COULD popping pills for everything from lowering stress levels to curbing your appetite become a thing of the past?  Perhaps, thanks to a new generation of iPhone apps - or at least that’s what their makers claim.
The developers of new app Digipill (available from the iTunes store) claim it ‘uses psychoacoustics to unlock your subconscious and change your perception’. In fact, it is a prettily packaged 2013 spin on an old technique: each of 13 ‘pills’ (from 69p to £4.99) are 15 to 30-minute self-hypnosis audio recordings.
There’s T-break, a 13-minute ‘prescription’ for relaxation; Slim To Thin, a track to boost motivation; and the 26-minute Closure for moving on from difficult emotional situations.
So far so gimmicky, but I’m always on the lookout for ways to improve my mood that don’t involve wine, chocolate or shopping, so I pay £2.49 and download the Man Magnet pill, which promises to make me feel irresistible. I pop on my headphones, hit play and hear some pleasant tinkly music and the dulcet tones of self-help guru Brian Colbert, imploring me to ‘ready myself to ride the winds of change’.
Be warned: if you are allergic to anything New Age, a Digipill can have serious side-effects, such as a desire to smash your phone into the wall.  However, if you approach it with an open mind, it’s a pleasant experience. I’m not sure I felt happy after listening to this 20-minute track, but I did feel more relaxed and happier.                                       –MOL