Brainmachines

Updated 1 year ago

A collection of related articles about “brain machines” circa 1999. Brain machines are the term I used for headphones and goggles with LED lights and blinked synchronously with binaural sounds.
I used that term until I discovered that the FDA doesn’t want marketers to use the word “brain.”
But by that time the damage was done!

What are Brain Machines?

Science and medicine have devised several ways to monitor brain waves. The main methods are the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the magnetoencephalogram (MEG). The EEG measures the electrical potentials on the surface of the scalp or at times on the surface of the brain’s cortex. The EEG has many drawbacks in that it measures the average frequencies in the brain. The electrodes are separated from the brain for the most part by the thick barrier of the skull. This is like a scientist in a Goodyear blimp flying over a football game: he could hear the crowd roar but that’s about it.

The MEG senses and records the subtle magnetic fields generated by the brain. This is difficult because each neuro cell “talks” to one another in the brain through electrical signals that generate weak magnetic fields, about one-billionth the strength of the earths field. But by using the new superconducting technology the problem is being rapidly done away with, more and more sensitive magnetic sensing coils are being made. Using a superconducting neuromagnetometer placed near a person’s head, like an antenna, it picks up the magnetic field emerging from the brain. This information is sent to a computer and an accurate map of the brain’s activity can be made and analyzed.

In the last few years a new approach to brain waves and human emotion is being explored in the form of brain entrainment. This is a form of bio-feedback and stimulation to promote a specific wave state that is desired. This can be done by various methods; flashing lights, sound pulsations, electromagnetic pulses ,and physical vibrations. These stimulation techniques require that the pulses, vibrations, or flashings occur at the desired frequency rate so that the brain can synchronize with the external signals. Anyone or a combination of these methods can have a profound effect upon the operation of the brain. It has been known that the Soviet Union and the United States has used external stimulation to induce sleep, hypnosis, and other altered states in people.

Brain machines is a generic term for an assortment of devices that incorporate light, sound, massage motors, and electricity all pulsating at the same frequency . Your brain, when exposed to this vibrating signal, begins to follow the signal’s frequency.

Your brain wave frequency becomes attuned with the brain machine frequency, and you control the brain machine frequency. It’s the reverse of biofeedback. And For entrainment, combined synchronous modalities are not simply additive, but exponential in effect

Light/audio glasses combine kaleidoscopic effects from pulsating flashing LED lights with rhythm – the pitched musical effect of sound – to encourage relaxation and mood changes. The effect can vary from energizing through meditative to sleep-inducing – depending on the programmable stimulation.

Light/Sound Devices are based on the natural functioning of the brain. Our brains produce different patterns of electrical activity (brain waves) when we are in different states of consciousness. For example, Alpha brain waves predominate when we daydream, and Delta when we sleep. Very simply, Light/Sound Devices encourage your brain to produce the brainwave activity necessary for what you want to accomplish. FREQUENCY MAP

Therefore, Light/Sound Devices encourage the brain to produce brain waves that are naturally characteristic of a relaxed state; when you want an especially sharp focus of attention for peak performance, a concentration session helps your brain achieve this goal.

Binaural beats help you safely alter your brainwaves with multi-layered patterns of sound frequencies. When you hear these through stereo headphones or speakers, your brain responds by producing a third sound (the binaural beat) that encourages the desired brainwave activity

A sound played in the left ear is heard as a single tone. A sound played in the right ear is also heard as a single tone. When played together the vibrato perceived is called binaural beating.

People use them for many different reasons. Pre-workout. Relaxation. Meditation. Sex. Entertainment. Religion. Origins’ Feelgood Spa has them on the Chelsea Piers in NYC.

Also quite impressive is Neurozone in Montreal:

neurozone

There was for a while a storefront called Synchro Energize in Manhattan. Dennis Gorges was the inventor of the Syncro Energize.

Common Questions

Will I always need to use brain machines?

Absolutely not. They are like training wheels on a bicycle: wonderful for practice but possibly inhibiting as you learn to ride far and free. It is reported in Michael Hutchinson’s book that 10-20 sessions with a machine will entrain the brain so you can get to that state without the machine. But, if you want to do this, I recommend using specific frequencies instead of pre-programmed sets.



What should I do when various images or dream-like thoughts interfere with what I’m trying to do on the light/sound device?

Do not suppress or force the images away. Rather, acknowledge them without getting involved with them; otherwise, you may fall into a sleep state. Look at them and let them go. You can always go back to them later.

Is God appearing when I see a flood of light during an exercise?

Are you kidding? Lay off the acid, hippie. The perception of light suggests that your potential for nonphysical awareness is developing but it is up to you to decide on its meaning. Such light is widely reported by explores of higher consciousness and people who have had near-death experiences. It is often accompanied by euphoria, a feeling of oneness with the universe, and a sense of overwhelming love. A Buddhist might associate this with Buddha; a Christian with Christ. Find your own particular interpretation.

Why not combine mind-altering drugs with Light/Sound Devices?

These exercises train you to take control over your states of consciousness. Drugs often interfere with that control. Also, your interpretations and understanding of your experiences will likely be more accurate without the unpredictable influences of drugs or other mind-altering substances.

Are sessions useful for experienced meditators or people who have long practice in other disciplines?
The many such people who participate say, “Definitely yes!” They appreciate such benefits as the speed and ease of attaining the expanded state; the ability to sustain the state; the tools and guidelines for exploration. Light/Sound Devices seems to meet people wherever they are in their development and assists them in moving forward into even deeper levels of self-discovery.

What if I am not experiencing the out-of-body state?

Many of us have hidden (subconscious) fears that prevent us from experiencing this perceptual venue. Others try so hard that the intense effort blocks this experience. The best way to succeed is to relax, let go of expectations, and become nonchalant about it. After all, the classic OBE is just a small part of learning to expand and experience your full potential. Keep working with the exercises. Trust the process. You may find yourself experiencing the out-of-body perceptual state when you least expect it.
How can I control or direct my perceptions during the out-of-body experience?
The words control and direct are usually associated with body-oriented ego states. If you set a goal before you begin your OBE, you won’t need to decide what to do once you are in the experience. Experiment with thinking of someone and contacting his/her energy, rather than arriving at a geographic destination. Any time you wish to return to your in-the-body perceptions, all you need do is think of your body and/or move a finger or toe. In most cases, after a period of time your bladder will demand your attention and return your perceptual perspective to the physical body.

I understand that after a while we really do not need the sessions to achieve different states of consciousness. How do I remember Light/Sound Devices signals?

It is true that with practice, you do not need the session exercises to reach expanded states of consciousness. After you become proficient with an exercise, all you need to do is recall the sensations you experienced during what you consider to be your best, most effective response in the desired states. Simply take a deep breath and remember the state to trigger the change in consciousness.

What is the difference between hypnosis and Light/Sound Devices?

People often regard hypnosis as a process of being led into a state of high suggestibility and relinquishing control to the hypnotist. On the other hand, Light/Sound Devices are designed to allow the individual to consciously control and manipulate his/her own states of awareness. With self- or auto-hypnosis, the individual relaxes him/herself, moves to a desired state of awareness, and consciously directs the exercise. Although similar in this regard, Light/Sound Devices, with its special frequencies, assists the listener in achieving the desired state of consciousness much more quickly. It also opens the way to states of consciousness far beyond hypnosis.

When using the sessions, I am aware of a buzzing pressure in my forehead and also an acceleration of my heartbeat. Is this normal?

A light buzzing or pressure happens frequently to some people. It means that you are responding to the Light/Sound Devices process. However, if you are experiencing a great degree of discomfort, you may have the intensity too high. Remember, you are expanding your state of awareness; consequently, you are more conscious of your heartbeat, breathing, etc.

I don’t seem to feel the high-energy states and have trouble visualizing. What should they feel like?

Everyone perceives his/her experiences in a different way, so these high-energy states will not necessarily be visual. Some people report seeing light, color, and form, but others quite frequently perceive sensations. You may experience vibration(s), or what seems to be an electric tingling, or a shaking of your body, bed, or room. Some people hear a rushing sound, buzzing, voices, verbal messages, or even music. Others may just “know” when they have achieved these states. Just relax and observe your own perceptions without judging how you should feel.

Sometimes during a session, I feel so much energy in my body that it actually gets uncomfortable and I want to come out of the session. What should I do about this?

Realize that the energy you are feeling is second-state energy, the nonphysical energy which you first need to perceive before you can consciously use it. Welcome the energy. Observe the energy move through your whole body. Wait and see if it speeds up or slows down. Express gratitude for the conscious experience of the energy. Question the energy – ask (silently in your mind) if there is a message for you in the experience of the energy. The fact that you are perceiving this energy is indicative that you are reaching an expanded state of consciousness.

I have been using the sessions and do get some interesting things but I would be more pleased if I knew that I was getting what was intended.

No two individuals’experiences are alike. They range from the cosmic to the mundane and yet are almost invariably of real meaning and significance to the person having the experience. Trust the process and know that whatever experience you have, it is just exactly what is best for you to achieve your divine right purpose.

What if I fall asleep when I listen to a session?

There may be times when you “click out” of the exercise,especially as you begin to move up to and beyond your level of experience. Clicking-out is different from falling asleep. There is a sense of having dropped out of the exercise. Upon returning to or finishing the exercise, there is no perception of time having passed. You will have stored the memory of your experience but will have no immediate recall. Clicking-out is a common, frequently reported experience.
When you have progressed to a given stage it won’t happen and you will have total recall. Meanwhile, try putting the idea or picture of sleep in your Energy Conversion Box. If you are still falling asleep, try sitting up during the exercise. And finally practice, practice, practice! It is through patience and continued practice that you learn to maintain balance in the hypnagogic state between deep relaxation and sleep.

I usually sleep on my side or stomach and feel insecure sprawled out on my back. Also, I cannot remain on my back very long without getting restless. What should I do?

You may try sitting upright in a comfortable chair or in your bed while in the session. Some people report that they prefer sitting up because they’re less likely to drop off to sleep. Also, if you have a comfortable set of “ear-bud” headphones, you might be able to arrange pillows so that you can listen while lying on your side or stomach. Ear-buds are readily available at stores carrying stereo products.

How can I convince a skeptic that Light/Sound Devices are worth trying?

Without interest and desire, the openness that leads to success will be lacking. In other words: There is no such thing as convincing a skeptic.
It would be better to let your own personal growth speak for you. As you become calmer, more centered, more confident, more creative, more intuitive, etc., people close to you will notice and will want to know why. It may be useful to emphasize what you have learned rather than the experiences themselves.
When it is appropriate to describe your experiences, try to relate them to something familiar to the ones with whom you are sharing. Experiencing and discussing the practical benefits of Light/Sound Devices in daily life can build a foundation for greater openness and self-discovery.

How I got into Brain Machines

I first encountered light/audio glasses at a big warehouse party called Mega Buzz One in Oakland over Labor Day 1996. The combination of technology and classical psycho-spiritual practice is what I consider to be the goal of Techno-Shamanism. It is the fulfillment of the merger of Eastern and Western enhancement regimes, and as such takes on the various positive qualities inherent in each.

Seasonal Affective Disorder from CNN

…Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the relationships between sunlight, melatonin, serotonin, wakefulness and elevated mood, between summer light and winter levels of vitamin D.

Light stimulates the production of cholecalciferol, which the body eventually transforms into vitamin D, Dr. Timo Partonen and his colleagues at the University of Helsinki’s National Public Health Institute in Finland reported. The vitamin then helps the body maintain higher levels of serotonin during the winter.

In fact, some researchers are concluding that light therapy may help to alleviate SAD symptoms faster than antidepressant drugs. In a recent review of clinical trials of light therapy, Dr. Daniel Kripke and his colleagues at the Circadian Pacemaker Laboratory at the University of California, San Diego reported that light therapy benefits not only SAD patients but also people suffering from other forms of depression.

Serotonin levels increase when you’re exposed to bright light — a major reason why moods tend to be more elevated during the summer…

The Twelve Senses

1. Touch, this lets us know we are separate from other things. The boundary of our skin.
2. Life, monitors our state of wellbeing, Conscious when not feeling well.
3. Movement. Where we are in space- There has recently been found sensing organs in the muscle spindles.
4. Equilibrium (balance) Uprightness- vestibular
5. Vision. Sight
6. Taste.
7. Smell.
8. Warmth. If self is hot or cold.
9. Hearing. Sound & Noise etc
10. Word. Know when sound or gesture is organised eg language
11. Thought. Sense the meaning which words try to convey. eg some get the picture very quickly others not.
12. Ego That another is an ego being. Autistics have problems here.
Moria, the five senses are attuned to their perspective vibratory ranges as indicated on the electromagnetic spectrum. All is invisible, soundless vibration! either in the air or in the ether. It is all a matter of degree of vibration. The vibrations from 32 to 32,000 cycles per second are registered by the ear as various degrees of sound. On up the scale, vibrations in the 450 to 750 trillion cycles per second are vibrations registered by the eyes. Consider this….’tis the secret of the magician to “interfere” or destroy the light-waves (vibration) emitted from an object and thus render that object invisible….Perhaps, the greatest sense of all….. and the least understood is the “common-sense” mind…. which, if controlled, is capable of registering vibrations beyond those of the other five.
However, since we are all so busy “interfering” with what the mind is capable of receiving…. with our complaining, passing judgement and the like… that the mind is unable to register and perceive the beauty of that which lies beyond the normal dullness of the five senses we presently glorify. – Suzanne Hadley

The Ganzfeld Effect

On a clear day Tibetan monks used to lay on their backs on top of a cliff so that they could see nothing but sky. Their optic nerve began to stop sending signals to the brain, creating a Satori like effect in minutes.
The Ganzfeld is based on a phenomenon ancient meditators knew as a dharana. There are many dharanas but one is to stare into a cloudless sky to achieve expanded consciousness.
“If one making himself thoroughly immobile (body, thoughts and emotions) beholds the pure (cloudless) sky with fixed eyes, at that very moment, O goddess, he will acquire the nature of Bhairava (infinite consciousness) -The Vijnanabhairava.
Back to Earth. Bottom line, cut Ping Pong balls so that they fit over your eyes like the Cookie Monster. Make sure there are no lines left, so that the halves are featureless. Put over eyes, pulling the skin around so that you see nothing in your field of vision but white. Now lay under a lamp (K is optional…) and look up at the lamp. Put white noise on your headphones for added effect, or soothing music.
You will find that the whole process becomes a thought generator. Dendritic capillaries of subtle nuances of meaning will begin to form in the Mind’s Eye. Do this one hour before bedtime and explore the geometrical symbolism behind the words when you enter REM sleep. Reach out and touch them from within lucid dream consciousness and become one with them. Carry their mystical amplitudes with you upon waking and have a very empowering day.
If you’re inside, you might see an imaginary ceiling over you, with details on the plaster that is all in your mind, and sometimes wild angelic visuals.
When does a ping pong ball expand consciousness? When cut in half.
This seemingly nonsensical paradox could be a modern koan. Laying ping pong halves upon open eyes can stimulate the Ganzfeld effect, a homogeneous visual field which in time generates a visual “whiteout”. The bland scientific term “whiteout”, in contrast to black-out, constitutes a rather passionless description of a highly revered meditative state of unitive or pure consciousness wherein all images and thoughts disappear.
Remember Bodhidharma, the legendary founder of Chan or Zen, received Satori by staring at a white wall. How many countless hermits have sat in their mountain caves gazing at the undifferentiated Ganzfeld of cloudless skies?
I have not tried the other devices, but I have tried ping pong balls. One of the many techniques I used to teach was with ping pong balls. I used a kind of a Taoist (wu wei), non-judgmental awareness kind of technique while gazing gently into the undifferentiated whiteness. We had many interesting experiences.
A subjective experience similar to the Ganzfeld effect or no-thing-ness arises out of concentrative meditation when you attempt to control your visual input by the cultivation of a stabilized image (continuous stimulation of the same part of the eye). Traditionally, this exclusive awareness or single-pointed-ness is manifested through fixed attention upon a mandala, afterimage, flower, statue etc. An auditory stabilized image created by a mantra, waterfall or ocean waves can produce the identical experience of no-thought.

If you’re a perfectionist, follow this, to the letter:
The opening you cut should be sinusoidal.
This helps the ball to better fit your eye socket.
Many drug stores sell this eyewash kit the contains an “eye cup” and a solution for rinsing the eye.
The eyecup is just a plastic shallow cup with an oval opening designed to conform to the eye socket. If you can’t find one of these kits, ask your druggist–he may know of another source for an eyecup.
Press the open end of the eyecup firmly against the ball so the edges of the cup are uniformly seated against the ball.
It helps to warm the eyecup by running hot water over it and thereby making it more flexible so that when pressed against the ball, the eyecup doesn’t crack.
With a sharp mechanical pencil lead, trace around the edge of the eyecup.
This describes a perfect sine wave on the surface of the ball.
Make your first cut into the ball using an Exacto knife by piercing along the pencil trace and cut the remainder of the opening with small, sharp cuticle scissors.
Choose your ping pong balls carefully as some have surface blemishes or manufacturer names printed on them.
The balls I’ve used have had seams and you should cut the opening so that the seam is parallel with the opening, maximizing the unadulterated surface area.
Using emery paper, carefully smooth the edges of the opening and you won’t need cotton.
If you cut the ball cleanly with scissors, the edges may already be smooth enough.
Cut a tennis ball in half and place one half over each ear – securing with duct tape.
If you don’t have the balls for this, white or pink noise played through headphones will enhance the effect.”
-from the Mind-L email list
Editor’s comment: It does shed some (sun)light upon but does not clarify completely this dangerous, voracious and insatiable readiness of a “psychedelicized” person to directly accept and delight in pure Golden Energy, that is streamed by Helios, with his/her wide eyes.

Misc Threads

The European Market

Here in Italy, the market of mind machine is almost virgin, still the earlier urban legends begin to come out. I was talking to some friends about M.M. and a couple of them began to say “Mind machines are dangerous, the programmers try to brainwash the people through them……They put subliminal messages into the programs to change your mind ” Trying not to laugh too much I began to explain the basics of M.M. , how they work and why what they are telling me is highly improbable (Not to tell impossible) When I asked “Why do you think so ?” one answered “Because I tried it once and I began to think though I never had before….They were not MINE for sure”

So I asked “Could you make an example” Answer “I began to feel guilty about normal things like…..yelling at my wife for a cold dinner….or slapping my son when he doesn’t do what is right” So I just realized how some people can get scared when beginning to hear a little awakening of their consciousness. Not an easy thing to do…but I’m planning to try to develop M.M. business here.

Psychedelic Visions: The Mathematics behind Brain Machine Visions

Reply-to:dkharrison@netscape.net (Don K.Harrison Jr.)

Many who have had visual effects while under the influence of psychedelics report seeing tunnels and patterns that resemble a spider’s web. In addition, the mandalas used in Tibetan Buddhism also seem to involve the gossamer quality to inner visualizations and meditation. Those familiar with Tim Leary’s book Psychedelic Experience know he attempts to utilize the basic mechanism of mandala visualization within Tibetan Buddhism and apply this knowledge to psychedelic visuals.

Tibetan Buddhists apply a Tibetan Buddhist cultural and religious format on top of this inner Web of light. Then they map out various levels of self and being from the Clear Light down through the “Bardo” to the individual incarnate personality. Has anyone attempted to explain the various levels of this inner web without the Tibetan cultural overlay?

This mechanism of visualization appears to me to be constantly in use, but only clearly seen by those who are trained in meditation, on psychedelics, or experiencing some type of psychosis. I know that this Gossamer mechanism is used to create the visual quality in dreams and that everyone is seeing this mechanism to a varying degree all the time.

If you close your eyes you don’t see “absolute” blackness, but you can see little dots of light. Psychedelic drugs magnify these dots of light so you can see them plainly, they form a complex Web of light, out of which visual elements are created. Those who experience “trails” while tripping are seeing this mechanism, also those who report seeing “faces” when they trip are also seeing this mechanism.

However full and vivid perception of this web is rare for people who trip (at least in my unscientific random questioning of those who have tripped). I am convinced that Mandalas and Yantras of Buddhists are based on this Web Mechanism.

A mathematical theory of visual hallucination patterns.

Neuronal activity in a two-dimensional net is analyzed in the neighborhood of an instability. Bifurcation theory and group theory are used to demonstrate the existence of a variety of doubly-periodic patterns, hexagons, rolls, etc., as solutions to the field equations for the net activity. It is suggested that these simple geometric patterns are the cortical concomitants of the “form constants” seen during visual hallucinosis.

Bard Ermentrout is a mathematician who took Kluver’s work (below) to its logical extreme, and showed (in a mathematical way I am not sure I will ever fully understand) that the visual cortex is set up (and other areas of cortex as well, though it has proven quite difficult to document the nature of ‘patterns’ in thought of other types) perfectly such that a ‘nudge’ like that given by LSD is suited to setting up a strong, patterned activity (attractor dynamics) in visual cortex that can account for the basic entoptic phenomena (entoptic meaning endogenous to architecture of the optic system). This was his PhD thesis work, and it was apparently well accepted (he is a mathematics and cognitive neuroscience professor at the University of Pittsburgh).

Kluver first characterized ‘deep pressure phosphenes’ which appear when you stick your finger into your eye and made some attempts at characterizing those seen under mescaline intoxication and their possible neural substrates.

ALSO, there is a book titled “Essential Substances,” by Richard Rudgley, mainly concerned with ethnopharmacology (the study of traditional or historical uses of pharmaceuticals, mostly plant-derived). This book goes into some detail concerning ‘entoptic phenomena,’ or the seeming innateness of certain visual patterns, or phosphenes, and some history of the attempts to trace their neural origins, their appearance in very early cave-paintings, ritual artifacts, etc.

Excerpts from the Mind-I email list, mostly from Jim Lambert:

Last night while relaxing into an L/S session, I gave a “heavy sigh” and said “Hmmmmmmm”. I was very surprised to notice “the intensity increase” and then fall off as soon as I stopped “hmmmmm”ing. So I started experimenting with making different sounds and “feeling” the results.

Many preset sessions are programmed to start from beta gradually ramping to the target frequency and back to beta.

This is done largely so your consciousness doesn’t get bored to death by a single frequency pulse, with the ending beta ramp being a bridge back to a per-session state.

The fact is there is really no need to do this. Entrainment will occur within the first couple of minutes of hearing the target frequency and photo stim. Boring, yes, possibly. Effective, yes, definitely.

Childhood Recall

From: “Dr. Hazim A. Mulic” <hazim.mulic@pu.tel.hr
Thus, while general benchmark frequencies may provide generalized maps to various mind states. The frequencies themselves are only one of many keys that could unlock the door to the same state.

In connection with this statement, I would add the experience which one of my clients has had during a L/S session. As an L/S device I used Dynamind and all 15 programmes I employed (as a part of the mental training for a young athlete) searching for the best one which would provide good relaxation.

After one of these sessions, she informed me that during the session she had had a vision of her mother’s car accident (fortunately not seriously injured) and she experienced almost the same feeling of sadness.

After the next several sessions, I have put her (without telling her) on the same program and she has experienced the same. I was very curious and I tried once more, after all 15 programs have been run, but this time she had had just short remembrance of her mother’s accident and felt slightly sad for the moment. Obviously some frequency “has unlocked the door” to the place in her mind where her experience of her mother’s car accident and her following emotions were stored.
Interesting, isn’t it? – Dr. Hazim Mulic

Nova Pro Dreams

From “Jeff E. Kinzli” kinzli@cisco.com
Si Ja recommended the NovaPro program #26 for preparing for OBEs. I’ve been using it lately but have noticed something very weird and wonder if anyone else has noticed it or has any ideas about it.

About 10-15 minutes into the program (I’m guessing since I haven’t broken out yet to look at the timer) I notice a vortex starting. Within the vortex I see a “T” or a cross that appears to come closer and closer. I’ve seen it numerous times, and each time I get tripped out because its so vivid and real looking. I’m using the tru-whites, but haven’t tried the standard red
glasses to see if it’s there with those as well.

This from a Norwegian:

Relax in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and relax as much as possible. Begin counting from 1 to 10. On the count of one, look down (off into infinity in the direction of the end of your nose, if your eyes were open). On the count of two, look up slightly higher, and narrow the focal point a little. Continue like this until you reach 10, at which point your focal point should be as close as possible while looking as high as possible without discomfort. Maintain this eye position while thinking of a destination (target). Repeat as desired.
Kundalini
Quit trying to blow the top of your head off. Sit quietly, erect (just your body, unless it’s Tantra you’re practicing) place your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Hold it there. Breathe slowly, and direct (don’t create) the energy from the base of the spine, up the spine to the head, and back down the front of the body to the T’an Tien, a spot about three inches below the navel, and about halfway back toward the spine. Allow the energy to “collect” there. Pay attention to moving the energy and collecting it, not generating more. Do not do pranayama, just breathe gently. – Scott 1000 Chattering Monkeys

Experiments with Psychedelics and Brain Machines

In the spirit of esoteric Gnostic alchemical Bohemian princes and these combinations have been discovered after extensive research:
OOBE = 90minSDT; 20mlK + NP100d04/AlexGrey
PRANAYAMA = 20mlK + Gz
SPIRITS = [NP10011 OR BE]
EMPATHY = 5HTP + Mel + MDMA + [BE OR pvS] + CES + AC
CHAKRA = Pr + O2 + Vn + Wpv + LSD + NP1005 + AlexGrey
Query:
SEX = GHB + Viagra + MDMA + Meth + NP100Tantric
BIOFEEDBACK = Pr + O2 + Vn + Wpv + + WR
Ketamine – 90 minutes Sensory Deprivation Tank then OOBE programs on L/S, optionally a Pranayama with Ganzfeld cut ping pong balls. Option: partner shows series of alex grey birth/rebirth/death pictures from Sacred Mirrors.
DMT – Visualization/Mindspin program – also optionally Breathwork Explorer
MDMA – Preload with 5HTP, Melatonin, then [Breathwork Explorer or pvStim Glasses] + CES + Aura Cusion
LSD – Preload with pramiracetam/Homozon plus vinpocetine; White pvStim Glasses with Chakra program while meditating on AlexGrey(.com) art

(Question – Has anybody tried biofeedbacking with psychedelics with a waverider on a laptop screen? One of the biggest frustrations for most of us: small clinicians, researchers, and independent NeuroFeedback explorers has been the scarcity of affordable EEG driven Photic Stimulation combinations and devices – not to mention compatibility between multiple systems.

Recently Dr Drew Pierson, Dr. Concrescence AKA Juris Ahn, and Ray Wolfe, President of Photosonix have developed a unique way to provide individuals with an affordable experimental Photic Stimulation device. The glasses themselves are called Smart Glasses and are driven by the MIDI output (via the game port that is on most regular sound cards) from a computer – which means it is a stand-alone device and any MIDI program can run the device. But it also means that any other type of program (i.e. neurofeedback software combined with sound/MIDI card) with a MIDI output can also drive the glasses and control the flash rate to whatever specifications that are required. Inexpensive machines such as the Waverider and the BrainMaster will be able to control the glasses… Along with the Procomp with Biograph Software, (We haven¹t tried the CapScan C80 with Windows Software and the CapScan Prism 5, but we think they should also be able to drive the glasses.) This opens a whole new range of potential protocol exploration… EMG driven stimulation… Heart rate-driven stimulation…
So within a few months, we should be able to have a very meaningful dialog on the nature of AVS combined with EEG as well as many exciting new protocols… The Glasses were designed to be used on their own as “Smart Glasses”- But as an added benefit (one of those nice OBTW’s) they will provide a valuable new tool to the clinicians arsenal…)

Biofeedback

by Scott “1000 Chattering Monkeys”

Entrainment does just that. Entrains – more or less. But without some kind of feedback, you really don’t know precisely just what quantifiable state you’ve reached. (When you use 7.5 hz., you feel mellow, when you use 14 hz., you feel focused, when you use 4 hz., you feel drowsy, ad infinitum….) Does this mean that when the lights are flashing at 10 hz., you are producing 10 hz. as a predominant brain wave pattern – perhaps.

Now, some theorize that if I “entrain” my brain to 8 hz., for example, my neurology “learns” to achieve 8 hz., and I ‘learn’ what this feels like, and can re-enter this state more easily. Some martial arts work this way you learn movements – orchestrated dance – and these movements become second nature after a while and you become quite adept and elegant at performing them – and when you need these movements – should danger arise – they become your arsenal in a ballet of power.

So does “learning” to “do” 8 hz. mean that I’ll walk around in a daze? Will 8 hz. become my predominant frequency? Probably not. But I may find myself increasingly able to function at/in different states of awareness. If I alter my awareness by altering my neurology, and I pay attention to what is occurring, I can learn to replicate these states at will. Or I can just use

L/S as a mental rolfing, allowing the roller coaster of stimulus to break up neural patterns, and hopefully make me more resilient.

Biofeedback is a bit different. “You” have to initiate some internal change, translate it into some quantifiable data that can be displayed back (fed back) to you – a biofeedback device can do this for you, or with a “technique” such as Open Focus or Freeze Frame you can do it for yourself. Then you make overt or subtle changes and note the results. This way, you learn and can actively train your neurology.

Now, this is where I would surely get pounced upon were I to post this to the Psychophysiology list. There are so many different approaches to biofeedback, and so many different methods of first gathering data and then interpreting that data, and everyone seems partial to their own method (some even going so far as to patent their protocols) that I’m beginning to wonder if what you do is any more important than ‘that’ you do.

Perhaps just being interested in your own neurology and making a disciplined attempt at conscious control has benefit. Most certainly there are practitioners and researchers that achieve remarkable quantifiable results, but they achieve these results in a myriad of sometimes seemingly contradicting – ways. I think brain blood flow has a lot to do with the various effects. Stimulating whatever areas produce specific responses causes an increase or decrease in blood flow to those areas, and this could be responsible for a great deal of the effects produced.

L/S is the least expensive way to enter this field broadly – and for many, it is enough. Biofeedback would benefit by at least cursory knowledge of whatever you are measuring (galvanic skin response, eeg, heart rate) and the attendant physiological responses/mechanisms. GSR is an affordable way to start. EEG can run anywhere from several hundred dollars (US) to several thousand dollars. I have a WaveRider. I tested Brainmaster #2 I think it was, from Tom Collura – great unit, but only available as a kit. I’m currently saving my $ for a ROSHI (Amiga based L/S, EEG, Holy Grail – all in one unit!)

Perhaps the best book written on new paradigms of biofeedback is chronicled in Space, Time, and Medicine by Larry Dossey, M.D.

Appendix: On Drug Testing

First of all, you should never work for a company that urine tests you. It’s a good sign that the real reaming of your self-dignity is only beginning. They only get the pot smokers anyway.

Regarding marijuana, THC, its major psychoactive ingredient, enters the bloodstream rapidly after smoking (in minutes) and when ingested orally more slowly (1.5 hours to 3 hours). It is rapidly metabolized into several metabolites, the primary one being 11-non-delta-9-tetra hydro cannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (9-carboxy-THC). This is an inert metabolite exerting no psychoactive effect.
THC itself is detectable in the blood for a few hours, and practically none of the active ingredient is excreted in the urine.56 Metabolites of marijuana are detectable for days, weeks, or months after use. Reports of over 30 days have been demonstrated. One study found an average of 31 days for chronic users, with a range of 4 to 77 days, and for occasional users an average of 13 days with a range of 3 to 29 days.57 Thus Richard Hawks concludes:

A single positive urine test does not mean that the person was under the influence of marijuana at the time the urine specimen was collected. A true-positive urine test means only that the person providing the specimen used marijuana in the recent past, which could be hours, days, or weeks depending on the specific use pattern.58

The effect of marijuana-laced brownies or the persistence of metabolites in urine has also been studied. Five drug-free male subjects ingested marijuana-laced brownies in a double-blind crossover study. Peak effects occurred 2.5 to 3.5 hours after consumption. Urinalysis by EMIT, Abuscreen, and GC/MS indicated that substantial amounts of marijuana metabolites were excreted over a period of 3 to 14 days.58b
Cocaine is rapidly absorbed after smoking, with the maximum plasma concentration occurring in 5 minutes. After intranasal ingestions, maximum concentrations are reached in 30 to 40 minutes. Cocaine is extensively metabolized, with only 1 percent of the dose being excreted unchanged in the urine. Approximately 70 percent of the dose can be recovered in the urine over a period of 3 days. The major metabolite is benzoylecgonine, which can be detected on immunoassay tests for 24 to 48 hours.59

Regarding amphetamine and methamphetamine, the latter is metabolized into amphetamines and both drugs will appear in the urine. Amphetamine is metabolized into deaminated (hippuric and benzoic acids) and hydroxylated metabolites. From 2 percent to 68 percent of amphetamine is excreted unchanged in the urine, with the higher percentage in more acidic urines. In 24 hours, about 79 percent of the dose is excreted in acidic urine and about 45 percent in alkaline urine. About 20 to 30 percent is excreted as unchanged amphetamine and 25 percent as benzoic acid and its conjugate (hippuric acid). Unchanged amphetamine has been detected up to 29 hours after a single oral dose of amphetamines (5 mg) and unchanged methamphetamine has been detected 23 hours after an oral dose. A positive amphetamine analysis indicates uses of amphetamine or methamphetamine 24 to 48 hours previously.60

Opiates typically include morphine, heroin, and codeine. Morphine is rapidly absorbed after oral use, with peak plasma level occurring at 15 to 60 minutes. After injection, it peaks in 15 minutes. It is extensively metabolized with only 2 to 12 percent excreted as unchanged morphine in the urine. The principal metabolite for detection is morphine-3 glucuronide, 70 percent of which is excreted in 48 hours. Heroin is changed to monacetylmorphine, which is metabolized in morphine. The pattern of heroin excretion in the urine is similar to morphine, with additional trace amounts of 6-acetyl morphine being detectable in the urine. Codeine is rapidly absorbed with maximum concentrations 1 hour after ingestion. It is extensively metabolized, primarily as conjugated 6-codeine-glucuronide. Codeine, norcodeine, and morphine appear in urine after codeine ingestion. Typically, positive test results will show for 2 to 4 days after use. Poppy seeds will produce a positive test result for opiates for up to 60 hours after being ingested.61
Phencyclidine (PCP) has a maximum plasma concentration 15 minutes after smoking. Unchanged PCP is excreted in the urine in moderate amounts (10 percent of dose), with the principal metabolites primarily being conjugates of hydroxylated PCP. PCP can be detected in urine from several days to several weeks after use.62

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) has its effects within minutes after use and can last up to twelve hours. Flashbacks have also been reported long after last use. LSD is rapidly metabolized and only a small portion of the dose is excreted unchanged in the urine. LSD itself could be detected up to 30 hours after use, and metabolites can be detected for longer periods (72 hours).63

Methaqualone (Quaaludes) is rapidly absorbed, with peak plasma concentration in 1.5 to 2 hours. It is extensively metabolized, with less than 1 percent of the dose excreted unchanged. Metabolites can be detected of over a week.64
Barbiturates are depressants and sedatives with varying duration, ranging from 15 minutes to over one day. The most common are short and intermediate drugs including phenobarbital (Nembutal), secobarbital (Seconal), and amobarbital (Amytal). They are excreted into the urine in varying amounts of unchanged drug and metabolites. The shorter-acting drugs have a higher percentage of metabolites. They have been noted in urine for several weeks in chronic users and up to 76 hours after single doses.65

Benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium and Librium) are extensively metabolized. Nonconjugated metabolites may have pharmacological activity. The half-lives vary widely for each drug. Positive urine tests may result for weeks or months after use.

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