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Mind Machines.

Mr Wolf

New Blood
M
Joined
May 1, 2005
Messages
20
Hi, all. First post. :)


I was wondering if anyone knows of any scientific studies of so called mind machines.

The idea behind these machines is that, you wear a pair of glasses that have flashing L.E.D.'s close to your closed eyelids.

The lights flash at a certain frequency, and it is suggested that your brain synchronises with this frequency.

Different frequencies correspond to different mental states. Eg. Beta=Alertness. Alpha=Relaxed.

Is there any foundation to these claims?

Either regarding the technology or the information on different brain states?

Thanks.

Some links. (Which stink of woo to me.)

http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~andrewc/

http://www.elixa.com/mental/mental.htm

http://www.mindmodulations.com/
 
I've mentioned this elsewhere. I bought one several years ago. (1995?)
The effect it had on me was it helped me sleep at a time when , for several reasons, I was having problems in that line. My sexual allure grew no greater, my IQ neither rose nor fell (so far as I know) and my ability to concentrate or memorise remained unchanged. But it did put me to sleep.

A friend, who had practised TM years earlier, said it instantly put her back into meditative trance state, which had taken her an hour or so of mantra chanting to achieve when she was an active user of TM.

So there are real effects,presumably on brain wave activity, but these may not be the ones claimed in the ads. Or not in my experience anyway. But I suspect individual response may vary widely.

Welcome aboard.
 
Well, is there any good studies done into the effects of TM trances? Or trances in general?

Though I often get crazy insomnia, so that alone would be a cool application.

I wouldnt pay for one though. I think it would probably be easy enough to make one, with a couple of l.e.d's hooked up to my pc, and some basic programming. (looking into it.)
 
I don't have any research about them. I just felt like trying anything that didn't involve drugs to get to sleep. Whether the specific patterns generated by the sound and LEDs is critical I don't know, but you could experiment.

The rechargable battery died on mine. Haven't even seen it for ages.

Actually I found an angle poise lamp got me to sleep nearly as well. You know that pleasant sensation of warmth and light on closed eyelids when you sunbathe? A tungsten bulb simulates that pretty well. We tend to suppose a bright light will keep us awake- not when it's warm as well, I find.
 
I am not a big fan of sunbathing,.

I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking I was getting sunburn. :P

Maybe if I used the mind machine for insomnia, I would find myself getting inexplicably tired next time I go to a rave. :)
 
I put together a bank of eight 100-watt natural light bulbs. I find it incredibly relaxing to have 800 watts blaring down on me while I'm sitting in my massage chair.

Oddly enough, I use the same thing on a timer for a morning alarm clock. Few things are as instantly awakening as having a nuclear blast of 800 watts instantly blaring down on you in a previously dark room.
 
Heh, that would stop anyone sleeping in. :)

Thanks for the link Dann, but I think that guy is researching a very specific area to do with the human minds tendancy towards spirituality.

I am not sure neuroscience is really needed to expalin that.

But I am really looking for studies into whether these machines actually do what they claim to. And whether there is any benefits in being able to change your brain frequency at the flick of a switch.

Thanks.
 
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