According to Thync's website, the company was “born out of fascination with how neuroscience can impact daily life”. The team at Thync is made up of neuroscience, neurobiology, and consumer electronics specialists from MIT, Harvard, and Stanford University. Man, just from the looks of that resume, we should be saying “shut up and take my money” to whatever device these guys come up with. After making an announcement back in October, the startup has since raised a whopping $13 million to release its Thync Mood-Altering Headset.

The folks over at Gizmag got to try out the device, which turns out to be more of a small module than a headset. It simply sticks to your forehead, then uses electrical stimulation for its “mood altering” purposes, somehow able to trigger the state of either relaxation or revitalization for up to an hour. It contains a Bluetooth radio for connecting to your smartphone or tablet, where you control a precisely tuned, low dose of current to your brain via app.

Apparently, the “calm vibes” mode left the users feeling super relaxed, as if they had been meditating for half an hour, while the energy mode “led to a more stimulated clarity-as if a mental fog we weren't even aware of had been lifted”. An increase in talking, expression, and animation was even noticed after a session of revitalization. Since the technology of this device is simple electrical waves (comparable to a TENS unit used on achy muscles), it seems to make the impression that Thync is more about the power of your own brain more than anything.

With its “powers” taking as little as five minutes to change your mood, rest assured that Thync is deemed safe, although it is not FDA approved since it's not considered a medical device. As far as the gadget's first users, Thync's chief executive officer and co-founder, Isy Goldwasser, says that the company is open to discussing and troubleshooting with customers, that way they can figure out any engineering issues early. Thync is currently up for pre-order on the company's website for $299.