Trepanation, an ancient practice involving drilling, cutting, or scraping holes into a person’s skull, has been around since prehistoric times, making it one of the oldest surgical procedures known to mankind. The true purpose behind our ancestors performing trepanation remains unclear, with various theories suggesting it may have been used to treat headaches, epilepsy, or even as part of spiritual rituals.
In Western medicine, trepanation was utilized up until the 19th century as a means of treating head traumas, such as skull fractures or brain swelling. The idea was that creating a hole in the skull could relieve pressure on the brain or allow for the drainage of blood or other fluids that might have accumulated due to injury.
All migraine sufferers have thought about drilling into their own skulls.
It is probably the oldest form of surgery in existence, as we have found prehistoric skeletons with holes drilled in the heads and signs of healing.
There was a blog/journal I read years ago about a man who wanted to get tanned and he had it all documented out, including very graphic photographs. Throughout his journal entries, he described his research on how to do it safely, as well as his excitement and enthusiasm for it since he believed it could unlock the potential of his brain. In the first few days following the surgery, he described his euphoria at having his brain “freed” and finally able to function as intended. His journal entry after a few days stated that he felt normal again and that perhaps the initial feeling was a placebo effect, but now he has a hole in his skull for the rest of his life. While he does not regret doing it, he does not recommend it to anyone else.
Drill too deeply and you can certainly reduce someone to a babbling, baby-like state where they are incapable of reasoning and are constantly urinating.
What about the blood brain barrier? This would be an extremely bad idea since it would eliminate the blood brain barrier.