S. A. Koren

A THEORY OF NEUROPHYSICS AND QUANTUM NEUROSCIENCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR BRAIN FUNCTION AND THE LIMITS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The authors have assumed there are specific temporal patterns of complex electromagnetic fields that can access and affect all levels of brain space. The article presents formulae and results that might reveal the required field configurations to obtain this access and to represent these levels in human consciousness. The frequency for the transition from an imaginary to real solution for the four-dimensional human brain was the wavelength of hydrogen whereas the optimal distance in space was the width of a proton or electron. The time required to expand one Plancks length as inferred by Hubbles constant for the proton was about 1 to 3 ms, the optimal resonant “point duration” of our most bioeffective magnetic fields. Calculations indicated the volume of a proton is equivalent to a tube or string with the radius of Plancks length and the longitudinal length of m (the width of the universe). Solutions from this approach predicted the characteristics of many biological phenomena, seven more “dimensions” of space between Plancks length and the level of the proton, and an inflection point between increments of space and time that corresponded to the distances occupied by chemical bonds. The multiple congruencies of the solutions suggest that brain space could contain inordinately large amounts of information reflecting the nature of extraordinarily large increments of space and time.

Exposure to a theta-burst patterned magnetic field impairs memory acquisition and consolidation for contextual but not discrete conditioned fear in rats

Preceding or immediately following fear-conditioning rats were exposed for 30 min to either a sham field, one of two symmetrical (sine-wave 7, 20 Hz) magnetic fields or to one of two complex magnetic fields whose waveforms were modeled after salient electrophysiological patterns within either the hippocampal formation (theta-burst) or the amygdaloid complex (burst-firing). The magnetic fields were presented in successive 2s intervals through each of the three spatial planes and then simultaneously within all three planes. Field strengths ranged between 0.5 and 1 microTesla. Only the group exposed after the conditioning to the theta-burst (hippocampal) magnetic fields displayed evidence of forgetting, as inferred by their marked attenuation of freezing behavior, during contextual extinction 24h later. This powerful treatment explained 75% of the variance in the extinction scores. Behavioral responses to the discrete conditioned stimulus were not affected. These findings are consistent with the involvement of the hippocampus in learned fear to contextual stimuli but not to discrete auditory stimuli and suggest that physiologically relevant stimuli may be delivered to the brain by weak, complex magnetic fields whose intensities are ubiquitous within modern environments.

Experimental Simulation of a Haunt Experience and Elicitation of Paroxysmal Electroencephalographic Activity by Transcerebral Complex Magnetic Fields: Induction of a Synthetic “Ghost”?:

To test the hypothesis that experiences of apparitional phenomena with accompanying fear can be simulated within the laboratory, a 45-yr.-old Journalist and professional musician who had experienced a classic haunt four years previously was exposed to 1 microTesla, complex, transcerebral magnetic fields. Within 10 min. after exposure to a frequency-modulated pattern applied over the right hemisphere, the man reported “rushes of fear” that culminated in the experience of an apparition. Concurrent electroencephalographic measurements showed conspicuous 1-sec-to-2-sec. paroxysmal complex spikes (15 Hz) that accompanied the reports of fear. A second magnetic field pattern, applied bilaterally through the brain, was associated with pleasant experiences. The subject concluded that the synthetic experience of the apparition was very similar to the one experienced in the natural setting. The results of this experiment suggest that controlled simulation of these pervasive phenomena within the laboratory is possible and that this experimental protocol may help discern the physical stimuli that evoke their occurrence in nature.

Magnetic Pulses Elevate Nociceptive Thresholds: Comparisons with Opiate Receptor Compounds in Normal and Seizure-Induced Brain-Damaged Rats

Normal rats or rats with seizure-induced limbic-thalamic damage were given one of five treatments: control, saline injections, morphine (4 mg/ kg) injections, naloxone (10 mg/kg) injections, or magnetic pulses, on 3 successive days. Flinch thresholds to electric shock were determined before the treatments and 20 and 40 min following the treatments on each of the 3 days. The results indicated that the magnetic pulsed fields (1 s of a 5 × 10 6 T burst firing pattern every 4 s for 20 min) elicited a more prolonged and larger analgesic effect than the other treatments; the effect size was sufficient to be of potential clinical relevance. The characteristics of the magnetic treatment effect suggest there is a release of endogenous analgesics whose half-life is greater than experimental dosages of morphine.

INCREASED FEELINGS OF THE SENSED PRESENCE AND INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY AT THE TIME OF THE EXPERIENCE DURING EXPOSURES TO TRANSCEREBRAL WEAK COMPLEX MAGNETIC FIELDS

In 2 separate experiments involving 39 subjects the incidence of sensing a presence or Sentient Being while being exposed to weak complex magnetic fields over the right hemisphere was moderately correlated with increased global geomagnetic activity during the 3-h periods of the experiences. Analyses of magnetometer values near the laboratory indicated the intensity of the east-west component of the geomagnetic field had been increasing consistently at about 1 pT/s for at least 10 min for a cumulative change of about 15 to 20 nT. The ratios of the durations of alpha rhythms over the temporal lobes compared to the occipital lobes were correlated significantly with both increased geomagnetic activity and the reports of a presence. Removal of the shared variance between the sensed presence and various psychometric inferences of temporal lobe sensitivity and the history of dissociation increased and decreased, respectively, the strength of the partial correlations between geomagnetic activity and the reports of a sensed presence. The results suggest the culturally and historically ubiquitous phenomena of sensed presences are generated by right hemispheric processes that once enhanced by a variety of stimuli, including weak complex magnetic fields, can be encouraged by increased global geomagnetic activity.

Differential ratings of pleasantness following right and left hemispheric application of low energy magnetic fields that stimulate long-term potentiation

A total of 40 normal men and women were exposed under double blind conditions for 20 min to either sham-conditions or to 1 microT (10 mG) electromagnetic fields (known to produce long-term potentiation within hippocampal slices) that were applied primarily over the right temporal lobe, over the left temporal lobe or over both temporal lobes homogeneously. The men and women who received the stimulation over the right hemisphere rated their experiences as significantly more pleasant than those who received the same stimulation over the left hemisphere [eta = 0.51]. Covariance for the variation in ambient geomagnetic activity, which was negatively correlated with pleasantness, increased the significance of the experimental treatment. The potential clinical utility of applying computer-generated local and penetrative but weak intensity complex magnetic fields over portions of the human brain is discussed.

DIFFERENTIAL ENTRAINMENT OF ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC ACTIVITY BY WEAK COMPLEX ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS

The hypothesis was tested that compensatory susceptibility to electro-encephalographic driving and entrainment by weak (1 microT) time-varying, externally applied complex magnetic fields would occur in normal subjects following successive stimulation by different patterns. 43% of the volunteers showed evidence of driving during the application of the complex magnetic fields and indications of resonance (entrainment) during the first 10 sec. following the cessation of the fields. The volunteers who exhibited driving and entrainment could be discriminated from those who did not by their more frequent reported experiences of fear and odd tastes during the stimulation. They were also more likely to have a preexposure history of a sense of presence and to experience intense meaningfulness when reading or writing prose or poetry.

Enhancement of Temporal Lobe-Related Experiences During Brief Exposures to Milligauss Intensity Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields

Volunteers wore opaque goggles while sitting quietly within an acoustic chamber that was weakly illuminated by a red light. During six successive 5-minute periods each subject received 3 pairs (offlon) of either 4 Hz, 9 Hz or 16 Hz, 0.3 mG to 1.0 mG (100 nT), pulsed magnetic fields (both polarities) that were applied externally at the level of the temporal lobes; a fourth group received the sham field. Subjects exposed to the magnetic fields displayed enhanced vestibular, depersonalization and imagining experiences compared to sham-field controls. Pleasantness scores were positively correlated with numbers of temporal lobe spikes; both measures were enhanced within the field conditions. When variance associated with psychometric inferences of temporal lobe sensitivity and cognitive style was accommodated, a significant increase in temporal (but not occipital) lobe alpha activity for the groups exposed to the magnetic fields was revealed. These results suggest that weak, pulsed magnetic fields, focused acr...

Subjective time estimation by humans is increased by counterclockwise but not clockwise circumcerebral rotations of phase-shifting magnetic pulses in the horizontal plane.

Volunteers were required to estimate 10-s intervals after 2.5 min exposures to each of six different patterns of complex magnetic fields. The approximately 10 microT fields were applied sequentially through eight solenoids that were arranged circumcerebrally (every 45 deg) at the level of the temporoorbital plane. There were three rates of change for the circumcerebral rotations whose durations ranged between about 200 and 2000 ms. Successive additions of 20 ms of the complex fields during the counterclockwise circumcerebral rotation at each solenoid distended subjective time most effectively. Subjective time of the group who received these counterclockwise rotations was about 3 s longer than the group who received the clockwise rotations (explaining approximately 50% of the variance). The results are consistent with the model that the temporal binding for experience, most likely a feature of the rostrocaudal waves recreated every approximately 20 ms over the cerebral cortices, can be modified by weak magnetic fields whose spatial direction and temporal complexity are designed to interact with this process.

DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF WAVE FORM AND THE SUBJECT'S POSSIBLE TEMPORAL LOBE SIGNS UPON EXPERIENCES DURING CEREBRAL EXPOSURE TO WEAK INTENSITY MAGNETIC FIELDS

In three separate experiments a total of 85 male and female university students were exposed within a Ganzfeld setting to weak (1 mG, 100 nT), complex magnetic field patterns. They were applied across the temporal lobes and generated by computer software. When the patterns were rotated spatially over the temporal lobes the numbers of subjective experiences that simulate possible temporal lobe signs and symptoms were markedly increased and qualitatively more extreme than those evoked when the fields were not rotated. A 16 Hz pulsed square wave generated more experiences of thought intrusion than a 4 Hz wave. A positive-feedback ringing wave presented at 4 Hz evoked more visual memories and images than the mirror image of the same wave; the effect was only apparent when the subjects quantitative scores for possible temporal lobe signs was covaried. Only those subjects who displayed above average temporal lobe signs and were exposed to a burst-firing wave pattern for one second once every 4 seconds (a condi...