Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

[Helmut]

Hi PyroPsion69,

try this one http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com. You could use your own frequencies(delta up to high gamma)with the device. You can create a CD with cooledit, but you would not use hemi-sync technic, as the brain can react directly to the stimulation frequencies. If you are fit with electronics you can also modifiy the helmet. Interesting aproach to direct brain stimulation, with specific signals but on a low intensity level.

Helmut

[beavis]

Dont do it! I used magnetic waves (500 hz) from an electric toothbrush. I put it against my head for a total of an hour. I was trying to shake some water out of my ear (got half of it out). The toothbrush transfers all the force from the handle to the brush by magnetism. A few days later, the top half of my body became numb for 30 minutes.

[PyroPsion69]

I bet your problem was the frequency of the EM. 500 hz is pretty high, ones that induce alpha waves in the brain are about 4-50 hz.

Helmut thanks for the link, that invention is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of (those bastard telepaths keep taking my ideas! [] actually I've had a reputation for taking ideas and snatching words out of peoples mouths before they say it). I wonder if they would send me a diagram of their circuits so I could attempt something myself.

[eleusis2]

Interesting idea, although to be honest id stay away from things like that. The brain still isnt understood very well in terms of electromagnetic activity and you could end up doing yourself some harm, especially if you try to bodge some device up yourself.

I recall reading something about a man who was investigating something like this. If i remember right it was part of research into artificial "eyes" for blind people and they were seeing if they could induce imagery in the brain by use of magnetic stimulation. The test subject reported seeing colourful abstract patterns (similar to those induced by psychadelics?), and also reported headaches and feelings of detachment for several days after the experiment. In the end it was discontinued due to "lack of meaningful results". Translation: It was considered too dangerous.

Theres probably been more research done into this since then, if anybody can find the time to look it up. If you do, let me know. While i wouldnt do it personally it is a very interesting subject.

-- Eleusis []

[greatoutdoors]

I've read some interesting articles on this topic in Scientific American and Discover magazines. I believe they were written in the last year, but I would guess you could find references to them on the websites of those mags. One of the things they commented on was the inability to target deeper areas of the brain with their current equipment, but they did succeed in paralyzing some superficial areas for brief periods. I can't recall exactly what they achieved right now. [B)]

I would really recommend against trying it at home -- there is no way you can monitor things properly, and no one to "catch you if you fall". It might be neat to get involved in a university study of such, if anyone knows who may be doing that sort of thing. I'm trying to find a formal research source for hypnosis myself, with no luck so far. Both areas of research are interesting -- we have so much yet to learn!!!!

My question about any experience that is artificially induced, whether by drugs, booze, magnetism, or whatever, is how do we know what part of the experience was real and what part was just hallucination? That's why I am looking into hypnosis. It just allows you to better use what you have, without adding any "extras".

[PyroPsion69]

Yea thats a good point, there's too much risk involved with accidendally messing something up. Maybe once the idea is tested more that they will come out with something comercial (like that's ever going to happen.)

[PyroPsion69]

I'm talking about using magnetic waves to induce electrical impulses in the human brain. It is being studied as a frontier treatment for neuralogical diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and other similar ailments, as an anti-seizure treatment. The military is also looking into it as a non leathal deterent weapon, a disruptive pulsing magnetic field passes through the subject's brain, causing it to temporarily "freeze" at the moment the field was applied (as if they were counting, they would go "one, two, (field applied) three, three, three, (field removed) four...) (I'm kind of borrowing this from another forum, so if credit needs to be givin just PM me, but I don't think there will be a problem otherwise). Anyways, it seems like a very interesting idea, and I was wondering if it might have a potential to boost mental activity or psychic awareness. I haven't seen anything for this usage on Google, I am pretty sure its a ground breaking idea. Though I don't want to be the first one testing it .

The idea I had for a setup would be a source of similar to brainwave frequencies (like diaural tracks). It would be routed to a headset like normal, but would also have a splitter jack to a pair of magnetic coils. The coils would have fine tune adjustment for amplitude and frequency. The coils would be on either side of the head, probably just above the ears (my friend informed me that this is where they usually scan with MRIs, so it sounds like it would be safer than on top of the head), extending to the front of the forehead.

Here are some various links about TMS usage:
http://web.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/BrainBriefings_Feb2002.pdf
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/2/1/abstract