I always thought that there is a specific cadence or rhythm to the human mind and I would create some music (or sequence of tones) that would get people addicted and I would sell it on a per-listen basis and make trillions.
Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
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Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#42I always thought that there is a specific cadence or rhythm to the human mind and I would create some music (or sequence of tones) that would get people addicted and I would sell it on a per-listen basis and make trillions.
Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest discusses this, only it's a film.
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fascinating. It sounds like the exact opposite of "mindfulness".
And interestingly, sounds pretty similar to the 'state of flow' that we also find so valuable.
It could be more nuanced than that. In zombie-like states it looks like System 1 takes over and you just do basic activities without really being present in them. In the "flow" state you need to actively engage System 2, although at the same time you tend to reduce the amount of external stimuli to focus on the action at hand.
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
I got interested in this and related research back in 2016 when I heard that Radiolab episode, and then went on to seek out 40 Hz tones on youtube, of which there are a great variety (other useful search terms are "Gamma", "Rife" and "Delta" tones), some "pure" and others with music underlying them or mixed with some other tones. I just sought out the "pure" ones, and sampled them for a while... None of them seemed t…
That was interesting. I felt like my face and head were ‘buzzing’/throbbing and I didn’t particularly enjoy it. It does seem to have some kind of effect outside of what I normally associate with an emotional response to sound/music. It’s kind of like a cat purring, as other commentators on YT said.
Feels like I’m getting very slight muscle spasms in my face, especially, but also all the way down to my forearms.
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#45This reminds me of the neuro-linguistic virus in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. 'Snow Crash' in the novel refers to a version of the virus encoded in a bitmap image which can cause hackers (who are used to processing information in binary form) to suffer brain damage.
To say nothing of the "Drummers" from Diamond Age (loosely, a cult of people who spend years at a time entranced and drumming in unison).
This does seem to be a persistent theme in Stephenson's book. I just remembered that in Anathem, Fraa Jad (the Millenarian monk that accompanies Erasmus) perform a similar sort of mediation with long, deep chanting. I don't have the book at hand, but as I recall, Erasmus thinks it's Fraa Jad's way of manipulating his mind.
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#46This would be a workable explanation for being able to "soul travel" while meditating. When I did the whole Trancendental Meditation thing back in the late 70's it was all about clearing your mind of everything except a repeating mantra. EEG's of people meditating show rhythmic brain activity typical of sleeping. If that is the case (and I'm not saying it is, just noting the potential path here) then it would suggest…
I’m curious why you stopped doing Transcendental Meditation? And do you do any other alternative / mind altering processes now? As someone very interested in Transcendental Meditation but unsure where to begin, any pointers?
Yeah, it's a payment based system, for better or worse. Need to pay a teacher.
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
It would be great if you could link to a recording that you think could induce this state, given that you’re an expert in this field! If I’m left to search on my own I’m not sure I’ll find the correct recording.
+1 and why must it be an "old recording" - have modern Haitian voodoo drummers lost the way? Seems a bit set-up for shifting goalposts...
https://youtu.be/D-mw9FJ7yec
This is from the 50s-60s.
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
The body is basically zillions of electrodes wired to the brain. If we discover the patterns we could -in principle- induce them through vision, hearing or skin pulses. Binaural beats (aka "computer drugs") also come to mind.
After extensive testing of binaural beats over the years, I've concluded that, for me, they do basically nothing. Maybe some people's brains are more susceptible to outside influence though.
How did you come to this conclusion and what were you looking for?
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#49I’ve studied Afro-Cuban percussion for 28 years now and I can tell you from experience there are some bata rhythms that definitely make the listener enter into a heavy trance state. Haitian vodun drumming is especially designed for generating trance and out of body experiences in its entirety. If you can find an old recording of Haitian voodoo drums give it a listen using good headphones with your eyes closed, and af…
It would be great if you could link to a recording that you think could induce this state, given that you’re an expert in this field! If I’m left to search on my own I’m not sure I’ll find the correct recording.
Try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxboZrFcvRo&
Give it your entire attention.
Re: Scientists say a mind-bending rhythm in the brain can act like ketamine
#50It's quite the leap going from brain rhythms mentioned in the research to anecdotal talk of audio drum rhythms isn't it? There's no mention of audio in that article. Brain rhythms in this context simply mean patterns of neural activity. this activity happens all the time, even in people who are profoundly deaf.