Ganzfeld Effect

[BrownEye]

May or may not be applicable to this forum.

In the 1930s, research by psychologist Wolfgang Metzger established that when subjects gazed into a featureless field of vision they consistently hallucinated and their electroencephalograms changed.

The Ganzfeld effect is the result of the brain amplifying neural noise in order to look for the missing visual signals. The noise is interpreted in the higher visual cortex, and gives rise to hallucinations. This is similar to dream production because of the brain's state of sensory deprivation during sleep.

The Ganzfeld effect has been reported since ancient times. The adepts of Pythagoras retreated to pitch black caves to receive wisdom through their visions[2], known as the prisoner's cinema. Miners trapped by accidents in mines frequently reported hallucinations, visions and seeing ghosts when they were in the pitch dark for days. Arctic explorers seeing nothing but featureless landscape of white snow for a long time also reported hallucinations and an altered state of mind.

The effect is a component of a Ganzfeld experiment, a technique used in the field of parapsychology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_effect

Instructables

http://mindwavesgoggles.com/

When Ganzfelds have been tried by experienced meditators, they have described the effect as instant meditation. This is not surprising, since most forms of meditation require you to focus your attention on a spot, flower, mantra, etc.

While traditional meditation can take many years of practice, a Ganzfeld works for most people in a matter of minutes. (Some researchers have claimed to also have tested the effects of Ganzfelds on psychic abilities, and have found a statistically significant increase in test scores.)



The Effect Described

When someone is exposed to a Ganzfeld, they often experience a progression of effects that can be described as follows:

All color drains from your field of vision
The size of your field of vision oscillates
You "see" a swirling Kaleidoscope of colors and with practice
You completely ignore your vision as you us your mind in an extremely focused way
People have reported using Ganzfelds in the following ways:

Instant Meditation
Self Hypnosis
Astral Journeys
Past Lives Regressions
Psychic Abilities
Guided Imagery
Creativity
Relaxation
Self Healing & Improvement


Building The Ganzfeld Device
Materials

1 ping pong ball
pink, yellow or blue marker or water color
Instructions:
Cut ping pong ball in half (each half will cover one eye)
Color outside of ball evenly
Usage

Sit or lay in a well lit room.

Place over your eyes.

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http://www.dreamviews.com/f45/ganzfeld-e...ons-88552/