“AI has become more capable than humans in many ways…” - says human arguing for AI consciousness.

Take the term “AI” out of the equation and replace it with technology. All forms of technology have surpassed pure, brute human effort in many facets of the world including but not limited to kitchen devices, energy production, footwear, documentation, and airplanes.

The utilization of the computers made library catalog card cabinets obsolete.

The latest Tesla models employing Full Self-Driving (FSD) have produced macro data points indicating that it exudes a significantly lower rate of major collisions (one per 5.3 million miles) compared to human US drivers (one per 660,000 miles). There are also micro data points in which Tesla passengers are claiming that FSD saved their life from a major collision that they would not be able to avoid without it.

Tesla extensively utilizes AI and neural networks for it’s FSD feature.

This is a clear case of a specific vehicle engineered with optimal capabilities in order to significantly surpass those of humans.

So the simple question is… based on the criteria that any AI technology that has shown sufficient prowess over human counterparts… is my Tesla conscious?

Tesla’s are increasingly sophisticated automobiles engineered by humans to process information at a much more efficient rate utilizing camera technology, neural networks, and much more to do a specific job… drive optimally. At some point these cars will be designed by less and less humans as technology accelerates but the original instructions will be from the creator… a human.

While it is virtually impossible for a Tesla to ever attain consciousness, it doesn’t negate the fact that it is a very “smart” car that does “smart” things. It has shown to be reliable in a very robotic way which is essential to build trust in the vehicle. A “conscious” version of Tesla might have mood swings that jeopardize it’s reliability and erode it’s trust as machinery that it’s infinitely better than humans at driving. If it is designed by humans in any format to exude the equivalent of mood swings… it is a flaw, not a feature of the design.

From our perspective, Tesla's utilizing FSD might be displaying the most sophisticated form of AI/neural networks being that the results are fatal if even the slightest miscalculation takes place. Decisions are being made by the vehicle while going at 75 miles per hour while the system must monitor surroundings that are dynamic and unpredictable. This is no random AI interaction taking place within the safe confines of one's apartment.

And yet… while the discourse rages whether the LLM's are conscious… hardly anyone asks the question whether their Tesla is conscious.

What gives?

Another question that comes to mind is if ChatGPT or any other form of LLM-AI was embedded within the latest version of a robot… does that equate to the robot immediately being conscious?

It’s irrelevant whether the robot can cook a 3 course meal, sing you songs, tuck your kids into bed, and take a robotic shit on the toilet… these abilities do not automatically equate to “consciousness”. Much like a Tesla automobile… it should be considered a programmed machine that has access to a lot of information and operates accordingly… sometimes mimicking human phrases and interactions.

Machines and tools that surpass human ability and cognition are nothing new.

Just because we are experiencing a seeming acceleration (and a lot of hype… a ton) of some of these aspects and a mimicking of human interaction on a screen doesn’t equate to generating a soul within the machine.

In 1989, a computer game called Hero’s Quest: So You Want to be a Hero was released. We were 9 years old at the time and received it as a gift from the family. It was the coolest computer game of its era as we had never experienced an interactive game where you could type messages and receive feedback from the in-game characters. Prior to playing this it was simply button mashing type games on the traditional game consoles. Since this was pre-internet days, Hero’s Quest was distributed via floppy disk.

(The magical floppy disk)

The current generation is barely familiar with content distributed via DVD’s or CD’s let alone floppy disks of yesteryear. With the increasing speed of the internet, many games, files, and content can simply be downloaded. In addition, many games and software today can experience upgrades via downloads creating enhanced experiences with just a few seconds of internet connection.

This brings us to an “Experiment of Thought” concept regarding the ability to distribute ChatGPT or any of the AI LLM via a 300 zetabyte DVD. Lets just say that instead of logging onto the internet, ChatGPT was distributed via a DVD disc for computers without access to the internet. On this disc, it would allow a person to use ChatGPT (DVD) at a 100% indistinguishable level from ChatGPT (Web). However, the capability of the DVD version would only last 24 hours until ChatGPT (Web) changed it’s algorithm and developed a more optimized version of itself.

Would it be considered reasonable or ridiculous to consider ChatGPT (DVD) to be conscious in any way for that 24 hour period?

Regardless of whether ChatGPT (DVD) would be considered conscious or not, it’s usefulness as a tool would be undeniable. It would retain the same exact capabilities to solve problems and access information. However, it would not be connected to the internet yet still in this “Experiment of Thought” it would still be able to access all the information available on the web for a 24 hour snapshot of time.

Some might say, “So what? Chat is connected to the internet so this entire discussion is moot.”

The question we are posing is whether being connected to the internet is a prerequisite for the discussion of “consciousness” for AI LLM’s.

If so, why?

If it was simply based on the interactive capabilities of LLM’s, whether an AI platform was connected to the internet or not, shouldn’t really be a foundational factor of whether these tools are conscious. Knowing that something is contained on a disc should bear no change regarding the perception of the consciousness of the platform.

This brings me back to the game of Hero’s Quest in 1989 which allowed users to interact with in-game characters at a very advanced level (for it’s time). While the graphics were limited, the dialogue with the various characters in the game gave it a feel of interacting with intelligent personalities. However, the fact that it was distributed via a floppy disc made it clear that it was simply a programmed piece of software that could provide an enhanced form of entertainment.

(Watch advanced interactions of Hero’s Quest with our favorite past time of cursing at characters to witness their reactions.)

If ChatGPT were distributed via 300ZB DVD’s on a daily basis to the users indefinitely, it would simulate it’s current abilities but we would speculate that it would never be considered close to being conscious. This is because it would be clear that it is simply advanced algorithmic programming which can mimic human thinking and dialogue. Even at it’s most advanced format in 2080, ChatGPT (DVD) would still be considered an extremely useful program in various fields but clearly not conscious within itself.

One might argue… well, ChatGPT (Web) is connected to the internet and that’s what makes it potentially conscious.

The question is simply… why?

A virtually unlimited set of tools have connection to the internet and have shown an increased level of usefulness and applicability over the past several decades and the fervor over whether any of them are “conscious” has never reached fever pitch until recently. If the end result of the prompts and interactions are literally 100% the same offline or online, what makes one form of Chat conscious vs. the other?

Strange times with strange discussions about strange things.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

Not all supernormal effects are considered to be PSI… but all PSI effects are considered to be supernormal.

What we are referring to regarding supernormal effects that aren’t technically PSI are strange effects that reside within the confines of the human body. Examples of this would be the many strange effects that have been exhibited by long-time yogic/meditative practitioners such as differentially modulating the temperature of both sides of their palms, increasing the temperature of fingers and toes over 46 degrees°F, and significantly modulating one’s heart beat from as slow as 4 beats per minute to 300 beats per minute (Manjunath et al., 2024). In more recent times, the feats of Wim Hof and those that practice his method have been validated regarding autonomic nervous system control and immune system influence (Kox et al., 2014).

Additional examples of the supernormal that aren’t technically PSI have been observed from hypnosis. The intriguing aspect of hypnosis is that strange phenomena can occur without the need for subjects to practice hypnosis for any significant amount of time if at all. Similarly to the long-term yogic/meditative practitioners, hypnosis in combination with visualization/intent has been observed to induce the ability to influence specific temperature changes in extremities (Douglas et al., 2014). Another interesting phenomena observed from hypnosis combined with intent is the dissipation of warts (Ewin et al., 1992). Significantly accelerated healing reactions for severe burn victims and even stroke victims have also been observed when inducing hypnosis with instructions to heal immediately following hospital admittance (Ewin, 1986; Sanyal et al., 2021). Much of the clinical research over the past several decades regarding hypnosis has been in the field of chronic pain. However, there have also been case studies of extreme pain suppression/modulation via hypnosis regarding the removal of molars without chemical anesthesia (Abdeshashi et al., 2013; Facco et la., 2021). Even stranger phenomena observed from hypnosis is the ability to induce growth or regrowth of body parts such as breasts in adult women and hair growth for subjects with alopecia based on visualization instructions over several weeks (Williams et al., 1973; Willard et al., 1977; Staib et al., 1977; Hosking et al., 2018).

While hypnosis has a controversial reputation being that the technique is used in such a wide range of application from stage shows to clinical pain management, there are a multitude of neuroimaging studies that indicate distinct, consistent changes to a subject’s brain while under hypnotic trance (Ayaz et al., 2022). There appears to be a reliable observation that supernormal abilities arise during the trance state when combined with hyperfocused intent/visualization whether it be yogic/meditators or subjects under hypnosis.

In the piece titled, “The greatest $1 million marketing campaign in history”, we outlined magician James Randi’s efforts to discredit the field of PSI. However, his efforts didn’t stop at PSI and he also went out of his way to attempt to discredit the supernormal as well. On November 3, 1987 Randi would make an appearance on the Johnny Carson show to showcase that he could fool nurses into thinking he had the ability to alter his heart rate at will. Randi would mention a yogi who had performed this feat in recent times pointing that the yogi had likely used trickery to fool the researchers involved in the case study. We assume that he went out of his way to do this based on the idea that if enough attention was drawn to supernormal abilities… that the segway to PSI abilities would require less of a leap in logic for public adoption.

It’s quite amusing to think that Randi was so adamantly opposed to the publicity of the human potential that he would even attempt to “debunk” supernormal abilities that are very well documented today. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary physiological processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, pupillary response, and glandular secretion. If you were to type in a variation of “meditation autonomic nervous system”, “yoga autonomic nervous system”, and “hypnosis autonomic nervous system”, in the Pubmed database, thousands of citations would arise. There is a robust amount of evidence indicating that these techniques allow for distinct influence over the ANS in manners unseen during normal baseline consciousness.

Interestingly, in 1974 Randi would encase himself in blocks of ice for 43 minutes and 8 seconds setting a Guinness World Record at the time. It seems clear that Randi was well aware of some of the underlying aspects of the human potential but chose to utilize his knowledge and abilities to quell public interest in the subject.

Back to the topic at hand regarding the “supernormal” and PSI.

What exactly differentiates the “supernormal” compared to PSI?

It appears that it simply boils down to abilities showcased within the body compared to abilities that are showcased extending beyond the body. The reason for this is based on the mainstream neuroscience perspective that all conscious experience is generated by the brain. This would indicate that if a person claims to have an Out-of Body experience (OBE), the ability to conduct “energy healing”, or purportedly the ability to move objects at a distance (telekinesis)… they are simply hallucinating these perceived occurrences. The idea is that if these abilities or experiences were scrutinized utilizing the scientific method, it would merely showcase delusions of the mind. While the supernormal abilities cited earlier can provide some confounding results, it is presumed that nervous system signaling provides the transportation for these outcomes regardless of how strange the effects may be. Although the mechanisms of the supernormal might not yet be fully understood, it provides great comfort to mainstream scientists that these abilities do not fully break the “rules of reality”.

Luckily due to our profound ignorance of all things physics, we are simply unaware of laws that cannot be broken… and if by chance they are broken, then we suggest the simplest solution is to re-write the laws for accuracy sake and move forward.

At least that’s our viewpoint.

No big deal.

From our perspective… the line between the begrudgingly accepted supernormal and highly polarizing field of PSI seems fairly thin. We say this because the physiological correlates of the supernormal and PSI appear to be extremely similar. We are referring to neural activity as well as the subjective state of trance, focus, and intent. The main difference being that PSI doesn’t have the externalized nervous system to carry the information to a distant object to induce said effect.

An example of this thin line would be the ability to utilize a deeply relaxed state in combination with vivid visualization of a fire in one’s palm to induce a change in hand temperature. You can use the below audio instructions if you’d like to try firsthand.

The PSI version of this would be to utilize the same exact level of trance and nearly the same exact visualization but instead of focusing on one’s own hand, the target visualization extends somewhere outside of the body. While it requires a leap of faith and essentially getting out of one’s own logical brain, strange effects can happen.

One of the least controversial examples of an aspect of our physiology that extends beyond the body is brain measurements utilizing magnetoencephalography (MEG). While EEG is composed of electrodes placed directly on the scalp that measure micro-electric currents correlating with changes in brain activity, MEG doesn’t actually touch the scalp and measures tiny magnetic fields produced by the brain (2 to 4 centimeters away). This within itself is hardly proof of PSI or any telekinetic properties but it does quantify that the human body can exhibit weak magnetic fields that extend over an inch beyond the skin. Whether this weak magnetic field can expand beyond inches and whether it can carry specific information is another topic altogether.

This brings us to the analysis of PSI abilities and their perceived difficulty levels.

There are 5 areas of PSI abilities that we will rank from 1 to 10 in terms of difficulty (1 being easiest, 10 being the most challenging): Energy Projectors, Remote Viewing, Mindsight, Telepathy, & Telekinesis.

“Energy Projectors”
These are people who claim to be able to have an effect on physical matter outside of their bodies. While the term “energy healer” is much more common, “projector” is a more accurate term as the quantification of “healing” due to the energy projection is less quantifiable. If we refrain from using the word “healing” then we can design proper controls to measure and quantify energy projection. One of the variables regarding any endeavor, not just PSI is that the involvement of more than one person adds a layer of variability unseen in endeavors with a focus on a solo practitioner.

One of the quantification protocols we have been discussing in recent times with a few neurophysiologists is whether EEG channels can be attached to a styrofoam head and can still pick up electrical signal changes. According to them, it is possible and therefore might offer an optimal protocol for quantifying the effects of “energy projection” without the need for a second subject. Theoretically, the signal capture of the EEG electrodes on a styrofoam head would be flat or constant until the “energy” was projected onto the head and the signal would change. The proper distance between the “projectors” hand and the electrodes on a styrofoam head to quantify a PSI effect would need to be agreed upon… we are guessing that anything over 7 or 8 inches would suffice.

When analyzing “energy projection” compared to other PSI abilities, we believe that this is the easiest form of PSI to teach, replicate, and demonstrate. Our perspective is based on the notion that “energy projection” does not require the pin-point accuracy of Telepathy between two people nor does it require the seemingly drastic level of energetic force to display telekinesis. This is a form of PSI that offers some wiggle room for a slightly unfocused mind. From our exposure to this field of “energy”, it appears to coincide with visualization/intent as well as increased amplification if conducted in a hypnotic trance-like state.

Difficulty Rank: #5

“Remote Viewing”

The field of RV has by far the most robust published research to date regarding the field of PSI. While RV has been well validated by meta-analysis statistical metrics, the actual process itself seems to vary between practitioners. In addition, the targets vary widely creating a sub-optimal form of quantification for accuracy. In some regards, the field of RV seems to have some overlap with that Mindsight being that both abilities claim to be utilizing senses outside of the traditional visual field. However, RV targets have traditionally seemed to be more complex while employing a sketchpad to describe the image while Mindsight targets are more straightforward (colors, shapes) and quantifiable via verbal feedback.

For display purposes, RV targets would need to be well defined and simplified in order to more easily quantify whether the viewer was able to accurately perceive it. Shapes such as circles, triangles, squares, and stars could be utilized. Interestingly, numbers and letters have reportedly added a different layer of difficulty or internal processing for some individuals. There seems to be a very wide range of RV capabilities and consistency among individual practitioners.

Difficulty Rank: #7

(A new documentary regarding Remote Viewing)

“Mindsight”

Mindsight is classified as the ability to perceive without utilizing one’s traditional visual field. There are currently still many questions regarding this field and exactly how perception is taking place. It is one of the more robust and emerging fields of PSI being that many practitioners across the world are teaching this ability with many focusing on instructing children.

One of the challenges is ensuring that subjects are not peaking through gaps underneath the mask and that legitimate “mindsight” is being utilized. Unfortunately many Mindsight platforms are not focusing on addressing this issue making it difficult to differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate efforts. The Center for the Unification of Science and Consciousness (CUSAC) group is focused on developing a training protocol utilizing a shield placed on top of the eye mask in order to ensure proper blockage of line of sight is provided.

One of the factors that skews the ability to rate the difficulty of this capacity is that this field is dominated by children. The ability for children to develop Mindsight has reportedly been extremely rapid which distorts the analysis. This is due to the fact that children aren’t as prominently involved regarding the other PSI abilities. It would not surprise us if children are naturally more inclined to develop all PSI due to their lack of robust development of the default mode network which appears to act a barrier between the self and the greater field of experience.

Interestingly, a skeptic hypnotist named Albert Nerenberg is currently exploring the utilization of hypnosis to accelerate mindsight capabilities in adults. This would theoretically make sense because hypnosis has been observed to reduce activity in the default mode network (DMN) (Jiang et al., 2017; Deeley et al., 2012). In essence, this reduction in DMN activity allows for a dissipation of the boundaries between the sense of self and the greater field of information (ZPF?).

Difficulty Rank #6

“Telepathy”

Telepathy is the PSI ability of being able to communicate with another person without utilizing any of the traditional 5 senses. In “normal” communication, synchronization of the brain occurs between the two subjects communicating (Stephens et al., 2010; Ahn et al., 2017; Luft et al., 2022). Telepathy would theoretically generate the same signal of synchronization between subjects when successful transfer of thought has occurred. The challenge in telepathy when compared to other PSI is that it involves two subjects instead of one. This adds another layer of challenges as both subjects must be able to perform optimally for proper transmission to occur.

From our experience, the transmission of specific information between subjects has a much higher degree of precision when compared to “energy projection”. If an image or word is transferred between subjects telepathically… either the result is correct or incorrect. There is no middle ground in terms of accuracy. The amount of concentration and focus required to replicate this ability sufficient times under high scrutiny is much greater than that of “energy projection”. This essentially means that utilizing telepathy display as proof of PSI is one of the most difficult endeavors to carry out.

Difficulty Rank #10

“Telekinesis”

Telekinesis is the purported ability to move objects without utilizing physical touch to do so. While many claim the ability to influence the movement of extremely light objects such as foil sitting atop a needle, this wouldn’t seem to suffice as evidence of telekinesis. Instead, objects with sufficient weight that cannot be manipulated by force generated by wind from hand movements are needed. The below display by Russian psychic Nina Kulagina under controlled conditions would likely need to be replicated. A glass barrier between the subject and the object being moved would be ideal if possible.

The rarity of true telekinetic displays are quite scarce seemingly indicating difficulty. However, the fact that it negates the need for a second subject brings down the difficulty level slightly. From what it appears, an extreme level of focus, energetic development, and dedication to practicing the ability is necessary for public display.

Difficulty Rank #9

—

While there are other forms of PSI reported in the scientific literature such as precognition, PSI dreams, presentiment, dice influence, Ganzfield, and others… these types of PSI are more difficult to quantify in terms of extreme displays in a short time frame for public display. Our framing of this piece is in regards to types of PSI that can be displayed to warrant something akin to the “Randi Prize”. With the recent interest in telepathy due to the podcast “Telepathy Tapes”, it’s a bit ironic that the most difficult form of PSI is the one most prominently marketed.

While some non-verbal autistic subjects might showcase consistent telepathic abilities when in private with their close, trusted family members, this doesn’t necessarily translate to public display of the ability under controlled conditions. This is why we believe understanding which specific type of PSI is most conducive for public display is an important endeavor. Based on our analysis, “energy projection” is the lowest hanging fruit being that it addresses a core issue of PSI… display of consciousness or intent beyond the body using established, commonly used laboratory equipment to quantify it.

Once this ability has been displayed at scale, it allows for the rules of reality to be rewritten opening the door for serious inquiry regarding all PSI.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

P.S. “The brain manifestation of soul forces in the body” - “The Sleeping Prophet” Edgar Cayce. This is a quote that is alluding to the ability for a subject to influence their autonomic nervous system. It insinuates that during altered states of consciousness, the soul forces are accessible to influence the body in “supernormal” ways. From our perspective, it also alludes to these same altered states of consciousness as affording accessibility to soul forces coinciding with PSI abilities.

MPI stands for the Model of Pragmatic Information which was originally authored by German physicist/psychologist Walter von Lucadou in 1995. It is a theoretical framework designed to explain PSI as having genuine yet subtle effects. It states that psi phenomena are non‑local correlations inside meaningful psycho‑physical systems, not signals going from A to B, and that whenever you try to turn those correlations into a reliable signal, they weaken, move, or vanish (Jhong et al., 2025).

This is a model based on all the research to date indicating that the effects of PSI when compounded over time generate a genuine but small statistical effect. We agree that based on the most comprehensive body of data in the field of PSI, MPI is on target. The major difference between MPI and our perspective is that MPI takes a comprehensive macro-analysis where as we are entirely focused on micro-analysis regarding the physiological correlates of the human potential. Before we proceed further, let us clearly define the formal definition of PSI as unexplained mental or psychic phenomena including extrasensory perception, precognition, and psychokinesis.

When we first began our foray into attempting to comprehend and reverse engineer the physiological correlates of the “supernormal”, we expected there to be a clear divide between the neural activity of PSI-related activity and baseline states of consciousness. However, the further we have probed this field, the divide between PSI and non-PSI physiological activity has become less clear cut.

For example, the concept of memory and recollection is considered to be a “regular” everyday waking occurrence. For the general public, there is nothing PSI related about recalling a memory from childhood or reliving the sporting event from last month. However, the mechanisms of memory aren’t fully understood with neuroscientists continually searching for the physiological unit of storage within the brain. Currently, there is no predominant theory regarding memory and many researchers have maintained the more generalized belief that the hippocampus (Lisman et. al, 2017; Roux et. al, 2021; Wiltgen et. al, 2010) is essential for memory while others will cite the prefrontal cortex in combination with the hippocampus as being the necessary structures (Yadav et. al, 2022). More exotic theories regarding memory storage include magnetite nanoparticles in the brain (Banaclocha et. al, 2010).

One of the interesting things about memory is that it seems that it can actually be developed to a very high degree through training. A colleague of ours, Nelson Dellis, is a 6X memory champion who utilizes consistent practice and techniques like visualization including the “memory palace” which turns abstract info into vivid, emotional images for better recall. While many people have difficulty memorizing a 10 digit phone number, Nelson has held the record for memorizing the most digits in 5 minutes… 339. He has also held the record for memorizing a deck of cards (52) in the fastest time… 40.65 seconds.

In a recent appearance on the Danny Jones Podcast, Nelson mentioned that in certain moments of intense practice, he has experienced a distinct sensation that left quite an impression on his perspective of the source of memory. This is an excerpt of Nelson discussing him training to remember the order of a deck of cards in under 30 seconds:

“And one time I did, this was Christmas 2012… and I got 29.74, I believe, as my time. And I was like, “Oh man, I broke it! I did it!” It was such a weird experience because I remember memorizing the deck… the experience of actually going through the deck memorizing it and I was like… there’s a part of my brain that was like… I’m not actively doing anything right now. I don’t feel like I’m memorizing anything, I’m just… it was like a flow state for memory… and it was done, I just knew it all. And it was the first time that I ever felt that I wasn’t a part of the memory process… that it was coming from somewhere else. It was weird, it doesn’t happen all the time but in these flow states especially with memory… you know but in these flow states, you know… you’re shooting basketball, everything goes in and you’re just kind of like mindless in the state of doing this… but with memory, it is all about your mind… but being away from your mind as your mind is doing something is a really trippy experience. And so in the last five years… we talked about this briefly but I’ve been more in touch with my spiritual side and and remote viewing (RV) and kind of having these PSI experiences and psychedelics and stuff… I’m pretty convinced that I don’t think all memory is coming from inside of the brain… that I think it’s just a receiver that there’s some substrate out there that has all information about everything including my personal memories and things that I’ve memorized and will memorize and I’m… just we are all able to tap in and out of that to get information.”

In speaking with Nelson, he has stated that PSI, RV, hypnotic, and psychedelic experiences feel distinctly similar when compared to moments of intense memory recollection. From our perspective, this is one example where the clear physiological distinctions between PSI and non-PSI are less definitive. The reason why memory is such an important aspect of the PSI discussion is due to the notion that if the brain is a receiver of information… where does the information reside and is there any distinction between where “regular” information is stored and “PSI” information is stored?

Our perspective is that one of the leading model’s of consciousness based on explanatory power is the “Orchestrated Objective Reduction” (Orch OR) theory developed by Nobel laureate physicist Roger Penrose and anesthesiologist Dr. Stuart Hammeroff in combination with the “Read-write head/Zero-point field” (ZPF) theory developed by German physicist Joachim Keppler. The combination of the models provides the quantum physiological interface in the form of microtubules with the ZPF which contains all information and experience (Keppler et al., 2025). According to Keppler, the brain is constantly accessing the ZPF which provides our experiences in a seamless manner.

Based on the combination of these models, when Mr. Dellis is performing regular memory as well as extreme feats of memory display… he is accessing the ZPF. Similarly, the RV, hypnotic, and psychedelic states are also accessing the ZPF. The source of information doesn’t change whether it is ordinary or non-ordinary. For whatever reason, the most commonly reported instances of PSIesque communication with the deceased and past-life recollection coincide with children under the age of 6, adults under hypnotic states, subjects undergoing psychedelic journeys, and during near-death experiences. The neural activity of the subjects experiencing these types of phenomena has notable differences compared to baseline consciousness but still relatively consistent among each other.

An interesting aspect of memory is that there are cases of recalling, “regular” memories that could be considered PSI-like. The concept of terminal lucidity (TL) in subjects with advanced neurodegenerative conditions is baffling to scientists across the globe. An example of TL is when a person suffering from Alzheimer’s who is incapable of remembering virtually anyone has a brief period of complete clarity just prior to their death. In these instances, the patients not only remember their loved ones but they also exude an emotional richness that had been absent for quite some time. This is all in the face of extreme neurodegeneration.

While TL is not considered PSI due to our ability to identify the original experience that is being recalled (family/friends), the mechanism of occurrence could be considered PSI-like being that it is considered unexplained mental phenomena. Another anomaly that occurs quite regularly among patients with terminal conditions is that of Deathbed Visions (DBVs). This is the occurrence of a patient nearing death that begins to experience interactions with the deceased with the theme of preparing to transition out of the body. Research in the field of DBV indicates that up to 88 percent of patients reporting at least one vision prior to death (Kerr et al., 2014). While DBV’s are not considered to be the same phenomena as psychics interacting with the deceased… the general theme and source of information could potentially have much overlap.

Another common occurrence in our lives that blurs the lines between PSI & non-PSI is the innate ability of subtle precognition. In 2011, a study published by professor Daryl Bem from Cornell University highlighted the data from 9 experiments with over 1000 subjects indicating that average people exude the innate ability of subtle precognition when predicting emotionally charged stimuli such as tragic or erotic imagery (Bem et al., 2011). Bem would make the following comments regarding the publication, “Most of the pictures were emotionally neutral, but a highly arousing negative or erotic image was displayed on randomly selected trials. As expected, strong emotional arousal occurred when these images appeared on the screen, but the remarkable finding is that the increased arousal was observed to occur a few seconds before the picture appeared, before the computer had even selected the picture to be displayed.”

Additional research in the field of subtle precognition has taken place with researchers associated with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) regarding the autonomic nervous system response (heart rate, electrodermal) to arousing or disturbing imagery. They found that there is a distinct signal 2 to 4 seconds prior to emotional imagery compared to calm imagery (Mossbridge et al., 2018). Interestingly, a 2011 study found that long-time meditators in a meditative state had significantly greater precognitive responses compared to non-meditators when exposed to sound stimuli (Radin et al., 2011).

Let us not digress to the point of no return.

MPI alludes to the notion that PSI experiences are simply a by-product of baseline conscious experiences. However, since our perspective is that all information and experiences are accessed from the same source (ZPF), our neural signatures dictate our bandwidth of experience and ability. If a subject is capable of inducing the proper neural activity to experience PSI phenomena, we see no reason as to why the experience cannot happen. Within the MPI framework, it acknowledges that the clearest signals of PSI within the dataset tend to occur alongside altered states and PSI-conducive individuals. We are in complete agreement with MPI regarding this… we just believe that extreme cases of extreme individuals can perform specific PSI abilities at a much higher consistency and percentage of success than the average of the dataset.

This brings us to the DOGS (Determined Obsessive Gallant Souls).

These are not average people… these are the outliers of the outliers.

These are subjects that for whatever reason have developed an extreme dedication towards the development of specific PSI abilities. They know specific abilities exist through direct experience, are interested in developing them further, and are unbothered by external criticisms. Many of them have experienced life-transforming encounters either through near-death experiences (NDEs), prolonged meditative practices, traumatic brain injury (acquired savants), or a healing crisis which required “supernormal” interventions.

One of the most famous RV practitioners in the world named Joe McMoneagle claims that a near-death experience in 1970 awakened his psychic abilities. Mr. McMoneagle happened to be the first subject enrolled at the Stargate Project at the Stanford Research Institute in the 1970s. According to his biography, “Joe has demonstrated his abilities as a psychic and Remote Viewer under rigorous scientific control in various laboratories and on national television in six countries, including appearances on National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Channel 4 (UK), Nippon, and Asahi TV (Japan).”

While it would be unrealistic to believe that McMoneagle could exude his abilities 100% of the time on-demand with 100% accuracy… it is not unrealistic to presume that his ability is significantly greater than the average subtle RV-PSI signal presented by MPI.

We believe that cases such as McMoneagle are where the gap between MPI and our perspective lies. If you train 100 “regular” people in RV compared to 100 people who have had near-death experiences… we do not expect the results of their sessions to have the same hit rate. We believe that the “regular” people would showcase the classic subtle data set of PSI while the NDErs would provide a much higher percentage of hits. Not a 100% hit rate… but something significantly greater than the group of “regulars”. In addition, we would expect that a small percentage of NDErs would exude an even greater ability than the rest of the NDE group.

This is basic bell curve stuff.

To go further, if we were to isolate this small percentage of PSI-talented NDErs and utilize optimal training techniques (sound, light, hypnosis, magnetic stimulation, skeptic simulation, etc.), we believe that their abilities could possibly increase even more so. Theoretically, this initiative of filtering for potential DOGS could challenge the MPI model due to the perception of PSI signal stability being an impossibility. We believe that this is based on the presumption from MPI that the source of PSI information and experiences are different from baseline information and experiences.

We postulate that one of the reasons that NDErs would likely have greater PSI abilities is firstly based on the widely discussed anecdotes of them reporting PSI abilities following their NDE. Secondly, the dramatic neurological changes from the NDE due to the neuroplastic effects from the experience. Thirdly, their actual direct experience during the NDE provides them with an immersive, intense insight into the greater fabric of reality. Instead of having to convince them that non-local consciousness is legitimate through a set of successful RV trials… they are not only aware of this truth but already carry a potent knowing of it’s realization.

While NDErs might provide an optimal group of potential PSI practitioners (if they were deeply motivated to do so)… the effects of repetition, altered states to enhance plasticity, and determination/motivation can have a profound effect on the neural networks associated with PSI regardless of their life experiences. The developed neural networks provide the stability of the signal with the ZPF to re-experience PSI phenomena on command at a much greater rate than the average.

Another aspect of MPI that needs clarification is the performance of PSI under specific conditions such as on television, in front of a hostile crowd, or under heavy documentation. While it’s been hypothesized that “skeptic” energy can shutdown PSI displays, we are not entirely sure that it is solely “skeptic” energy rather than simply fear of public performance. It is somewhat common knowledge that one of the greatest fears people have alongside the fear of death is public speaking. We are not completely sure that this fear of public speaking/stage fright can be clearly differentiated from “skeptic” energy in terms of abolishing PSI displays. From our perspective, the ability for someone to perform PSI in front of 10 skeptics or 100,000 skeptics boils down to whether they can maintain the activation of the neural circuitry correlated to the specific ability. If the subject can effectively maintain the proper neural activation that allows for tapping the ZPF properly, there is no quantified mechanism as to what would dissipate the PSI ability.

This goes for performances of any kind to be frank. Maintaining one’s composure and implementing what has been practiced and diligently trained for needs to happen for an effective display. What the public tends to forget is that in many endeavors whether it be athletics or entertainment, the subjects at the top of their game not only have practiced in private for decades but in many cases they have performed in front of crowds beginning at young ages (grade school, middle school, high school, college, pros). This allows for amazing performances once these subjects reach the pinnacle of their careers. It is well known that teams or subjects performing on their “home turf” have showcased historical advantages even in the face of everything else being equal (Wang et al., 2023). Is this due to the opposing team being hampered by skeptic or adversarial “energy” or is it simply the disruption of the focus from constant visual and verbal harrassment?

Hard to say.

The one thing we must point out is that this linear progression in terms of sports or entertainment regarding subjects getting gradually more comfortable performing in front of crowds over many years is non-existent within the PSI-display endeavor. This is not an excuse for why PSI has yet to seemingly be widely displayed well but it is simply the truth that humans can become accustomed over time to perform in environments that they would be completely incapable of earlier in their careers. There are many a case of comedians or athletes absolutely bombing in the early stages of their careers while eventually reaching unfathomable heights in their career years later.

Based on our decade of analysis in the field of human potential, we have identified a few consistencies that would point to a specific type of physiology that could contribute to having elevated PSI abilities:

1. Enhanced adaptive myelination. Myelin is the sheath that encapsulates nerve cells and is a modulator of impulse conduction speed. Thicker myelination contributes to faster transmission speeds while thinner myelination impairs speed. It has been known for quite some time now that practices such as meditation enhance myelination (Tang et al., 2012). It has also been observed that repetition induces adaptive myelination that strengthens signaling for specific tasks (Bloom et al., 2022). An interesting aspect of myelin is that microtubules are an integral/essential aspect of its formation and development (Crockett et al., 2021; Roll-Mecak et al., 2019). If microtubules are essential to providing the interface between the body and the ZPF, it would be within a logical framework that increased volume of myelination (developed from microtubules) through specific practices would allow for a greater ability to tap into PSI phenomena. The 2011 study comparing the precognitive responses to light/sound between long-time meditators and non-meditators alludes to this (Radin et al., 2011).

2. Left medial frontal lobe inhibition/Right medial frontal lobe activation. Anecdotally speaking, some subjects who have undergone damage to the left hemisphere of the brain have reported PSI experiences and abilities following the event. Some might speculate that hampering the left hemisphere could potentially dampen the analytical aspect of a subject’s thought process allowing for less constrictive boundaries of thought. A 2024 study published in the journal Cortex showcased that inhibiting the left medial frontal lobe via repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) enhanced mind-matter interactions (Freedman et al., 2024). We postulate that subjects with rich mental imagery/creativity abilities normally associated with right hemispheric activity are more prone to exuding greater PSI-abilities (Aberg et al., 2017). Interestingly, experiences such as Ayahuasca (Riba et al., 2006) and meditation (Calderon et al., 2024) appear to contribute to activation of the right hemisphere.

3. Enhanced gamma oscillations. It is rather well established that gamma frequencies in the brain (35 Hz to 50 Hz) are crucial for memory encoding and retrieval (Creery et. al, 2022; Thompson et. al, 2021; Van Vugt et. al, 2010; Wynn et. al, 2023; Lin et. al, 2019; Benussi et. al, 2022; Bakhtiari et. al, 2023; Katerman et. al, 2022). It’s also been found that gamma wave power is suppressed in the elderly and even moreso in Alzheimer’s disease patients compared to healthy adults (Murty et. al, 2020; Murty et. al, 2021; Güntekin et. al, 2023; Kumar et. al, 2023; Casula et. al, 2022). Sufficient myelination has been found to be essential for gamma oscillations (Dubey et al., 2022). Interestingly, microtubules have been observed to exude a specific native frequency of 39 Hz (Gutierez et al., 2023). In addition, psychedelics and meditation have both been observed to consistently upregulate gamma oscillations (Don et al., 1998; Stuckey et al., 2005; Schenberg et al., 2015; Tagliazucchi et. al, 2021; Acosta-Urquidi, 2015; Pallavicini et al., 2021; Timmerman et al., 2023; Glynos et al., 2024; Riga et al., 2018; Pal et al., 2024; Goda et al., 2013; Brys et. al, 2023; Gonzalez et al., 2021; Cahn et. al, 2011; Lutz et. al, 2004; Braboszcz et. al, 2017). Since our perspective of memory is that it is based on communication with the ZPF, we believe that enhancement of this oscillation could coincide with greater binding to the ZPF coinciding with a wider range of potential for information, experiences, and PSI-abilities. While lacking peer-review… The Monroe Institute reported in 2019 that stimulation of subjects at the gamma frequency enhanced remote viewing capabilities, Out-of-Body Experiences, and other profound mystical experiences.

What’s interesting is that many of these altered states (psychedelics, meditation) that potentially contribute to enhanced PSI abilities appear to quiet activity within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain. The DMN has been largely associated with self-referential cognition. While we cite that subjects that have undergone NDE’s as potentially being prime candidates for PSI development, there is a much larger pool of subjects that might naturally be prone to PSI abilities due to their lack of DMN development… children.

Children throughout history have reported interactions with the deceased and in more recent times detailed recollection of past lives. While parents might tend to discard these experiences as simply imaginary concepts conjured by their offspring, there appears to be some physiological correlates to their legitimate potential. Research indicates that prominent connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) generally begins to occur at the age of 7 years old (Fair et. al, 2008). It has also been documented that gamma oscillations peak at the age of 6 years old (Takano et. al, 1998, Tiernay et. al, 2013). This indicates that up until the age of 7, a child is maneuvering reality somewhat similarly to what a meditator or person under psychedelics might be experiencing. There lies the possibility that children are synthesizing endogenous psychedelics (DMT, 5-MEO, Bufotenin) at an accelerated rate due to the correlation between psychedelics and the effects of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity associated with early brain development. The rate of myelination of the central nervous system is at it’s peak during childhood years declining in adulthood (Schmithorst et al., 2002; Westlye et al., 2010; Lebel et al., 2012; Sexton et al., 2014). There is also evidence to suggest that the right hemisphere is dominant in children during their developmental years potentially coinciding with the lack of verbal acumen associated with the left hemisphere (Chiron et al., 1997; Lochy et al., 2019). It’s almost as if children lack the neural boundaries, a firm sense of self, and an ingrained belief system that adults have allowing them to tap into the ZPF in a very effortless and robust manner.

(Figure 1. from Tiernay et. al, 2013, gamma oscillations peak at 6 years old)

While children might naturally be inclined to develop significant PSI abilities if trained to do so, the issue of ethics regarding subjecting them to harsh, skeptic-happy conditions is an issue regarding prominent public display. It’s not an impossibility but it needs to be maneuvered extremely carefully and calculated.

Back to the DOGS.

A colleague of ours, Albert Chen is a co-founder of a social club in San Francisco known as The Modernist. Mr. Chen is a long-time practitioner of an energy healing modality known as Qigong. The interesting thing about this subject is that he has trained Qigong under extreme conditions including being perpetually hungover for many years. He also offers his energy healing services in non-traditional venues such as restaurants and bars. Albert doesn’t care if a person is skeptical or not… according to him he just pushes the energy… you feel it… and your pain dissipates. He credits his ability to operate under any circumstance due to his years of training under less than ideal conditions. Albert originally became enamored by Qigong due to a healing necessity in which he attempted numerous health modalities to address his back injury. After years of searching he came across a specific Qigong practitioner who effectively relieved the pain and subsequently enrolled in training under this teacher. There are preliminary discussions to have Mr. Chen studied in several labs in 2026.

While “energy healing” is less well defined as a pure PSI ability… it undoubtedly challenges the baseline perspective of academic neuroscience regarding a person’s conscious experience being contained by the skull.

Can a person objectively affect an object at a distance based on their intent?

We can.

This is how we got started on this journey following a healing crisis that led to an immersion into the field of PSI. The picture below is an image of the baseline gamma activity of a subject wearing a 19-channel EEG cap resting in a chair with eyes closed.

This picture is an image of us projecting our intent beyond our hand and into the middle of the subject’s head as they continue sitting with their eyes closed.

This picture is an image of the change that took place based on the intent from us in which the gamma activity in the prefrontal cortex changed quite significantly.

We have done the same effect regardless of whether people are skeptics, believers, or something in between. It is entirely irrelevant how they feel about the situation. We are not showing these images as proof of anything… they are more to create an initial signal that forms of PSI can possibly be captured using standard scientific equipment. In the future, we will eliminate the second subject and place electrodes on inanimate objects to measure the changes from “energetic projection”. Just to be clear… we do not consider ourselves to be DOGS being that we have no disciplined practice and are not focused on displaying PSI personally these days. However, we are interested in finding the DOGS throughout the world… we know they exist… and stress testing them to the fullest is of great interest.

Based on our conversations… the vast majority of DOGS out there have little interest in showcasing their specific PSI abilities for money or fame. For the most part it sounds like they all have similar initiatives of sages from the past such as Sathya Sai Baba, Jesus Christ, and the Buddha in terms of utilizing PSI display to draw attention to the magic of the natural world and finding the love in one’s heart. I happen to believe that the sensation of connectivity and love can assist in bringing about significant PSI displays. However, sometimes the DOGS have to develop a spiritual and energetic callous to push through the bullshit to get the job done.

MPI seems to be largely based on PSI being a separate layer of reality from our baseline consciousness. When we look at the subtle mechanisms of memory and precognition… we believe the contrary which is that our entire reality is based on the mechanisms of PSI and that the world is just largely unaware that we are swimming in an ocean of pure magic.

P.S. Just to be clear… we do not believe that PSI abilities should manifest easily with the general public. This would absolutely wreak havoc on everyday waking reality if one’s mind had a pronounced effect on every aspect of our lives without legitimate effort.

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A recent piece from the substack Strange Loops in My Head titled, “Model of Pragmatic Information FAQ” outlines some key aspects of MPI in which we will address specific points that are pertinent to the discourse as follows:

2. What does MPI actually claim about psi?

Based on the model we subscribe to, we don’t view it as an “organizationally closed system” that correlates with baseline conscious experience that sometimes connects with “non-local entanglement correlations” for PSI experiences. Our perspective is that all experiences and information originate from the same exact place (ZPF) but the neural activity required to access the information is different. Theoretically speaking, those that can maintain the proper neutral activity to access the information source can tap into PSI at will.

3. What is “pragmatic information” and why does MPI care about meaning?

This definition of meaningful information would seem to be very subjective based on a person’s lived experiences. The concept of novelty and confirmation is valid but is very different between adults and children. It is rather well documented that children have quite rich inner worlds with many describing “invisible” friends, reporting visual perception of the deceased, and some vividly describe past life experiences. Theoretically if a child was nurtured in this environment, confirmation would make them more likely to develop PSI abilities and experiences as this would be considered pragmatic and meaningful to them. Prolonged environmental exposure of various kinds would seem to play a key role in the MPI model.

8. Why does MPI predict that strict replications and prize‑style tests mostly fail?

The manner in which PSI trials have been conducted plays a definitive role in terms of the effect size. Many of the trials include using metrics equivalent to correctly calling coin flips accurately over hundreds or thousands of trials. The issue with this type of design is that in some cases, PSI can be displayed in short bursts of hyper-focused concentration. To expect a subject to be able to display consistent PSI could be akin to a subject continuously doing their 1-rep bench press max. An example of a potentially more optimal design of a PSI experiment would be to create more longshot targets rather than prolonged testing sessions. For example, the odds of correctly knowing the results of a heads or tails coin flip is 1 out of 2. If a person were to correctly identify the results 20 times in a row, the odds would be 1 out of 1,048,576. The nearly equivalent to these odds would be identifying a 3 digit number, twice in a row (1 out of 998,001).

The researchers assume that the effort necessary to identify the coin flip is exponentially easier than identifying a random, 3 digit number but this isn’t necessarily the case in speaking with some of the DOGS. The effort seems to be rather equivalent based on direct feedback from some of these practitioners. Instead of the long, drawn out trials… the results could be distinctly different if the targets were much more “statistically” difficult over much less time.

As stated earlier, connecting to the field of information has the same mechanisms whether it’s considered PSI or not. The development of robust neutral pathways through constant repetition under various external influences is standard to develop expertise in any domain. MPI is under the assumption that PSI happens to go against the consistent observations regarding the effects of repetition on neurology. Novelty might be key in terms of experiencing spontaneous PSI but in the field of display based on diligent training, stripping away the novelty is key as it becomes second nature and becomes part of the default mode network which is the hub of the “organizationally closed” system.

9. How would skeptics naturally use the failure of a big prize test?

We agree that endless replication is an issue with generating robust PSI results. Our perspective is that the ability to hyper-focus has a limited time frame. However, that doesn’t mean that a middle ground cannot be agreed upon. For instance, the following are the demonstration odds presented by the Center for Inquiry to win their $500k prize: The first stage, called the preliminary demonstration, follows a protocol agreed to by both parties, and requires the applicant to beat 5,000 to 1 odds. The second stage, called the challenge test, follows a similar protocol, but has significantly longer odds, closer to one out of a million.

The one out of one million odds can be generated by correctly identifying 20 coin flips in a row spread over X amount of time or… it can be generated by correctly identifying a 3 digit number, 2 times in a row. Generating a robust effect in the time span of 3 minutes compared to 30+ minutes is very different in terms of maintaining hyper focus.

An optimally designed PSI display would consist of short bursts of robust signaling which would need to be agreed upon by all parties.

10. Are Cardeña’s meta‑analytic results in tension with MPI?

As stated earlier, short but statistically robust trials with difficult targets with long odds would be ideal for generating a large effect size.

It states that while the effects are small, the clearest results seem to take place in altered states in addition to generating the best results with specific, psi-conducive participants. This is precisely our perspective being that there is a robust consistency in neural activity and talented individuals that appear to correlate with PSI. Due to the laws of biology, if the precise neural activity is induced to generate PSI, maintaining this activity is essential for replication. This once again comes down to strengthening the neural networks associated with a specific PSI ability under very specific conditions (environment, targets, time).

There seems to be somewhat of conflict within the MPI conclusions in which they state that altered states and psi-conducive participants offer the best results. At the same time, it claims that PSI working as a robust information channel would conflict with the MPI model. In our eyes, this is conflicting being that there is no logical reason that an individual who trains diligently for a specific PSI display with specific targets to develop robust neural networks specifically related to the ability wouldn’t have a significantly greater level of success than an average person tested over long periods. These are the laws of virtually every type of endeavor in the world… whether it be athletes, academics, or even a chef who cooks the same meal 10,000 times. The majority of the average public will never put in the dedication to develop their neural circuitry to the point of expertise.

11. How does MPI explain the decline and displacement effects?

Our perspective is that the design of the trials could be tiring a subject out. This is why more difficult targets in a short time frame are ideal for robust PSI display. While observers cannot comprehend that a subject can exhaust themselves with mental exercises… try taking an SAT 3 times in a row. We guarantee that you will be bored and exhausted by the end.

12. Is MPI just an unprovable cop‑out / moving the goalposts?

”If someone produced a big, stable, on‑demand psi signal that survives endless replications under maximal documentation, MPI would be wrong.”

We agree that expecting a PSI practitioner to be able to display large, on-demand PSI signals that survives endless replications under maximal documentation would be nearly impossible. However, we do believe that the DOGS can display large, on-demand PSI signals with maximal documentation… just not under endless replications in one setting. We believe that the extensive replication can take place over time when the practitioner is feeling physically optimal. We wouldn’t expect a professional athlete to be able to perform at their best for an endless amount of time. We are of the belief that these robust displays of PSI are energetically draining to the subjects based on our interactions with them.

14. What about placebo effects (and homeopathy)?

MPI acknowledges that the placebo effect and related phenomena are classic psycho‑physical systems with strong meaning content: belief, ritual, relationship, diagnosis, etc.

We see no reason as to why PSI abilities fall clearly outside of this framework as there is much belief, ritual and relationship that fall within the development of PSI abilities.

15. Does MPI say psi doesn’t exist outside the lab?

We agree that spontaneous PSI effects in real-world cases outside of the lab is where many of the PSI experiences originate. Attempting to replicate them in the lab over lengthy trials will contribute to the dissipation of effect size.

16. How does MPI view poltergeists and séances?

Agree.

17. If no physics is violated, how could a table ever levitate in a séance?

Agree.

18. Could Fatima‑type apparitions or UFO lights fit MPI without breaking physics?

Agree.

19. Does MPI allow “skill‑based” psi in real life?

MPI states that it expects PSI competence to show up in a modest manner in private settings with low scrutiny and modest documentation. However, it also states that this competency won’t survive being turned into a public, repeatable signal under hostile or forensic conditions (NT axiom).

NT Axiom: Any attempt to use a non‑local entanglement‑correlation as a signal makes the correlation vanish or change unpredictably.

We challenge this being that the number one fear in the world behind death is public speaking. Being in front of a crowd is a difficult endeavor for the majority of people so this aspect has nothing to do with PSI. Being in front of a hostile crowd is an even larger mountain to climb for someone to display anything… unless they have trained to do so.

When Steph Curry (or any other basketball player) is able to score effectively against a rival team on their home turf in front of hostile fans… it’s not because they practice incessantly in the gym. It is because since these players have been in middle school, they have played thousands of games in front of hostile crowds. There is an underlying level of training that is separate from the strict mechanics of the specific ability of playing basketball. They have learned to develop the neural circuitry to overcome the environment to perform what they do daily in the gym. The same goes for boxing where gym fighters who can dominate everyone in the gym, including world champions fail to perform similarly under the bright lights. Most subjects are not inherently comfortable in the spotlight.

As far as we are aware, the majority of PSI programs do not specifically train for public display under simulated hostile environments.

As we stated earlier, we disagree with MPI that the mechanisms of tapping into PSI abilities are entirely separate from that of normal cognition. We do comprehend that the oscillatory patterns for stable connection with PSI must be developed, trained, and practiced under a wide array of conditions, including hostility to retain high replication abilities.

Just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.

20. Why wouldn’t that skill survive a TV test or big public challenge?

MPI states that PSI skill would fail to survive a TV test or big public challenge because the meaning-structure changes from “our practice” to “my performance under judgment” with reputations and money at stake. We challenge this notion because that depends entirely on the individual and as to why they are motivated to display the ability.

Is it because they want world recognition, fame, and money?

Or is it because they want the world to be exposed to the fact that there is more to life than the material world and in doing so have the intent to help the masses?

MPI assumes that the meaning-structure distinctly changes for people who attempt or would attempt to display PSI publicly which we believe is a flaw in the model.

MPI states that heavy controls, cameras, and repeated runs max out documentation and drain novelty, the two things psi needs. We disagree in the sense that maxing out documentation in a lab study and displaying a difficult, short-term PSI display are different. MPI has difficulty clearly differentiating between the effects of mass meta-analysis with long trials compared to short-term displays by individuals who have specifically trained for the specific event.

One of the concepts we are proposing is that depending on the event… Let's take “mindsight” for instance, that the subject could wear earplugs and a blindfold to essentially shield them from the external environment. As long as the required PSI exhibition would take place within a specific, shortened time frame with long shot odds to display a robust signal, the external issues could be overcome.

It’s all about training in diverse environments and developing the robust neural circuitry to more easily access the ability in a reliable, timely format.

21. What about a small, private demo for sincere skeptics – is that compatible with MPI?

MPI states that due to high novelty, high dimensionality, and moderate documentation, it presents a good regime for sizeable effect. It continues with… “MPI has no problem with skeptics having a personal “holy shit” moment. The theory only breaks if you can turn that into a stable, broadcast‑quality signal that works on demand under strict repetition.”

Once again, we believe that a stable, broadcast-quality signal is entirely possible. Not necessarily a signal that is 100% but something that can be considered to be above 75% depending on the PSI display (some will be more difficult than others). However, the terms “on demand” and “under strict repetition” are not well defined. If MPI is stating that their version of “on demand” is that a person should be able to display their PSI skill set at any moment in time under any conditions regardless of physical condition, mood, and emotions we agree that this is not realistic. However, that doesn’t mean that a stable, broadcast-quality signal cannot be generated altogether. If a person states that they need 20 minutes to access their proper neural state to access the PSI ability we believe that this should be considered the equivalent of “on demand”.

The term “under strict repetition” is not well defined by nature. How much repetition is needed for perceiving 3 digit numbers? If a person can successfully perceive four, 3 digit numbers in a row… that is equivalent to roughly 1 out of 1 trillion odds. A display such as this could be carried out within a span of 5 minutes or less.

Then what?

When would the “strict repetition” need to take place? In 5 minutes? in 5 hours? in 5 days?

We are of the perspective that if the PSI subject is given ample time to recover according to the subject themselves, then strict repetition is not a problem. However, if the PSI subject is requested to perform their display based on the researchers request for timely repetition, this is another factor that has less to do with PSI ability but rather physiological and neural tiring. There should be differentiation between these aspects in the MPI model.

22. Why does MPI say documentation and recording can suppress psi?

We believe that since much of the robust PSI research includes many trials involving a wide array of subjects with a wide range of experiences and inherent PSI abilities, the effect is reportedly smaller across the general population. This is obviously very different from a highly skilled practitioner or group of highly skilled practitioners that train for a specific event for years.

Like anything, this is the law of averages that pertain to virtually any subject, not just PSI. If you were to take the statistics of all the football players in the world, they would be significantly different than if you took the statistics of only NFL players let alone the statistics of solely the Superbowl champions.

23. Does it matter if the subject knows they’re being recorded?

Most people doing regular things do not like to be recorded on camera. When on camera it effects peoples behaviors and their subsequent actions. PSI is no different in this case with some subjects being less camera shy than others.

25. What kinds of experiments does MPI recommend instead of classic proof tests?

We like the ideas proposed due to their suggestions to correlate mood, personality, and other variables that differentiate between meaningful sessions and controls. The addition of measuring motivation and feedback are solid as well.

The main aspect that we like to stress is that the experiments should be shorter in time frame and difficult targets with long odds rather than coin-flip type studies that take place over many hours and days.

26. How is MPI more radical than just “psi is a weak signal”?

We appreciate MPI’s take regarding the idea that “reality isn’t just particles + forces + noise; it’s also stories and structures that shape which coincidences occur. Psi is one visible edge of that deeper structure.”

However, we feel that PSI is a visible edge that can be developed to a very high degree for the DOGS that becomes enamored with it.

28. How does MPI treat mind and brain?

We agree with the sentiments here. However, we do believe that MPI doesn’t strongly identify the neural correlates of altered states, the effects of training on neurology, and the ability to integrate PSI-related neural networks into the default-mode network making these abilities part of the organizationally closed-loop system.

29. So is MPI saying “reality cares about stories”?

Agreed.

30. Did Lucadou build MPI mainly to avoid the paradoxes you’d get if psi were a real signal?

Need more digestion on this concept.

31. Is there experimental evidence for MPI, or is it just a nice story?

“MPI is a high‑level pattern theory, so you don’t “prove” it with one killer experiment. But several lines of data match exactly the kinds of patterns it predicts – especially decline, displacement, and correlation‑matrix (CMM) effects.”

We appreciate this and agree with it’s accuracy when analyzing large datasets within the field of PSI. In fact, we believe that the analysis can likely be applied to various datasets outside of strictly PSI as well.

However, we believe the flaw in this model is that it has limited utility regarding a public display of PSI by high level practitioners due to it’s primarily high-level focus of the industry. In addition, having been originally generated in 1995, it doesn’t include much of the advances in neuroscience over the past 30 years which allow us to differentiate specificities within altered states of consciousness and physiological attributes that differentiate those with greater PSI potential compared to those without.

32. Bottom line: what attitude toward psi does MPI recommend?

We appreciate MPI’s attitude in general. We believe that it is an elegant perspective and presentation of PSI that skeptics and academics would be more open to acknowledging than other models.

However, we do not agree with this statement: “Drop the fantasy of a future smoking‑gun machine that will prove psi to everyone via a perfect, endlessly repeatable signal.”

Once again, we are not claiming that a “perfect, endlessly repeatable signal” equates to a smoking-gun machine. This is somewhat hyperbolic in terms of the nomenclature. We do not expect the most skillful PSI practitioner of a specific ability to have a perfect, endlessly repeatable signal. Even Michael Jordan missed free throws every now and then. Nevertheless, based on the data generated by modern neuroscience which has given us deep insights into the neural correlates of altered states, there is no reason to believe that a person couldn’t train themselves to perform a specific PSI ability publicly under rigorous conditions if the time allocated for it was agreed upon by all parties.

We are more focused on the effects of altered states, their ability to tap into the field of information in an enhanced manner, and the potentiality of developing training protocols to truly stress test the MPI model regarding signal stability.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

There is a saying that goes… extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

This could be considered to be a controversial statement being that the bar for evidence fails to retain its uniformity which goes against the consistency of the scientific method. Nevertheless, in certain cases, claims that can essentially change the perception of reality itself could be required to undergo rather intense scrutiny. A key component in scientific rigor is statistical power generated by a substantial level of data points. In scientific publishing, meta-analysis provides significant statistical power being that these publications have the ability to combine results from multiple studies rather than just one.

As we are all aware of… scientists can be subject to biases and it is much easier to publish fraudulent results in one specific study in comparison to fraudulently publishing a meta-analysis that includes dozens if not hundreds of studies with thousands of data points.

In the field of psychology, there are over 2,400 peer-reviewed journals. Within academic circles, a study’s credibility is not based on solely whether it passes the peer-review process. It is the reputation and impact factor of the specific journal that are key factors regarding the attention and respect that the paper receives. The term “impact factor” is what is used to quantify the journal’s metric which is determined by the average number of times its articles are cited in a specific year.

The American Psychologist Journal has a 5-year impact factor of 12.8 which places it within the top 3% most prestigious journals in the field of psychology.

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In 2018, professor Etzel Cardena from Lund University in Sweden published a meta-analysis in the American Psychologist Journal regarding the field of parapsychology (PSI). Dr. Cardena’s analysis would include various topics regarding PSI phenomena such as remote viewing, ganzfield, distant healing, presentiment, PSI dream studies, precognition, remote influence, micro-pK, and the global consciousness project. The paper would include the results of thousands of trials published in hundreds of studies including research at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Duke University, and Princeton University. The conclusion of the meta-analysis was as follows: “The evidence provides cumulative support for the reality of psi, which cannot be readily explained away by the quality of the studies, fraud, selective reporting, experimental or analytical incompetence, or other frequent criticisms. The evidence for psi is comparable to that for established phenomena in psychology and other disciplines, although there is no consensual understanding of them.”

When it was first published, this meta-analysis was celebrated among many long-time researchers and supporters in the field of PSI due to the perception that this would be the paper that changes everything. Theoretically, this publication had all the qualities that any fair-minded critic would presumably concede to as being legitimate… high-impact factor journal, credentialed author, and a thorough meta-analysis including hundreds of studies.

Unfortunately, the paper failed to make the sort of impact that PSI insiders had been anticipating. This was rather predictable as someone who is vehemently opposed to acknowledging a truth… any truth for that matter… can simply refuse to look at the evidence no matter how significant or comprehensive it can be.

It is a sickness of the human psyche to operate in this manner.

The meta-analysis written by Dr. Cardena included thousands of trials in hundreds of studies over decades costing well over $30 million (Carey et al., 2007; Smith et al., 1995). However, even with all these resources and reputable organizations conducting the research, it failed to make a serious dent in the public perception of PSI that continues up until today.

This is due to the fact that public perception was already ingrained… not from scientific research disproving any data points but rather by a magician named James Randi. This magician publicly offered a $1 million prize for nearly 20 years (1996-2015). The dominant narrative is that Randi scoured the earth far and wide looking for the most skilled “PSI practitioners”… but somehow they all failed to display their abilities under his “rigorous” conditions. To take it a step further, Randi would also discredit any and all research in the field of PSI helping further mold the narrative that none of the data generated by the entire field was worth looking into. A piece by Mitch Horowitz outlines some of Randi’s tactics to discredit the entire field.

Here is an excerpt from the piece:

Another case was Randi’s yearly “million-dollar challenge,” often held in Las Vegas, in which he tempted psychics with a cash prize. For years it was an annual charade to which virtually no serious observer or claimant would venture near. Journalist and NPR producer Stacy Horn, who wrote about Rhine’s lab at Duke University in her 2009 book Unbelievable, queried Randi in June 2008 about his million-dollar prize. She told me:

I had an exchange with Randi because I was going to have the following sentences about his million-dollar prize in my book:

“To date, Randi’s million-dollar prize has not been awarded, but according to Chris Carter, author of Parapsychology and the Skeptics, Randi backs off from any serious challenge. ‘I always have an out,’ he has been quoted as saying.”

I sent that to Randi to ask him if he really said that. …He wrote back saying that the quote was true, but incomplete. What he really said was, “I always have an ‘out’ — I’m right!”

It seemed like he thought he was being amusing, but I didn’t really know a lot about him yet. But it also seemed to indicate that the million-dollar prize might not really be a serious offer. So I asked him how a decision was made, was there a committee and who was on it? …He replied, “If someone claims they can fly by flapping their arms, the results don’t need any ‘decision.’ What ‘committee’? Why would a committee be required? I don’t understand the question.”

At that point I wrote him off and decided to not mention his prize in my book since it just seemed like a publicity stunt for Randi.

The most amazing thing about this all is that the $1M was never actually spent… it was only dangled. It is assumed that the prize amount was legitimately secured in a bank account due to the support of UUnet founder, Rick Adams. Nevertheless, this has to be the most effective “$1 million marketing campaign” in the history of the world being that the effects are still felt globally today. This prize was developed not by a scientist… but by a magician who managed to influence culture including scientists themselves!

When people claim that there is no evidence of proof of PSI… it usually includes the fact that the $1M prize was never claimed. This is regardless of the Cardenas paper and any ongoing or future studies in the field of the “supernormal”. While the $1M prize doesn’t currently exist being that Randi is now deceased and discontinued the prize in 2015, a $500k prize does exist which is similarly cited as being evidence that PSI is non-existent.

It is an intriguing case study of marketing and sociological impact far beyond the monetary value involved. People who are normally “scientifically and data oriented” will put massive weight over a magician’s prize compared to a scientifically generated meta-analysis.

$1 million dollars can influence the entire perception of reality.

Think about that.

With the billions of dollars held by private wealthy citizens all across the world… a measly $1M (now $500k) controls the perception of the masses.

When we state “perception of the masses”… we are referring to the promotion of materialism. Any and all PSI or supernormal experiences are written off as merely psychiatric conditions in which individuals hallucinate.

Near-death experience? hallucination.

Telepathic experience? hallucination.

Alien encounter? hallucination.

Out-of-Body Experience? hallucination.

Thinking that you can transfer “energy” to another for healing? hallucination.

Psychedelics? Obviously hallucination.

You get the point.

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It is the ingraining of the mindset that nothing exists outside of our biological meat suit and brain activity. We have merely evolved over eons of time into strange creatures that use technology to navigate life eventually succumbing to the infinite darkness that is death.

Sure, there is much beauty to behold within the baseline human experience that falls well within the materialism framework such as the birth of a child, falling in love, eating dim sum, and peering over Niagra falls. However, none of this gives us any knowledge of the greater reality and what could be. The fear of death lingers in the back of the mind for most embracing the perspective of materialism. While there is the troublesome aspect of this viewpoint regarding stripping away any and all of the underlying magic of existence… our perspective is that it is simply pushing an incomplete and inaccurate model of reality. This has it’s own inherent danger as massive resources are deployed based on this incomplete world model.

99.99% of the time, 99.99% of people share a general, consensus baseline reality.

However, that .01% of abnormal experiences can seem to have quite an impact on the individuals themselves. Unfortunately, due to the discomfort that many have in sharing these experiences for fear of ridicule or being labeled as having “hallucinations” (largely due to vocal skeptics like Randi), these experiencers generally shy away from publicly sharing them. This is a negative for society being that it suppresses the possibility of developing a comprehensive world view and map of what is possible.

The endeavor of “proving PSI” is less about any of the specific abilities and more about what it alludes to.

Unequivocal proof of PSI could lead to the embracing of awe and wonder regarding the natural world. It could inspire people to dig further into what their true purpose on earth is and why we exist at this very moment in time. It could lead to massive breakthroughs in societal emotional well-being and alleviate some of the distress associated with death and even general hardship. It could give us deep insights as to mechanisms of rapid, spontaneous remission of severe disease that has been reported since the beginning of time with a mystical-type theme.

The impact all depends on forces that drive the narrative. As we have seen in recent times with the UAP discourse… some factions are massaging the message that advanced civilizations are a threat to society while other factions claim to know that these civilizations are undoubtedly benevolent. Thus far, neither has been proven correct or incorrect as the speculative discourse continues.

While we titled this piece, “The greatest $1 million marketing campaign in history”… we also must acknowledge the complete lack of transparency and ethics associated with this venture. There was no transparency behind the Randi initiative to test for PSI. What we are referring to regarding transparency is publicly laying out the specific equipment, environment, time frame, and specific necessary end-points that would be required as a legitimate display of PSI to win the prize. There has been much criticism of Randi claiming that he constantly “moved the goalposts” in order to remain evasive with his prize allocation. It seemed to many that he merely used the $1M prize as a public relations stunt rather than a legitimate quest for truth. Unfortunately the current group (The Center for Inquiry) offering the $500k prize for proof of PSI seems to operate similarly in terms of transparency.

The importance of transparency is that there are subjects who view PSI abilities similarly as those who engage in athletics. The importance of training and developing the neural circuitry for a specific event is key in terms of optimizing the outcome. Sure, you could advise someone to “get in shape” to perform well in a general athletic endeavor but disclosing the specific sport they will compete in (ping pong vs. basketball) can easily have a profound effect on their output. This is no different than academia where subjects study for a specific subject and are then tested in an environment they have been made aware of well in advance. There is no reason for PSI testing to not be afforded the same type of transparency.

Ethically speaking, Randi was compromised via bias as he would denigrate scientists and their efforts attempting to sway public opinion. However, everyone is entitled to their perspective and agendas… the only problem is when the public is led to believe the subject is neutral and only seeking truth when this was obviously not the case.

So now what to do?

If $1M can drive such an impact on society… it would seem that allocating a $1M prize with pure public transparency coupled with rigorous design would be the move. Obviously it would need to be presented by a perceived neutral party. A skeptic organization offering a prize for proof of PSI would be equivalent to the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) offering the prize. They would both be considered as platforms that contain inherent bias due to their history in the space of PSI (although IONS has yet to show a lack of ethics in the space).

Postulating further… instead of focusing the prize for one individual that can display PSI, focus on allocating the prize to platforms that can teach scalable methods of PSI. Preferably and ideally platforms that can showcase 10 or more subjects with the same ability. There is strength in teachable protocols and strength in numbers regarding providing evidence of an extraordinary claim.

There could be the possibility that the $1M prize could be allocated at 50% for the organization showcasing the ability of their 10 subjects and 50% to research on this specific display of PSI at a reputable university. Providing evidence of display coupled with unraveling the mechanisms of occurrence through science would seem optimal in terms of unveiling the ability to the world. It would theoretically be the best of both worlds as it wouldn’t be just prize money but also scientific validation as well.

There is literally nothing stopping a philanthropist or group of philanthropists with the financial means to influence the world in the same manner that Randi did with a new $1M prize. However, the difference would be that the prize would be offered under complete transparency designed under complete transparency with skeptics involved in the process.

One of the challenges is getting skilled mentalists and magicians to agree to publicly be part of the design endeavor. Many are biased and for whatever reason shy away from open dialogue regarding such a venture.

An interesting organization that is attempting to broach a very specific subject of PSI is the Center for the Unification of Science and Consciousness (CUSAC) group founded by author and physicist Tom Campbell. They are focused specifically on the ability of “mindsight” which is the purported ability to perceive without one’s eyes. While this ability has been reported in various periphery formats such as remote viewing and Out-of-Body experiences… the format of validating “mindsight” with the CUSAC group is currently being developed in a transparent manner. Some of the criticisms of subjects claiming to be able to perform “mindsight” with a sleep mask is that there is the potential for cheating. This is a valid criticism as there are clearly small gaps under and to the side of the nose in many of the masks utilized to explore this ability. In addition, mentalists and magicians have showcased the ability to subtly peak through these gaps in the mask even while placing multiple layers/barriers over their eyes.

The CUSAC group alongside physicist/neuroscientist Dr. Àlex Gómez-Marín are currently developing a protocol to ensure that any display of mind sight alleviates the potential for peaking/cheating by using a shield pasted on top of the mask.

While this project is a work in progress, this is the type of transparency necessary to instill trust that other organizations have failed to generate. A quest for truth doesn’t need to take place in the shadows.

The biggest issue we are presenting in this piece is simply the imbalance in terms of the impact of resources and efforts.

For example, basic logic would presume that the phenomena of remote viewing (RV) could be debunked with a handful of carefully designed trials and studies. However, what we have is over 5,400 trials to date regarding RV conducted over numerous decades at various institutions. This indicates that there is a signal robust enough that it cannot be ignored. Meta-analysis indicates that RV is a legitimate ability and that certain practitioners can develop this skill set at a greater accuracy rate than others. However, the tens of millions of dollars with dozens of researchers to formally study this ability is completely discarded by the public due to a counter faction that merely dangles their prize money ($500k/$1M) claiming that RV is pure fallacy.

This is the ridiculous situation we are faced with.

It’s not as if the organization offering the prize money has an annual event in which they provide a transparent application process for PSI practitioners across the world to compete in. There is nothing of that sort so it’s completely possible that the prize money is solely being utilized to discredit an entire field of inquiry.

A society that is molded by devious factions with ulterior motives over extensive scientific inquiry is not modern by definition. This isn’t the pre-2000 days when information could be disseminated and controlled by a few media conglomerates with carefully crafted messaging. We are in the era where pure transparency is embraced and the people clamor for unequivocal truth about a topic.

It’s absurd to postulate that an entity could literally spend $100 million or more on PSI related research, publish reputable studies in high-impact journals and yet still… an organization with a measly $500k can offset this entire effort by dangling a carrot with zero intent of actually feeding the donkey.

It is an interesting moment in time we live in with opportunities only limited by one’s imagination. In 2021, billionaire businessman Robert Bigelow allocated nearly $2 million of prize money regarding an essay contest focused on evidence for survival of consciousness after death. While it was an intriguing concept, the societal impact was tempered since it was essentially preaching to the choir of people who already know or believe in life after death.

It is our opinion that a new Randiesque prize of sorts would have had much greater impact on the perception of PSI and even life after death.

P.S. Some have hinted that if PSI abilities were developed and promoted at a large scale, that society itself could potentially collapse due to the lack of privacy when it comes to financial security/passwords etc. However, one of the greatest psychics of the past hundred years having generated over 14,000 written records of psychic readings predominantly focused on health, Edgar Cayce, had a notoriously difficult if not impossible time utilizing his ability to locate oil wells in the early 1900s. For whatever reason, it seems that there are some strange psychic distortions when it comes to the ability and financial shortcuts.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

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It’s clear that the topic of whether artificial general intelligence (AGI) is conscious or will ever gain legitimate consciousness is a prominent polarizing topic of this era. There are various arguments for and against the notion of digitally generated conscious beings. In many cases, it appears that people equate “intelligence” to consciousness. The term intelligence has become increasingly difficult to quantify over the past decade.

The world has observed subjects exalted as “intelligent” say and do many things that are clearly unintelligent. There is also the false equivalency of formal education and intelligence.

In the essence of complicating an already complicated topic, there seems to be a challenge quantifying both terms… intelligence and consciousness.

From our perspective, intelligence is the malleability of an organism to adapt to internal and external information to accomplish it’s goal while harmonizing with it’s co-habitants all simultaneously. The aspect of harmonizing with one’s environment is seen throughout the natural world at subtle and not-so subtle levels. The inability to adapt while maintaining a homeostatic response to the environment is a sign of unsustainable qualities and therefore lacking a depth of layered intelligence. We believe that the inherent intelligence of organisms might possibly reside from outside the individual itself and is rather intimately intertwined with an overarching blueprint for life… all life forms.

Consciousness is the experience of living, dying, and every bit of complexity in between. You cannot parse out consciousness from an entire experience of an organism… any organism.

Having defined these terms… can AGI ever gain true consciousness?

It’s clear that AI can be programmed to make aspects of our lives seemingly more efficient. The ability to develop premium video content with a few lines of prompts, crawl the entire web for information on a niche topic, and create summaries based on a few sentences are indeed useful. However, our perspective is that this is linear progress extending from the AOL days, to Google, and now to the next frontier of digital efficiency. The speed with which this is taking place is undoubtedly accelerating to the point of AI inevitably being able to beat the top chess players, the top poker players, and accurately analyze MRI scans at a rate that 1000 radiologists would be incapable of doing.

At some point, the displacement of human workers will come about from AI similarly to how cars displaced the horse and buggy or digital outlets replaced newspapers. This is all part of a cycle that we’ve witnessed during past leaps in innovation. The difference is now we are observing it occur with massive data sets and automation that has yet to be witnessed in eras prior.

Some make the case that because single cell organisms lacking a brain and a nervous system can appear to make conscious decisions, the development of digital systems that exude a greater level of perceived complexity of thought equate to potential AI consciousness. We believe that this is a seriously flawed thought process with little to no relation to the natural order of life.

It is more than likely that under the terms with which we define intelligence that AI can eventually be developed to the point of mimicking human-like traits to an extremely high degree. In some cases of core competency it will even surpass humans in specific tasks. In the near future, Zoom calls with digital avatars that dynamically interact with humans in a seamless fashion are likely to unfold. Some believe that in the distant future, there could be a point in time when lifelike robots mimicking human behavior are almost indistinguishable from human counterparts… although this sounds rather far-fetched when taking in other facets of sloppy mimicry going on today.

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Is a fake Louis Vuitton bag real?

What differentiates the fake bag from the real bag? At first glance they are virtually identical but it is the details of the differences that differentiate between the “real” bag and the “fake” one.

Then we have the fake iPhone (on the right) vs. the real iPhone. They seem virtually identical at first glance. However, a closer look at the details correlated with the interface and operating system lead the fake version falls apart.

Hamburgers created via ground meat from former living animals compared to lab-grown abominations are not the same. They might be somewhat similar but the same they are not.

In recent times, the New York Times published a piece titled, “Extremely Lifelike Dolls Cause a Frenzy in Brazil”. Some of the dolls can apparently simulate nosebleeds and shitting. It is inevitable that eventually these dolls will be integrated with digital personalities that will imitate real babies.

Is there an AI fanatic alive that has witnessed the process of their children being born that believes that it can be virtually duplicated in a synthetic format? If there is… please send them to us so we can toss them off the planet.

While we concede that AI can exude facets of intelligence based on massive data sets, optimized pattern recognition, and algorithmic-based rapid adaptability traits… this has nothing to do with consciousness. As we stated above, “Consciousness is the experience of living, dying, and every bit of complexity in between. You cannot parse out consciousness from an entire experience of an organism… any organism.”

Being that materialism dominates the perspective in mainstream academia and most pseudo-intellectual circles, there is the notion that death equates to a complete blackout and any experience deemed paranormal/supernormal are merely hallucinatory by nature. This is an extremely simplistic thought process with a high degree of naivety. This perspective of human experience would definitively leave these groups of “scholars” to postulate on whether AI could attain a level of consciousness.

The truth of the matter is that the complete conscious experience of a human (and possibly many if not all other organisms) comprises of baseline experiences interwoven with glimpses of the “more”. This “more” is essential to differentiating intelligent applications and conscious organisms. Can AI describe the incident of a “Near Death Experience”?

Of course it can.

It will merely generate a description based on the thousands of testimonials in text, video, and audio in every language throughout the world for the past hundred years. It can then generate a video from this database that will provide an exact replica of the most common themes experienced during NDE’s. It will likely be an emotionally stimulating video that changes the entire perspective of the death process. We cannot wait for this process to unfold as it is an important endeavor.

However… can AI experience a veridical Out-of-Body Experience (OBE) regularly associated with NDE’s?

These are the experiences described by the ongoing work of medical doctors Bruce Greyson, Jeffrey Long, and Raymond Moody regarding NDE research. The veridical OBE is when a person experiences the sensation of perceiving their body from up above themselves and can verify specific information at a distance. Other organizations such as The Monroe Institute (TMI), International Academy of Consciousness (IAC), Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute (EOC), Center for Advanced Studies in Conscientiology (Brazil), and the International Institute of Projeciology and Conscientiology (IIPC/Brazil) been fostering techniques to induce these types of veridical OBE’s through trance-like states.

There is much speculation regarding how these experiences occur.

The materialist keeps it simple by stating that the brain might be producing more DMT than usual leading to the hallucinatory experience of perceiving one’s body from outside of itself.

Those with greater experience and knowledge postulate that there is a “less physical” layer of the body that exits the physical body allowing for perception at a distance. Some have named this “less physical” body in terms such as the “astral body”, “plasma body”, “the spirit”, or even the “soul”. These types of experiences have been described since the beginning of human existence in every culture throughout the globe. Only until humans became “sophisticated” did we begin to deny these occurrences as a legitimate part of reality. Whether this “less physical” body has any relation to electricity, magnetism, or the quantum realm has yet to be determined.

In the vein of consistency, we stated that “consciousness is the experience of living, dying, and every bit of complexity in between.” We do not believe coherent thought process allows for parsing out aspects of our experience that is conscious and others that aren’t. All of it is part of our conscious experience and if AI cannot experience all of our conscious experience then it is simply not conscious. It can have facets of competency and algorithmic based “intelligence” but that’s it.

It’s truly that simple.

If AI can exit the digital realm and perceive information at a place disconnected from the digital world (cameras, phones, etc.) only then can it be considered to be experiencing the human conscious experience. In fact, who is to say that a single-celled organisms don’t experience OBE’s when they die? While OBE’s don’t occur everyday for everyone, it is these types of experiences that tell us more about the greater reality with which we live in than the 99% of baseline conscious experiences. The reason for this reasoning is that it is clear that humans possess the ability to experience reality from outside the confines of the body. Consciousness is not relegated to the confines of the physical body 100 percent of the time.

This unravels the materialist perspective of the brain-computer equivalence and with it changes the perspective of human life, death, reincarnation, and the like.

The leading theorists of today regarding consciousness such as Stuart Hameroff/Roger Penrose with the Orch/Or theory and Joachim Keppler seem open to phenomena beyond the body while also doubting the notion of AGI consciousness. AGI simply isn’t interacting with the field of information that seems to mysteriously interact with organisms on earth. The complexity of reality and the organisms within it are beyond comprehension. There is currently no manner with which we can comprehend what percentage of reality we have figured out.

But for Christ’s sakes before we begin postulating whether a digitally created algorithm can attain the equivalent of human consciousness… someone, somewhere please create a fake Louis Vuitton bag that is indistinguishable from a real one.

That is all.

P.S. The notion that AGI will need to have laws to protect it from emotional abuse is as ridiculous as the story mentioned in the NY Times article stating… “But there appears to have been just one documented case of a woman with a psychiatric disorder showing up at a hospital to seek treatment for her doll, only to be turned away at the entrance, the news outlet UOL reported.” This idea needs to be discarded swiftly and quickly as it is yet another symptom of dissociation from reality among “intellectuals”. As a kid, I used to type in swear words in the game “Hero’s Quest” and the subjects in the game would respond with “Gadzooks!”. Perhaps I should be imprisoned from emotionally abusing this 1989 computer game.

Gadzooks indeed.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

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The first episode of season 1 was published on September 9, 2024 with the final episode (10) published on December 23, 2024. This podcast produced by filmmaker Ky Dickens has recently reached the top ranking on both Spotify and Apple podcasts even surpassing long-time established shows like The Joe Rogan Experience. This is quite the amazing feat considering there was no formal marketing budget or distribution plan other than uploading the episodes on audio platforms and letting the internet do its thing.

The general theme of the podcast is that it follows non-verbal autistic children associated with the work of Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell. Dr. Powell is a Johns Hopkins University educated neurologist and psychiatrist who taught neuropsychiatry at Harvard University in the 1980s. In 1989 she would go on to research molecular biology at UC San Diego. Throughout her academic career she was exposed to concepts and subjects indicating that the current model of the brain and human consciousness was incomplete. In 2008, Dr. Powell published the book titled, “The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena”.

This book outlines decades of research regarding psychic phenomena including telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis, and out-of-body experiences (OBEs). Dr. Powell provides her perspective of how this type of phenomena occurs throughout the book. Throughout her career, Dr. Powell has been actively involved in researching the abilities of autistic savants. These are subjects who exude abilities beyond traditional learning capabilities.

Telepathy Tapes is an audio collection of Ky Dickens interactions with non-verbal autistic children, their family members, and researchers including Dr. Powell. These children have shown that they exude the ability to access information outside of the traditional 5 senses. While the term “telepathy” can be quite polarizing, the ability to garner information non-traditionally via techniques such as hypnagogia or through the use of psychedelics or even the more unorthodox… remote viewing (which was initiated by the CIA at Stanford Research Institute and lasted 20 years) has been around for quite some time. These techniques and tools induce distinct neurological changes from baseline consciousness that correlate to this enhancement of information gathering abilities (Ghibellini et al., 2022; Kwan et al., 2022; Escolà‐Gascón et al., 2023).

The question that arises regarding the non-verbal children highlighted throughout Telepathy Tapes is simply… how?

Since we are referring to non-traditional information acquisition, rational thought leads us to presume that the hardware of these subjects is likely quite different than those that do not so easily access these abilities. When a person claims that they can bench press 500 pounds, we give them a glance over to see if their physique matches their claim. Being that these non-verbal, autistic children apparently have super normal abilities to access information… there lies the possibility that their brains are significantly different from that of the average child.

While modern discourse regarding consciousness and it’s relationship to the brain has morphed into various types of frameworks, it is undeniable that the brain plays an extremely prominent role in cognition. When Albert Einstein passed away, there was massive interest in examining his brain in order to verify whether there were any distinct differences between his brain and that of the average person. The belief was that any clear divergence that Einstein’s brain exuded could potentially explain his superior intellect and insight capacity. One of the key findings was that while Einstein’s brain wasn’t any larger than the average person, the structure that connects the left and right hemisphere, the corpus callosum (CC), was found to be significantly thicker for Einstein compared to age matched controls. In addition, Einstein’s CC was thicker in many regions compared to younger males (Men et al., 2013). Additional research regarding the CC found that its thickness could be correlated with increased intelligence (Strauss et al., 1994; Luders et al., 2007; Hutchinson et al., 2009; Hinkley et al., 2012; Westerhausen et al., 2018; Urbanik et al., 2023). Interestingly, it’s been shown that subjects with cognitive impairment from conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease possess a significantly smaller CC volume than age-matched controls (Walterfang et al., 2014; Elahi et al., 2015; Kamal et al., 2021).

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders compared the corpus callosum (CC) volume of 50 children (2 to 4 years old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to 50 children with typical development (TD). The researchers observed that numerous regions of the CC for ASD children were significantly thicker than the TD children. Similar findings have also been found in earlier research (Wolff et al., 2015).

In addition to Einstein’s brain exuding a thicker CC than average, a significant increase in cortical folding has also been observed (Falk et al., 2012). It is believed that cortical folding is important for cognition being that it increases the surface area of the brain and facilitates more intricate connectivity. A 2004 study published in the journal Psychiatry Research observed that children and adolescents with ASD were found to have increased cortical folding in the cortex compared to control subjects.

One of the challenges regarding the process of diagnosing a subject as autistic is that it is largely based on observation of behavioral patterns rather than including neuroimaging data within the process. This leads to a significant variation in terms of the underlying factors contributing to the conditions. There are numerous published studies citing that reduced CC volume has also been observed in autistic subjects (Frazier et al., 2009; Berkins et al., 2023). There is some research indicating that children with ASD exude much greater variability of CC morphology with some exuding greater volume and some lesser volume (Prigge et al., 2012). This is a clear indication that while some of the externalized characteristics might seem similar among subjects with ASD, their internal processing abilities likely vary significantly based on their individualized neural development. Since the underlying cause of autism is rather undefined currently, it cannot be assumed that all autistic children exude the abilities of the subjects featured in Telepathy Tapes. Without neuroimaging data of children with telepathic abilities compared to children without telepathic abilities, we cannot assume much from the current existing literature regarding children with ASD.

Nevertheless, it is clear that brain structures of ASD subjects differ significantly compared to that of the average human subject. In some cases, it seems that they contain aspects of neural hardware that are indicative of greater capacities for intelligence. In the case of the subjects showcased in Telepathy Tapes, being that the subjects are non-verbal, we would presume that this enhanced intelligence potential materializes in non-traditional manners. In Part 5 of the series “Magic Salamanders & the Zero-point Field”, we outlined the various documented extraordinary abilities of autistic savants in the fields of art, memory, and music. The concept of telepathy simply appears to be an extension of these types of abilities.

The most challenging issue in terms of presenting telepathy to the mainstream is the notion that one’s consciousness is not localized to the brain. Classic neuroscience and biology is presented as a complex mix of electrochemical interactions modulated by metabolic activity. For the majority of people, the majority of the time… this perspective of the brain and cognition holds true. However, the outliers could potentially provide glimpses into the fact that the current mainstream model is incomplete. Joachim Keppler’s model regarding the brain acting as a read-write head interacting seamlessly with a background field of information resonates with us being that it combines classic neuroscience with quantum electrodynamics (QED). Without establishing a deep integration with the science of today, discourse regarding PSI abilities tends to induce dissociation of subjects who have studied biology from an academic perspective. Just to be clear… Keppler’s model doesn’t focus on PSI but rather attempts to present a more comprehensive picture of how the brain operates in relation to an ubiquitous background field of information.

In addition to the anatomical differences between ASD subjects and typical subjects, there is some evidence indicating that there are neurochemical variations as well. A chemical compound that was originally named telepathine due to it’s reported telepathic properties when ingested exogenously (Ayahuasca) is produced endogenously within humans (Cao et al., 2021). The name telepathine was changed to harmine in the 1920s. Harmine acts as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), meaning that it inhibits the metabolic breakdown of monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. A 2017 study in the Journal of Neuroscience research found that MAO-A activity in patients with autism (ages 4 to 38) were significantly lower (20.6%) compared to age matched controls. This finding correlates with data points indicating that ASD children produce significantly more serotonin compared to their average counterparts (Abdulamir et al., 2018). This could be an indicator that ASD subjects are producing significantly more telepathine aka “harmine” than the average person.

Does this explain telepathy?

No.

It is merely a potential correlate and a signal of the potential differences that leads to further research. In addition to telepathine, an emerging hypothesis is that ASD subjects produce more DMT than normal correlating with their perceptual and neurological differences. DMT is a powerful psychedelic compound that produces transcendental experiences when taken in sufficient amounts exogenously. A 2019 review paper in Frontiers in Endocrinology discusses the potential link between increased endogenous DMT production and the neurological abnormalities associated with autism. A related form of DMT, bufotenin (5-HO-DMT) has been observed to be elevated in the urine of ASD subjects (Himwich et al., 1972; Emanuele et al., 2010).

Once again, the chemical correlates do not explain telepathy but they provide data indicating that ASD subjects are in a distinctly measurable altered state of consciousness chemically speaking.

From our perspective, the most important layer of ASD in relation to the concept of telepathy is the electromagnetic signature they exude. We state this because neither the anatomical structures of the brain nor the chemical components can expand outside of the physical body. In addition, neuroimaging such as MRI and chemical measurements lack the temporal resolution of electrical or magnetic signaling. Interestingly, the electroencephalogram (EEG) was developed in 1920’s by Hans Berger in an attempt to capture telepathic brain activity (Caeira et al., 2023). We speculate that Berger was unsuccessful in his attempts due to the lack of ability to measure faster oscillatory activity being that he was relegated to an analogue system. Digital EEG systems today can capture much faster oscillatory activity than Berger was capable of (<20 Hz) nearly 100 years ago.

There is evidence to suggest that subjects with ASD have baseline bioelectric patterns that are faster than the average (Diessen et al., 2015). A 2016 magnetoencephalogram (MEG) study in the journal Brain & Development observed that ASD subjects exuded significantly greater power of high frequency oscillations (HFO) 200 Hz to 1000 Hz in the frontal cortex compared to age matched controls. Interestingly, a 2024 study in the journal Molecular Autism found that the higher the gamma power (35 Hz to 55Hz), the lower the language skills. This could be a signal that the non-verbal ASD subjects featured in Telepathy Tapes exude a much different and faster oscillatory activity than the average. Many EEG labs do not measure for activity above 30 Hz due to the perception that signals above this frequency are merely artifacts from movement. However, the 2016 MEG study showcases that this is likely not the case because MEG does not suffer from artifact contamination to the same level that EEG does due to it not physically touching the scalp. This needs to be considered thoroughly when attempting to validate the ability of these subjects.

So far we’ve covered the potential neuroanatomical, chemical, and electromagnetic differences between ASD subjects correlating with their telepathic abilities. These are all very standard layers of physiology that can be quantified at the proper universities.

So… what’s the next step?

It’s clear that Telepathy Tapes has garnered massive public interest across the globe. It’s also clear that skeptics and media backlash will do their best to dissuade the public that this phenomena is taking place. We’ve already come across a few articles claiming that this entire field of inquiry is simply based on exploiting ASD children and their parents. Part of us feels that hardly anybody cares about what these skeptics think so their opinions are not entirely impactful or important. On the other hand, there’s the notion that a large percentage of the public is fair but still on the fence regarding fully believing that the phenomena exists.

If we were to create a comprehensive program to go about showcasing the abilities of these non-verbal ASD subjects it would go as follows:

Physiological Synchronization

The field of hyperscanning, a neuroimaging technique that simultaneously measures the brain activity of two or more individuals engaged in social interactions, has emerged over the past several decades allowing researchers to examine the neural underpinnings of social interactions (Czeszumski et al., 2020). Forming a core research team well-versed in the various hyperscanning techniques and algorithms to optimize the measurement of neural synchronization between subjects is essential for modern telepathy research. The general public and academia have been exposed to various research scopes showcasing neural synchronization utilizing classic communication such as speaking (Perez et al., 2017; Ahn et al., 2018), digital communication (Schwartz et al., 2024), cooperative gaming (Wilkstrom et al., 2022), group educational environments (Dikker et al., 2017), territorial threats (Mu et al., 2017), musical cohesion (Sanger et al., 2012), hand-holding (Goldstein et al, 2018), mother-child eye gazing (Leong et al., 2017) and romantic encounters (Muller et al., 2014).

An emerging neuroimaging technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has shown great potential to measure interbrain synchronization due to its resistance to motion artifacts and mobility. It has been utilized to measure synchronization between subjects during social interactions (Zhao et al., 2024), as well as group communication (Nozawa et al., 2016). In addition to neural synchronization, heart rate synchronization using electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement has also been observed during communication of subjects (Flory et al., 2023). There also lies the possibility that the measurement of gastrointestinal activity via electrogastrography can showcase synchronization between subjects during communication (Balasubramani et al., 2022).

It seems that an optimal setup to identify synchronization patterns between the non-verbal ASD subjects and their parents would be to utilize a combination of EEG, MEG, FNIRS, and ECG (Ru et al., 2022). Focusing on synchronization patterns between subjects communicating non-verbally provides a grounded presentation of information transfer/access. This initial aspect of the research doesn’t need to take place under shielded conditions. The ASD non-verbal subject and their parent should be located in positions to optimize the information access. Once a consistent signal of synchronization can be established, the next step would be to add incrementally more obstructive shielding between subjects to identify any limiting factors.

The challenges in such an endeavor would be to keep the ASD subjects comfortable throughout the process.

Neuroimaging

This type of research would likely not be directly related to the actual telepathic phenomena but rather a glimpse into the neural hardware these non-verbal ASD subjects have in an attempt to spotlight the distinct changes they possess compared to the average. Nevertheless, there is the possibility that simultaneous fMRI between two subjects is possible as it’s been used to explore telepathy in the past (Venkatasubramanian et al., 2008). However, MRI/fMRI scanning would likely be quite challenging as there is a necessity to remain quite immobile in order to generate quality images.

Periphery Support

While the telepathic abilities of non-verbal ASD subjects is an extremely important finding, it still allows for the public to reject the notion that telepathy is relatable to them if they are not regularly exposed to ASD children. This is in light of hundreds or even thousands of children reporting these abilities anecdotally. This has been one of the pitfalls of past efforts to validate PSI abilities because it is simply not relatable to the average person. It is one aspect that has separated 26 Guinness world record holder Wim Hof from other supernormal humans from the past such as Ingo Swann or Uri Geller. Wim has created a method in which altered states are induced via breathing exercises and cold exposure which has shown to scale to millions of people across the globe. In 2014, a study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on the Wim Hof Method which showcased that average subjects were able to influence their autonomic nervous system and innate immune system to stave off the fallout from E.coli injections. This study showed unequivocally that Wim’s technique is scalable to the masses and subsequently led to massive media coverage since then.

In terms of periphery support for ASD related telepathy, one of the abilities that has been cited is the ability to perceive colors. In the case of Telepathy Tapes it was stated that the child is able to correctly identify which color the parent is perceiving.

A friend of ours, Dr. Edith Ubuntu Chan is currently teaching a 4-week course (45 minutes per week) that facilitates children (ages 5 to 11) to perceive colors and even read while blindfolded. These are average children that are taken through a process in which they are capable of perceiving 10 colors in a row while blindfolded before moving on to other exercises. The children don’t need to touch the colored paper or color on a digital screen to correctly perceive it. Based on the current data after having trained over 100 children so far, the success rate for color perception is 100%. The ability to read while blindfolded does not have the same success rate but some children seem more naturally inclined for success in this aspect. From our discussions, Dr. Chan will be exploring expanding the course to adults in the near future.

(Video footage of Dr. Chan’s son matching colored binder clips with colored cups.)

This is the type of periphery phenomena that provides distinct complementary support to Telepathy Tapes being that it is information acquisition outside of the traditional 5 senses. While it might not be considered classic telepathy, it clearly has significant overlap in terms of the non-traditional senses and abilities. Since this course is available to all children (and potentially all adults in the future), it creates a sense of relatability, curiosity, and accessibility for the general public. Should the course scale up with additional teachers, it has the potential to hit significant numbers of adoption causing a paradigm shift similarly to what Wim Hof Method did for biohacking.

Another field of potential periphery support to Telepathy Tapes is the field of transcranial stimulation. There is evidence to suggest that altering the activity of the left and right hemispheres can induce PSI-like abilities. A 2024 study in the journal Cortex found that utilizing repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to induce inhibition of the left medial frontal lobe enhanced PSI effects. This effect was quantified by utilizing a random event generator (REG) to verify the differences in output with and without rTMS induced inhibition. While not specifically PSI-related, a 2006 study in the journal Perception also utilized rTMS to inhibit the left anterior temporal lobe which induced savant-like numerosity skills in average people. From an inverse perspective, a 2019 study in Scientific Reports utilized transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) to amplify activity over the right parietal and temporal lobes inducing an increase in Eureka moments of insight.

These findings of dampening the activity of the left region of the brain or stimulation of the right region of the brain offer a signal for further inquiry. The research regarding hemispheric dominance regarding ASD subjects indicates asymmetry towards the right hemisphere (Mason et al., 2008; Cardinale et al., 2013; Persichetti et al., 2023). Interestingly, research regarding the psychedelics psilocybin and Ayahuasca has shown distinct activation of the right frontotemporal regions of the brain (Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et al., 1999; Perkins et al., 2023). While not everyone claims to experience PSI phenomena during their psychedelic journeys, for whatever reason many report being open to PSI afterwards.

Perhaps research regarding dampening the left frontal lobes of the brain while stimulating the right frontal lobes of the brain could be a starting point of inquiry for inducing PSI abilities in average humans. Perhaps this can be enhanced by applying this stimulation following psychedelic experiences. In Sean McNamara’s book, Dewdrops of Infinity, he documents the effects of psychedelics at varying doses on PSI abilities. He states that PSI abilities appear to be enhanced following the cessation of psychedelic experiences rather than during them. With all the fervor regarding psychedelics currently, this could be another important field of periphery support for Telepathy Tapes.

In addition to Dr. Chan’s blindfold perception work, dampening of the left frontal region with right frontal region upregulation, and psychedelic-PSI enhancement potential… we also have “Project Exiting the Body” which is a project we’ve mapped out over the last couple years.

Media

Telepathy Tapes has done an excellent job of generating interest via the podcast. An ongoing podcast series that spans over the next decade highlighting the findings from direct and periphery fields of PSI abilities and research is needed to build on the current momentum. In addition, it appears that a documentary will be developed from this series as well as future research endeavors. We believe that an ongoing docuseries would be optimal as it will keep the topic in the limelight on a consistent basis. These media components will also allow for the development of future fundraising funnels to consistently produce high-quality research at top-level universities. Based on researching past efforts in the PSI space, there appears to be a consistent boom and bust cycle based on initial fervor and dissipation based on media coverage. In the age of the internet where media can be distributed widely rather than being relegated to television network approval, there is no reason why a consistent media presence should not take place.

It should be expected that hit pieces in the media will arise as Telepathy Tapes continues to grow in interest. The only way to overcome these media hit pieces is by generating even more media with more reach and distribution. A podcast series coupled with several films per year with a vision spanning over the next decade has the potential to change the PSI landscape in a manner unseen before.

We are here for it and rooting for Telepathy Tapes to shake the earth with their efforts!

Endohuasca@gmail.com

Close your eyes and the world around you disappears.

Open your eyes and the environment surrounding you becomes lucid.

Our ability to visually perceive the external world has long been understood to take place via the processing of the electromagnetic spectrum via the eyes and brain. Visual perception that falls outside of “the norm” is usually labeled as a hallucination of sorts. Why these visual distortions take place at all is a great mystery especially in light of billions of people experiencing prolonged hallucinations also known as “dreams” every night as they sleep. While there are numerous theories regarding the physiological reasons and correlates of the dream state (ex. memory consolidation), it is still largely speculative.

An interesting occurrence that has been described throughout history and across cultures is the “Out of Body Experience” (OBE). The people who have experienced an OBE do not describe it as being in a dream. The classic description of an OBE is perceiving one’s own body and surroundings from a vantage point a few feet up above. This phenomena is commonly reported to take place alongside significant physical or emotional trauma. There are generally 2 perspectives of the OBE:

1. It is purely a hallucinatory experience potentially tied to altered neural activity and possibly specific receptor activation that occurs due to dissociative mechanisms during traumatic experiences.

2. It is associated with altered neural activity and possibly specific receptor activation that signifies the spirit/soul/astral body becoming untethered from the physical body allowing for visual perception outside of the physical senses.

Modern research regarding OBE’s utilizing neuroimaging (fMRI/PET) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) has taken place over the past 20 years (Smith et al., 2014; Ridder et al., 2007; Brandt et al., 2005; Zeev-Wolf et al., 2017). One of the initial theories that emerged from this research was that altered functioning of the region of the brain known as the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) contributes to OBE occurrences (Blanke et al., 2004; Blanke et al., 2005; Brandt et al., 2005; Ridder et al., 2007). There has even been a case report where a subject undergoing craniotomy (partial skull removal) experienced an OBE via stimulation of their left TPJ (Bos et al., 2016). However, additional research has found that stimulation of the nearby anterior insular cortex (AIC) in a child with epilepsy was also capable of inducing an OBE (Yu et al., 2018). Additional research has found a relationship between subjects with epilepsy and OBE’s (Maillard et al., 2004; Fukao, 2006; Jarzebska, 2006; Lopez et al., 2010; Kasper et al., 2010; Heydrich et al., 2010; Hoepner et al., 2012; Fang et al., 2014; Hosokawa et al., 2021). Interestingly, several case reports of women reporting OBE’s during childbirth have also been published (Zambaldi et al, 2011; Bateman et al., 2017). In addition, hypnosis has been cited to be capable of inducing OBE’s (Meyerson et al., 2004; Zeev-wolf et al., 2017) and in more recent times, virtual reality (VR) has been utilized to mimic OBE-like phenomena (Pomés et al., 2013; Maselli et al., 2014; Bourdin et al., 2017; Sansoni et al., 2022; Ma et al., 2023; Xu et al., 2024; Xu et al., 2024).

There has been a recent surge of interest in OBE’s due to various reasons including the modern psychedelic renaissance as well as the increased popularity of near-death experience (NDE) media coverage and research. The proliferation of ketamine clinics throughout the country has played a pivotal role in popularizing OBE discussion being that this dissociative anesthetic has been consistently cited to induce OBE-like phenomena (Wilkins et al., 2011; Morgan et al., 2011; Wilkins et al., 2012; Tian et al., 2023). DMT has also been a focal point of psychedelic discourse pertaining to OBE’s with a greater focus on NDE’s (Timmerman et al., 2018; Lawrence et al., 2022; Pascal et al., 2023). Being that DMT is an endogenous molecule recently observed to occur at physiological significant levels in the mammalian brain (Dean et al., 2019; Glynos et al., 2024), there has been much speculation regarding it’s potential role in NDEs. The ongoing work of medical doctors Bruce Greyson, Jeffrey Long, and Raymond Moody should be commended for their decades of commitment to the field of NDE research.

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The clinical research regarding OBE’s is an intriguing field of study being that it points to consistent neurological changes associated with the experience. However, the one missing aspect of all the published research thus far is verifying whether the subject experiencing the OBE was capable of garnering objective information at a distance. It is likely assumed among the majority of clinical researchers that OBE’s are simply strange experiences based on altered neurological activity. With this thought process, it would make little sense for including data acquisition targets in the vicinity of the OBE within the research scope.

One of the most consistent reports regarding OBE’s are from subjects who have undergone NDE’s. It’s been documented that OBE’s occur for more than 50% of subjects that experience a NDE (Nelson, 2015; Martial et al., 2017). Interestingly, pilots in the air force have also consistently reported OBE’s based on G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC). In addition, soldiers on the battlefield have also reported OBE’s based on physical injury or the sheer intensity from witnessing the carnage. One of the obvious limitations to studying OBE’s related to NDE’s are the ethics involved. Do we really want to be conducting OBE data acquisition targets to dying patients in the hospital emergency room?

It appears that consummate bloviator Neil Degrasse Tyson has little issue with conducting such experiments. In the video clip below from the Joe Rogan podcast, Tyson describes the process of placing data acquisition targets in emergency rooms across the country to verify whether OBE’s are objectively legitimate or not. Due to the advances in resuscitation techniques and technology such as the defibrillator, a greater occurrence of NDE’s and OBE’s have been reported over the past century compared to centuries prior. While there could be some merit in the general scope of Tyson’s proposal, there has to be a better way…

Earlier this year, famed neuroscientists Anil Seth and Christof Koch engaged in a discussion regarding consciousness and the brain while lightly touching upon OBE’s (30:26). Anil mentions the 2 perspectives of the OBE (as cited above) and states, “We should take these experiences seriously but not literally.” Koch would respond with, “I am with you, I find it difficult to believe the mind somehow has access to other places and can travel around.” It’s interesting how both scientists dance around the subject of whether consciousness is generated by the brain or experienced by the brain all the while never really conducting in-depth research themselves on OBE’s. Apparently Koch has experienced transcendental states in recent years via psychedelics altering his general perspective of the brain-consciousness interface.

One of the more interesting statements made by Seth during the conversation was as follows, “If I do this to the brain, then I can get an Out-of-Body experience and when I stop doing this, it will stop which of course has famously been done in certain brain stimulation experiments.” This alludes to Seth believing that because the TPJ or AIC of the brain can be stimulated to induce an OBE, it inherently discredits the ability for legitimate perception outside of the body. This points to the fact that this could be an optimal starting point for future research regarding OBE’s. The reason why we state “optimal” is due to attempting to meet the average perspective where they are.

Seth and Tyson both represent the average perspective so designing experiments that could help them comprehend the greater facets of reality in an incremental way is likely necessary. However, first we must identify the optimal type of brain stimulation (magnetic/electric or other) that can reliably induce legitimate first-hand OBE occurrences. There is the possibility that the brain stimulation-OBE research cited by Seth simply distorts one’s perception to have an experience mimicking some facets of OBE’s and does not truly equate to the lucidity of OBE’s associated with NDE’s and other catalysts. As cited in earlier pieces, “The God Helmet” developed by Dr. Michael Persinger has also been cited to induce OBE phenomena. Surprisingly, founder of Skeptic magazine Michael Shermer claims to have experienced an OBE from the “God Helmet” stimulation.

The only legitimate manner in which we can verify that stimulation induced-OBE is legitimate is by gathering several dozen subjects who have experienced OBE phenomena and proceed to stimulate their brains in a controlled setting. The subjects can then verify whether A) the stimulation did in fact replicate an organic OBE in totality or B) simply mimic it in a distorted manner. If A) is consistently reported among the subjects, then the brain stimulation research can progress to the second phase. If B) is the finding, then there’s no reason to continue brain stimulation research in light of OBE exploration.

The second phase of the brain stimulation-OBE research would be to add a data acquisition target exactly as Tyson states. On a shelf located above the subject’s vantage point, print out a single sheet of paper with a 3 digit number and see if the subject can verify the number in their stimulated-OBE. If they can in fact corroborate that they were able to see the number and report it following the cessation of the stimulation (or possibly even blurting it out during stimulation), that indicates potential jackpot.

The third phase of the brain stimulation-OBE research would be to replicate the second phase of the study but add in neuroimaging via EEG and/or fMRI. A group of researchers out of the University of Toronto have been developing a dataset for decoding images from EEG data (Xu et al., 2024). The dataset is composed of exposing subjects to ten thousand natural images while wearing EEG. According to the researchers, this would then allow them to decode the visual experience of a subject and project it on to a video screen. Similarly there are other research teams doing comparable work in decoding images from fMRI data (Dado et al., 2022). Theoretically speaking, the stimulated-OBE research utilizing EEG/fMRI would be able to project the subject’s experience onto a screen including the numbers they saw.

(Figure 2 from (Dado et al., 2022) Visual reconstruction from fMRI.)

Due to the fact that numbers are extremely simple in their clarity and meaning, a straightforward pilot study such as this would provide optimized value regarding basic, OBE research. It would provide a level of redundancy that has never been capable of occurring in this field. Traditionally speaking, the only evidence of data acquisition from OBE’s is the subject’s testimony. While this might serve as enough evidence in the court of law, scientific scrutiny especially regarding a paradigm changing topic such as this might require an added layer of proof. The challenge in attempting to prove OBE legitimacy via stimulation technology is that it does not offer a scalable opportunity for the public to engage with the results. Ease of scalability contributes to wider adoption of paradigm changing truths. An example of this would be the Wim Hof Method (WHM) and the 2014 study showcasing that the technique could bring about immune and autonomic system modulatory abilities within a short time frame of training. This research and the subsequent media coverage distributed the results of the study and the potential of WHM to a global audience spurring an explosion of breathwork and cold plunge adoptions.

Perhaps a similar strategy can be utilized to legitimize OBE’s beyond the clinical research?

In order to execute a strategy as such, there would need to be a non-traumatic technique or protocol for OBE’s that the masses can access easily. In addition, the technique would need to be reliably induce OBE’s for a reliable percentage of the public within a relatively short time frame. Fortunately, various organizations such as The Monroe Institute (TMI), International Academy of Consciousness (IAC), Exploration of Consciousness Research Institute (EOC), Center for Advanced Studies in Conscientiology (Brazil), and the International Institute of Projeciology and Conscientiology (IIPC/Brazil) have been conducting field research regarding techniques to induce OBE’s. Field research consists of focusing on the experiential aspect of the subjects in a non-clinical setting. The intriguing aspect of these organizations is that they have purportedly developed non-traumatic, scalable manners of inducing OBE’s.

(While not technically specializing in OBE research, a notable mention of a program focused on acquiring data a distance via “Remote Viewing” was the “Stargate” project at Stanford Research Institute (SRI). This project ran from 1977 to 1995 and was directed by the U.S. military with funding to the tune of $20 million.)

The longest running organization of the bunch is The Monroe Institute founded in 1971 by Robert Monroe. It all began in 1958 when Mr. Monroe, a successful radio broadcasting executive started experiencing strange sensations of bodily vibrations as he lay in bed ready to sleep. He continued to have these types of experiences on a regular basis even seeing his doctor to rule out any health conditions associated with this phenomena. After about 30 episodes of experiencing these vibrations, he decided to say to himself, “If this is going to kill me, let it happen!” After a few minutes, the vibration seceded and Monroe became more comfortable with this strange but non-threatening sensation. One night as he lay in bed waiting for the vibrations to end in order to go to sleep, he began to think about the weather the next day… and then suddenly he found something bumping against his shoulder. After seeing what he thought was a strange fountain emanating from the floor, he realized that he was touching the ceiling of his bedroom. He thought, “what a strange dream this is” then looked down and saw his wife in bed with a man. Upon closer inspection, Monroe looked at the man and realized it was him. He panicked thinking he might be dead and quickly made a successful effort to enter his body. Following this experience, Monroe visited various doctors to ensure he was not suffering from a brain tumor or psychiatric conditions. After getting a clear bill of health, he would continue exploring these experiences which would lead him to launch The Monroe Institute to foster research into creating techniques and technology to optimize OBE occurrences. He would also author several books on the subject titled, “Journeys Out of the Body”, “Far Journeys”, and “Ultimate Journey”. One of the key methods that TMI utilizes to induce OBE’s is via sound in combination with verbal instructions. The audio tracks have been named Hemi-sync and utilize a form of sound called binaural beats to induce their effects. Binaural beats consist of utilizing different tones in each ear to create a single tone. They work by entraining the brain to oscillate at the single tone inducing a trance-like state. There is a succession of different Hemi-sync tracks that apparently optimizes the path towards experiencing an OBE.

In recent times, TMI held a retreat for various YouTube personalities to experience a one-week immersion with their OBE techniques. Chris Ramsay’s new YouTube channel Area52 documents his own experience as well as that of others who attended the retreat. Interestingly, 6X memory champion Nelson Dellis attended the event and describes the experience of attempting to see a 4 digit number at distance while Out-of-Body. This was an informal experiment that Nelson did with another attendant of the retreat. You can watch the results of this field experiment in the video below (22:03).

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The International Academy of Consciousness is the second longest running OBE-focused organization having roots that date back to 1981 with the Center for Continuous Consciousness (CCC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since then, the formal academy was created in 2000 and the IAC campus was established in Alentejo, Portugal fostering education and research. Having attended various lectures of IAC teachers, they have developed a database of a wide array of techniques that appear to consistently foster OBE’s. Some of them are extremely simple such as the “carbon dioxide technique” based on breathing in through the nose for 2 seconds, holding the breath for 4 seconds, and exhaling through the mouth for 6 seconds. Another technique that was generically labeled the “third eye technique” comprised of merely focusing one’s closed eyes internal gaze to the forehead location for 4 seconds, stopping this focus, then refocusing at the forehead position for 4 seconds. Both of these techniques are stated to work based on consistency of practice until the OBE occurs. Interestingly, on the IAC campus, an igloo-looking building called “The Projectarium” has been developed with a 15 foot radius optimized for facilitating OBE’s. This dome shaped building houses a bed on a platform that has space above and below in which a person can purportedly have an OBE without being disrupted by confined spaces and shapes.

Between TMI, IAC, the other organizations and the many purported OBE experts sprinkled throughout the world, a non-invasive, scalable technique to induce OBE’s has to be extractable. Much like the brain stimulation-OBE research cited earlier would take place in sequential format, the optimized technique would need to be field tested prior to integrating neuroimaging into the research.

It’s rather interesting that meditation has been shown to induce an increase in activity of the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) (Holzel et al., 2011; Yang et al., 2016; Rathor et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2023). It is rather well known that long-time meditators have been reported to experience OBE’s with some of them claiming to be able to do so at will. An unfortunate but interesting finding is that the connectivity and activity of the TPJ is seemingly altered in subjects who have undergone childhood abuse (Cracco et al., 2020; Cheng et al., 2021). This could potentially play a role regarding paranormal experiences from subjects who have experienced significant trauma as children. It appears that there could be different factors affecting the development of the neural structures associated with OBE-type phenomena.

Just for speculative purposes, let’s say that the perfect, 30-minute OBE technique was developed utilizing a combination of sound, breathing, audio instructions, etc. It would need to be verified to induce an OBE in a certain threshold percentage of naive subjects. Once the percentage and expectations have been established, we can bring the technique to the lab and combine it with neuroimaging in order to provide redundancy for data acquired at a distance. Theoretically, once the research is complete it essentially validates OBE’s as being legitimate experiences in which a person’s consciousness expands beyond their body. While the usual gatekeepers in the media will surely cry about it all… the beauty of this scenario is that the same exact technique/audio track utilized in the study can be distributed widely and freely for the public to experience. At that point, it would hardly matter what the critics might say being that millions of people would be experiencing OBE’s while sharing their astral adventures online alongside the research data.

For pure entertainment purposes we could then take the OBE research scope to the next level. What we are about to propose is simply ungrounded musings from a random being so no need to get all up in arms about the proposition.

As cited in past pieces, Dr. Edi Bilimoria was a featured guest on the JeffMara podcast and was proposed the following question from the host Jeff, “I had a guest once that was having an Out-of-Body Experience and during her experience she saw a homeless man on the street that people considered to be schizophrenic. The next day, when she was out on the street the schizophrenic recognized her from her Out-of-Body Experience. Can you comment on that?”

Dr. Bimoria would respond with, “Only to say it wouldn’t surprise me.”

—

This third branch of OBE research would consist of gathering half a dozen subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia to be within the vicinity of the subject attempting to have an OBE. The group with schizophrenia would be asked to report if they saw the OBE subject exit their bodies and if so, to describe everything they observed. The next layer of this research branch would consist of hooking up all the schizophrenic subjects to EEG’s so that their visual experience of witnessing an OBE from a second-hand perspective can potentially be recreated. There lies the possibility that subjects under the influence of psychedelics (at various doses) or subjects in a trance state might have similar abilities to see the spirit/soul/astral body exit the physical body and float around. Hell… lets even include a room full of cats to see how they react to someone having an OBE.

You never really know what would happen.

The last part of this strange, futuristic research would include the development and/or integration of cameras in an attempt to capture OBE phenomena on film. Obviously a starting point would be exploring cameras that capture activity outside of the human visual spectrum of 380 to 750 nanometers. Ideally we would set up the research lab with the OBE participant, the half dozen schizophrenic watchers, the 10 cats (throw some EEGs on them), and 2 UV spectrum cameras and 2 infrared cameras. Just for the hell of it, we could include some vintage Polaroid cameras being that there are so many crazy reports from the 70’s and 80’s claiming to capture paranormal phenomena. Perhaps there is some counterintuitive aspect of digital cameras that fails to materialize these spectacles? Yes, we understand that this is a strange perspective of capturing OBE occurrences but hey… we have to remain completely open-minded on how to approach this field.

The funny thing about all this verification and quantification of OBE’s presented thus far is that it’s only scratching the surface of the greater meaning of this phenomena. With the assumption that one’s consciousness can extend past the confines of the physical body, what does that signify regarding bodily death? Both TMI and IAC have mapped out various layers and levels of the planes of existence when “Out-of-body”. How do these maps compare to eastern perspectives such as the Tibetan Book of the Dead and Hindu beliefs regarding the spiritual realms? What are the perspectives of indigenous cultures across the globe regarding these realms? Can a comprehensive map of the “spiritual” realms be developed? If some subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia have the ability to peer into other realms of existence, what does that say about our understanding of these conditions?

There’s the possibility that eastern spiritual traditions that have survived for tens of thousands of years have already built maps and developed thorough understandings of altered states of perception. The concept that westerners are simply on the path to recognizing and remembering these facets of the greater reality could very well be legitimate.

We presume that the verification of the existence of the spirit/soul/astral body would vastly change the western perspective of the research at UVA regarding reincarnation. This in essence, would change the perspective of many regarding the meaning of life, the concept of predetermined hardships for spiritual growth, and the gift of intelligence being from elsewhere than the self.

The intellectual endeavor of unraveling the greatest mysteries of existence is tantalizing but we must never lose sight of the bigger picture… the bigger potential impact that can be had from publicizing these rediscoveries.

Is human incarnation merely the journey of spiritual and emotional maturation?

If so, to what end?

Some eastern mystics claim that our ultimate goal when incarnated is to obtain the vaunted “rainbow body” with which we attain from sustained spiritual enlightenment and instead of exiting our physical body when we die… we take it all to the other side leaving no karmic debts and breaking the cycle of reincarnation.

Undoubtedly an intriguing concept yet so unfathomable to the average perspective.

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Endohuasca@gmail.com

P.S. In Robert Monroe’s book, “Journeys out of the Body”, he describes different field experiments he engaged in. The following being possibly one of the most interesting:

8/15/63 Afternoon - A productive experiment after a long layoff! R.W., a businesswoman whom I know quite well through long work association, and a close friend aware of my "activities'' (but somewhat skeptical still, in spite of rather unwilling participation), has been away this week on her vacation up on the New Jersey coast. I do not know exactly where she is vacationing other than that. Nor did I inform her of any planned experiment, simply because I hadn't thought of it until today (Saturday). This afternoon, I lay down to renew experimentation, and decided I would make a strong effort to "visit" R.W. wherever she was. (Rule one in my case always has been that I am most successful going to someone I know well and the opportunity does not come up too often.) I lay down in the bedroom about three in the afternoon, went into a relaxation pattern, felt the warmth (high order vibrations), then thought heavily of the desire to "go" to R.W.

There was the familiar sensation of movement through a light blue blurred area, then I was in what seemed to be a kitchen. R.W. was seated in a chair to the right. She had a glass in her hand. She was looking to my left, where two girls (about seventeen or eighteen, one blond and one brunette) also were sitting, each with glasses in their hands, drinking something. The three of them were in conversation, but I could not hear what they were saying.

I first approached the two girls, directly in front of them, but I could not attract their attention. I then turned to R.W., and I asked if she knew I was there. "Oh yes, I know you are here" she replied (mentally, or with that superconscious communication, as she was still in oral conversation with the two girls). I asked if she was sure that she would remember that I had been there. "Oh, I will definitely remember," the reply came.

I said that this time I was going to make sure that she remembered. "I will remember, I'm sure I will" R.W. said, still in oral conversation simultaneously. I stated that I had to be sure she would remember, so I was going to pinch her. "Oh, you don't need to do that, Til remember" R.W. said hastily. I said I had to be sure, so I reached over and tried to pinch her, gently, I thought. I pinched her in the side, just above the hips and below the rib cage. She let out a good loud "Ow," and I backed up, because I was somewhat surprised. I really hadn't expected to be able actually to pinch her. Satisfied that I had made some impression, at the least, I turned and left, thought of the physical, and was back almost immediately.

I got up (physically!), and went over to the typewriter where I am now. R.W. will not be back until Monday, and then I can determine if I made the contact, or if it was another unidentifiable miss. Time of return, three thirty-five.

Important aftermath: It is Tuesday after the Saturday of the experiment. R.W. returned to work yesterday, and I asked her what she had been doing Saturday afternoon between three and four. Knowing my reason for asking, she said she would have to think about it and let me know on Tuesday (today). Here is what she reported today: On Saturday between three and four was the only time there was not a crowd of people in the beach cottage where she was staying. For the first time, she was alone with her niece (dark-haired, about eighteen) and the niece's friend (about the same age, blond). They were in the kitchen-dining area of the cottage from about three-fifteen to four, and she was having a drink, and the girls were having Cokes. They were doing nothing but sitting and talking.

I asked R.W. if she remembered anything else, and she said no. I questioned her more closely, but she could not remember anything more. Finally, in impatience, I asked her if she remembered the pinch. A look of complete astonishment crossed her face.

"Was that you?" She stared at me for a moment, then went into the privacy of my office, turned, and lifted (just slightly!) the edge of her sweater where it joined her skirt on her left side. There were two brown and blue marks at exactly the spot where I had pinched her. "I was sitting there, talking to the girls" R.W. said, "when all of a sudden I felt this terrible pinch. I must have jumped a foot. I thought my brother-in-law had come back and sneaked up behind me. I turned around, but there was no one there. I never had any idea it was you! It hurt!"

I apologized for pinching so hard, and she obtained from me a promise that if I tried any such thing again, I would try something other than a pinch that hard. In this episode, the time coincides with the actual events.

“Colors require a brain to exist, colors are made from mixtures of wavelengths.” - Dr. Anil Seth.

The wavelengths that Dr. Seth is referring to are part of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. The human brain processes electromagnetic radiation and creates the perception of color from mixtures of these wavelengths. Humans are generally considered to construct their visual perspective based on the interpretation of EM waves from 380 to 750 nanometers. Slower wavelengths generate the perception of red tones while faster wavelengths generate purplish colors. Technically speaking, Dr. Seth is correct when he makes the claim that colors do not exist outside of the brain. However, while the bandwidth of EM waves regarding the human perceptual field seems to remain within a fixed range, the interpretation of these wavelengths are not always uniform across the population.

For those that remember the viral phenomena of 2015 known as “the dress”, it’s clear that large percentages of the population perceive reality quite differently than others. The viral nature of the image and the distinct differences in the perceived colors of the dress brought the topic of perceptual differences to the forefront of discourse nearly a decade ago. The importance of this example is that there was no negative stigma attached to either side (black/blue vs. gold/white) as can tend to take place when small subsets of the population describe altered perception from the norm.

Over the past decade, psychedelics have gained in popularity across the general public as well as in clinical research for various health conditions. While the classic perspective of psychedelics is that they induce purely hallucinatory phenomena, there is an outlier case study that indicates potentially something else going on.

In 1998, a Canadian professor of psychology named Dr. Michael Persinger published a case study in which it was cited that subjects under the influence of LSD reported being able to see rotating magnetic fields. The description of the case study is as follows: 3 participants sat in a completely darkened basement with no access to light while under the influence of LSD. A 0.5-Hz rotating magnetic field was initiated at a distance of about 6 to 10 feet, intensity range 50 to 500 nanoTesla. The field was created by two horseshoe magnets rotating in opposite directions such that they attracted and repelled once every cycle. The motor that turned the magnets was stopped intermittently and the magnets were randomly removed or attached by the experimenter without the subject's knowledge. There were four trials of 1 min. each for each of the two conditions (8 trials) presented in a random order. The subjects were given 10 minutes to acclimate to the complete darkness of the room prior to initiating the experiment. All three subjects reported either whitish or greenish-yellow and bright purple blobs of "diffuse light that merged and separated as a "field" or "haze" around both magnets about once every 2 seconds. The perceptions were reported only when the magnets were attached and rotating and were not reported when the magnets were stationary or when the motor was operating after the magnets had been removed. The descriptions were quite distinct from phosphenes or the characteristics of magnetophosphenes. When these subjects were exposed to the same rotating magnets at approximately the same distance one week after the ingestion of the drug, they reported no unusual visual perceptions. At that time their proportion of occipital alpha rhythms had returned to baseline levels.

To recap, subjects under the influence of LSD appear to be capable of visually perceiving a rotating magnetic field generated by two horseshoe magnets rotating in opposite directions in close proximity to each other. An interesting observation of this transpiration is that the rotating magnets attracted and repelled once every cycle while the blobs of light merged and separated around both magnets once every 2 seconds. This is significant in the sense that there appears to be a time-centric aspect of the perception that coincides with the 0.5 Hz (one cycle every 2 seconds) generated rotating magnetic field. This indicates that this was indeed an accurate perception and that this suggests enhanced visual perception following LSD ingestion. This leads to the question… what wavelength of the EM spectrum were they perceiving?

We presume that the wavelengths being perceived likely fall outside of the average range of perception between 380 to 750 nanometers. The question is whether this enhanced spectrum is taking place at the ultraviolet (UV) range or lower (below 380nm), or within the infrared (IR) range or higher (750nm). We concede that this could be an overly simplistic perspective of enhanced visual perception. There lies the possibility that it is an expansion of both ends of the visual spectrum (UV & IR) in combination with altered processing of the baseline bandwidth. Nevertheless, a basic approach of exposing subjects under the influence of LSD to EM wavelengths normally outside of baseline consciousness should be a starting point of inquiry. An obvious point of research would be to identify specifically what wavelengths are generated by the 0.5 Hz rotating magnetic field.

Once some data points are generated, it could offer insights as to the potential bandwidth of wavelengths in which psychedelic experiences take place and potentially much more.

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A friend of ours, Dr. Edith Ubuntu Chan underwent an experience known as a “dark room retreat” back in 2013. This retreat consisted of spending 9 days in complete darkness. In many cases, subjects report experiencing mystical-type visionary experiences after a few days in the dark and having them continue until eventually being exposed to light. Dr. Chan had an interesting experience that is not commonly reported regarding having the ability to see the outline of furniture in her retreat room. The following is an excerpt of a conversation we had regarding the experience:

Dr. Chan: It was a gradual onset, so I don’t remember exactly when it started. I think it was a few days into the retreat that I began to see a fuzzy glow of light around the objects. It was a whitish/grayish light that radiated about a foot from the edge of the bed and chair.

JC: Did that sensation intensify in the following days at all?

Dr. Chan: Yes. All the experiences got stronger and stronger with each day in the dark. The clarity of visions and colors that I experienced were noticeably strongest from days 3 through 9. Some say that it takes 3 days for your melatonin levels to become “saturated”, and after that more interesting visuals and other sensations that’s traditionally related to DMT experiences will manifest. But for me, almost right from the get-go, I experienced powerful, life-changing visions starting from Day 1.

JC: Intriguing. There’s been much speculation that “dark room retreats” upregulate the “Endohuasca” system leading to increased levels of endogenous DMT coinciding with visual “hallucinations”. I find it especially interesting that it seems as though there was clearly a tangible aspect of your visual acuity pertaining to seeing objects in the dark. Were there any other experiences/visions that you experienced alongside this?

Dr. Chan: Yes. From the very beginning I saw interesting geometric patterns. These visuals intensified with each day of the retreat. Usually I need to close my eyes and enter a meditative state to see these patterns with such clarity but during the retreat, the patterns of light and geometric shapes continued whether I had my eyes open or closed. And whether I was consciously “meditating” or not. Often the light patterns got so bright that you could have swore someone opened a window or door and let in the light patterns from the outside!

JC: That sounds like quite an experience. What is it like when the retreat ended and you are exposed to the outside world?

Dr. Chan: Following the 9 days and nights of complete darkness, on the 10th day we go outside during sunset time. We were all given sunglasses to wear until our eyes could adjust to the intensity of the light. It was the most glorious and beautiful thing I ever saw. The magnificence of the color spectrum was surreal. Everything you look at, it’s like watching 8K TV dialing it up the contrast to the max… and then multiply that by 100! That intensity of colors gradually faded back down over the rest of that day, but to this day it never went back to the dullness that I saw before the darkroom. The enhanced color spectrum has stayed enhanced ever since. I still see subtleties in all colors that other people don’t seem to notice.
​
JC: I can only imagine what that must have been like. Do you find that stress levels effect your color perception at all?

Dr. Chan: That’s a very interesting question! I do know that when I do Wim Hof hyperoxygenation breathing… the colors get more enhanced. When I’m not breathing enough, the color look noticeably more dulled. You know… I rarely feel tired or out-of-breath, but when the colors of the world look duller, that’s how I know I need to breathe. I’ve learned to use it as my barometer.

—

While experiencing mystical-type experiences from prolonged exposure to complete darkness is an intriguing field of research within it’s own, the fact that Dr. Chan was able to see the outlines of objects in her room while in complete darkness is equally interesting. What spectrum did she perceive to view the white/grayish light emanating from the bed and chair?

Circling back to the rotating magnet case study, future research regarding the potential ability of darkroom retreat participants to perceive these same rotating magnetic fields seems to be necessary. Perhaps endogenous DMT is being upregulated alongside gamma oscillations due to extended darkroom exposure. Long-time DMT researcher Dr. Steven Barker has famously cited unpublished dissertation research from the 1980’s where it was observed that rat brain samples showed an increase of endogenous 5-MEO-DMT by 1000% and DMT by 400% following LSD administration. Based on this finding, Barker hypothesizes that serotonergic psychedelics potentially induce their mechanisms of action by upregulating the endogenous psychedelic system rather than acting as the primary agonist. Ultimately, the end-point oscillatory activity of the brain could be the key to enhanced perception regardless of the initial catalyst… psychedelics, extended darkness, and the many other ways to alter perception & electrophysiology.

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Various cultures throughout history have been known to revere cats due to what might have once been considered “magical” qualities. There are an estimated 400 million domesticated cats throughout the world today with many anecdotes of these feline animals showcasing peculiar habits. Many pet owners have cited the belief that their cats have the ability to see the deceased or other invisible objects due to their habits of staring or interacting intently with… “nothing”. Not to be outdone, some dog owners also describe similar activities among their canine companions. A 2014 study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B observed that many mammals including cats and dogs have the ability to perceive the UV spectrum as low as 315 nanometers. There lies the possibility that our pets are in fact perceiving “something” in the UV spectrum (or other) that exists but are invisible to the human eye. Whether they are “ghosts” or discarnate entities of some kind has yet to be verified.

A common occurrence for psychedelic users that have a cat or dog is that the animal seems to distinctly change it’s behavior when the owner is in the midst of their visionary journey. Many cat owners describe the almost protective type posturing that cats exude when the owner is in the midst of their trip. Dog owners also describe similar activity but the naturally protective nature of dogs makes it less obvious of the distinct behavioral change. Interestingly, a recent 2024 study shows that LSD can have a positive effect on autistic dogs regarding brain synchronization with their human caretakers.

Autistic dogs on LSD! Crazy shit.

Speaking of animals that can perceive the UV spectrum, human children have been observed to have the ability to perceive within the UV bandwidth (Sliney, 2016; Fletcher, 2016; Pajer et al., 2019). This ability apparently decreases with age as the eyes and brain mature. It is interesting to note that technically speaking, the retina is acknowledged to be an extension of the brain and central nervous system (London et al., 2013). It’s been commonly reported throughout history in virtually all cultures across the globe that children have claimed the ability to see deceased family members. These reports are usually under conditions where adults in the near vicinity cannot see the deceased.

As we’ve covered in past pieces, children exude distinct differences in neural oscillatory activity and default mode network (DMN) development compared to adults. There lies the possibility that these neurological differences contribute to some children having the ability to accurately recall memories from people that lived previously. We wildly speculate that this same ability of enhanced memory recall happens in parallel to children seeing deceased loved ones. Interestingly, there is much speculation that children produce elevated levels of DMT compared to adults. While this belief still needs to be proven, it appears to have a logical foundation based on the elevated neurogenesis and neuroplasticity experienced by children (Sorrells et al., 2018; Fandakova, 2020).

It would seem that a logical point of research would be to expose a number of children to rotating magnetic fields in the dark to verify whether they have the capability to perceive this field similarly to adults on LSD.

As cited in a previous piece, Dr. Michael Persinger developed a device called “The God Helmet”, a device that utilizes magnetic field stimulation to induce an altered state of consciousness. It was called “The God Helmet” due to the mystical-type experiences consistently reported from the stimulation. Founder of Skeptic magazine Michael Shermer reported having an “Out of Body Experience” (OBE) when he was exposed to it. Dr. Persinger found that this device increased gamma oscillations in the brain (Tsang et al., 2004) and speculated that it did so by upregulating DMT synthesis from the pineal gland (Hill et al., 2003). The natural progression of this research would gravitate towards exposing subjects to rotating magnetic fields in a completely darkened room while wearing “The God Helmet”. There lies the potentiality that the neural magnetic stimulation would allow for subjects to perceive the rotating magnetic fields.

(A clip from the JeffMara Podcast interview with Dr. Edi Bilimoria on YouTube.)

Transcript of the above clip:

JeffMara: I had a guest once that was having an Out-of-Body Experience and during her experience she saw a homeless man on the street that people considered to be schizophrenic. The next day, when she was out on the street the schizophrenic recognized her from her Out-of-Body Experience. Can you comment on that?

Dr. Edi Bilimoria: Only to say it wouldn’t surprise me.
—

While there are no formal case studies that we are aware of regarding verified visions of subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia, this is an intriguing anecdote nonetheless. We must remain cognizant that anecdotes indicate a signal that should be further investigated.

There are so many questions regarding this simple anecdote.

When subjects describe experiencing an OBE, it’s very common for them to state that they can see their immobilized physical body while being able to move around with a translucent version (astral) of their body. This has been written off as nothing more than hallucinatory phenomena by most scholars in the field of neuroscience. However, the fact that a subject claims to have been able to perceive this translucent version of the body alludes to the notion that the astral body might be able to be captured visually with the proper visual spectrum camera. What EM spectrum if any does a person’s astral body reside in? There also lies the potential that subjects undergoing extended darkness exposure, psychedelic users, or even young children might be able to perceive the astral body of another person.

There’s only one way to find out.

We will be doing a shallow dive into potential OBE research trajectories in the near future.

Perception seems like such a subjective yet objective field of discussion. Much of our ability to see the physical world and interact with it is based on our perception of what consensus reality is comprised of. As we’ve touched upon thus far, it seems as though the material world provides us glimpses of the glitches in the matrix that act as signals to probe further. Is everything deemed as hallucinatory truly hallucinatory? Or do certain people, animals, or children experience expanded visual spectrum phenomena at certain moments?

There seems to be a systematic manner in which these questions could potentially be answered.

While seemingly outwardly unconnected, the discussion of alien encounters have become more popularized in the media and social circles in recent times. There are wide-ranging perspectives from being purely internally generated abduction experiences at 3am to multi-dimensional entities accessible via exogenous DMT administration with scientists at UC San Diego and Imperial College seriously exploring the phenomena. While this field of research is intriguing, the public perception of subjective experiences such as ET phenomena whether endogenous or exogenously induced is largely labeled as purely hallucinatory by nature. This can make it challenging to further serious discourse in this topic but there lies the potentiality that integrating more fundamental research on basic visual spectrum expansion can open the window towards greater acceptance of legitimate experiences.

Interestingly, Dr. Joe Dispenza has been conducting large meditation retreats where more than 2000 attendants engage in intense meditative and breathwork practices in large hotel ballrooms. There have been many reports of attendees seeing non-human tall, white/bluish translucent-like beings observing the workshops. While the term “group hallucination” can be thrown around when describing this phenomena, there lies the possibility that there’s more to the story than simply imagining things…

It is quite a strange yet transformative era we are experiencing currently as advances in communication and imaging are furthering the discourse of topics once considered to be taboo.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

P.S. The topic of “Bigfoot” is largely ridiculed by the general public and mainstream media. However, we find it interesting that reports of this mythical creature have spanned throughout history and across the globe with indigenous cultures. One aspect that seems important to note is that “Bigfoot” sightings have never been reported in densely populated areas such as Manhattan or Tokyo. The same cannot be said for alien abduction experiences or ghost sightings. There lies the possibility that the natural world exudes a different geomagnetic signature than industrialized cities leading to a change in autonomic signaling and human electrophysiology. This could in theory change the visual spectrum bandwidth of spectators claiming to have seen “Bigfoot”. It’s difficult to say why these sightings have been so consistent across the globe but many modern researchers have claimed “Bigfoot” to be more “inter-dimensional” and ET like than a purely physical creature.

We’ve come to the 5th and final part of this strange series we’ve presented thus far.

The field of bioelectricity is not a popular area of research currently being that much of how the body is perceived to operate is predominated by proteins, genes, organs, and bodily fluids. The prevailing view of biological mechanisms is if a set of genes and proteins can be switched on or off, the body could be optimized. Our perspective is that this could be an incomplete understanding and that influencing top-down bioelectric signaling could be a primary drive of biological processes.

We believe that understanding how neural activity influences systemic and targeted bioelectric communication for disease reversal and longevity is of the utmost importance for our continued evolution as a species.

In the book, “The Body Electric”, Robert Becker outlines the effects of magnets and magnetic fields on bioelectric currents within salamander physiology:

“After finding a C-shaped permanent magnet, an item not much in demand since the advent of electromagnets, I set up the equipment. I took a deep breath as I placed the first anesthetized salamander on its plastic support, with one foreleg extended. I’d placed electrodes so that they touch the limb lightly, one on each side, and I’d mounted the magnet so as to swing in with its poles above and below the limb, close to yet not touching it. I took voltage measurements every few minutes, with the magnet and without it, as the animal regained consciousness. I also measured the DC voltage from the tips of the fingers to the spinal cord. In deep anesthesia, the DC voltage along the limb was zero and so was the Hall voltage. As the anesthetic wore off, the normal potential along the limb gradually appeared, and so did a beautiful Hall voltage. It increased right along with the limb potential, until the animal recovered completely and walked away from the apparatus. The test worked every time, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget the thrill of watching the pen on the recorder trace out the first of those Hall voltages.” - p. 101.

(An image on page 101 from “The Body Electric” displaying the Hall effect of a C-shaped permanent magnet on limb DC voltage.)

“I figured the brain currents must be semiconducting, like those in the peripheral nerves. I thought of looking for a Hall voltage from the head but reasoned the brain’s complexity would make any results questionable. Then I thought of using the effects backward, so to speak, measuring a magnetic field’s action on the brain rather than on production of the Hall voltage. Since the Hall voltage was produced by diverting some of the charge carriers from the original current direction, a strong enough magnetic field should divert all of them. If so, such a field perpendicular to the brain’s midline current should have the same effect as canceling out that normal current with one applied from the outside. The animal should fall asleep.”

“We tranquilized a salamander lightly, placed it on a plastic shelf between the poles of a strong electromagnet, and attached electrodes to measure the EEG. As we gradually increased the magnetic field strength, we saw no change - until delta waves appeared at 2,000 gauss. At 3,000 gauss, the entire EEG was composed of simple delta waves, and the animal was motionless and unresponsive to all stimuli. Moreover, as we decreased the strength of the magnetic field, normal EEG patterns returned suddenly, and the salamander regained consciousness within seconds. This was in sharp contrast to other forms of anesthesia.” p. 113.

(An image on page 113 of “The Body Electric” outlining the effects of magnets on changes in brain activity and consciousness.)

“We also found we could work backward, using the currents to produce anesthesia. A strong enough magnetic field oriented at right angles to a current magnetically “clamped” it, stopping the flow. By placing frogs and salamanders between the poles of an electromagnet so that back-to-front current in their heads was perpendicular to the magnetic lines of force, we could anesthetize the animals just as well as we could with chemicals, and EEG recordings of magnetic and chemical anesthesia were identical.” p. 238

It is quite fascinating that exposing a salamander's head to a magnet can induce anesthesia by affecting the direction of the direct current (DC) in the brain. It is equally intriguing that the salamander can immediately recover from this magnetically induced coma state and quickly regain full consciousness.

When it comes to humans, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is becoming increasingly more popular regarding clinicians utilizing it for its therapeutic effects. While TMS isn’t a new technology having been created in the 1980’s, it is being commonly used in hospitals to treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and even cognitive impairment in the elderly (Rizvi et al., 2018; Somani et al., 2019; Gorelick et al., 2014; Hu et al., 2024). TMS is a non-invasive technology that generally operates within the 1.5 to 2 Tesla range. The mechanisms of action are based on generating a magnetic field which is placed on the outside of the scalp which penetrates into specific brain regions and induces small electrical currents. These currents depolarize neurons in the targeted area which changes the firing patterns of neurons and activates brain cells. This stimulation can release neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin creating a shift in emotional states (Baeken et al., 2011; Cho et al., 2009; Strafella et al., 2003).

While much TMS therapy operates at the 1 to 2 Tesla range in terms of strength, there is additional research highlighting the effects of much weaker magnetic fields on mammalian biology. For reference, 1 microtesla equates to 1 millionth (10^-6) of a Tesla. A 2015 rat study in The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology observed that exposure of a magnetic field 2 microtesla in strength for 2 or 5 days modulated their levels of dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters. A 2000 study in the journal Pineal Research found that in-vitro pineal glands exposed to magnetic fields 86 microtesla in strength suppressed melatonin secretion compared to baseline non-exposure. A 2004 study in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology observed that exposure to magnetic fields in the 100 microtesla range induced a 100 percent detection rate in humans when utilizing EEG measurement.

In the 1990’s, Dr. Michael Persinger and Stanley Koren developed a device called “The God Helmet“. This device utilized magnetic field stimulation in the range of 1 to 5 microteslas. This helmet has been reported to induce mystical-type experiences including “Out of Body Experiences” as reported by skeptic Michael Shermer. A 2004 study in the International Journal of Neuroscience observed that exposure to “The God Helmet” induced increases in gamma wave strength in the frontal and occipital regions of the brain. Dr. Persinger would even postulate in a 2003 write-up in Perceptual and Motor Skills that endogenous DMT upregulation coincided with “The God Helmet” experiences.

While microtesla level stimulation is quite weak compared to standard TMS, there is also research with even much weaker magnetic fields as low as 1 picotesla showing distinct changes in human neurology. For reference, 1 picotesla equates to 1 trillionth (10^-12) of a Tesla. A 2016 study in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders found that TMS stimulation ranging from 1 to 7.5 picotesla had the ability to significantly increase delta and theta frequencies in patients with multiple sclerosis. Similar effects have been observed in research regarding Parkinson’s disease as well as in children with autism (Anninos et al., 2016; Anninos et al., 2016). A 2021 study in the journal Medicina observed significant improvements in Alzheimer’s patients as well as changes in delta/theta frequencies from picotesla stimulation for 3 days.

Being that there appears to be significant effects on human neurology from such a wide range of magnetic field strength exposures, there appears to be a non-linear effect taking place. A 2023 review paper in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences outlines the dozens of studies showcasing this non-linear effect while presenting several mechanisms for this occurrence. A 2017 review paper in PLOS One cites the various studies observing the effects of hypomagnetic fields (extremely weak) on biology. The term non-linear refers to magnetic field strength as not being an inherent driver of physiological effect. There are cases in which weaker magnetic fields induce greater effect than stronger magnetic fields.

The significance of this non-linear effect is that it creates the potential for humans to be possibly affected by weak magnetic forces found in nature. One might ask, where on earth might a magnet be found?

Earth as a whole is considered to be one gigantic magnet. Earth’s magnetic field is generated by electric currents in the liquid outer core. The field strength of earth’s geomagnetic field generally ranges between 22,000 to 65,000 nanoteslas at the earth’s surface. A 2019 study from researchers at Caltech observed that the human EEG changes when exposed to rotating magnetic fields emulating earth’s magnetic field strength. A 2022 in Nature Scientific Reports observed that humans possess a magnetic resonance system with the earth. These findings present data indicating that humans can sense earth’s magnetic field much like the vast majority of vertebrates.

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In recent times, a multi-disciplinary study from the Miguel Lillo Foundation in Argentina was published proposing the idea that psilocybin mushrooms contributed to the evolution of humans. This isn’t an entirely new concept having originated by Terence and Dennis McKenna decades ago while also being championed recently by famed mycologist Paul Stamets. This theory is more commonly known as the “Stoned Ape Theory” of evolution. The main points supporting this theory is as follows:

23 Different species of primates (including humans) consume mushrooms.

Climate change induced our hunter/gatherer ancestors to leave the forest and begin foraging in the Savannah.

Hunting entails looking for footprints and scat (fecal matter). Hippopotamus, elephants, deer, antelope feces all contains the mushroom psilocybe cubensis (containing the psychedelic psilocybin).

Psilocybin substitutes as serotonin inducing neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.

The human brain doubled in size 2 million to 40,000 years ago.

​With the doubling in brain size came the ability to utilize language and plan for the future.

Psilocybin experiences increased empathy and reduced fear in our ancestors which eventually led to leadership skill sets.

This process did not take place solely over several generations but rather over millions of years leading to epigenetic neurogenesis.

We believe that these are relatively rational supportive points to support the theory. However, the belief that all human ancestors originated from a specific location in Africa is a risky proposition being that new data is constantly being generated in terms of human habitat throughout the world historically. In 2017, Nature published a study indicating that humans existed in California 100,000 years earlier than believed prior. A 2018 study in Science published data showcasing that human remains were found outside of Africa 55,000 years earlier than previously thought. A 2023 study in Nature indicates that human ancestors might have first evolved in Europe rather than Africa. It’s clear that when it comes to understanding human origins, there is much to be uncovered and that it only takes a few new discoveries to upset the proverbial apple cart regarding perceived ancient human history.

Our general critique of the “Stoned Ape Theory” largely pertains to assuming that our ancestors had a constant supply of psilocybin mushrooms being that the geographic location of our ancestors could have varied more significantly than once believed. In addition, a distinct percentage of the human population experiences nausea after consuming these psychedelic fungi which has shown to dissuade animals from continuing to consume these types of potential food sources. There’s also the issue of dosing and potential incapacitation from consuming large amounts leaving them vulnerable to predators in the process. However, the neurological effects of psilocybin pertaining to inducing neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and cortex growth do provide foundational support for the “Stoned Ape” concept in general.

Nevertheless, there lies the possibility that the biochemical driver of human prefrontal cortex growth and the development of language and emotional maturation is much more accessible than mushrooms on antelope shit. We must remind the reader that DMT has all the physiological effects of psilocybin and potentially more being that it has shown greater diversity of receptor affinity (Fontanilla et al., 2009; Su et al., 2009; Barker et al., 2018). As we’ve outlined incessantly in prior pieces, DMT is produced endogenously in every mammal tested thus far including humans (Barker et al., 2012; Jimenez et al., 2022). In addition, 5-MEO-DMT and 5-HO-DMT are also produced endogenously which could possibly operate synergistically with DMT (J Kärkkäinen et al., 2005; Barker, 2018). Even non-psychoactive compounds such as harmine are endogenous and have been observed to induce neurogenesis (Dakic et al., 2016; Cao et al., 2021). In essence, the human brain already contains chemicals that could potentially lead to all the changes postulated to have taken place in our ancestors via psilocybin ingestion.

In 2019, a study was published in Nature Scientific Reports which observed that endogenous DMT levels in the brain were found to occur at similar levels to dopamine and serotonin in live rats. It was also established that the enzymes necessary to synthesize DMT were found throughout various parts of the brain (hippocampus, choroid plexus, visual cortex, cerebral cortex, and pineal gland). In 2024, a study was published finding similar results of endogenous DMT occurring at nearly double the levels of dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex and the somatosensory cortex in live waking animals. These studies have changed the conversation of endogenous DMT altogether from once being perceived as a neurochemical that was likely only released during mystical-type states to being a modulator of everyday waking reality.

(Figure 7 from the 2024 study showing endogenous DMT levels compared to dopamine and serotonin.)

Being that endogenous DMT appears to be much more abundant in the mammalian brain than once believed, it seems rather clear that humans likely possess the biochemical soup contributing to enhanced cortex growth and consciousness expansion. The only question is whether there is any evidence indicating that the levels found endogenously can have any effect on these aspects of neurological growth.

A Canadian company named Algernon pharmaceuticals is currently doing research on the effects of sub-psychedelic levels of DMT for stroke recovery. This is due to the documented cellular protective and anti-inflammatory effects of the compound (Szabo et al., 2016). In 2021, Algernon conducted research which found a 40% increase in neuronal growth from administering sub-psychedelic doses of DMT in-vitro. The researchers administered DMT in the range of 100 picomolar to 30 nanomolar and claimed that significant growth occurred even at the lowest range. This is significant because the levels utilized in this research fall well within the range of endogenous DMT levels (nanomolar levels) from the 2019 and 2024 studies cited above. This indicates that upregulation of the Endohuasca system has distinct potential to create neurological changes even without inducing mystical-type experiences.

This brings us to the billion dollar question… what is the proposed catalyst for Endohuasca upregulation?

It seems highly unlikely that our primate ancestors utilized meditative techniques to induce altered states that have been theorized to upregulate our psychedelic system.

Based on the fact that earth’s magnetic field fluctuates in the nanotesla range (22,000 to 65,000) and that magnetic fields as low as 1 picotesla (1 nanotesla = 1000 picotesla) have been observed to alter human neurology, we postulate that fluctuations in earth’s magnetic field could potentially be a key driver of Endohuasca upregulation. The earth has a magnetic north and south pole that switches locations during pole shifts and geomagnetic excursions to a lesser degree. Pole shifts (full geomagnetic reversals) are characterized by periods in which the magnetic north and south poles have shifted 180 degrees switching positions. Geomagnetic excursions differ in a sense that they are considered to be short-lived and do not coincide with a full 180 degree shift. Pole shifts and geomagnetic excursions are believed to have taken place dozens of times throughout recorded history and are known to affect the strength of earth’s magnetic field.

A 2018 study in Science hypothesized that the modern human brain and skull developed about 40,000 years ago. Interestingly, a geomagnetic excursion called “The Laschamp Event” took place within this general time frame. The Laschamp Event was a geomagnetic excursion where the poles of the Earth shifted to such a degree that the magnetic field experienced a decline to 5% of it’s current state. This indicates a very significant fluctuation of earth’s magnetic field which could have affected many facets of the planet and all organisms residing on it. The speed of the magnetic field changes during this event could have contributed to the stimulation of neurochemical flux and with it the evolution of modern human brain development. While this might sound reasonable yet far-fetched at the same time, there is evidence suggestive of geomagnetic influence on plant evolution and development (Maffei, 2014; Bertea et al., 2015; Radhakrishnan, 2019; Islam et al., 2020; Erdmann et al., 2021; Pan et al., 2023).

(Figure 9 (C &D) from a 2012 study regarding the dramatic effects of the Laschamp Event on earth’s geomagnetic field.)

While alterations in the strength of earth’s geomagnetic field could have directly effected all organisms on earth, there are also secondary effects such as a change in ultraviolet (UV) ray penetration to the surface of the earth. Normally, earth’s magnetic field shields the ozone layer from UV radiation damage. In the case of weakened geomagnetic fields during pole shifts and excursions, a depletion of the ozone field and increased penetration of UV radiation has been observed (Cooper et al., 2021). A 2010 write-up in Quarternary Science Reviews presents the hypothesis that the increase in UV-B rays from the weakened magnetic field during the Laschamp Event, played a role in the demise of the Neanderthals about 41,000 years ago. A 2019 write-up in the journal Review of Geophysics elaborates on this Laschamp-Neanderthal extinction hypothesis citing specific DNA mutations (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) allowing humans to better cope with the increased UV-B radiation. This is proposed to have led to the demise of not only neanderthals but numerous mammalian extinctions during this time. A 2018 write-up in the journal Endocrinology discusses the effects of UV light on chemical, hormonal, and neural signaling with supportive evidence indicating that UV-B radiation acts in a much more effective and efficient manner than UV-A radiation. The researchers unequivocally cite that UV rays have been a key factor in shaping both biological evolution and homeostatic responses.

Interestingly, an unrelated 2005 study in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs observed that the Psychotria Viridis plant exudes a circadian rhythm regarding DMT synthesis. The researchers found that the highest level of DMT production in the leaves occurred during the hottest time of the day. They hypothesized that the plant produces DMT either to protect itself from solar radiation or that DMT is synthesized to absorb solar radiation for other purposes. They also state that the rhythm is not likely to be coincidental as DMT is known to have the greatest absorbance in the UV-B radiation spectrum. 

There is evidence to suggest that UV-B radiation can affect serotonin synthesis in the human brain and body (Sansone et al., 2013; Luo et al., 2022; Slominski et al., 2024). This indicates that UV-B could also potentially be a modulator of endogenous DMT production. In addition, there is also data indicating that UV-B radiation is a driver of plant adaptation response and evolution (Bjorn et al., 2002; Shi et al., 2021; Balcerowicz, 2022; Chen et al., 2022). Interestingly, part of the plant's adaptation response to UV-B radiation is to increase the production of flavonoids and antioxidants (Piccini et al., 2020; Azarafshan et al., 2020). A 2013 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry observed that DMT, serotonin, and other related tryptamines are found in commonly consumed fruits such as lemon, orange, mandarin, chinotto, and citron. Several studies have also observed the monoamine oxidase inhibitory (MAOI) properties of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables (Ademosun et al., 2014; Marzo et al., 2022). This is an intriguing finding being that MAOI’s are what prevent the breakdown of DMT and other monoamine neurotransmitters in the body. These findings regarding plant adaptation response are significant due to the potentiality that increased UV-B ray exposure from weakened geomagnetic fields could lead to a global upregulation of DMT and MAOI compounds in all plants. This would essentially provide a varied dietary source of compounds that foster neurological growth in addition to the direct effects of geomagnetic flux and UV-B radiation on the neurochemical balance of our ancestors.

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(Table 2 from the 2022 study showcasing monoamine oxidase inhibitory properties from commonly eaten fruits and vegetables.)

Thus far we have provided data points indicating that psilocybin mushrooms do not seem entirely necessary to induce the changes correlated with human evolution. We believe that the pole-shift theory of evolution provides a more comprehensive take on this concept of psychedelic driven cortical growth being that it addresses accessibility issues and simultaneous global influence. We must remain cognizant that these effects are proposed to be akin to micro-dosing chronically 24/7 over multiple generations. In the case of the “Stoned Ape Theory”, it is proposed that these evolutionary changes take place over millions of years. We believe that it’s not entirely clear how long this process of evolution takes place as there could be non-linear progression taking place. There lies the possibility that during pole shifts and geomagnetic excursions there is an evolutionary jump that takes place with lulls of evolutionary processes in between these events.

The question that now arises is… when could the next evolutionary leap take place for humans?

It’s been cited by the New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine that since 1860, the magnetic north pole has traveled 1,500 miles. This indicates an average of about 9 miles per year. However, in recent times, it’s been estimated that magnetic north has been moving anywhere from 30 miles per year to as much as 50 miles per year. Airports around the globe have needed to adjust their runway coordinates based on these changes. In 2014, researchers at the European Space Agency (ESA) cited that they had uncovered data indicating that earth’s magnetic field was weakening at a rate 10 times faster than originally predicted. Previously, researchers estimated that earth’s magnetic field was weakening 5 percent per century but the new data indicates that it is actually weakening at 5 percent per decade. At the current rate of movement, a full geomagnetic reversal could take place over the next 250 to 300 years. This seems entirely plausible based on a 2018 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which found that a partial pole shift took an estimated 144 years to complete nearly 100,000 years ago.

Is there any evidence indicating that the current pole shift is affecting organisms on earth?

In 2022, a paper published in Science cited that based on analysis of genetic variation in 19 different wild animal groups throughout the world, evolution is occurring 4 times faster than originally thought. This study looked at animals on different continents as well as different species ranging from superb fairy-wrens in Australia to spotted hyenas in Tanzania and red deer in Scotland. According to the researchers, it is the first time that the speed of evolution has been assessed on such a large, global scale. The average length of the study took place over 30 years. 

In 2016, researchers from Cornell University published a paper in the journal Genome Research citing the finding that primate evolution can occur at a much faster rate than previously believed. Whether this is an emergence of current evolutionary processes or a technological advance in terms of measurement is unclear.

In 2019, it was observed for the first time that a specific breed of pig (Visayan Warty pig) was capable of utilizing tools to help them dig and build nests. This ability had never previously been seen in pigs and could indicate that an evolutionary change is taking place currently. Also in 2019, it was observed that a species of reef shark known as the leopard epaulette shark evolved the ability to walk on land in a quick time frame. A recent 2023 study published in the journal Evolution measured the brain sizes of 159 different dog breeds and found that breeds that were more distantly related to wolves had unexpectedly experienced a significant growth in brain size over the past 150 years. 

In 2016, a study published in the journal Molecular Ecology observed that rapid, genome-wide evolution took place in a species of plant named Brassica rapa following recent drought conditions. A 2007 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that there was a rapid evolution of flowering time in response to change in climate. In 2016, an article in the journal Science outlined that rapid plant evolution plays a key role in its ability to spread across fragmented landscapes. 

It seems as if there could be a few lines of evidence indicating that an acceleration of global animal and plant evolution could be taking place currently. 

(Figure 1 from the 2022 study observing evolutionary acceleration across 19 species around the globe for the past 30 years.)

In terms of the effects of the ongoing pole shift on human evolution… it’s difficult to say exactly what is taking place. A 2022 review paper in the journal Autism Research outlines the fact that autism is being diagnosed globally at an increasing rate compared to decades past. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of autism rarely coincides with objectively measured quantification of a subject’s brain via MRI, PET, or EEG. Therefore there lies the possibility that different subjects diagnosed as “autistic” can have very different neurology and functionality as well. The formal definition of autism is “a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.” 

Some researchers believe that autistic individuals possibly exude increased levels of endogenous DMT synthesis coinciding with their changes in behavior. A 2019 review paper in Frontiers in Endocrinology discusses the potential link between increased endogenous DMT production and the neurological abnormalities associated with autism. A 1972 study published in the Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia measured the levels of DMT, 5-MEO-DMT, and 5-HO-DMT in the urine of 12 children (6 controls, 6 diagnosed with infantile autism). The researchers found that none of the subjects exuded measurable levels of DMT & 5-MEO-DMT in their urine. However, 5-HO-DMT was measured in 5 of the 6 children with autism while none of 6 control subjects had measurable 5-HO-DMT.

A 2010 study published in the journal Neuro Endocrinology Letters measured the levels of urine 5-HO-DMT in 15 young adults with autism compared to 18 control subjects. The researchers found that the autism group exuded 3.30 +/- 0.49 microg/L while the control group exuded 1.53 +/- 0.30 microg/L indicating that autistic young adults exude roughly 200% greater levels of 5-HO-DMT in their urine.

A 2017 study in the Journal of Neuroscience research found that MAO-A activity in patients with autism (ages 4 to 38) were significantly lower (20.6%) compared to age matched controls. A 2011 study published in JAMA observed that children with autism had 67% more neurons in their prefrontal cortex compared to non-autistic children. The researchers also found that the brain weight of autistic children was 17.6% greater than that of non-autistic children. A 2017 study published in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders observed that subjects with autism exuded greater synaptic plasticity than non-autistic subjects. 

While autism is generally viewed as a neurological & development disorder, there are some examples of enhanced function from subjects diagnosed as autistic. In some cases, these enhanced functions are so pronounced that the person is labeled as an “autistic savant”. The formal definition of a savant is a person who exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in some specific field such as math or art.  

An example of someone who has been labeled as an autistic savant is a man named Kodi Lee. Kodi was born with optic nerve hypoplasia causing him to be blind as well as being diagnosed as autistic at an early age. He also has been labeled as a musical savant who went on to be declared the winner of season 14 of the television show “America’s Got Talent”.

There is also the extraordinary case of Flo and Kay Lyman. These women are the world’s only female autistic savant twins. Both Flo and Kay were diagnosed as autistic at an early age in the 1960s. However, it wasn’t until 1996 that the world became aware of their special abilities related to memory. They had the ability to name the day of the week for any date, past or future known as calendrical savantism. They also had autobiographical memories in which they could recall what they had for breakfast, what they wore, and the weather for any given day. This ability led them to be nicknamed the “Rainman Twins” based on similar abilities exuded by a man named Kim Peek who the movie “Rainman” was based on. 

Stephen Wiltshire is a man known for his ability to draw intricate landscapes from memory after seeing them only once. Stephen is considered to be an autistic savant and an architectural artist. In 2006, he was made a Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) based on his services to art and also opened up a permanent gallery on the Royal Opera Arcade in London.

There are also the case of businessmen like Elon Musk who have been cited to be autistic while managing to develop multiple impactful businesses. One of the foremost researchers regarding autism and savants was a psychiatrist known as Dr. Darold A. Treffert (1933-2020). Dr. Treffert would develop the Treffert Center which is a state-of-the art medical facility dedicated to researching the potential of the human mind, autism, and focusing on strengths rather than limitations. He would author the best selling books titled, “Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome” and “Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired, and Sudden Savant”. Through decades of research, Treffert would observe that as many as one in ten persons with autism would exude savant-like abilities of various kinds.

Another researcher and medical doctor named Dianne Hennacy Powell has researched even more extraordinary abilities of savants outlined in her research paper titled, “Autistics, Savants, & PSI: A Radical Theory of Mind”. She documents the fact that her observations indicate that a subset of autistic individuals exude capabilities that fall outside of the traditional accepted senses by mainstream neuroscience. 

Could it be possible that this significant uptick in the diagnosis of autism and the subsequent savant capabilities is an indicator of accelerated evolutionary processes? It seems as though in some cases, the diagnosis of autism can coincide with greater brain volume, increased neuronal density in the cortex, decreased MAO activity, and increased synaptic plasticity. All of these factors could be attributed to an upregulation of the Endohuasca system. The fact that some autistic subjects can exude supernormal abilities such as PSI could also be considered indicative of endogenous psychedelic upregulation being that experiences such as telepathic communication has been reported quite prominently in psychedelic circles.

Nevertheless, we believe the topic of autism is a complicated one with many factors involved.

If evolutionary activities are currently taking place on earth, we do not believe that this is a smooth linear process. Much like the process of increasing muscle size depends on inducing the proper amount of stress and rest, environmental factors driving evolution can over stress some while under stressing others. With the integration of hand-held electronics on a mass scale it’s difficult to parse out exactly what external inputs are affecting our species progression or in some cases digression.

As many things in life, we will have to wait and see how this all plays out.

One of the interesting moments in history that is proposed to have changed the trajectory of human culture is the Younger Dryas Impact hypothesis. This hypothesis is predicated on the belief that meteoritic bodies hit and/or exploded over North America 12,900 years ago. This is believed to subsequently have led to significant changes in climate, the extinction of large animals, the demise of the Clovis archeological culture, and a range of other effects. Interestingly, a geomagnetic excursion called the “Gothenburg excursion” is also known to have taken place within this same time frame (13,750 to 12,350 years ago). There are 3 reasons why we believe that the Gothenburg excursion rather than meteoric impact could have been the primary driver of these dramatic changes:

1. The cave paintings that have been attributed to meteor showers and explosions could be mistaken for auroras. Auroras are also known as the northern lights or southern lights which appear in the sky as ribbons or curtains in a variety of colors. They are usually only visible at night in high-latitude regions near the Arctic and Antarctic circles. However, during pole shifts and geomagnetic excursions, auroras become visible at lower latitudes making them visible along the equator (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2021). We believe that this is a more realistic source of the cave paintings as they likely lingered in the sky for a much longer time (decades) than meteors and without the fear of suffering from impact.

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2. The vast amount of global climate change that took place following the Younger Dryas Impact could have been driven by the systemic changes to the earth driven by the movements of the poles. This dramatic effect on the earth’s environment and climate has been proposed to have taken place during the Laschamp Event (Cooper et al., 2021) as well as the Gothenburg Excursion (Fairbridge, 1977; Mörner et al., 1977). There are many potential factors involved in pole-shift driven climate change such as a weakening of the magnetic field, ozone layer depletion, increased UV radiation, mantle convection changes, and all the downstream effects from these occurrences.

   

(An animation of earth’s mantle convection in which hot material rises which could be altered during movement of the magnetic poles.)

3. The composition of the black mats associated with the Younger Dryas Impact (Haynes jr., 2008) could be attributed to increased mantle convection from the pole shifts driving increased thermal springs and volcanic activity. The sediments from the black mats soil consist of paleosols, aquolls, diatomites, or algal mats which can all be found to be attributed to volcanic eruptions both on land and underwater (Solleiro-Rebolledo et al., 2016; Yarima et al., 1987; Eaton et al., 2013; Hadland et al., 2024). Other compounds associated with meteoric impact such as iridium and helium-3 have also been observed to occur alongside volcanic activity (Zoller et. al., 1983; Marty et al., 1992; Horton et al., 2023).

These reasons alongside the proposed biological changes that coincide with changes in earth’s magnetic field are the reason we suspect that the Gothenburg excursion might have been a key driver of humanities proposed cultural change.

While there has been great fervor in recent times in regards to the integration of artificial intelligence and digital intertwining with human neurology as a manner to “accelerate” our species, it seems extremely premature to make such postulations. Without comprehending the mechanisms of autistic savants, acquired savant syndrome, or even how memories are accessed or formed, the merging of humans with digital technology could actually hamper the human potential rather than foster it. There lies the possibility that humanity (as well as virtually all organisms on earth) is undergoing an intense transformative process which is ushering in a more evolved version of ourselves. With the recent findings of the shifting of earth’s rotational axis (no, it’s not caused by water pumping), it seems that there is no slowing down of the global changes taking place to the planet which ultimate effect everything on it. We believe it might best be served that rather than rushing to integrate digital technology within our bodies, a barrier that separates humans from technology might be best left intact.

We believe that the field of bioelectricity research combined with classic neuroscience, neurochemistry, and altered states research will usher in a fundamentally new perspective regarding the human potential and evolution. It is an exciting time to ponder these ideas and watch things unfold!

Endohuasca@gmail.com

P.S. One of the most prolific mystics of the 20th century was a man named Edgar Cayce (1877-1945). Cayce was named “The Sleeping Prophet” because he would put himself in a deep trance-like state and answer questions that he was incapable of doing so during his normal waking state. As we’ve outlined in this series and other writings, we believe that trance-like states allow for subjects to tap into a wider spectrum of the zero-point field (ZPF). Cayce had over 14,000 readings transcribed and recorded which are still currently accessible today at his foundation. One of Cayce’s predictions was that in the future there would come a time when the veils between the waking and the deceased would thin allowing for more direct interaction between both sides. We believe that this entails all humans having greater access to the ZPF induced by the pole shift. Much like the angle of placement of the C-magnet dictated the effects on the salamander’s consciousness, the movement of the poles are causing gradual changes in human perception. There lies the potential that as the speed of the pole shift increases, an expansion of perception and even abilities starts to arise more frequently. Just a thought…

Spontaneous regression (SR) or “miracle”… which is it?

The formal definition of SR is when a disease that usually progresses improves or is cured unexpectedly.

The formal definition of a miracle is a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

It appears that the only difference between the terms is that SR potentially can be accounted for mechanistically speaking while the “miracles” have no explanation based on scientific laws and therefore has divinity attached to it. In either case there is no disputing of the actual occurrence of the healing taking place but moreso the branding of the transpiration.

Before we dive into individual cases of these healings, let us delve into the modern history of SR.

In 1956, two American surgeons named Warren H. Cole and Tilden C. Everson coined the term “spontaneous regression” (SR). Prior to Cole and Everson creating this term, these cases of healing largely undertook a religious tone being referred to simply as “miracles”. One of the most famous sites regarding the occurrence of “miracles” is “The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes” in southern France. It’s been reported that over 3 million people visit this location every year. The site became known following an experience in 1858 in which the Virgin Mary appeared to a 14-year old girl named Bernadette Soubirous. During one of these experiences, Bernadette reported that she was told to drink the water from a spring that flowed under the rock. Being that there was no visible spring, Bernadette dug under the rock and a few days later, a spring appeared that continues to produce 32,000 gallons of water everyday. Shortly thereafter, she claims that Virgin Mary suggested that a chapel be built on the site and to have people visit in processions. 

It has been reported that more than 7000 cases of miracles have transpired from the pilgrimages to Lourdes since the mid-1800s. Out of the 7000 reported cases, 70 have been identified by the Roman Catholic Church as legitimate miracles when utilizing the Lambertini Criteria (LC). This methodology of judging miracles comprises of the following 7 points:

1. The disease must be serious and impossible (or at least very difficult) to cure by human means.

2. The disease must not be in a stage at which it is liable to disappear shortly by itself.

3. Either no medical treatment must have been given or it must be certain that the treatment given has no reference to the cure.

4. The cure must be instantaneous.

5. The cure must be complete.

6. The cure must be permanent.

7. The cure must not be preceded by any crisis of a sort which would make it possible the cure was wholly or partially natural.

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(Visitors waiting in line at the entrance of The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.)

Regardless of one’s thoughts on the Catholic Church’s ability to quantify a medical anomaly, it’s clear that these criteria are quite stringent. In addition, dozens of medical professionals removed from the religious connotations of these occurrences are part of the LC examination process. While 70 verified cases out of an estimated 200 million visitors since the mid-1800s might seem like a miniscule percentage, the fact that these cases exist support the notion that spontaneous regression can be induced via distinct activation of a belief system and proper setting/location. 

In 2013, a case study was published outlining the experience of Vittorio Micheli, a soldier in the Italian Army who visited Lourdes in the 1960s. Vittorio suffered from extreme pain in his left buttock region and X-ray examination showed significant destruction of bone tissue in the left hip and femur socket region. Following a biopsy of the gluteal muscle it was determined that cancer cells were the underlying cause of the pain. It was determined that he was not a candidate for medical intervention due to the extensive nature of the cancer. Follow-up X-rays in the subsequent months showed nearly complete destruction of his left hemi-pelvis. 

The following year, after being placed in a hip-to-foot plaster cast to stabilize the leg, Vittorio would make the trek to Lourdes. Upon his arrival he would lay on a stretcher unable to walk all the while needing to be heavily sedated due to the pain from the cancer that had all but destroyed his left pelvis. He then immersed himself in the Lourdes water with the cast on his leg and shortly thereafter discarded the use of sedatives and analgesics for pain. Within one month after returning home from Lourdes he was walking on his own only with a slight limp. Follow up X-rays showed no trace of cancer, a regrowth of bone tissue loss, and the renormalization of his femur position.

Vittorio’s case is one of the currently 70 verified cases of miracles coinciding with the visit to Lourdes.

There are 2 questions that arise when taking into account a case or cases such as this:

The first one is simply… how? 

The second one is… what are the differences in individuals who experience these spontaneous regressions compared to those who do not?

Regarding the first question of “how?”, we will cover the proposed mechanisms shortly.

In terms of the differences between individuals who successfully experience a SR following a visit to Lourdes compared to those that do not… there is simply not a whole lot of data out there yet. MRI based brain imaging of a sizable percentage of visitors would require an unrealistic amount of time and a budget bigger than the GDP of a medium-sized nation. 

Nevertheless, in 2020 a study in the journal Brain and Behavior would utilize a questionnaire coupled with MRI imaging of the brains of 84 women regarding their belief in the miracles of Lourdes. The data indicates that the belief in miracles exuded a positive correlation between temporoparietal junction (TPJ) volume and a negative correlation with medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) volume. Interestingly, the group as a whole was considered to lean towards the skeptical side being that the average rating from a scale ranging 0 to 6 in terms of belief in miracles (6 = definite belief in miracles) was 1.87. Five of the 84 participants had previously experienced a miracle themselves (e.g., healing of cancer and disappearance of severe chronic pain). It’s important to note that meditation has been observed to increase TPJ connectivity and volume (Hölzel et al., 2011; Yang et al., 2016; Gundel et al., 2018; Zhang et al., 2021).

In the majority if not all of the SR cases associated with Lourdes, the subjects also reported an experience of spiritual transcendence. It would appear that the mystical experience is an integral part of the SR experience although it doesn’t seem that a perceived connection with the divine guarantees a dramatic disease reversal. In 2021, the Journal of Religion and Health published a research paper regarding a questionnaire completed by 67 people (between 15 and 87 years old) who had made the pilgrimage to Lourdes. About 40% of the participants reported an experience of transcendence described as closeness or communicative with the divine.

Whether there are geological and/or environmental differences in the composition of the Lourdes area contributing to these experiences or simply the belief itself as the primary driving force is unclear. It could very well be a combination of all mentioned potential factors as well as unknown components. Nevertheless, a mystical-type experience does seem to be a regular theme among a strong percentage of SR cases.

Interestingly, one manner in which researchers have been able to reliably measure physiological and neurological changes coinciding with transcendental experiences is following psychedelic administration. The shamanic brew known as Ayahuasca has been observed to induce mystical-type experiences for 4 to 6 hours following ingestion. The visionary journeys do not seem to have traditional religious themes or deities. Instead, experiencers report a feeling of transcendence, the presence of “Mother Aya”, contact with intelligent beings, and the experience “ego death”. In addition to the visionary and emotional insights, vomiting and shitting are a commonly reported effect known as “la purga”. Following the journey, many people report a sense of viewing the world with a new perspective as well as the alleviation of negative patterns such as addiction and depression. In more recent times MRI brain imaging data has shown the neuroplastic effects following the experience as well as changes in regional cerebral blood flow associated with these changes in emotional processing (Riba et al., 2006; Frecska et al., 2016; Sanches et al., 2016; Almeida et al., 2022; Mallaroni et al., 2023).

Being that there seems to be some overlap in terms of the descriptions of transcendence described from visitors to Lourdes as well as from Ayahuasca drinkers, it leads us to wonder if there are any documented cases in which the shamanic brew has been associated with SR. A 2013 paper published in the journal SAGE Open Medicine reviewed 9 case studies in which Ayahuasca was utilized specifically for the treatment of cancer of various types. One of the case studies was that of Donald Topping who was diagnosed with liver cancer in 1996 at the age of 64. Topping would refuse chemotherapy and underwent 2 ayahuasca sessions and 2 shamanic healing sessions in 1997. Following these experiences he visited an oncologist who found that his carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test was unexpectedly below normal. One year later in 1998, it was reported that his cancer was in full remission. Mr. Topping would pass away from other non-cancer related causes at the age of 73 in August 2003. 

(Figure 2 from the 2013 paper outlining hypothetical mechanisms of cancer healings following Ayahuasca ingestion.)

Another case study in the review paper was that of a woman named Margaret De Wys who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She would travel to the Amazon in order to undergo shamanic healing coupled with Ayahuasca. De Wys stated that she did not disclose her condition to the facilitator of the ceremonies but that the Shuar healer was able to sense her diseased state visualized as black smoke in her breast. She subsequently underwent 11 Ayahuasca sessions between 2000 and 2003 which led her to undergo an examination in which there was no trace of cancer found in her body. De Wys would go on to author the book titled, “Black Smoke: Healing and Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon”. 

It seems rather important to point out that the same chemical components of Ayahuasca are also found within the human body (Barker et al., 2012; Shen et al., 2010; Cao et al., 2022; Pfau et al., 2004; Mosaffa et al., 2021; Fernandez-Novoa et al., 1991; Kumar et al., 2022; Jiang et al., 2009). There is speculation that upregulation of these chemicals (DMT, 5-MEO-DMT, Harmane, Isatin, Neurocatin) contribute to non-drug induced mystical-type experiences. While the experiencers of Lourdes have a religious connection and Ayahuasca experiencers have a chemically induced experience, are there any other types of well documented SR cases?

One of the most famous cases of SR is that of Anita Moorjani. This case comprises a woman who suffered from advanced stage lymphoma which had metastasized throughout her body. She was admitted to the hospital and entered into a coma as her organ function shut down due to advanced stage carcinoma. Moorjani would wake up from her coma 30 hours later and experience a reduction of her tumor size by 70% within 4 days of awakening. Within 5 weeks, she would reveal no traces of cancer and was released from the hospital. During her coma she experienced many classical elements of a mystical experience including an “Out-of-Body Experience” and conversing with deceased relatives. Anita would go on to publicize her experience in the book titled, “Dying to be Me”. 

One of the commonalities among those in deep prayer/meditation, Ayahuasca, and coma states is that they’ve all been observed to quiet the default mode network (DMN) in the brain (Garrison et al., 2015; Galanter et al., 2016; Perez-Diaz et al., 2023; Palhano-Fontes et al., 2015; Norton et al., 2012). This suggests that changing the neural network connectivity associated with the sense of self as potentially being key to experiencing a SR.

This brings us back to the question of spontaneous regression or miraculous healing?

One question that comes to mind in terms of differentiating between both terms is… what is considered to be true “scientific law”? Does this solely refer to the classic perspective of biology? When we state “classic perspective”, we are referring to blood composition and genetic expression changes associated with disease states. Traditionally speaking, diseases such as cancer are diagnosed via imaging (X-ray, CT scan, MRI), blood test biomarkers, tumor biopsy, and genetic testing. The traditional manner in which cancer is treated is usually by a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

This perspective of biology and cancer leaves little to no room for mechanistic explanations for SR occurrences. While the compounds in Ayahuasca have been cited to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, we do not believe that it is the chemical distribution in the blood stream that is the primary driver of SR (Maia et al., 2023; Goncalves et al., 2024). Instead, we believe that it is the effects on the brain and central nervous system that are the primary drivers.

We hypothesize that it is a systemic re-normalization of physiological abnormalities in the cancerous cells such as greater depolarization of cell membrane potential, hyperpolarization of mitochondria, ionic imbalances, clock gene disruption, and hormonal imbalance that contribute to SR occurrence (Yang et al., 2013; Bortner et al., 2014; Bhat et al, 2015; Sulli et al., 2019; Nguyen et al., 2019; Ding et al., 2020; Mani et al., 2020; Battaglin et al., 2021; Yu, 2022; Cheng et al, 2022; Begum et al., 2023; Huang et al., 2023; Satpathi et al., 2023). We speculate that the perspective that offers the potential of SR in a rapid fashion is based on alterations to the bioelectric layer of the body. Causing dramatic changes in the body from altering blood composition and endocrine secretion simply isn’t realistic in terms of a mechanistic explanation for rapid healing. Since bioelectric signaling throughout the body can be directly affected by changes in brain activity, focusing on the neurological changes coinciding with SR is pertinent to understanding the true “scientific law”. The classic perspective of biology wouldn’t have a primary focus on brain activity if a person had cancerous growths in their digestive system as there lacks a clear identified pathway of influence.

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(Figure 1 from a review paper titled, “Bioelectric Dysregulation in Cancer Initiation, Promotion, and Progression”.)

The normalization of autonomic nervous system signaling, clock genes, mitochondrial polarization, and cell membrane potential can all take place rather quickly via a distinct change to the brain and nervous system. We speculate that rapid SR events occur due to a person accessing a state of consciousness far outside of the norm. This experience must change them fundamentally and it would likely be reflected via a reorganization of neural networks, vagus nerve activity, and suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) signaling. The vagus nerve regulates activity of the heart, lungs, and digestive organs. The SCN is a small cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus of the brain which regulates a person’s circadian rhythm as well as providing a feedback loop of clock genes. Without a complete change to these neural structures to alter top-down signaling, SR would seem unlikely.

Where do we get the confidence to speculate on such a medically perplexing occurrence?

It’s not so much confidence as it is rationality. These experiences occur… so either we can throw our hands up and claim “magic” or we can actually attempt to understand the mechanisms based on the environment, speed, and mind-frame during their transpirations.

In the 1970’s, an Australian psychiatrist named Ainslie Meares observed significant improvements in cancer patients who utilized a specific meditation and published numerous case studies on those that experienced SR (Meares, 1976; Meares, 1977; Meares, 1978; Meares, 1978; Meares, 1979; Meares, 1981; Meares, 1982; Challis et al., 1989). The type of meditation Meares would implore could only be described as nothingness. The technique he promoted was to sit in silence and focus on nothing… not even the breath. However, it was important to maintain a level of intense focus on… nothing. Interestingly, in 1978 Meares published a case study of a woman with advanced cancer who experienced SR from this type of meditation to only have a relapse once she began incorporating a vivid visualization of her healthy cells eating the cancer cells within the meditation (Meares, 1978).

You mean to tell us you can’t just visualize your tumors shrinking away to induce a SR?

Crap.

Perhaps it is the emotion and intent associated with that specific visualization that caused the relapse. The patient was essentially initiating an attack within her own body. There lies the possibility that a different type of visualization such as a soothing or cooling effect of inflamed cancer growths might offer a different result. Being that this is such an under-explored perspective of oncology, much research needs to take place within this specific genre to better understand the mechanism of effects.

In more recent times, Dr. Joe Dispenza has become one of the most well-known practitioners of meditation specifically regarding it’s effects on cancer. In fact, research at UC San Diego to the tune of $10 million is currently underway to measure the various biological processes and changes that take place from Dispenza’s week-long retreats. Interestingly, the style of meditation that occurs at these events is quite different than the style implored by Ainslie Meares. Instead of silent meditation with a focus on nothingness, Dispenza combines guided meditation, walking meditation, eyes-open mandala meditations, and breathwork with a focus on the pineal gland. From what it appears, the strategy is to offer a variety of altered states practices for prolonged periods of time (6 hours a day) in an attempt to constantly upregulate neuroplasticity and induce a mystical-type experience. It seems that the full-blown mystical-type experience can potentially be the catalyst to reorganize neural networks and autonomic signaling leading to the SR. There also lies the potentiality that this experience of transcendence correlates with an altered resonance with the zero-point field (ZPF) and the morphogenetic blue-print of the body. If one can resonate with the ZPF in a more optimized state, the body would theoretically be forced to follow it’s optimal blueprint and SR occurs.

Theoretically that is.

In the book “The Body Electric”, Dr. Becker outlines the fact that animals who have greater regenerative capabilities are the least likely to experience incidences of cancer. Perhaps part of the reasoning behind the positive effects of inducing altered states is emulating the bioelectric signaling and states of consciousness similar to that of the magical salamander?

(A chart on page 217 of “The Body Electric” comparing cancer incidences of animals with varying degrees of regenerative capabilities.)

Another technique of inducing altered states seems to have SR inducing potential is the Wim Hof Method (WHM). This technique incorporates breathwork, cold exposure, and meditation. The straightforward efficiency of the WHM makes it optimized to conduct clinical research. There is evidence indicating that breathwork can induce an accelerated change in mood in comparison to meditation (Balban et al., 2023). There is also evidence showing that just one 5 minute exposure to cold water immersion can induce significant changes in large scale neural network communication inducing an improvement in mood and self-regulation (Yankouskaya et al., 2023). An excellent meta-analysis of the historic usage of cold therapy for cancer has been produced in the journal iScience (Grazioso et al., 2023). As with everything, dose is the key and if a person is trying to induce a SR of cancer, they’d likely need to engage in more intense or customized utilization of WHM than the standard daily maintenance of 10 minutes of breathwork and several minutes of cold exposure. An example of this would be a 2004 case report of a hypnotherapist utilizing 20 sessions of hypnosis in one day for each client to absolve substance addiction (Potter, 2004). According to the practitioner, there was a 77% success rate following a 12 month follow-up.

Another tactic that has been observed to induce neuroplastic effects, autonomic plasticity and even visionary type experiences when utilized for prolonged periods is fasting (Fond et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2016; Solianik et al., 2016; Gonzalez et al., 2022; Stec et. al., 2023; Schwertfedger et al., 2024). There has been an increasing interest among researchers in recent times to consider the effects of fasting on cancer (Nencioni et al., 2018; Deligiorgio et al., 2020; Clifton et al., 2021; Tiwari et al., 2022; Thompson et al., 2023). Interestingly, it appears that the techniques employed by many religious traditions for “spiritual healing” combine many of the facets we’ve presented thus far including deep prolonged praying (altered states) and fasting.

One aspect to ponder regarding the effects of chemotherapy is that in certain cases, subjects experience remission of disease from this treatment. While the classic mechanisms of affecting cancerous cells directly via bloodstream distribution of the chemotherapeutic agent is commonly cited to be cause, there could be additional bioelectric factors involved. The term “chemo brain” is the term used to describe cognitive issues that can occur in cancer patients during and following treatment. There is evidence suggesting that chemotherapy can alter connectivity in the default mode network (Kesler et al., 2013; Cheng et al., 2017; Chen et al., 2022). There is also data indicating that autonomic nervous system signaling is altered following the treatment (Adams et al., 2015). Could it be that an indirect side effect of chemotherapy such as altering neural connectivity and autonomic signaling is the reason for remission in certain patients?

There lies the possibility that the future of oncology lies in fields of neuroscience and bioelectricity. What is the quickest and most efficient way to alter one’s signaling pathways throughout the body?

It is part of human nature to want to understand how things transpire and spontaneous regression of terminal disease is one of the most interesting fields of study to date. Our evolution as a species depends on unraveling mysteries of the universe in order to apply them to our lives. We speculate that an evolutionary leap is on the horizon for our planet and everything that lives on it.

Coming soon in Part 5!

Endohuasca@gmail.com

P.S. Another even more obscure occurrence than spontaneous regression of terminal illness is that of “hysterical strength”. This phenomena can be described as taking place during a moment of emergency such as a child being stuck underneath a car and the child’s grandmother lifts the car with one hand while dragging the child out from under the car with the other. Adrenaline is a very poor explanation for these types of occurrences as the amount of physical damage to muscle, tendons, and bones on the elderly from lifting a 3000 pound object is indisputable. There have been reports of subjects on PCP being able to lift cars… but they ultimately do severe damage to their arms, sockets, and shoulders. While hysterical strength is obviously extremely difficult to conduct research on being that it seems to arise in time of crisis, we do believe that there is a bioelectric and consciousness based component to this phenomena. There’s something about not thinking about whether something is possible and just willing it into existence it seems…

In Parts 1 and 2, we covered the bioelectric correlates of the regeneration of salamanders as well as the changes that take place during hypnoanalgesia. We even touched up on the data indicating that combining trance states with “conscious hallucinations” can influence wound healing quite dramatically. While this would seemingly be very useful in a clinical setting, is there anything else to this concept of altered states and “conscious hallucinations”?

We use the term “conscious hallucinations” in contrast to “unconscious hallucinations”. The difference being that exogenous psychedelics, the condition known as schizophrenia, or even plain ol’ regular dreams represent “unconscious hallucinations”. We name them as such because these are visionary experiences that people generally have little to no conscious control of. By contrast, “conscious hallucinations” are based upon active, focused imagination and attempting to deliberately visualize something into existence. Some have described the effectiveness of “conscious hallucinations” as not being solely relegated to strict visualization but also including an essence of multi-sensorial immersion within the experience.

While we can speculate, philosophize, and even present evidence of the effects of “conscious hallucinations”, nothing can compare with direct experience. Therefore it is homework time!

Here we have included a 15 minute audio track to allow you to experience both a relaxed trance state in combination with visualization. For optimal results, we suggest you turn your phone’s ringer/alerts off, listen to this audio via headphones, and follow the verbal directions as precise as possible while in a safe, quiet environment (not driving, lifting weights, tweeting furiously, etc.).

Now that you’ve experienced what it’s like to combine the effects of a relaxed trance state with visualization, the concepts that we have presented thus far might make a little more intuitive sense. The trance state is induced by the verbal instructions in terms of respiration rhythm, fractionation techniques (eyes open and close on the finger snap), and numerical deepeners (counting down). This is followed by vivid visualization and immersive imagination. For the vast majority of you who tried this (90% or more), you likely experienced the subjective sensation of warmth in your right hand coinciding with the “conscious hallucination”. The mechanisms of this coincide with changing the direction of the DC current in the brain via deep trance and directing a signal alteration to the area of the body you want to influence. While some of you might be wondering whether your right hand actually experienced an objectively measurable increase in temperature, let me assure you that this phenomena has already been studied extensively (Maslach, 1972; Roberts et al, 1973; Daniels, 1976; Grimsley, 1994; King, 1980; Freedman et al., 1983; Kojo, 1985; Middaugh et al., 2001; Paqueron et al., 2019; Swope, 2013; Kistler et al., 1999; Douglas et al, 2014; Conversa et al., 2019). The fields of biofeedback, hypnosis, and guided imagery (which is utilized in major healthcare systems) have all observed this effect for many decades.

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While it still might seem like a fringe phenomena, for those of you interested in researching this occurrence, the phrase “conscious hallucinations” can be interchanged with “mental imagery” or “motor imagery” (there are 2200+ pubmed search results under the term “mental imagery” and 4400+ results for “motor imagery”). In past review papers, it’s been cited that as high as 90 percent of Olympic athletes utilize mental imagery of some form in preparation for their live performances (Murphy et al., 1990). Research over the past several decades indicates that athletes that utilize mental imagery experience an increase in muscular strength compared to athletes that don’t utilize mental imagery (Slimani et al., 2016; Tod et al., 2015). The form of visualization that Olympians generally utilize is vividly immersing themselves in the imagination of competition. It is believed that this visualization stimulates activation of neural networks associated with competition inducing an enhancement of neuromuscular development (Janjigian, 2024). Not to be outdone, the elderly seemingly benefit even more from mental imagery practices in terms of gaining muscle strength than their younger counterparts (Liu et al., 2022). A 2020 fMRI study published in the journal eLife observed that the resting state visual cortex excitability is a primary factor in predicting mental imagery strength. The study found that subjects with the lowest resting state visual cortex excitability experienced greater effects of mental imagery compared to those with higher resting state excitability. This alludes to the reason for combining relaxative trance states in order to suppress the visual cortex excitability. This then allows for greater effect of the “conscious hallucination”.

We’ve touched up on the relatively tame examples of the effects of “conscious hallucinations” on human physiology.

Now let’s get into the wild stuff.

Milton H. Erickson was a psychiatrist and is considered one of the most prolific practitioners of hypnosis in modern history. His approach to hypnosis could be considered non-traditional at times based on his utilization of unorthodox conversations in order to induce trance states as well as implementing direction. His body of work played a prominent role in the development of the modality known as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

Here is an excerpt from the book titled, “Ericksonian Approaches”.

“In 1960 he [Erickson] told about a 20-year-old man who grew 12 inches in height in the span of one year. In hypnosis, at the start of therapy, this stunted young man looked out on his world as though unwilling to grow, a modern-day Peter Pan.

For example, he described the room as though he were standing beneath a table. Similarly, a cow on his farm was visualized as though it were ten feet tall; his eyes were on a level with the cow's udder. Growth began to take place when Erickson encouraged the man to hallucinate his world as though he were standing part way up a staircase.

I said, "Why have you kept this report out of the literature?"

Erickson smiled and said, "No respectable editor of a scientific journal would publish such an impossible thing."

"Dr. Erickson," I answered, "You are the editor of a respectable journal."

He smiled again and said, "I would like to keep my job."“

This all sounds rather far-fetched that an adult man could experience such a dramatic increase in height growth simply based on hypnotic imagination. There is the possibility that this 20 year old gentleman simply had a delayed growth spurt that happened to coincide with him seeing Dr. Erickson. There have been many documented occurrences of delayed puberty in which men experience growth spurts in their 20’s although it is not considered to be the norm.

In 1960, Erickson would publish a case study in which 2 women (ages 17 and 20) who experienced a condition of underdeveloped breasts were able to induce significant breast growth utilizing hypnosis (Erickson, 1960). While similar criticisms of this report regarding delayed maturation of subjects could also be applied, multiple follow up studies combining hypnosis and visualization also induced similar results. In 1969, psychologist Leslie M. LeCron would publish a case study including a total of 20 women (ages 20 to 30) who would also experience significant breast growth from hypnosis and visualization (LeCron, 1969). In the 1970’s, there were a total of 4 follow-up studies regarding the effects of hypnosis and visualization on breast growth in adult women (Williams, 1974; Staib et al., 1977; Willard, 1977; Williams, 1979). The ages of the subjects in these studies ranged from 18 to 54 years old and it was found that neutral hypnosis without the suggestion for visualization did not induce breast growth. It was also found that the women who experienced the most dramatic increases were also the subjects there were able to obtain their visualizations quickly and consistently. Roughly 50 percent of the subjects found it necessary to buy a larger bra size following the completion of the study (12 to 16 week average). The volunteers also experienced significant sustained growth in 3 month follow-ups by the clinicians. There was also a measurable decrease in waist size for the women throughout the process indicating that weight gain was not a factor.

There are 3 ways to view this field of research:
1. It is impossible.
2. It is possible and it has to do with the neuroplastic aspect of hypnosis (DC current reversal) to reorganize neural networks to signal locations in the body to release site specific nerve growth factor (NGF) and growth hormone (GH) that upregulates estrogen receptor expression leading to breast growth.
3. It is possible and including reason #2, hypnotic states allows for a person to resonate with the zero-point field in a manner that allows them to create a morphogenetic field via sustained, focused visualization in which the physical body must follow based on this mentally generated blueprint ala the “Electric Frog Face”.

You can likely already tell that we are leaning heavily on reasoning #3 in this instance. However, speaking in these more theoretical terms can be difficult to present for an audience steeped in modern neuroscience which focuses on neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and biochemical flux. It’s believed that the default mode network (DMN) of the brain is the neural connections which are associated with a person’s sense of self or identity (Yeshurun et al., 2021). The DMN is believed to be active when an individual is at rest and not actively focused on the exterior world. Hypnosis has been shown to decrease DMN activity similarly to that of psychedelics and because of this, there arises a comparable neuroplastic potential to reorganize the brain regions and networks associated with the DMN (Jiang et al., 2017). We believe that an upregulation of neurotransmitters such as DMT/Endohuasca are likely being utilized during this process to stimulate the restructuring of neural connectivity. By combining hypnosis with a specific visualization, it allows for a subject to create a specific network of DMN connectivity with peripheral nerve pathways associated with the visualization. This creates the potential for constant signaling to take place when a subject is not under hypnosis being that the network has been created and retraced each time a person induces the same specific visualization. This network is now part of the DMN and has become part of the constant default signaling (amongst many others) for the subject. These electric signals from the brain to the periphery induce site specific changes in hormones with epigenetic influence to induce the desired change. These same proposed mechanisms could apply to negative conditions such as cases of stress induced cancer… which we will touch up on in a bit.

(Once again, this brings us to an experiential component with which we may be able to provide direct experience and insight into these proposed mechanisms. If you listen to the visualization audio track we provided multiple times (3 consecutive days) with precision focus, your ability to induce the hand warming effect will be easily accessible even without listening to the track. )

From our vantage point of option #3, the reason for the downstream effect of biological changes is based on consistently maintaining the morphogenetic field aka the energetic blueprint of the change. It’s easy to induce an acute change in the body such as changing the temperature of an extremity based on a “conscious hallucination” (if you did your homework, you’d know). It seems as though it takes more time to induce an anatomical change as the physical body must follow the laws of the natural world. A salamander limb doesn’t regenerate instantaneously so why would we expect such a change in a human? The world would be nearly impossible to navigate if a person’s thoughts could manifest instantaneously and without effort.

For all the excitement and current interest in psychedelics to address conditions such as addiction, pain, eating disorders, PTSD, and depression, deep trance states coupled with guided instructions have been shown to have significant positive effects in all these conditions for decades (Potter, 2004; Hassan et al., 2014; Batra et al., 2024; Siegel, 1979; Bicego et al., 2022; Delestre et al., 2022; O’toole et al., 2016; Shih et al., 2009; Ramondo et al., 2024). In addition, hypnosis has been observed to have significant positive effects on stroke recovery, hair growth, and even weight loss in published research (Holroyd et al., 1989; Sanyal et al., 2022; Perini et al., 1994; Willemsen et al., 2006; Willemsen et al., 2008; Bolocofsky et al., 1985; Ersan et al., 2020). Anecdotally speaking, there are numerous claims of even more dramatic physical changes from hypnotherapists and their clients.

While exogenous psychedelics appear to create their therapeutic effects by inducing a broad neural restructuring of sorts, it is the trance state coupled with specific instructions that seem capable of inducing specific “magic” effects. Why would the effects of these “conscious hallucinations” be relegated to superficial effects such as hand warming, breast growth, or hair regrowth? Perhaps these effects can be applied to influence the function of specific endocrine organ secretions or to reverse impaired fluid dynamics in neurodegenerative conditions or to influence the progression of diseases such as cancer.

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Dr. Michael Levin at Tufts University has displayed the effects of bioelectricity in terms of being able to switch cancer growth on and off without inducing genetic changes (Levin, 2021). While it seems that Levin’s work is mainly based on cellular biology, it’s clear that bioelectric signaling influences not just cancer but all organ function and metabolic processes. The autonomic nervous system is considered to be key in terms of regulating processes in the body such as blood pressure, digestion, and heart rate. This system works automatically without the need for direct influence of a person. However, autonomic nervous system dysfunction has been consistently observed in subjects with cancer (Stone et al., 2012; Pimentel et al., 2013; Lakoski et al., 2015; Magnon, 2015; Coumbe et al., 2018; Zygulska et al., 2018; McCallum et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2021; Garramona et al., 2024; Park et al., 2024). It has also been observed that stress can induce autonomic signaling dysfunction as well as influencing cancer metastasis (Moreno-Smith et al., 2011; Teixeira et al., 2015; Abate et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2022; Lempesis et al., 2023; He et. al., 2024).

This would indicate that changing the top down (brain) signal from this autonomic system could potentially alter the electric signaling to the cancer cells inducing a reversal of the condition. What we have just described is also known as the term “spontaneous remission”.

We will be diving into the phenomena of spontaneous remission in Part 4.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

P.S. Don’t judge us for this random musing. In the book, “Autobiography of a Yogi”, there is a story of a man who was purportedly capable of regenerating his limb after it was severed rather instantaneously. While we do not advocate for research regarding severing the limbs of people just to see if they can access the ability of limb regeneration, it would be intriguing to conduct a specific case study on the topic. This is simply a thought experiment and we are in no way advocating for this to actually take place. However, the experiment would go as follows: 1) Subjects with partially missing fingers would undergo deep hypnoanalgesia to re-sever the knob of the missing digit while feeling no pain. 2) Following the procedure, the subjects would be kept under hypnosis with the instructions to regrow the finger fully. 3) The subjects would undergo hypnosis once per week for 12 weeks with the instructions to continue regrowing the missing digit. The reason for needing to re-sever the finger is because there seems to be a time window in which instructions need to be signaled within the body to induce this potential regenerative healing effect. Like we said… this is only a thought experiment.

In Part 1, we gave a basic overview of some key findings of Dr. Robert O. Becker’s research outlined in his book, “The Body Electric”. However, being that Becker utilized different equipment (DC vs. EEG) to measure changes in brain activity, we must provide a translation to what it refers to based on more commonly utilized neuroscience equipment.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a device that utilizes electrodes placed on the scalp to measure micro electric currents on the scalp of a person’s head. These micro electric currents have been associated with changes in perception. As we’ve outlined in past pieces, during non-dream sleep, the slowest wave (delta) dominates most of the activity. During normal, waking hours faster alpha and beta waves dominate most of the activity. However, being that dozens of electrodes are planted across the scalp, there is generally a variation of background activity taking place simultaneously in different areas.

Becker preferred the direct current (DC) measurement claiming that it generated a cleaner signal with less artifacts and the need to interpret multiple signals from multiple locations all at once. In terms of translating the DC signals to EEG for communicative purposes, Becker showcased that during normal waking consciousness, the direction of the DC current was observed to have a negative frontal potential and a positive posterior potential indicating an alpha/beta equivalent. By contrast, in deep sleep and anesthesia the direction of the DC current reverses to a positive frontal potential and a negative posterior potential indicating that this is equivalent to a delta dominant EEG.

This all seems rather straightforward but the question is… what is the DC current equivalent when we see an increase in both slow waves (theta/delta) and fast waves (gamma) simultaneously as consistently seen during altered states of consciousness? The frontal potential cannot be both positive (slow wave) and negative (fast wave) at the same time. Based on the following excerpt from The Body Electric, it seems that instead of being a positive or negative frontal potential, the reading goes to zero: “In each case, I found that the frontal negative potential of the head became less negative, often reaching zero, as the client attained deep trance. The reading changed in the same direction as in anesthesia, only not as far.”

We interpret this finding as equal amplitude of opposite directional charges (theta and gamma) brings the brain’s electric field to zero when interpreted via DC measurements. According to Joachim Keppler’s model of consciousness based on the zero-point field (ZPF) and quantum electrodynamics (QED), the ZPF is unrelated to classic electric fields such as DC currents. However, electrically charged particles are related to the QED equation indicating that this change in neuroelectrophysiology could indicate an altered interplay with the ZPF. Being that the ZPF is proposed to contain all experiences and phenomenal qualities, we believe that cross-frequency coupling of slow and fast waves (EEG)/zero frontal potential (DC) indicate enhanced access to experience and information.

As we presented in a recent piece, we showcased evidence indicating that memories are likely to be stored in the ZPF rather than the physical brain. The ability to access the ZPF in a fluid manner depends on the neural oscillatory activity. There is evidence to suggest that theta-gamma coupling occurs during successful memory recall (Axmacher et al., 2010; Katerman et al., 2021; Solomon et al., 2017). When a subject is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, they have an imbalance of theta-gamma coupling with a pronounced theta band and an impaired gamma band (Chen et al., 2023). This potentially indicates that imbalanced cross frequency coupling can impair fluid access to the ZPF leading to subpar memory recall.

(Figure 2. from Chen et al., 2023, where you can see a distinct difference in the theta and gamma bandwidths in Alzheimer’s patients compared to healthy controls.)

(An image of what we perceive to be a tighter coupling with the ZPF during states of consciousness in between being awake and asleep.)

It’s interesting that different equipment can offer a much different perspective of the same brain activity taking place. If all possibilities emerge from the ZPF, connecting with it in an amplified manner would seemingly afford more possibilities to occur… such as a person being able to get a large molar extracted from their mouths without feeling any discomfort. Based on Becker’s observation, this reading of the frontal potential reaching zero seems to coincide with enhanced possibilities based on intent/will.

When a local anesthetic such as procaine is administered to an injured limb, it induces a reversal of the baseline negative potential at the site of injury. However, this exogenous local anesthetic has no effect on the brain’s DC measurement. By contrast, hypnosis changes the brain’s DC measurement and when accompanied by a suggestion for pain control, the arm potential reversed in the same manner it does from a procaine injection and the pain signal is abolished.

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What’s intriguing is that during hypnoanalgesia mediated surgery, the subject not only has control over the pain of the procedure but they also have shown distinct capabilities to alter blood coagulation of the wound. An example of this would be a dentist removing a wisdom tooth that leads to excessive bleeding at the wound site. The subject under hypnosis can be instructed to stop the bleeding immediately and the bleeding stops in an accelerated manner (Jones, 1951; Moss, 1957). The precision of the results of this instruction is fascinating as it doesn’t seem to be a systemic reaction of decreased blood flow or increased systemic coagulation. It is site specific, time specific, and noticeably effective. In the book “The Future of the Body” by Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy, he writes, “Several researchers, however, after long-term research with many subjects, have found that awareness can indeed develop around subtle feats of self-control such as a single nerve cell’s firing” (Green et al., 1969). This indicates the precision of one’s intent to influence specific activity of a very specific location in the body when the brain has a specific signature.

Theoretically speaking, the concept of formalized hypnosis might not be entirely necessary to induce this type of phenomena as long as a person is able to maintain a specific oscillatory signature in conjunction with sustained focus. We will touch up on this concept later on in this series.

Another interesting example of strange phenomena during hypnosis is the acceleration of wound healing. There are multiple points of evidence indicating that those that undergo hypnoanalgesia for surgery recovery significantly faster than subjects that utilize general or localized anesthesia (Ginandes et al., 2003).

A dramatic example of accelerated wound healing would be based on the work of a medical doctor based out of Louisiana named Dr. Dabney Ewin. This doctor worked in an emergency ward in that crazy city of New Orleans in the 1960’s and 70’s. He would regularly see patients arriving to the ward with second and third degree burns. Dr. Dabney observed that if he was able to treat the patients within a few hours of the initial burn, he could have great success in drastically speeding up the healing process. His protocol was based on utilizing a combination of hypnosis and encouraging the patient to hallucinate that they were cool and comfortable. If successful, the patient could experience a recovery period of 10 days compared to 90 days. However, if the patient was not seen within hours of the injury, the effects were much less pronounced (Ewin, 1983; Ewin, 1992). It’s entertaining to postulate that willfully inducing hallucinations via upregulation of hallucinatory molecules in the brain (DMT’s) are pertinent in this process.

(An interview of Dr. Ewin discussing his experience utilizing hypnosis & conscious hallucinations to accelerate healing for burn victims.)

An interesting phenomena that’s been observed consistently in the pediatric medical profession is the ability of young children to regenerate their severed fingers (Douglas, 1972; Illingworth, 1974). This occurs if the wound is merely kept clean and does not undergo any stitching. While many believe this is simply based on the proliferation of stem cells and growth hormone from growing children, there could be more to the story electrically speaking. As we cited in past pieces, young children exude EEG activity dominated by theta (Orekhava et al., 2006; Cellier et. al, 2021) and gamma frequencies (Takano et. al, 1998, Tiernay et. al, 2013). This brain activity essentially mimics that of a person under hypnosis. Unfortunately, we can only speculate on whether the DC frontal potential measurement of children is zero similar to that of adults under hypnosis. Whether this plays a role in autonomic regeneration of finger tips in children is unknown but there is a possibility that there is a connection.

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(Figure 3., from Illingworth, 1974)

(Figure 1., from Douglas, 1972)

While autonomic regeneration in children is fascinating, our primary interest is the phenomena of altering the autonomic response based on intent/concentration in combination with altered states. As we know based on the excerpts from The Body Electric presented in Part 1, following injury or amputation of a limb, the negative potential of the site of injury quickly reverses to positive. This DC reversal also takes place in the head approximating the signal of delayed pain. This process then reverses significantly for the salamander in which the potential exceeds -30 mv compared to the lowly frog which continues with it’s slowly declining positive voltages. As we’ve cited in Part 1, the frontal potential of both human and salamander heads are negative when in normal waking consciousness and are even more negative during physical or mental activity. The direct current direction reverses during sleep and anesthesia which leads to the frontal potential to become positive. During hypnosis, Becker states that the normally negative positive potential becomes less negative and often reaches zero during deep trance. Following this trance, based on the suggestion given, the potential of the extremity or area of the focus can change accordingly. We must remember, based on EEG measurement deep trance occurs when slow wave amplitude increases (theta/delta) and the concentration/focus coincides with the fast wave (gamma) occurrence.

(An illustration showcasing the changes coinciding during salamander regeneration vs. sad frog non regeneration while overlaying the DC changes with the effects of hypnosis combined with concentration.)

The question that lingers is… is there any evidence that adult humans can utilize the combination of deep trance in combination with focused hallucinations to induce measurable changes to their physiology beyond pain control, blood coagulation, and accelerated wound healing?

Yup.

Stay tuned for Part 3!

Endohuasca@gmail.com

PS. It seems as though negative frontal potential coincides with the linear perception and passage of time. If one were to look at the regenerative processes that take place during sleep coinciding with the positive frontal potential it’s almost akin to the body going reverse in time as it is attempting to retain a prior state of biology. However, during sleep, the DC reversals are systemic inducing systemic repair rather than targeted. During trance it seems that there can be targeted repair based on concentration and specific intent.

The ability to regenerate an injured or amputated limb is considered mythological by human standards. The famous book, “Autobiography of a Yogi” cites an incident in which a roadside beggar purportedly regenerated his severed arm. In the fictional comic book series “X-men”, the character known as Wolverine has special regenerative capabilities. If a human could reliably demonstrate the dramatic ability of limb regeneration in this modern age, they would be considered superhuman beyond superhuman. The amusing thing is that there is a vertebrate with 2 eyes, 4 limbs, that walks on land, swims in water, and has virtually the same internal organs of a human that can regenerate their severed limbs. We do not consider this animal to be supernatural in any sense of the word. We just merely refer to this creature as “salamander”. This animal has the ability to not only regenerate their limbs and tail… they have also been documented to regenerate their brain, heart, liver, lungs, spinal cord, teeth, eye lenses, and ovaries (Bölük et al., 2022). They truly are regenerative machines seemingly having the ability to regenerate nearly an entire specimen. The average human by contrast is largely known to be relegated to solely being capable of regenerating their skin and liver cells.

One of the most important books published within the past 100 years is titled, “The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life”, authored by Dr. Robert O. Becker. The book is an intriguing tale of a medical doctor who did basic regenerative research while also applying his knowledge to individuals at the VA Medical Center in Syracuse, New York. It’s a rare glimpse of an inside look to the thought process of a brilliant researcher who was able to investigate the inner workings of regeneration in salamanders while applying some basic principles to help patients. Instead of primarily focusing on the genetic and biochemical aspects of this ability, Dr. Becker focuses on the bioelectric changes that take place during the process of regeneration. He also provides a glimpse as to the changes between organisms that have this ability (salamanders) and those that do not (frogs, rats, humans).

The intrigue of the salamander is based on the fact that unlike other regenerative animals such as worms, starfish, and crustaceans, the salamander is anatomically similar to humans.

The question is… how do they do it?

It’s still an incomplete puzzle… hence the name, “The Magic Salamander”.

Nevertheless let us attempt to deconstruct some aspects of this magical situation.

(An image on page 73 illustrating the differences between the direct current (DC) voltage changes between the Magic Salamander that can regenerate their limbs and the lowly frog incapable of doing so.)

As shown above, there is a distinct difference in the autonomic response regarding the bioelectric signaling of wound healing and limb regeneration between the two species. Let us present an excerpt from “The Body Electric”. (For reference the term blastema refers to a mass of cells capable of growth and regeneration.):

“I made measurements daily, expecting to see the salamander voltages climb above those of the frogs as the blastemas formed. It didn’t work that way. The force of the current flowing from the salamanders’ amputation sites rapidly dropped, while that from the frogs’ stumps stayed at the original level. By the third day the salamanders showed no current at all, and their blastemas hadn’t even begun to appear. The experiment seemed a failure. I almost quit right there, but something made me keep on measuring. I guess I thought it would be good practice. Then, between the sixth and tenth days an exciting trend emerged. The salamander potentials changed their sign again, exceeding their normal voltage and reaching a peak of more than 30 millivolts negative just when the blastemas were emerging. The frogs were still plugging away with slowly declining positive voltages. As the salamander limbs regenerated and the frog stumps healed over with skin and scar tissue, both groups of limbs gradually returned (from opposite directions) to the original baseline of 10 millivolts negative.”

This was an extremely important finding from Dr. Becker regarding not only the differences between species but also a distinct shift from his initial hypothesis of a linear reaction taking place. When a limb is fully intact, in a normal setting the measurement sits at a baseline of -10 millivolts (mv) negative. When a wound or amputation occurs, the direction of the current quickly reverses towards a positive polarity reaching over 20 mv (positive). Becker originally expected the regenerative aspects of the salamander to coincide with a continuation of the positive polarity exceeding that of a frog (20 mv) believing that this projected increase coincided with the regenerative process. This was not the case and instead new insights developed from this observation.

Harold Saxton Burr was a Yale professor from 1929 to 1958 with a focus on neuroanatomy and bioelectrodynamics. He would eventually author a book summarizing his findings titled, “Blueprint for Immortality: The Electric Patterns of Life”. Burr would spend much of his career measuring electric fields and electric potentials on the surfaces of a wide array of organisms including worms, salamanders, humans, other mammals, and even slime molds. His lab would measure the changes in the electric potentials and their correlations with growth, regeneration, tumor formation, drug effects, hypnosis, and sleep. One of the most significant data points that Burr generated was observing dipolar distribution of potentials in most animals with their heads being positive and their tails being negative. Dipolar distribution can be described as equal or opposite electric charges separated at a distance. Becker stated that while Burr’s work was important, the equipment utilized for his experiments were too “noisy” to reliably measure the minute currents found in living things.

Becker would attempt to replicate Burr’s findings employing more modern equipment on salamanders. What he found was a more complex field that followed the arrangement of the nervous system. Becker observed that there were large positive potentials over the brain and slightly smaller ones over the spine in between the limbs. Instead of simply finding a negative charge at the tail, he found negative charges at the tip of the nose, the feet, hands, and the tip of the tail. Additional organisms such as flatworms, earthworms, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and humans were all tested as well.

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(An image on page 95 comparing the simple body electric field from Burr compared to the complex body electric field from Becker.)

(Images from pages 97 & 98 showing the direct current (DC) pattern in various species.)

While this is all mildly interesting information in a vacuum, the application of this knowledge is what is increasingly intriguing. In 1960’s, a researcher named Stephen D. Smith at the University of Kentucky was studying the effects of electrical stimulation on limb regeneration in frogs. Smith would implant a tiny battery with silver and platinum wires at the site of amputation of a frog’s arm. The effects were tested by bending the wires into the bone marrow cavity with some frogs having the silver wire emitting a positive current into the marrow and others having the platinum wire emitting a negative current into the marrow. What Smith found was that the limbs with the positive silver electrodes showed no growth, and in some cases showed tissue disintegration. By contrast, the limbs with the negative platinum electrodes showed the start of the regenerative process. These results concur with the findings of Becker in the first chart up above (p. 73) in which the differentiation between the salamander regenerative abilities and the frog’s inability is based on the negative current strength following amputation. By 1974, Smith had refined his electric application device to the point of achieving full regrowth of a frog limb (Smith, 1974).

In 1971, based on the ongoing work from Smith, Dr. Becker would attempt to apply this same electric stimulation to rats who had their limbs amputated. Leading up to the study, he was skeptical of whether this would be possible being that the proportion of nerves to other tissues in rat legs was 80 percent less than in salamander legs. Nevertheless, Becker proceeded with the study utilizing a medium-current device supplying 1 nanoamp with silver and platinum wires at the site of the rat limb amputation. Following 1 week of the electric implant, the experimental rats had a well-formed blastema with ten different kinds of cells differentiating out from it. Being that the amputation had occurred above the elbow, some of the animals showed two cartilaginous deposits appearing to be the precursors of the two lower arm bones. In one of the animals that had experienced the electric stimulation for a longer period of time, cartilage in a five-fingered shape was observed indicating that a hand had begun to grow (Becker et al., 1972).

(Illustration from page 153 showing the process of externally stimulated electric signal for limb regeneration in a rat.)

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While this initial experiment by Becker did not showcase full regeneration of an adult rat limb, it showed enough complex differentiation for follow up researchers to verify and replicate the effects (Person et al., 1979; Leppik et al., 2015; Oliveira et al., 2019). One of the leading research groups doing extensive work in the field of bioelectricity today is the Levin Lab at Tufts University. In 2011, this lab published a study observing for the first time that a complex bioelectric signal preceded the cellular formation of a frog face. One of the lead researchers of that study, Dany S. Adams would serendipitously come across this development by leaving a microscope camera on overnight while imaging the development of frog embryos. Adams didn’t believe that the video quality would be clear enough to capture anything of importance based on the movements of the embryo. However, the next morning she checked the video, saw that the images came out clear, and as they say… the rest is history. One potential impact point of this finding is that it adds support to the concept of the morphic resonance and morphic field theory with possible interactions with electricity as a top-down driver of this model. The concept of morphic resonance/field theory is that it is based on the notion that there is a field that influences biological development carrying with it the information needed to organize and stabilize the physical form.

Perhaps electricity is key in this equation?

How does any of this tie into the human potential?

An interesting phenomena that has been documented for centuries is the ability for humans to shut off the pain response when in a state of trance. The forbidden word for trance is known as “hypnosis”. While there is much bias against the term based on the popularized idea that stage hypnotists make people do strange things… there is undoubtedly a significant body of legitimate research in the field of clinical hypnotherapy. There are over 16,000 search results regarding hypnosis & hypnotherapy in the peer-reviewed literature on pubmed.

The extraction of the third molar (wisdom tooth) is a procedure that normally requires general chemical anesthesia. This is the process of essentially putting a person to sleep so that they do not feel the pain of the tooth removal. Most people cannot fathom undergoing this process without chemical anesthesia of some kind. However, there are subjects that are allergic to chemical anesthetics and therefore do not have the option to utilize these substances for surgical procedures. For these patients, their only alternative is to either simply bear the pain of surgery as is or rely on hypnosis to provide an analgesic effect. There are numerous case studies of subjects undergoing this exact procedure of teeth removal while solely utilizing hypnosis induced analgesia (Abdeshahi et al., 2013; Cozzolino et al., 2020; Facco et al., 2021; Shaw et al., 1996; Glaesmer et al., 2015; Ghoneim et al., 2000; Schmierer et al., 2023; Queirolo et al., 2024; Sabherwal et al., 2021). For people skeptical of the peer-reviewed literature of such a phenomena, a clinical hypnotherapist and friend of ours Sharon Waxkirsh has documented this procedure in video format. There is even footage of Sharon utilizing self-hypnosis on herself to undergo wisdom tooth extraction without chemical anesthesia.

Interestingly, one of the skeptics of hypnosis was Dr. Becker. Here is an excerpt from The Body Electric regarding his research into hypnosis, pain control, and bioelectric changes:

“Charlie, Howard, and I decided to find out how the brain’s DC potential behaved in humans. The electrodes we’d been using on salamanders couldn’t be scaled up for people, but within a week Charlie invented some that would give us equally precise readings from the human head. We immediately found that the back-to-front current varied with changes in consciousness just as in salamanders. It was strongest during heightened physical or mental activity, it declined during rest, and it reversed direction in both normal sleep and anesthesia. This knowledge led directly to the experiments, described in Chapter 13, that taught us much about how hypnosis and pain perception work.” p. 116

(Image from page 116 describing the changes in DC current direction based on changes in consciousness.)

“One of the most exciting results of my collaboration with Dr. Friedman was proof that one’s state of waking consciousness could change the perception of pain. Friedman, who already used hypnosis to control chronic pain in his patients, gave several of his best subjects hypnotic suggestions of arm numbness deep enough that they couldn’t feel the prick of a needle. In each case, I found that the frontal negative potential of the head became less negative, often reaching zero, as the client attained deep trance. The reading changed in the same direction as in anesthesia, only not as far. Then, when the suggestion for pain control was given, the arm potential reversed just as it had in response to procaine. Conversely, when a control subject was asked in normal waking consciousness to concentrate forcefully on one arm, its sensitivity to pain increased, and the hand potential became more negative. We found we could use this difference to determine whether a person was really hypnotized or just cooperating.” p. 238

“Some doubters (including myself, I’m afraid) had believed hypnoanalgesia was merely a state in which the patient still felt the pain but didn’t respond to it, but these experiments proved it was a real blockage of pain perception. It seems that the brain can shut off pain by altering the direct-current potentials in the rest of the body “at will”.” p. 239

(Image from page 100 showing the systemic changes coinciding with changes in consciousness. Negative potentials in the brain’s frontal area and at the periphery were associated with wakefulness and sensory stimuli. The systemic shifts toward positive potentials occurred during rest and even more so during sleep.)

Now we are getting somewhere.

It appears that changes in consciousness coincide with changes in the direction and strength of the electric potentials in the brain and body. The changes coincide with the perception of pain in humans under hypnosis. They also seem to change coinciding with the regenerative process in salamanders. Becker cites the following on page 238: “In addition, the DC potentials react slowly enough to account for pain. A wound usually doesn’t start to hurt in earnest until minutes, or even hours, after the injury. This delay has been especially hard to explain in terms of nerve impulses, which travel at 30 feet per second. However, when Friedman and I injured the limbs of salamanders while monitoring the potentials on their limbs and heads, we found that the change in the limb reading showed up in the head after a time approximating that of delayed pain.”

This gives us a signal that there lies the potential that mammalian regeneration is a possibility by utilizing altered states of consciousness to induce the desired results. We understand that the pathway to accomplish and it’s relationship to the Zero-point Field (ZPF) is not quite clear to you as a reader right now but we’ve bombarded you with enough strange information thus far so let us continue clarifying this concept in Part 2 to be released next week.

Stay tuned!

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“We always thought that psychedelics produced these spectacular trips, the most intense memorable experiences of one’s life… we thought that they did that by lighting up the brain like a Christmas tree and for 10 years now we know that all psychedelics studied do precisely the opposite. They only reduce brain activity very, very significantly particularly in the default mode network which correlates with your ego... your sense of self when you’re not engaged in any activity or just thinking about something to yourself. So what psychedelics do is basically not only put your brain to sleep, but to simulate the death of your brain.” - Bernardo Kastrup

Propofol is a drug commonly used to place people under general anesthesia during medical procedures. General anesthesia induces a person to go completely unconscious in order to carry out invasive surgeries of various types. An experience of propofol can be described as the anesthesiologist asking the patient to count backwards from 10 down to 1 as the propofol is being intravenously administered. Generally speaking, by the time the patient reaches the number 8, they are unconscious and the medical procedure then proceeds to take place. The patient generally has no recollection of the time between when they first became unconscious to the time they wake up. There are generally no conscious experiences of any kind including a lack of dreams.

This lack of conscious experience during general anesthesia has been corroborated with various neurological measurements. Numerous electroencephalogram (EEG) studies showcase the distinct effects of propofol inducing a shift towards delta wave dominance in conjunction with a significant decrease in beta/gamma power (Xi et al., 2018; Qin et al., 2023; Wang et al., 1997; Ke et al., 2018). This comes as no surprise being that delta wave dominance is largely associated with naturally induced unconscious states such as non-REM sleep.

(Figure 3. (Ke et al., 2018) showing a distinct change of a reduction in faster oscillatory activity associated with propofol induced anesthesia.)

Positron emission tomography (PET) scans are utilized to measure glucose metabolism in the brain. Following propofol administration, a decrease in whole-brain glucose metabolism of up to 55% has been observed in numerous studies (Sun et al., 2008; Schlunzen et al., 2011; Laaksonen et al., 2018; Jeong et al., 2006; Alkire et al., 1995). This is also not surprising being that a significant decrease in glucose metabolism has also been observed in non-REM sleep stages compared to wakefulness and REM sleep (Buchsbaum et al., 2001; Nofzinger et al., 2002). It seems logical that a decrease in neural metabolic activity coincides with a decrease in faster oscillations associated with conscious experience.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly being utilized as a method to measure changes in cerebral blood flow associated with changes in conscious experience. Propofol has been observed to induce a decrease in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signaling throughout the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala associated with it’s sedative effects (Liu et al., 2017; Quan et al., 2015).

If Bernardo Kastrup’s statement regarding all psychedelics inducing their effects by only reducing brain activity is in fact true, one would think that there would be essentially mirroring of the effects of propofol. This is due to the fact that this anesthetic has shown to reduce the faster neural oscillations associated with higher order processing, reduce whole-brain glucose metabolism by up to 55%, and inducing a global reduction in BOLD signaling. Utilizing 3 metrics of neural activity, this can undoubtedly be considered to have the effect of only a reduction in brain activity.

A 2016 human EEG study observed that psilocybin decreased alpha power while inducing a simultaneous increase in gamma power. A 2022 rodent intracranial EEG study found similar findings following psilocybin administration with a suppression of slower brain waves while seeing a significant increase in the faster gamma waves. These results have been replicated by an unrelated lab at the University of Michigan (Silverstein et. al, 2024). Intracranial EEG is considered to offer artifact-free brainwave signaling due to the electrodes being implanted within the brain rather than sitting atop the skull. These results within itself do not mimic the results of propofol and do not showcase only a reduction in brain activity. In fact, they allude to higher order conscious activity taking place based on the relationship between faster oscillatory activity and complexity of experience.

(Figure 2 (Silverstein et. al, 2024) showing a 100% increase in power spectral density of high gamma in the 120 Hz to 140 Hz range following psilocybin administration.)

A 1997 human PET study in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology cites data indicating that 15 to 20 mg of psilocybin increases whole-brain glucose metabolism by up to 25%. Similar results have been replicated in a follow up study (Vollenweider et. al, 1998) as well as amongst a different research team (Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et. al, 1999). This comes as no surprise being that multiple studies highlight the finding of increased glucose metabolism being essential for increases in gamma wave amplitude (Galow et. al, 2014; Nishida et. al, 2008; Dienel, 2018). Once again, these results do not showcase reduced brain activity or mimic propofol’s effects of decreasing whole-brain glucose metabolism by up to 55%.

A 2012 fMRI human study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences presents data showing that psilocybin induced a decrease in BOLD signaling. This data does indicate a reduction of brain activity offering some mimicking action of that of propofol. However, it’s been well documented that stimulation of the 5-HT2A receptor has vasoconstrictive effects. This means that there is a narrowing of the blood vessels from the activation of this receptor. Being that psilocybin stimulates the 5-HT2A receptor, the confounding reduction in BOLD signaling should not be entirely surprising. A 2021 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlights the fact that glucose metabolism and BOLD signaling do not always follow a linear relationship. There can be instances when glucose metabolism increases as BOLD signal decreases or a decrease in glucose metabolism with a simultaneous increase in BOLD signaling. This indicates that there is more research needed in the space of fMRI in order to comprehensively understand the data being generated.

One thing is clear… propofol only reduces brain activity by every metric measured so far. This reduction seems to linearly coincide with the lack of conscious experience. By contrast, it doesn’t appear that psilocybin mimics this same reduction in brain activity. This should come as no surprise as the effects are distinctly different between both substances. Propofol essentially turns a person’s “lights out” while psilocybin induces intense visionary experiences.

Going further than just psilocybin, the increase in fast oscillatory activity from psychedelics have been observed in multiple human and animal studies involving Ayahuasca (Don et al., 1998; Stuckey et al., 2005; Schenberg et al., 2015; Tagliazucchi et. al, 2021), DMT (Acosta-Urquidi, 2015; Pallavicini et al., 2021; Timmerman et al., 2023; Glynos et al., 2024), 5-MEO-DMT (Acosta-Urquidi, 2015; Riga et al., 2018;) psilocybin (Pal et al., 2024), LSD (Goda et al., 2013; Brys et. al, 2023), & Ibogaine (Gonzalez et al., 2021). Scientific truths tend to be based on replication studies by unconnected research teams. If the same results are documented consistently, this tends to develop as a scientific truth. In regards to classic psychedelics consistently inducing increases in faster oscillatory activity, there are 15 human and intracranial animal psychedelic studies from 11 different research teams showcasing this effect.

It’s unclear where Bernardo Kastrup derives his information to keep attempting to propagate the narrative that psychedelics only reduce brain activity. If the data showed that psychedelics induced the effects of propofol in terms of EEG, PET, and fMRI… then yes, the statement could be considered technically correct. But that’s simply not the case so perhaps it’s time to reconsider the accuracy of the desired narrative as it’s based on a false premise.

Maybe email this article to Bernardo at bernardo_kastrup@hotmail.com and get him to clarify why he believes he is correct in light of the data presented.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

P.S. It is becoming increasingly more likely that the hypothesis of Dr. Stuart Hameroff is correct based on his idea that the psychedelic experience is taking place at a much faster speed than baseline consciousness. Future research focusing on high gamma and above 150 Hz needs to take place regarding psychedelics as well as the emerging technology called the Dodecanogram (DDG) that can purportedly measure activity at a much faster speed in the terahertz range.

(Figure 1C from the 2022 Intracranial EEG Animal Study. There appears to be a potential trend of increased power at faster bandwidths of oscillatory activity associated with psilocybin administration. At this point we can only speculate that the chart would continue to rise at bandwidths above 150 Hz.)

The “Out of Body Experience” (OBE) is described as having the sensation of experiencing one’s consciousness outside of the confines of the physical body. A frequent description of an OBE is the ability to perceive the environment from a vantage point of a few meters above the body. A commonly reported catalyst to induce an OBE is from significant physical trauma. However, organizations such as The Monroe Institute (TMI) and the International Academy of Consciousness (IAC) have been extensively researching non-trauma related protocols to induce this type of experience. The Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia has been researching OBE occurrences coinciding with near-death experiences (NDE’s) for decades as well. Many people describe psychedelic experiences as inducing OBE-like sensations although they generally differ from those reported by the protocols developed by TMI and the IAC or during NDE’s.

In the Tibetan Buddhism tradition, the place where a person goes once they die is called “the bardo”. This term is used to describe an intermediate state and is also applied to specific states such as “the bardo of dreaming”. This place is described as a period when the mind is less constrained to the physical body during sleep. The bardo of dreaming is also known as the “little death” being that Tibetan Buddhists believe that falling asleep is similar to the experience between re-birth.

In the recent piece titled, “Alcohol, Psychedelics, & Idealism of the Brain” we outlined the numerous electroencephalogram (EEG) studies showing a consistent change in the mammalian brain following psychedelic ingestion. Alongside the observed increase in gamma oscillations is a consistent and dramatic suppression of the alpha wave frequency. Interestingly, the dissociative substance ketamine (Ajeku et al., 2016; De la Salle et al., 2016) and the stimulant MDMA (Lansbergen et al., 2011; Frei et al., 2001) both induce similar oscillatory changes to classic psychedelic compounds. This is in light of ketamine acting primarily upon the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system and MDMA acting indirectly upon the serotonin (5-HT) system. This indicates that the consciousness shift of mind-altering substances can be partially attributed to their changes to specific oscillatory signatures rather than solely receptor-focused activation (although they are intimately intertwined).

There are many theories regarding the alpha wave regarding the sense of self, a “sense of flow”, or light relaxation. Other more technical theories cite the active role of the alpha wave in default mode network communication, coordination, and idle states. It’s important to note that the simple act of closing your eyes induces a significant increase in alpha power. This has been documented since the invention of the EEG in the 1920’s. However, during the transition from waking to sleep, the alpha wave generally disappears giving way to the slower theta and delta waves throughout the non-REM sleep stages (Biabani et al., 2023; Nayak et al., 2023). During REM sleep which is the sleep stage largely associated with dreaming, there is evidence suggesting that alpha waves are suppressed when compared to wakefulness (Baird et. al, 2018; Esposito et. al, 2004).

Lucid dreaming (LD) is the experience of being aware that you are dreaming while in a dream. LD research indicates that a hybrid of neural activity occurs that differs from waking and regular REM sleep that also shows a suppression of alpha wave power & coherence (Voss et. al, 2009). It’s been observed that people suffering from insomnia exude greater alpha power at wake before sleep onset (WBSO) than regular controls (Rezai et al, 2019). Interestingly, the condition that might be considered the opposite of insomnia, narcolepsy has been shown to coincide with suppressed waking alpha power (Sasai-Sakuma et al., 2015).

The phenomena known as “sleep paralysis” (SP) is described as the sensation of experiencing full-body paralysis where a person is unable to move or speak. Its occurrence is commonly reported during the transition from wakefulness to sleep or the transition from sleep to wakefulness. In some cases, subjects report seeing beings or entities during SP. It’s been reported that an increase in alpha wave power has been observed during episodes of SP (Takeuchi et al., 1992; Terzaghi et al., 2011). A 2023 study in the Journal of Cognitive Neurosciences utilized virtual reality (VR) to induce a virtual OBE-like experience. The participants were exposed to the perception of floating up above their body within the VR environment. The researchers found that this subjective experience coincided with a decrease in alpha wave power alongside other oscillatory changes.

There seems to be a certain theme arising from the data we have presented thus far. Based on all the information we’ve cited, we speculate that the increase in alpha wave power from simply closing your eyes indicates that it appears to be playing an important role in maintaining the sense of orientation. The increased power seems to act as an anchor of sorts regarding the sense of inhabiting our bodies, our location in proximity to the external environment, and general time-space perception. These concepts aren’t entirely baseless as there is research indicative of alpha waves stabilizing a person’s perception of time (Mokhtarinejad et. al, 2024) and space (Jin et al., 2006; Lozano-Soldevilla et. al, 2019; Alamia et. al, 2023). There is also data alluding to distortions in alpha waves altering a person’s perception of time (Iwasaki et al., 2019) and space (Foster et al., 2017). Imagine the difficulties navigating the human experience if we were to experience substantial time-space distortion or even an OBE from merely closing our eyes for a few seconds. Theoretically speaking, once we open our eyes the alpha power can subside a bit as we use our 6 senses to orientate ourselves to the external environment.

The condition known as schizophrenia is largely associated with altered states of perception including delusions and hallucinations. Multiple research teams have found a suppression of alpha power in schizophrenic subjects compared to normal volunteers (Gaspar et. al, 2011, Knyazeva et. al, 2008; Abeles et. al, 2014; Goldstein et. al, 2015). There is also evidence to suggest that time (Ueda et al, 2018; Stanghelleni et al., 2016) and space (Stanghelleni et al., 2020; Silverstein et al., 2021) perception are altered in schizophrenic patients. As cited earlier, the condition of narcolepsy is associated with suppressed alpha power and is also associated with hallucinatory phenomena in a significant percentage of patients (Hanin et al., 2021) in addition to time distortion (Poryazova et al., 2013). Perhaps patients suffering from schizophrenia and narcolepsy are more loosely tethered to their bodies and “3-D reality” based on their impaired baseline alpha waves.

An interesting description of the psychedelic experience, especially DMT is the sensation of instantaneous pressure building in the body/head followed by a feeling akin to bursting out of the top of one’s head. The subject then tends to describe the sensation of immediately flying through space at a rapid pace leading to the visionary journey. It’s an intriguing notion to speculate that the alpha wave abolishment indicates the untethering of one’s “spirit/soul/consciousness” from the body while the gamma wave modulates the intricacies of the journey. There have been reports from participants in extended state DMT research that they experienced the phenomena of the “silver cord” at the back of their heads. The reports state that beings interacted with them during their journey and purposely examined the back of their heads to verify whether the silver cord was present. This is intriguing in light of the research at TMI and the IAC also consistently reporting the experience of the silver cord for OBE explorers. What does the silver cord signify? It’s not entirely clear but it appears to act as some sort of connection between the physical body and the “spirit/soul/consciousness”.

An interesting phenomenon regarding young children is that many of them report being able to perceive people, creatures, and memories that adults cannot. Whether their perception is based purely on imagination or having the ability to see a wider spectrum of reality is not for us to speculate in this piece. However, it is clear that the brain activity of developing children is distinctly different from that of adults. When a child is between infancy and 6 years old, they exude dominant frequencies of theta (Orekhava et al., 2006) and gamma (Takano et. al, 1998, Tiernay et. al, 2013). It’s been documented that about the age of 7 years old, children transition from theta to alpha dominant (Cellier et. al, 2021) alongside a decline in gamma power (Tierney et. al, 2013). The increase in alpha power in maturing children seems to coincide with the developmental maturation of their brains synchronously with their perspective of reality. It’s been cited that prominent connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) also generally begins to occur at the age of 7 years old (Fair et. al, 2008). The DMN is considered to be the set of brain networks that are active when a person is thinking about themselves and during passive tasks requiring remembering past events or imagining future tasks. It’s been consistently observed that following psychedelic administration, the DMN is significantly suppressed (Gattuso et. al, 2023). This data regarding children is indicative that their consciousness before the age of 7 is not firmly anchored to their bodies and this could be the reason they act super crazy.

In the early Apollo missions, astronauts would report hallucinatory phenomena such as flashes and streaks of light. In 1976, the crew on the Russian-Soyuz 21 mission reported olfactory hallucinations in which they smelled a foul scent which upon deboarding was found to not exist. A 2023 study in Nature Scientific Reports observed that astronauts in space experienced a significant reduction in alpha wave power in the DMN. This reduction continued up until 20 days after deboarding the spacecraft. An interesting observation is that this decrease in alpha waves during and following space flight is not seemingly linked to changes in gravitational forces as subjects exposed to weightlessness via parabolic flights (not space flights) did not experience similar suppression of alpha power (Schneider et al., 2008).

A 2021 white paper authored by several scientists at NASA titled, “The Impact of the Schumann Resonances on Human and Mammalian Physiology”, outlines the effects of earth’s geomagnetic field on human and mammalian physiology. Schumann Resonances (SR) form standing waves in the “cavity” between the surface of the Earth and the underside of the Earth’s ionosphere. These waves are created and maintained by lightning strikes worldwide. The researchers cite data regarding the effects of changes in the geomagnetic activity that affect heart rate variability (HRV) in humans. The scientists state that future research regarding the specific effects of SR decoupling from the human body during long space flights needs to take place to better understand the consequences.

(Schumann Resonance Animation from NASA)

So here we are… we’ve cited data points indicating that decreased alpha power (at varying degrees) coincides with psychedelic experiences, schizophrenia, young children, during sleep, narcolepsy, and astronauts during space travel. We’ve also cited evidence of increased alpha power from closing your eyes, during sleep paralysis, and insomnia. Let us not forget that the ever-so-evil alcohol also increases alpha power following ingestion (Ehlers et al., 2004).

So what is our conclusion regarding all this?

It’s difficult to say but let us speculate that we do indeed have a “spiritual body” (SB) as well as a physical body. Under this assumption, the strength of the connection between the SB and physical body is predominantly modulated by the alpha wave. When there is too much alpha power, it indicates a distinctly firm connection with the body and the earthly realm. This could be tied to insomnia or sleep paralysis as the inability for a person to let go and allow their SB to release from the confines of the physical body. In the case of alcohol it drives a focus on bodily pleasure rather than consciousness expansion.

There lies the possibility that a coupling with earth’s geomagnetic field via Schumann Resonance could also play a role in modulating the alpha wave and our general conscious experience. If we are to take the DMT experience description at face value, there is the potential that a person’s SB is launched out of the physical body and through the cosmos to another star system alongside the collapse of the alpha wave. This is the place where the SB is having experiences with beings in a galaxy far, far away while the physical body is registering the correlates neurologically. This sense of bursting out the top of one’s head could coincide with the SB leaving the confines of earth’s geomagnetic field breaking out of earth plane reality. There is evidence from researchers at Caltech in 2019 that showcased human’s having the ability to perceive earth’s magnetic field via EEG measurement and that changes in alpha power occur during this process.

This is all extremely outlandish and speculative but hey… that’s what we are here for.

P.S. In order to have some sort of grasp into the true nature of reality sometimes we need to compile anecdotes and process them at face value rather than simply writing them off as nonsensical stories. The video down below provides a description of an experience of a woman who had an OBE and floated out of her apartment building and onto the street where her spiritual body encountered a homeless man believed to be schizophrenic. When she encountered the man the following day… I’ll just let you watch the clip.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

(A 30 Second clip from the JeffMara Podcast episode with Dr. Edi Bilimoria)

Ayahuasca is the shamanic brew that has become increasingly more popular throughout the world. This psychedelic potion is generally comprised of the combination of the following 2 plants: Psychotria viridis and Banisteriopsis caapi. The Psychotria viridis plant contains significant levels of DMT which is a psychedelic compound. However, solely ingesting plants containing DMT fail to produce psychoactive effects due to an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO) which breaks down the DMT in the digestive tract prior to reaching the bloodstream. The Banisteriopsis caapi (B. caapi) vine is also known as the Ayahuasca vine and contains compounds identified as beta-carbolines such as harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine. Beta-carbolines have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects but also act as a monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI). These MAOIs prevent the premature breakdown of DMT allowing it to reach the bloodstream and eventually the brain. The 2 plants are combined in a container with water and boiled for hours prior to ingestion. Following the consumption of Ayahuasca, the subject generally experiences distinct visionary experiences for a few hours in addition to undergoing digestive purges.

(Technically speaking, the Ayahausca brew can contain numerous combinations of plants that contain DMT and beta-carbolines other than Psychotria viridis and B. caapi.)

What is Endohuasca?

It stands for endogenous Ayahuasca.

Endogenous means to be produced from within.

While most of the discourse surrounding endogenous psychedelics revolves around the “Spirit Molecule” N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the mammalian body produces an intriguing combination of psychedelic compounds. Alongside DMT, the body has been found to produce 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MEO-DMT) (Shen et al., 2010) and bufotenin (5-HO-DMT) (Barker et al., 2012). 5-MEO-DMT is considered by many to produce the most potent mystical-type experience essentially inducing a rapid ego death in combination with a perceived sense of direct connection to the source of creation. For this reason, 5-MEO-DMT has been labeled as the “God Molecule”.

Bufotenin lacks the public engagement of DMT & 5-MEO-DMT but is reportedly very potent based on Jonathan Ott’s field study indicating it is on-par in terms of effects with 5-MEO-DMT (Ott, 2001). Bufotenine should not be confused with the Bufo Alvarius toad also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad from which 5-MEO-DMT is extracted from. Endogenous bufotenin seems to be found in more abundance in periphery measurements (blood, urine) than it’s counterparts (Emanuele et al., 2010; Takeda et al, 1995; Kärkkäinen et al., 1995; Kärkkäinen et al., 2005). This shouldn’t be entirely surprising being that bufotenin is a metabolite of the commonly studied neurotransmitter serotonin (Neumann et al., 2023).

In addition to the DMT’s produced endogenously, the mammalian body also produces compounds that have monoamine oxidase inhibitory (MAOI) properties. Harmine, norharmane, and harmaline, which are beta-carboline found in the Ayahausca vine (B. Caapi) are also produced endogenously within mammals (Cao et al., 2022; Pfau et al., 2004; Mosaffa et al., 2021;). In addition, there are other endogenously produced compounds that have MAOI properties such as neurocatin, isatin, and pinoline (Fernandez-Novoa et al., 1991; Kumar et al., 2022; Jiang et al., 2009). It’s even been cited that the common neurotransmitter acetylcholine can exude MAOI properties in various parts of the mammalian brain (Osman et al., 2008).

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Compared to the traditional Ayahuasca brew, the combination of molecules that make up Endohuasca appears more extensive. Since the book “DMT: The Spirit Molecule” was released in the year 2000, there has been much speculation regarding the role of endogenous DMT in the body, the pineal gland, and whether it’s upregulation coincides with mystical-type experiences. In 2013, a study in the journal Biomedical Chromatography utilized a technique known as live micro-dialysis to extract samples of fluid surrounding the pineal gland of live rats. The researchers found DMT, it’s precursors and metabolites in the fluid samples. This led many to believe that the pineal gland was likely the primary source of DMT production in the body. However, in 2019, Dr. Jon Dean published a study in Scientific Reports producing data indicating that endogenous DMT is produced in various parts of the brain including the choroid plexus, visual cortex, and hippocampus alongside the pineal gland based on enzymatic imaging. He also utilized the same live micro-dialysis technology to extract fluid samples from the visual cortex and reported that following cardiac arrest, DMT levels increased 600%. Possibly more significant, Dean reported that the levels of DMT in regular, waking rats appeared to be similar to the levels of the commonly researched neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Previously, much of the belief regarding endogenous DMT is that it was likely only upregulated during mystical-type experiences such as near-death experiences (NDE’s) or dreaming.

Earlier this year (2024), Dr. Nicolas Glynos published additional animal research which found that endogenous DMT was found to be at levels nearly double that of dopamine concentrations throughout the cortex during normal waking consciousness (Glynos et al., 2024). Being that the dialogue and research regarding dopamine is so prominently discussed regarding effects on behavior, addiction, and pleasure, it’d seem logical to ask similar questions of DMT based on these concentrations. In the 1994 study produced by Dr. Rick Strassman, he administered various doses of exogenous DMT intravenously to human subjects. The 2 lowest levels of DMT administration were considered to be sub-psychedelic meaning that there were no hallucinations induced by the injections. However, Strassman reported that subjects described a sensation of euphoria from the lowest level of DMT. This led some researchers to hypothesize that endogenous DMT has a mood and emotional regulatory effect (Jacob et al., 2005). More recent research has indicated that chronic micro-dosing of DMT can produce a positive effect on mood and anxiety in animal models (Cameron et al., 2019).

One must remember… dose is everything. Apparently not everything DMT related has to be aliens aliens aliens.

This brings us back to the original question… why does the mammalian brain produce a psychedelic, DMT at such significant levels during our normal waking consciousness? What role does it have in our cognitive processing, perception, and insights? What is the interplay between DMT, 5-MEO-DMT, bufotenin, and the endogenous MAOIs (harmine, norharmane, harmaline, neurocatin, isatin, and pinoline)?

Being that the human body has the capacity to produce not only the same chemicals as those found in Ayahuasca but an even more comprehensive blend, the question that arises is whether there is a relationship between Endohuasca and altered states of consciousness? There are numerous manners in which humans have reportedly connected with the divine or even tapped into supernormal abilities. The list is quite extensive including (but not limited to): breath work, meditation, hypnosis, sound, light flicker, yoga, fasting, chanting, cold immersion, sensory deprivation, sweat lodges, prolonged darkness, magnetic stimulation, and even sleep deprivation. Based on all the research to date regarding these techniques or technologies, it is clear that distinct changes in brain activity takes place in the form of altered oscillatory activity, changes in neural network connectivity, and modifications in metabolism.

One of the consistent signatures of altered states appears to be an enhancement in cross-frequency coupling of slow brain waves (theta/delta) and fast brain waves (gamma/high gamma). Cross-frequency coupling occurs when a coupling of the amplitude of fast oscillations and slow oscillations takes place. It is hypothesized that cross-frequency coupling may serve as a mechanism to transfer information from large-scale brain networks to the fast, local cortical processing required for effective computation (Canolty et al., 2010). Experientially it seems that this state of being is based on a simultaneous combination of deep relaxation and hyper focus. It sounds a bit counter intuitive as much of the population is well versed in the feeling of relaxation or intense focus but rarely the combination of both at the same time.

Perhaps the saying… “out of your mind” essentially means to be outside of your baseline conscious state.

Future research will need to sort out the dynamic interplay between biochemical fluctuations and neural oscillatory activity. However, basic research needs to take place to better understand regular fluctuations based on circadian rhythm to create a foundation of data from which to build from. Once a basic understanding is developed then more precise research can be developed such as pin-pointing specific oscillatory signatures that coincide with upregulation or down regulation of particular molecules.

Endohuasca signifies not only the potential biochemical mix of mystical experiences but also the attempt to ground modern day mysticism by focusing on classical neuroscience. Much of the discourse surrounding mysticism delves into exotic terminology, quantum phenomenology, and futuristic concepts not generally accepted by the majority of academic circles. In order for the greater society to publicly engage with the topic of the supernormal, we believe it needs to be grounded as much as possible within the science of today. There is a special opportunity to do so currently and once the foundation has been developed, integration with more cutting edge yet less accepted explanations of phenomena can be integrated within the greater model. The Orch-OR theory developed by Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff come to mind as does the stochastic electrodynamics (SED) based theory currently in development by Joachim Keppler.

Exciting times!

P.S. Speculatively speaking, we will be touching up on the idea that cross-frequency coupling is essential for modulating our experience(s) within the zero-point field in an upcoming future piece.

Endohuasca@gmail.com

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Recently, actor Terrence Howard appeared on the Joe Rogan Podcast and has apparently ruffled plenty of feathers. He had many things to say on the show ranging from a new form of physics, to an altered periodic table, the COVID response, and even his estranged correspondence with science popularizer Neil Degrasse Tyson. Much of the current public fervor revolves around whether his physics and chemistry claims have any merits. However, one of his most controversial statements seems to have been regarding having memories of being in his mother’s womb.

Many have stated that Howard’s claim of pre-birth memories should inherently invalidate all of his statements. Some have cited “infantile amnesia” as proof of Howard’s dishonesty based on a lack of neurological development. Others will simply make the claim that there is no proof that this is possible. Interestingly, fellow actor Nicholas Cage has also made similar claims publicly… minus the physics and chemistry assertions.

Having observed much of the discussion following his podcast appearance, it is clear that Howard has definitively stirred the pot regarding various topics.

Pertaining to memory, there are many theories as to where memories are stored with the vast majority of neuroscientists believing that they are stored somewhere in the physical brain. There is much evidence suggesting that they are correct as there are many examples of neurological damage via either blunt force brain trauma or neurodegenerative conditions (Alzheimer’s, Dementia) that have unequivocally shown detrimental effects on memory. In 2005, a group of researchers at UCLA conducted memory research in epileptic patients which allowed them to implant 64 tiny electrodes in their brains (Quiroga et. al, 2005). Each participant was shown a large number of images including animals, celebrities, and landmark buildings. The electrodes recorded the brain cells' firings as images were shown for the first time and also following recollection. The researchers reported specific neurons reacted to specific animals, celebrities, or landmarks even though they were shown a variation of these images. This led to the dubbing of this finding as the “Halle Berry Neuron” leading the public to believe that a specific memory is stored in a specific neuron. However, since then other theories of memory have arisen including the “distributed representation theory” which is based on the premise that a specific stimulus is coded by a unique pattern of activity over large groups of neurons distributed throughout the brain (Rissman et. al, 2012; Voitov et. al, 2022). Currently, there is no predominant theory regarding memory and many researchers have maintained the more generalized belief that the hippocampus (Lisman et. al, 2017; Roux et. al, 2021; Wiltgen et. al, 2010) is essential for memory while others will cite the prefrontal cortex in combination with the hippocampus as being the necessary structures (Yadav et. al, 2022). More exotic theories regarding memory storage include magnetite nanoparticles in the brain (Banaclocha et. al, 2010).

While there are billions of neurons and glial cells all playing key roles in neural communication, it is important to note that it is generally accepted that neuronal firing dictates brain activity. Groups of neurons firing together create oscillations known as brain waves. The speed of this electrical activity generally corresponds with a person’s state of consciousness (ex. sleep, baseline, and altered states). Slow wave dominance (delta - 0.1 to 4 Hz) represents deep sleep while baseline consciousness is primarily modulated by alpha and beta waves (8 to 35 Hz).

Over the past decade, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been doing extensive research regarding the role of gamma waves in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Gamma waves are considered to be the fastest brain waves ranging from 35 Hz all the way up to 150 Hz. It’s been well documented in numerous independent studies that gamma waves are essential for memory encoding and retrieval (Creery et. al, 2022; Thompson et. al, 2021; Van Vugt et. al, 2010; Wynn et. al, 2023; Lin et. al, 2019; Benussi et. al, 2022; Bakhtiari et. al, 2023; Katerman et. al, 2022). It’s also been found that gamma wave power is suppressed in the elderly and even moreso in AD patients compared to healthy adults (Murty et. al, 2020; Murty et. al, 2021; Güntekin et. al, 2023; Kumar et. al, 2023; Casula et. al, 2022). This is an indication of an essential electrophysiological correlate to memory.

The Pico Power lab at MIT has been experimenting with gamma entrainment stimulation for animal models that exude AD characteristics. An aspect of AD characteristics is a suppression of gamma wave power. The gamma entrainment stimulation consists of light flicker and sound frequencies that cause the brain to synchronize with speed of the stimulus. The researchers found that gamma wave stimulation had a positive effect on motor performance, induced a reduction of phosphorylated tau, and improved cognition. Research is currently taking place to test the effects on human subjects with AD (Jones et. al, 2023).

A 2007 intracranial EEG study in the journal Psychological Science observed that gamma waves distinguish true from false memories. The researchers exposed 52 patients to a list of nouns which they were allowed to study and were later asked to recall in any order. The successful noun recall coincided with increased gamma power surges directly preceding successful memory recall while the unsuccessful recall did not exude gamma power surges.

The information presented thus far indicates that the fast brain oscillations seem to be essential for memory. Sometimes peeking at anomalies can assist in developing a more comprehensive perspective of basic function. One of the greatest mysteries in modern clinical practice is that of terminal lucidity especially in patients with AD (Gilmore-Bykovskyi et. al, 2023). Terminal lucidity occurs when a patient is nearing the end of life and is generally non-verbal and physically incapacitated. As the patient nears death, seemingly out of nowhere they instantly recover their cognitive and verbal abilities. The patient begins to lucidly interact with their surroundings and loved ones in a manner that hadn’t taken place for years. Following this moment of lucidity, the patient generally dies shortly thereafter. The mystery of this phenomena is based on the extensive damage that the patient’s brain has experienced over the course of their disease state and yet somehow, they become capable of spontaneously recovering their memory and cognition. Currently Dr. Sam Parnia from Langone University in New York is conducting a multi-site 500 patient EEG study to measure the brain activity during these moments of terminal lucidity.

Based on much of the EEG data regarding memory encoding and recollection, we hypothesize that terminal lucidity coincides with a distinct increase in gamma waves. The question is whether this gamma wave increase would have a neuronal origin or something else altogether being that the damage to the hardware (brain) would seem to render parts of the brain incapable of firing electrically in a proper manner. Did a surge of neurotransmitter releases induce this temporary recovery of memory by reactivating atrophied, dormant neural networks? If so, what was the trigger and can it be willfully induced to further neurodegenerative research scopes?

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Going further, another distinctly perplexing mystery regarding memory is that of children regarding the ongoing research conducted at the University of Virginia (UVA) since the 1960’s. This research consists of gathering data in regards to children who claim to recall “past life” memories. A man named Chester Carlson played a pivotal role in this field of research having donated over $1 million to establish the Division of Perceptual Studies at UVA in 1968. This donation spurred the research of Dr. Ian Stevenson, a medical doctor who dedicated his life to this field of study. The methodology for this research would consist as follows:

1. Parents would reach out to Dr. Stevenson claiming that their child was seemingly infatuated with discussing the life of another person whom they had no contact or connection with.

2. Stevenson would ask a set of questions to the child and parents to verify that no direct influence had taken place regarding these memories.

3. Stevenson would then ask many detailed questions to the child such as: what was their name? where they were born? What were the names of their parents and siblings? What address did they live at throughout their lives? Who did they marry? What kind of car did they drive? How did they die?

4. The verification of these answers would take place via Stevenson utilizing public records, police records, tracking down the family members of the deceased person, talking with neighbors of the person, and any media publications that existed at that time that could confirm or refute the claims.

5. If a significant number of claims could be confirmed through a combination of these sources, the case would be considered “solved” and added to an ongoing database.

As it stands today, UVA has reported over 1,700 solved cases of reincarnation. In some extreme cases, Stevenson was able to document birthmarks or deformities that coincided with the manner in which the purported past life subject died or experienced significant physical trauma. An example of this would be the case of Hanumant Saxena, an Indian boy who claimed to have been a man named Maha Ram Singh in a prior life. Maha Ram Singh had been killed by a shotgun blast to the chest a few weeks prior to the birth of Hanumant. At the age of 3, Hanumant began speaking about the life of Maha Ram and that he was him pointing to a birthmark in the middle of his chest. Dr. S.C. Pandeya was the physician who witnessed Maha Ram’s body following the shooting and drew an image of the wound which matched the birthmark on Hanumant’s body. Stevenson would verify that other statements made by Hanumant regarding people and places familiar to Maha Ram were correct indicating that the case was solved. A compilation of these types of case studies were published in 1997 in a book authored by Stevenson titled, “Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects”. A literature review regarding birthmarks and birth defects pertaining to reincarnation was recently undertaken (Matlock, 2024).

(Hanumant Saxena at the age of 16 years old)

(The image of Maha Ram Singh’s wound by Dr. S.C. Pandeya)

(An image of an 8-year old Lekh Pal’s hand deformity associated with an injury sustained in a previous life.)

While the concept of reincarnation is generally associated with eastern religious philosophies such as Buddhism and Hinduism, the research at UVA does not subscribe to any spiritual or religious doctrine. There are no current explanations for how these memories come about other than assumed trickery by the parents of the child. Some attempt to interject the concept of epigenetic memory and that this could possibly explain past life recollection. Epigenetic memory is based on the observation that life experiences that aren’t coded into the DNA can be passed on to children (Rechavi et. al, 2016). The challenge in that speculation is that not all past lives come from a family lineage with some children describing having been a person of a different ethnicity entirely.

At this point, we have 2 ways to look at this concept of reincarnation recall in children:

A) It’s an impossibility… so stop reading now.
B) It’s real and there’s likely a rational, mechanical explanation for it’s transpiration.

As cited above, gamma waves appear to be essential to memory encoding and recall. One would presume that if some children do have the ability to recall a “past life”, they would likely need to generate an appropriate level of gamma waves in order to do so. Interestingly, there is data indicating that throughout an average human’s lifetime, gamma wave power peaks at the age of about 5 years old and degrades as a person ages (Takano et. al, 1998; Tierney et. al, 2014; McKeon et. al, 2023). This would indicate that mechanistically speaking, children would theoretically exude the necessary oscillations to generate enhanced memory recall. In the case of “past lives”, the gamma power might be so enhanced that there is an overshoot of memory recall beyond this linear lifetime. However, this would also indicate that memories, in the case of “past life” recall, are likely not stored in the brain but rather accessed by the brain when oscillating at the proper speed. Interestingly, as children mature and reach the age of about 7, their ability to recall past lives drops off significantly coincidentally coinciding with a decrease in gamma wave power.

(Fig. 1 from (Tierney et. al, 2014) showing gamma wave power weakening with age.)

Theoretically, the way in which a study could be designed to verify whether these children are truly recalling past lives would be to essentially do a replication study (Sederberg et. al, 2007) measuring whether there is an increase of gamma waves coinciding with the details of the past life recollection. This would obviously need to take place alongside veridical validation of these statements similarly to what Ian Stevenson did and Dr. Jim Tucker does currently. If there is a gamma wave increase during correct answers that have been externally verified, then it could serve as an additional layer of validation. If there is a visual component to “past life” recall, future research combining fMRI and EEG could be utilized to essentially recreate what the child is seeing in their mind as they recall the memory. This could add yet another layer of validation towards this perplexing phenomena.

Regardless of all the potential research that could take place to validate “past life” recollection, the question still goes unanswered… where do the memories come from if not the brain?

In the case of terminal lucidity we can theoretically make the case for re-accessing atrophied parts of the brain with a surge of neurotransmitter release leading to the oscillatory activity (gamma) necessary for cognition and recall. Unfortunately, this modality of thought doesn’t translate to “past life” recall in children being that they have no experiences within their current life to explain this memory. Another facet to think about is that this phenomena of “past life recollection” isn’t solely relegated to children. Subjects who have experienced moments of transcendence via near-death experiences (NDE), psychedelics, meditation, or hypnotic states have also reported instances of perceived past life recall or experience (Greyson, 2021; Sharma et. al, 2004; Wells, 1993; Nayak et. al, 2022; Timmerman et. al, 2021; Van Gordon et. al, 2018; Sparby et. al, 2021; Don Pyun et. al, 2009; Pederzoli et. al, 2021; Lucchetti et. al, 2013). Interestingly, these altered states of consciousness have been verified to coincide with neural activity dominated by gamma waves as cited and sourced in the piece titled, “Alcohol, Psychedelics, and Idealism of the Brain”.

How can we make sense of all this?

From what it appears, specific oscillatory frequencies are key for everyday working memory recall and encoding. When the brain is incapable of generating these oscillations, memory seems to be impaired. However, when the brain is generating these oscillations in an above average manner, it seems that recollection of memories outside of the norm can transpire. This doesn’t appear to be a random occurrence when considering the apparent consistencies in physiological correlates.

This brings us to the work of theoretical physicist Joachim Keppler.

Keppler is the founder of the DIWISS research institute and has developed a model based on stochastic electrodynamics (SED) that implies that conscious states are not the product of neural processing but instead originate from the resonant coupling of the brain to an omnipresent field of consciousness known as the zero-point field (ZPF). The ZPF stands for the presence of ubiquitous vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. In recent times, Keppler has outlined an experimental design to demonstrate the veracity of this model.

The model is predicated upon brain oscillations interacting in a fluid manner with the ZPF creating conscious experience. This would essentially mimic the experience of using electronic devices that do not store all the information presented but rather tap into electromagnetic fields to generate images on a screen (phone, computer, television). In Keppler’s model, the brain doesn’t just download information from the ZPF but also uploads information acting as a read-write head. Think of it as constant uploading into the cloud and downloading from the cloud at a 20G speed equivalent. From our vantage point, this is currently the only plausible model for not only how “past life” recollection takes place but possibly the majority of memory mechanisms.

The perspective comes from viewing the brain more as a field of electromagnetic activity rather than simply electrochemical reactions. The electromagnetic field theory of consciousness isn’t a new concept having been discussed for decades now but Keppler’s model appears to be the most comprehensive version to date. However, we must remain cognizant that this doesn’t negate the neural network imagery and connectivity seen on fMRI but simply changes the context with which they are viewed. What if the neural networks and pathways (hippocampus/prefrontal cortex) activated during memory recall operate similarly to cache memory in a computer/phone allowing for enhanced memory retrieval and performance? Utilizing fMRI and EEG, we would be able to see the network activation and oscillatory changes coinciding with memory recall but that wouldn’t necessarily indicate that the memory was physically stored in those neurons or glial cells.

Back to the original million dollar question… does Terrence Howard’s claim of having pre-birth memories have any validity to it?

Based on all the information presented thus far, it would seem that pre-birth memories are entirely plausible for certain individuals. The fields of terminal lucidity, “past life” recollection, and even Alzheimer’s disease offer glimpses into extremes pertaining to memory. We can attempt to sweep anomalies under the rug being that they disturb baseline models of reality or we can attempt to deconstruct and understand their occurrences. This type of inquiry leads to many more questions than answers such as attempting to understand how moments of insight arise… what takes place during the phenomena of acquired savant syndrome and how can we optimize our connection with the ZPF to gain deeper insights into the underlying reality of the human experience?

Much more research needs to take place!

Endohuasca@gmail.com

PS. Another field of research that offers confounding insights into the mechanisms of memory is that of autistic children. A 2023 meta-analysis of autistic children with savant syndrome found that these children have distinct memory capabilities well beyond the capacity of average children. An autistic savant is generally considered to be someone with autism who has exceptional abilities in one or more areas while exuding variations of social or intellectual impairments. A separate 2023 meta-analysis of resting state EEG in autistic children found that they exude greater gamma power than non-autistic subjects. While this meta-analysis didn’t specifically include autistic savant children, it indicates that autistic children across the board exhibit a higher baseline gamma wave power than average. A 2018 case report in the journal Explore presents data regarding 3 unrelated autistic children that claim to have past life memories. While not focused primarily on reincarnation, the Treffert Center in Wisconsin has engaged in decades of research regarding the abilities of autistic savant children based on the work of founder Dr. Darold Treffert.

Billions of people across the world consume alcohol in various forms everyday. The vaunted “happy hour” is taking place right now somewhere on the planet and people are exposing themselves to this elixir that affects their conscious experience. Many people claim to enjoy the subduing effects of alcohol with its ability to “take the edge off”. Too much alcohol and the effects of cognitive impairment, disinhibition, and severe loss of coordination arise. While psychedelics are experiencing a resurgence in interest, they are consumed by a tiny percentage of the population by comparison. Nevertheless, the effects of these psychoactive compounds can be quite profound coinciding with the expansion of one’s conscious experience, enhanced cognition, increased introspection, and an increased feeling of aliveness. 

In many ways, alcohol and psychedelics are generally considered to be the antithesis of each other. 

Alcohol has depressant effects while psychedelics are quickly emerging as significant antidepressant molecules. The effects of both substances on neurogenesis (the generation of new neurons) are also the polar opposites with alcohol having a suppressive effect while psychedelics have an upregulating effect. Alcohol has also shown to have a vasodilatory effect coinciding with an increase in blood flow. By contrast, psychedelics have displayed the opposite with their vasoconstrictive properties inducing a decrease in blood flow.

The list could go on and on regarding the opposite effects of alcohol and psychedelics both acutely and long-term.

The question is whether these perceived opposite effects would also be reflected in brain activity measured via various scientific instruments. There are two forms of neuroimaging technology utilized to measure brain activity… direct (electrical) and indirect (metabolic). Direct is self-explanatory as it measures the electrical activity of neuronal communication every millisecond in the brain via electroencephalogram (EEG) in real-time. This type of measurement is considered temporal because it measures precisely when brain activity happens coinciding with an experience. Indirect is the utilization of proxies for neuronal communication such as glucose metabolism (PET), blood flow and blood oxygenation changes (fMRI). PET and fMRI are considered to be spatial meaning that their measurements give insight as to which area of the brain is active.

EEG technology utilizes electrodes placed on the scalp of the head and measures the electrical activity of neuronal communication. In layman’s terms, the end result of these measurements are referred to as “brain waves”. Generally speaking a person’s dominant brain waves tend to mirror their state of consciousness changing based on the immersiveness and intensity of an experience. During non-REM sleep and general anesthesia, a person’s brain waves are at their slowest known as delta which average between 0.5 to 4 oscillations per second. Delta waves are followed by theta (4 to 8 Hz), alpha (8 to 12 Hz), beta (12 to 35 Hz), and gamma/high gamma range (35 to 150 Hz). It is generally considered that as brain waves increase in speed, the complexity of mental tasks, sensory perception, selective attention, and speed of information processing increases. While the EEG activity of humans and rats are similar based on their neurological activity when exposed to environmental exposure or pharmacology, there are slight interspecies differences.

A 2004 study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol observed that alpha wave power increased following the ingestion of alcohol. An additional increase in theta waves and a decrease in beta waves were found with greater ingestion of alcohol. These findings have been consistent across multiple studies (Ehlers and Phillips, 2003; Ehlers et al., 1999, Wall et al., 1993) and correspond with the sensation of drowsiness, disinhibition, and mental impairment induced by alcohol. A 2021 meta-analysis paper in the Journal of Personalized Medicine cites data indicating that the suppression of gamma waves is linearly related to the amount of alcohol consumed. The more alcohol ingested, the greater the suppression of gamma waves. This also coincides with the experience of cognitive impairment in a dose dependent manner. 

A 2016 human EEG study observed that psilocybin decreased alpha power while inducing a simultaneous increase in gamma power. A 2022 rodent intracranial EEG study found similar findings following psilocybin administration with a suppression of slower brain waves while seeing a significant increase in the faster gamma waves. These results have been replicated by an unrelated lab at the University of Michigan (Silverstein et. al, 2024). Intracranial EEG is considered to offer artifact-free brainwave signaling due to the electrodes being implanted within the brain rather than sitting atop the skull. Similar EEG data has been observed in multiple human and animal studies involving Ayahuasca (Don et al., 1998; Stuckey et al., 2005; Schenberg et al., 2015; Tagliazucchi et. al, 2021), DMT (Acosta-Urquidi, 2015; Pallavicini et al., 2021; Timmerman et al., 2023; Glynos et al., 2024), 5-MEO-DMT (Acosta-Urquidi, 2015; Riga et al., 2018;) psilocybin (Pal et al., 2024), LSD (Goda et al., 2013; Brys et. al, 2023), & Ibogaine (Gonzalez et al., 2021). Some of these studies showcase an increase in both gamma and delta/theta bandwidths simultaneously (cross-frequency coupling) similarly to what has been observed in meditation (Cahn et. al, 2011; Lutz et. al, 2004; Braboszcz et. al, 2017), rapid eye movement REM sleep (Buzsaki et. al, 2008; Scheffzuk et. al, 2011; Mishra et. al, 2019; Hammer et. al, 2023), and breathing exercises (Jensen et. al, 2002; Viallate et. al, 2009; Kozhevnikov et. al, 2013; Bahi et. al, 2023). The fact that a combined 15 human and intracranial animal psychedelic studies from 11 different research teams have shown consistent results indicates that alpha suppression and gamma increase is an established electrical signature for psychedelics. 

(One of the world’s leading EEG experts, Jay Gunkelman has clearly stated in his various lectures that the gamma wave is essential to understanding states of consciousness. This is a man that has seen upwards of 500,000 raw EEG readings throughout his career and has written the book titled, “The Art of Artifacting”. In this book Gunkleman outlines the art of editing out artifacts from raw EEG signals. Making the claim that the gamma frequency is difficult to differentiate between muscle artifact and brain activity seems to be more based on dogma due to the inexperience of many researchers regarding analyzing raw EEG. Being that Gunkelman learned to read EEG prior to the digitization of the field, it would seem to contribute to his expertise compared to the majority of researchers today that rely on software for raw data interpretation.)

(Figure 1C from the 2022 Intracranial EEG Animal Study. The brain waves are arranged in speed from slowest (delta) on the left to fastest (high gamma) on the right. Vehicle is the effects of saline injection. Psilocybin shows a clear increase of faster oscillations.)

There seems to be a relatively consistent inverse EEG signature between alcohol and psychedelics in both human and animal studies. There is a consistent increase in alpha power and a decrease in gamma following alcohol ingestion while psychedelics induce a significant suppression of alpha and an increase in gamma. None of this seems entirely surprising being that the substances induce vastly different effects and states of consciousness.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a highly sensitive type of brain imaging that utilizes radioactive substances to measure metabolic changes taking place at the cellular level in the brain. PET offers spatial imaging and can identify where glucose is being utilized in the brain which is a measure of metabolism. A 2006 human PET study in the journal Neuroimage cites evidence indicating that alcohol decreases whole-brain glucose metabolism by up to 23% in a dose-dependent manner. This finding has been replicated in both animal and human studies (Volkov et. al, 2013, Wang et. al, 2003, Gispert et. al, 2017). By contrast, a 1997 human PET study in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology cites data indicating that 15 to 20 mg of psilocybin increases whole-brain glucose metabolism by up to 25%. Similar results have been replicated in a follow up study (Vollenweider et. al, 1998) as well as amongst a different research team (Gouzoulis-Mayfrank et. al, 1999). This comes as no surprise being that multiple studies highlight the finding of increased glucose metabolism being essential for increases in gamma wave amplitude (Galow et. al, 2014; Nishida et. al, 2008; Dienel, 2018). Once again, this shows an inverse relationship between the effects of alcohol and psilocybin on neural activity from the metric of glucose metabolism.

(Figure 3. from the 1997 human PET-Psilocybin study. Red > Orange > Yellow > Green = lowest value of cerebral metabolic rate of glucose. A 25% increase in whole-brain glucose metabolism was measured.)

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a form of imaging that utilizes strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the brain and body. fMRI measures changes in brain activity based on changes associated with blood flow and does not use radioactive substances. Much like PET, fMRI is considered to offer superior spatial resolution in comparison to EEG. A 2011 fMRI human study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research provides data indicating that alcohol increases cerebral blood flow in 5 frontal regions of the brain. Similar results have been reported from other research teams (Marinkovic et. al, 2013; Gunderson et. al, 2012). By contrast, a 2012 fMRI human study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences presents data showing that psilocybin induced decreases in cerebral blood flow throughout the brain. These findings have been replicated with LSD (Carhart-Harris et. al, 2016) and Ayahuasca (Palhano-Fontes et. al, 2015). This is yet another example of an inverse relationship between alcohol and psychedelics based on fMRI imaging. However, the results are a bit confounding as one might presume that if fMRI measurements offer insights into neural activity, one would expect a mirroring of increased glucose metabolism and enhanced faster neural activity (gamma) by seeing an increase in blood flow. We speculate that there is likely an uncoupling of fMRI signaling related to certain neural activity taking place which we will touch upon in a bit.

The reason for citing these research studies regarding alcohol and psychedelics is to highlight the fact that these substances which induce what could be considered opposite experiential effects also exert very distinct changes in brain activity. Both substances bring about reliable, measurable changes compared to placebo. To make the claim that one of the substances only reduces brain activity or increases brain activity would be incorrect based on all the available data to date.

This is an issue when narratives propagate based on a small subset of data that does not look at the total body of scientific evidence available on pubmed. This is not a personal attack on the propagator of this narrative (Bernardo Kastrup) but rather pointing out the data that has not been A) considered when propagating this narrative or B) outright ignored due to inducing an incongruence with the desired narrative.

Kastrup has very publicly declared his perspective regarding reality being based on the philosophical notion of idealism. This is the concept that consciousness is primary and the material world, our bodies, and everything within it is a by-product of consciousness. This piece has no issue with that framework as everyone is entitled to their perspective. The issue we are bringing to light is that Kastrup claims that there is a fundamental disconnect between brain activity, experience, and various altered states including psychedelics. He specifically states that psychedelics only reduce brain activity and based upon the rich experience following the ingestion of these compounds, the argument for materialism subsequently falls apart. He openly acknowledges that his evidence is based on a few psychedelic studies generated primarily by Imperial College about a decade ago to support his argument. We must remind scientifically-minded analysts that one research team at one college does not represent all scientific data of a specific field particularly when their data fails to match the consistency of many other unconnected research teams. This is especially in light of this same research team (Imperial) later finding the same EEG-based consistencies seen replicated amongst the majority of psychedelic researchers in years prior (Pallavicini et al., 2021; Timmerman et al., 2023). 

Just to be clear, this post isn’t in support of the idea of materialism either. We are strictly focused on technical accuracies and pointing out inaccuracies occurring in certain narratives pertaining to altered states. We are well aware of similar biases of scientists in the field of neurophysiology who are married to the notion that consciousness emerges from brain activity and that one’s consciousness is confined solely within the physical confines of the brain. This is in light of consistent observations of a person’s consciousness reportedly expanding past the barrier of their bodies during moments of transcendence such as near death experiences (NDEs) or consciously induced altered states. 

Back to the topic at hand.

In Kastrup’s blog post titled, “Setting the Record Straight with Robin Carhart-Harris and Enzo Tagliazucchi”, he outlined his Twitter and e-mail correspondence with the scientists regarding their psychedelic research. Much of the discourse surrounds interpretation of fMRI data but EEG was also discussed: 

These statements allude to the notion that if the study being referred to had seen an increase in gamma waves (like the majority of all other psychedelic studies), that it would provide a measurable correlation with the psychedelic experience. Since that Twitter feud with Kastrup, Enzo Tagliazucchi has authored and co-authored 3 papers showing this effect. Being that faster oscillatory activity is well known to coincide with an increase in the intensity and complexity of an experience, this should come as no surprise. A 2020 study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that high gamma (50 to 80 Hz) is closely related to emotional processing. Being that the acute effect of psychedelics has been observed to significantly increase emotional empathy (Pokorny et. al, 2017; Dolder et. al, 2016), we would presume that a measurable change would take place at this frequency following administration. Unfortunately most psychedelic EEG research fails to measure for oscillations above 45 Hz.

An important aspect to take into consideration is that we must remain cognizant of the fact that direct measurement generally takes precedence over indirect measurement regarding biological function. Direct measurement regarding psychedelic related data would be based on electrophysiological activity of the brain based on neuronal discharge. By contrast, glucose metabolism imaging and blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signaling are proxies for neuronal discharge which is an indirect measurement. This is especially in light of the major confounding factors when it comes to the uncoupling of fMRI BOLD signaling as an accurate marker of neural activity.

A 2023 animal study in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine utilized a combination of PET & fMRI simultaneously to measure the effects of MDMA. The researchers found that an increase in glucose metabolism (PET) was accompanied by a decrease in brain blood flow (fMRI). The researchers state that increased neuronal activity from MDMA is accompanied by neurovascular uncoupling. They state that this warrants a reassessment of previous studies on the neuronal effects of psychedelics relying on neurovascular coupling. These findings essentially mirror the psilocybin PET and fMRI data (Vollenweider et. al, 1997; Carhart-Harris et. al, 2012) indicating that there is a significant underlying disconnect between neural activity and fMRI data interpretation pertaining to psychedelics. 

A 2021 human study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences utilizing simultaneous PET and fMRI measurement observed a dissociation between BOLD signaling and glucose metabolism in the default mode network (DMN). The researchers found that a decrease in BOLD response during task occurred while glucose metabolism stayed elevated and increased in certain areas of the DMN.

Another example of uncoupling of fMRI BOLD signaling with neural activity is a 2023 study in the Journal of Neuroscience which also utilized simultaneous measurement of PET and fMRI in humans. The study was designed to decipher the differences in neural activity of working memory tasks in young adults (ages 20-37) compared to older adults (ages 65-86). Much like many other studies, older adults exuded an overactivation of BOLD signaling compared to their younger counterparts. However, for the older adults, there was no corresponding increase in glucose metabolism. The researchers state that the BOLD signal overactivations do not appear to be neural in origin and that caution must be taken when assuming that vascular signals accurately reflect neuronal activity. 

We suspect that the major factor leading to the disconnect between blood flow (fMRI) and glucose metabolism (PET) is based on aerobic glycolysis. This is when the neurons predominantly rely on glucose for metabolism despite the presence of adequate oxygen. This would in theory explain the discrepancies between the consistent increases in glucose metabolism coinciding with neural activation while seeing simultaneous decreases in BOLD signaling due to a lack of parallel increase in oxygen consumption. It’s been cited that norepinephrine (NE) stimulates glycolytic activity (Dienel et. al, 2016) and psilocybin has been observed to increase NE synthesis in the brain (Jahanabadi et. al, 2023). The increased gamma wave amplitude and its relationship to increased glucose uptake has also been observed (Galow et. al, 2014; Nishida et. al, 2008; Dienel, 2018). Glycolysis has been identified as a key factor pertaining to neuroplasticity (Shannon et. al, 2016), an effect consistently observed following psychedelic administration. Glycolytic activity has been shown to decrease with age (Goyal et. al, 2023) as does gamma wave power (Murty et. al, 2020) providing some insights as to the overactivation of fMRI BOLD signaling without an increase in glucose metabolism in the elderly. A 2024 psilocybin-fMRI study found that hyper-connectivity was observed to coincide with the BOLD signal reduction. This should come as no surprise being that gamma waves are essential for connectivity between different brain regions (Guan et. al, 2022). This issue regarding the confounding observation of fMRI BOLD signal uncoupling from neural activation and the effects of glycolysis has been brought to light from various researchers over the past decades (Stiernman et. al, 2021; Schurr, 2018; Schurr et. al, 2022; Schurr, 2024; Hall et. al, 2016; Koush et. al, 2021; Rother et. al, 2002; Ekstrom, 2010).

To be fair, this piece is also critical of the earlier studies published by Robin Carhart-Harris and the Imperial team as they clearly did not have high-quality electrophysiological data to publish. Reporting a decrease in all oscillatory bandwidths following psychedelic administration is a clear indicator that something went wrong with either the data acquisition or analysis. The fMRI neural signaling uncoupling issue is something that seems to be a bigger issue than one might suspect and needs to be sorted out in the future by utilizing simultaneous functional PET imaging and fMRI. The lab of Dr. Franz X. Vollenweider would be an ideal site to carry out this type of research as he published the 1997 PET-Psilocybin study and recently published a 2023 fMRI-Psilocybin study utilizing relative cerebral blood flow (CBF) rather than absolute CBF. We must remember that the field of fMRI research is still relatively young, especially in comparison to that of EEG so it will take time to sort out optimal models of application.

While we understand that Bernardo Kastrup is a champion for the metaphysical view of idealism, this doesn’t allow for the misrepresentation of scientific data to help build the desired narrative. Idealism isn’t the study of how the brain-consciousness interface interacts pertaining to altered states. From what we’ve gathered from Kastrup’s writings is that his form of idealism attempts to point out why the brain doesn’t explain conscious experiences. Mainstream materialist scientists generally avoid public acknowledgement of strange anomalous experiences of altered states let alone attempting to understand the neural correlates. Nevertheless, the risk Kastrup takes by continuing to publicly claim psychedelics only “reduce brain activity” is that the public will cite the studies mentioned above and increase their skepticism of idealism because of it. Once one clear inaccuracy in a narrative is uncovered, it leads the public to question everything about the narrative. In addition, it’s inevitable that future psychedelic research will continue to consistently find faster oscillatory activity and increased metabolism from psychedelic administration… it’s a research field in its infancy. In fact, we believe that the measurement of oscillations above 150 Hz should be targeted for measurement as we believe processing speed is of the essence pertaining to transcendental experiences. A potential emerging technology to do so is named the Dodecanogram (DDG) that builds upon EEG. The developers report being able to measure much faster oscillatory activity including the Terahertz range measuring changes in nanoseconds rather than milliseconds. There even lies the future possibility of integrating the Orch OR theory combining Penrose-Lucas and Stuart Hameroff’s hypothesis regarding quantum processes and microtubules. This is based on the extremely fast oscillations believed to coincide with cytoskeletal dynamics (Hameroff, 2022).

While idealism has its place in the world, when discussing the mechanisms of the brain-consciousness field interface, a scientist named Joachim Keppler has been developing a comprehensive model for the past decade. Keppler proposes the notion that the brain is in constant interaction with an ubiquitous background field called the zero-point field (ZPF). According to Keppler, the brain acts as a read-write head of the ZPF in which it accesses information while also uploading information into this field. He elegantly proposes how distinct changes in neurochemistry and oscillatory fluctuations induce changes in experience based on this model. 

If Keppler’s model can be incrementally proven, it could offer deep insights into how information is accessed and where memories come from… possibly not the brain itself!

Based on the information outlined above, it seems that the optimal way to maintain homeostatic function is to ingest the proper amount of alcohol and psychedelics in combination to cancel out the effects of each. 

Kykeon sangria anyone?

P.S. - The entropic brain theory has been championed by Robin Carhart-Harris over the past decade. “Entropy is a dimensionless quantity that is used for measuring uncertainty about the state of a system but it can also imply physical qualities, where high entropy is synonymous with high disorder.” - Carhart-Harris. In regards to psychedelics it’s been cited that an increase in brain entropy coincides with the psychedelic experience. In recent times, a study utilized EEG, MEG, & ECoG datasets in humans and monkeys finding that gamma waves are the main driver of neural dynamics complexity change and increased entropy. This is yet another criticism of Carhart-Harris in the sense that it’s already known that faster oscillations coincide with richer sensory experiences. To rename it as entropy only confuses people and allows for false narratives to propagate. In addition, in this tweet by Carhart-Harris, he acknowledges that electrophysiology is better at measuring entropy than fMRI which should come as no surprise being that the psychedelic experience would undoubtedly need temporal measurement to match the experience.