On the Brain, Nonlocality

image credit: Andrew Mason

Did you know that magnetic fields focused to stimulate certain sections of the brain can change your mood, improve attention, break habits and enhance creativity? It’s called transcranial magnetic stimulation.

ARTICLE [transcranial magnetic stimulation] (Wikipedia via Tom Coates)

image credit: David Gorgojo

OK OK, but what about using mild electricity to induce out-of-body experiences?

(…) according to recent work by neuroscientists, they can be induced by delivering mild electric current to specific spots in the brain. In one woman, for example, a zap to a brain region called the angular gyrus resulted in a sensation that she was hanging from the ceiling, looking down at her body. In another woman, electrical current delivered to the angular gyrus produced an uncanny feeling that someone was behind her, intent on interfering with her actions. (…)

The research shows that the self can be detached from the body and can live a phantom existence on its own, as in an out-of-body experience, or it can be felt outside of personal space, as in a sense of a presence,” Dr. Brugger said.

The whole thing paints a nice image of the center of consciousness as some kind of magnetically/electrically charged nucleus. Give enough of a tug and you can stretch outside your body, at least enough to induce a nonlocal perspective. Think solar flares, jet lightning, Wooly Willy …

ARTICLE [“Out-of-Body Experience? Your Brain Is to Blame”] (NYTimes)

If all else fails there’s always good old-fashioned virtual reality. Mount a camera behind your head, strap your eyes into the live video feed and you’ve got a readymade virtual avatar. Finally you can speak of yourself in the third-person and be justified. For virtual fun or virtual surgery:

ARTICLE [Marc Ownes’ Avatar Machine] (wmmna) ARTICLE [“Scientists develop tech. to induce out-of-body (…)”] (Guardian)