My little Tony
29th October 2010, 22:00
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helmet
Equipment
Persinger uses a modified snowmobile helmet (the "Koren Helmet") that contains solenoids placed over the temporal lobes, or a device nicknamed the Octopus that uses solenoids, both of which output "weak but complex" magnetic fields. The Octopus uses solenoids around the whole brain, in a circle just above subject's ears, eyes and the bony ridge at the back of the skull, a region that includes the temporal lobes. Persinger reports that at least 80 percent of his participants (working with the Koren Helmet) experience a presence beside them in the room, which ranges from a simple 'sensed presence' to God. About one percent experienced God, while many more had less evocative, but still significant experiences of 'another being'.
Controversy
There is controversy as to the source of the effects Persinger measured. In December 2004 Nature reported that a group of Swedish researchers, attempting to replicate the experiment under double-blind conditions, were not able to verify the effect.[2] Susan Blackmore, experimental psychologist and experienced researcher of 'paranormal' experiences, was reluctant to give up on the theory just yet. She said: "When I went to Persinger's lab and underwent his procedures I had the most extraordinary experiences I've ever had… I'll be surprised if it turns out to be a placebo effect." [3] Persinger, however, takes issue with the Swedish attempts to replicate his work. "They didn't replicate it, not even close," he says.[3] He argues that the Swedish group did not expose the subjects to magnetic fields for long enough to produce an effect. He also stresses that many of his studies were indeed double blinded.[4]
Equipment
Persinger uses a modified snowmobile helmet (the "Koren Helmet") that contains solenoids placed over the temporal lobes, or a device nicknamed the Octopus that uses solenoids, both of which output "weak but complex" magnetic fields. The Octopus uses solenoids around the whole brain, in a circle just above subject's ears, eyes and the bony ridge at the back of the skull, a region that includes the temporal lobes. Persinger reports that at least 80 percent of his participants (working with the Koren Helmet) experience a presence beside them in the room, which ranges from a simple 'sensed presence' to God. About one percent experienced God, while many more had less evocative, but still significant experiences of 'another being'.
Controversy
There is controversy as to the source of the effects Persinger measured. In December 2004 Nature reported that a group of Swedish researchers, attempting to replicate the experiment under double-blind conditions, were not able to verify the effect.[2] Susan Blackmore, experimental psychologist and experienced researcher of 'paranormal' experiences, was reluctant to give up on the theory just yet. She said: "When I went to Persinger's lab and underwent his procedures I had the most extraordinary experiences I've ever had… I'll be surprised if it turns out to be a placebo effect." [3] Persinger, however, takes issue with the Swedish attempts to replicate his work. "They didn't replicate it, not even close," he says.[3] He argues that the Swedish group did not expose the subjects to magnetic fields for long enough to produce an effect. He also stresses that many of his studies were indeed double blinded.[4]