S. G. Tiller

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.

Remote Viewing with the Artist Ingo Swann: Neuropsychological Profile, Electroencephalographic Correlates, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Possible Mechanisms

In the present study, the artist Ingo Swann, who helped develop the process of remote viewing (awareness of distant objects or places without employing normal senses), was exposed during a single setting of 30 min. to specific patterns of circumcerebral magnetic fields that significantly altered his subjective experiences. Several times during subsequent days, he was asked to sit in a quiet chamber and to sketch and to describe verbally distant stimuli (pictures or places) beyond his normal senses. The proportions of unusual 7-Hz spike and slow wave activity over the occipital lobes per trial were moderately correlated (rho= .50) with the ratings of accuracy between these distal, hidden stimuli and his responses. A neuropsychological assessment and Magnetic Resonance Imaging indicated a different structural and functional organization within the parieto-occipital region of the subjects right hemisphere from organizations typically noted. The results suggest that this type of paranormal phenomenon, often dismissed as methodological artifact or accepted as proofs of spiritual existence, is correlated with neurophysiological processes and physical events. Remote viewing may be enhanced by complex experimentally generated magnetic fields designed to interact with the neuromagnetic “binding facror” of consciousness.

ELEVATED INCIDENCE OF A SENSED PRESENCE AND SEXUAL AROUSAL DURING PARTIAL SENSORY DEPRIVATION AND SENSITIVITY TO HYPNOSIS: IMPLICATIONS FOR HEMISPHERICITY AND GENDER DIFFERENCES

As predicted by the vectorial cerebral hemisphericity hypothesis, 24 normal young women reported significantly more experiences of a “presence” than did 24 normal young men within a setting that emphasized hypnosis and partial sensory deprivation. The incidence of these experiences was positively correlated with scores on Spiegels Hypnosis Induction Profile, while the attribution of the chamber experiences to ego-alien sources was correlated with the magnitude of (Vingianos) right hemisphericity for the women only. Both sexes exhibited a significant association between the experience of a presence and sexual arousal.

Case report: A prototypical spontaneous ‘sensed presence’ of a sentient being and concomitant electroencephalographic activity in the clinical laboratory

The sensed presence of a ‘Sentient Being’ has been hypothesized to be the transient awareness of the right hemispheric equivalent of the left hemispheric sense of self. When the clinical context is supportive for the expression of anomalous cognition, the experience is reported frequently by patients who display complex partial epileptic-like symptoms and signs following a mild closed head injury. This article describes a patient with a history of presences subsequent to a ‘mild’ closed head injury who reported strong experiences during an electroencephalographic screening within a very quiet and darkened setting at the end of a day of neuropsychological assessments. The right-sided presence was preceded by the sensation of an ‘electric shock’ through the right hand and then both hands. Whole body ‘icy coldness’ and then vibrations ‘moved’ through her entire body. The experiences were concomitant with paroxysmal irregular 4–5-Hz activity over the temporal lobes. This case illustrates that many sensed presences might be similar to ‘epileptic auras’ for patients who also display elevated complex partial epileptic-like experiences following closed head injuries and that close attention to typically ignored electroencephalographic ‘transients’ may be helpful indicators.

Background sound pressure fluctuations (5 DB) from overhead ventilation systems increase subjective fatigue of university students during three-hour lectures.

During each of four successive sessions (once per week), 21 university students attended 3-hr. lectures. During alternative weeks the fans of the rooms ventilation system were either on or off. When operating, they generated an average sound pressure that varied continuously between 60 and 65 dB. The dominant frequency of this 5-dB amplitude modulation of sound pressure was within the electroen cephalographic range (5 Hz to 25 Hz). At the end of each hour of the lecture for each session each student estimated on 7-point summated rating scales fatigue (none to maximum) and concentration (poor to excellent). As a group, the students reported more fatigue during lectures when the fans were operating relative to lectures when the fans were not operating. This environmental effect explained about 30% of the variance in fatigue ratings and may be sufficient to affect adversely the attention of students within these settings.

ENHANCEMENT OF IMAGES OF POSSIBLE MEMORIES OF OTHERS DURING EXPOSURE TO CIRCUMCEREBRAL MAGNETIC FIELDS: CORRELATIONS WITH AMBIENT GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY

On the basis of results from a special subject who reported information at a distance during exposure to weak, circumcerebral magnetic fields rotating within the horizontal plane. we designed an experiment to discern if the subjective narratives of normal people exposed to these fields could be similar to the comments of emotionally related individuals who were concurrently generating shared memories about a randomly selected stimulus. Blind matching of the comments indicated that the proportions of 44 students who accurately paired the narratives of the field-exposed subject and the comments of the stimulus person as congruent were statistically significant for 5 of the 7 pairs whose narratives were of sufficient length for analysis. The ratings for congruence of the pairs of verbal behaviors for the 7 pairs of subjects were negatively correlated (rho = −.72) with the geomagnetic activity during the 24-hr. interval within which the experiences were conducted. The results suggested consciousness might also be an insulator to myriad stimuli which might be accessible when brain activity is modified by circumcerebral magnetic fields with temporal configurations in the order of 20 msec.

Geophysical variables and behavior: XCVII. Increased proportions of the left-sided sense of presence induced experimentally by right hemispheric application of specific (frequency-modulated) complex magnetic fields.

12 young men and women who were not aware of the stimulus order were exposed to 8 configurations of weak (1 microTesla) magnetic fields for 5 min. each, applied primarily over the right parietotemporal region. The numbers of sensed presences along the left side, right side, or front/back, as inferred by button presses at the time of the experience, were recorded. There were significantly (η2 =.37) more experiences along the left side than the right side during the presentations of a frequency-modulated (Thomas) pattern with 3-msec. point durations compared to the presentation of its temporally reversed structure or to patterns that were more or less complex. 40% of all left-sided presences occurred during the 5-min. presentation of this specific frequency-modulated pattern. These results suggest that the subjective lateralization of a sensed presence to the left during right hemispheric stimulation by weak magnetic fields is enhanced by the specific temporal structure of the applied field.

Test-retest scores for patients who display neuropsychological impairment following "mild head injuries" from mechanical impacts.

A total of 20 patients who had sustained impact of significant mechanical energies to the skull (>40 km/hour) were assessed at Time 1, about one year (68% between 2 mo. and 12 mo.) postincident while Time 2 was about two years later. During Time 1 this group was impaired (proficiency z<−2.00) according to two standardized neuropsychological indices and exhibited abnormally elevated psychometric depression (z>2.00). There were no statistically significant improvements for the scores between Times 1 and 2 on the Halstead-Reitan Impairment Index, the Memory Quotient, Depression, or an impairment index composed of standardized scores for 31 neuropsychological tests. These results indicated that the presumption of some neuropsychologists that patients with “mild head injury” have fully recovered within one year or will continue to improve after about one year following the incident may not be valid for all patients who sustain such brain trauma.

SPECT (HMPAO) SUPPORT FOR ACTIVATION OF THE MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTICES DURING TOE GRAPHAESTHESIA

This experiment was designed to test the construct validity of psychometric analyses that suggested a strong functional association between the accuracy for toe graphaesthesia and selective activation of neurons within the medial prefrontal regions. Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) profiles were obtained for three volunteers (2 men, 1 woman) after they had been exposed to a toe graphaesthesia task or had been exposed to the control setting. The two measurements for each participant were separated by at least one week. Qualitative evaluation, using criteria employed for clinical diagnoses, of serial coronal, sagittal, and horizontal sections clearly indicated a specific increase in uptake of tracer within the rostral one-third to one-half of the medial prefrontal cortices of all three subjects during the toe graphaesthesia task compared to that during baseline conditions. The results are consistent with our neuropsychological research which indicates that toe graphaesthesia may be an accurate and useful indicator of the functional integrity of the medial surfaces of the anterior cerebral hemispheres.

Intratest and Intertest Means and Reliability of the MMPI–168 for University Students and Patients Referred for Neuropsychological Assessment

68 first-year university students and 37 patients, after a 1-mo. or a 2-yr. interval, respectively, were re-administered the MMPI–168 (the first 168 items of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). The mean of the test-retest correlation coefficients between the first and second administrations for the 13 scales (3 validity, 10 clinical) was about .62 for the students and the patients. The mean absolute change in standardized scores for the scales between the two administrations for both groups was only 0.2 of a standard deviation. Compared to the students, however, the patients who had been referred for neuropsychological assessments displayed elevated (>2 SD) mean scores for several of the scales during both administrations. These results indicate that the MMPI-168 profiles of the patients did not change appreciably even though several years had elapsed since the injuries. The correlation coefficients between means of the scaled scores between the first and second administrations for the students and patients were .91 and .95, respectively.