Rich Lee, a 34 year-old salesman from St. George, Utah, and a self-described Grinder, recently had sound-transmitting magnets implanted in his ears. Paired with a media player and cord, amplifier, battery pack, and a coil necklace--all concealed under a shirt--he can play music and more without anyone knowing he’s doing so. He has also used the implants with other devices to augment his own senses and abilities. "This new synesthesia of sorts is an exciting way to explore the world and develop new instincts about the way the world works around you," he explains.

Which sounds fun if, you know, you’re into that whole "slice open your tragi and stuff ‘em with hunks of metal" sort of thing. But for Lee, it’s about more than just an unusually intimate form of self-expression: it’s also a matter of survival.