Re: Mind machines, a badly neglected topic?

Dennis Roberts (droberts@netvectors.com)
Sun, 25 Oct 1998 13:28:02 -0500

Dan Clemmensen wrote:

> Scott Badger wrote:
> >
> > >>there was a research scientist working out of a
> > >>Canadian university who has published several papers
> > >>on the effects of a machine he designed which
> > >>manipulated and focused electromagnetic frequencies
> > >>on various places in the brain.
> > >
> > >Michael Persinger. Susan Blackmore says it can be a very distressing
> > >experience.
> > >
> > >Damien Broderick
> >
> > Dat's da guy! Now . . . the bonus question: "Which University?"
> >
> > Scott
>
> I just did an Alta Vista search on "Michael Persinger". 196 articles.
> A great many of them appear to be connected to Paranormal stuff. I
> can't quickly determine whether Dr. Persinger has become involved with
> the paranormal or whether his research has been co-opted. This is a
> shame, because it looks like he started with some solid and reproducible
> experiments. I'll have to rely on someone like Susan Blackmore to sort
> this out. For example, look at:
>
http://www.mindspring.com/~txporter/persemf.htm

As someone who routinely subjects various and sundry people to highly focused and intense electromagnetic energies during the course of his day to day activities, I have to take exception to this thread. While it is true that given sufficient RF input individuals can and do percieve direct stimulation to their nervous system ( visual sensations, peripheral nerves firing-muscle twitching), it seems highly unlikely that an unmodified brain ( one with no little glass electrodes imbedded in strategic areas ) could be stimulated in any sort of meaningful way. The best focusing that is achieveable in my admittedly non-universal experience is about 1mm. That is quite good enough for some outstanding diagnostic images ( yes, I'm talking about Magnetic Resonance Imaging ), that still means that you are stimulating a great many neurons and even that much focusing requires the recipient to be in a rapidly changing magnetic field of cosmic intensity. For those of you who have not had the (pleasure ?) of an MRI brain scan, I'll tell you what it feels like. IT'S LOUD!!! The rapid alteration in the field gradients that allow image production (focusing) produce sounds that are roughly equivalent to being right in front of the speaker at a rock concert. It's certainly not something you would be unaware of.

--
Dennis Roberts http://netvectors.com/cnc/webguide.htm
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 we create distinctions, then deem that our puny boundaries
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