Biohacker Summit Amsterdam 2022

Biohacking

Oct 16

Written By Tateki Matsuda

Coupon Code TATEKI

Summary & Key Takeaways

My Biohacker Summit Amsterdam 2022 talk was titled "Who is the Biggest Enemy?"—an exploration of the ego from an MMA fighter's perspective.
I contrasted my Tokyo upbringing with fighters I met in Thailand and Brazil who fight to feed their families.
Attention is a fundamental need—from my two-year-old daughter's jealousy to a UK survey ranking Instagram worst for young people's mental health.
I closed with two fighter experiences where the ego disappears: the "third eye" mid-fight, and extreme relaxation in sauna or cold plunge.

My Presentation: "Who is the Biggest Enemy?"

My presentation was titled "Who is the Biggest Enemy?" and revolved around the ego. I began with my journey as an MMA fighter—traveling to different countries to train and fight—and how that shaped my understanding of the ego. Biohacking technologies can reduce stress, increase happiness, and boost productivity. But I posed a question: if we all know how to hack our ego, does that make us ultimate human beings, wise biohackers, or the happiest creatures?

I shared my self-analysis process—how deeply I analyzed myself before coming to Amsterdam. My motivations for fighting, my self-expression, and my realization that I was full of ego. I also shared my experiences in Thailand and Brazil, where I saw fighters surviving day by day, fighting to feed their families. A sharp contrast with my own story: I was born in Tokyo, a safe city where martial arts was never the only way to protect yourself or make a living.

The talk took a turn when I got to attention as a fundamental need. I told the story of my two-year-old daughter feeling jealous of my newborn because of the attention the baby was getting—then linked it to adults' hunger for attention, citing a UK survey of young people that ranked Instagram as the worst platform for mental health and wellbeing.

I also covered our tendency to compare ourselves with others, using my own experience as a fighter and several studies—including the "Keeping Up with the Joneses" phenomenon, where salary satisfaction depends not on what you earn but on what you earn compared to the people around you.

I concluded with two personal experiences as a fighter. The "third eye" during a fight—seeing myself from a different angle, controlling myself like a video game character. And the state of extreme relaxation, in a sauna or cold plunge, where my ego simply doesn't show up.

Show notes

A survey of almost 1500 British people Aged 14 to 24> Instagram has the most negative effect on mental health.

A study at UCLA experiment that teenagers’ brain produces more dopamine when they see a picture with more “Likes” on their Social Media in MRI> The teenage brain on social media
People’s satisfaction with their salaries is not based on how much money they earn but on how much more or less they are getting compared to the people they know> Keeping up with the Joneses: a field study of the relationships among upward, lateral, and downward comparisons and pay level satisfaction
What about primates? This study is called “Monkeys reject unequal pay”

Unconscious brain processes precede and potentially determine conscious decisions to act, challenging traditional notions of free will.> The Libet experiment and its implications for conscious will
Unitary self of everyday experience may be composed of several different systems.>The multiplicity of self: neuropsychological evidence and its implications for the self as a construct in psychological research

Exhibition Highlights

The Biohacker Summit in Amsterdam gathered biohackers from around the world to focus on optimizing human performance, health, and wellbeing. Presentations came from experts across the field—myself included—and attendees got the latest biohacking technologies, real networking, and practical insights.

Optimized Day Workshop

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Biohacker’s Journey

Amsterdam 2022

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My presentation was an exploration of the ego from an MMA fighter's perspective—self-analysis, the need for attention, and our habit of comparing ourselves with others. The summit itself brought biohackers together from around the world to learn, network, and share what they know.

FAQ

What was Tateki's Amsterdam 2022 talk about?

"Who is the Biggest Enemy?"—the ego, examined through his MMA journey, self-analysis, the human need for attention, and social comparison research.

What research did he cite?

The RSPH survey ranking Instagram worst for youth mental health, the UCLA teenage-brain dopamine study, the "Keeping Up with the Joneses" pay-satisfaction study, the Libet experiment, and research on the multiplicity of self.

When does the ego disappear, in his experience?

In the "third eye" state mid-fight—watching himself like a video game character—and in extreme relaxation, like sauna or cold plunge.

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