING: These procedures have caused:
- Severe infections, sepsis, and blood poisoning
- Permanent nerve damage and loss of function
- Immune system disorders and autoimmune reactions
- Cancer and genetic mutations
- Death
The author, publisher, and website owner:
- Do NOT endorse, recommend, or encourage any practices described
- Accept NO responsibility for any harm resulting from this information
- Make NO claims about the safety or efficacy of any procedure mentioned
- Are NOT providing medical, legal, or professional advice
This article exists solely as historical documentation of a dangerous era in citizen science.
Any modern biohacking should be conducted exclusively through:
- Licensed medical professionals
- FDA-approved treatments and devices
- Legitimate clinical trials with proper oversight
- Legal channels with appropriate safety measures
By continuing to read, you acknowledge that you understand these warnings and will NOT attempt to replicate any described procedures.
If you are considering any form of biohacking or human enhancement, consult with qualified medical professionals and only use FDA-approved methods within legal frameworks.
