Skip to main content

The Ganzfeld Proceedure


What is The Ganzfeld Proceedure? (Wikipedia)  Basically, it uses sensory deprivation to get the mind to hallucinate.

I decided to give the experiment a try.  Now, ideally, the procedure requires two halves of a ping pong ball and headphones, but I used taped-over goggles instead. I should have cut open one of my two ping pong balls I have lying around, but I couldn't bring myself to do it; what if one of them broke and I needed the other to challenge someone to a game? (Ping pong is obviously a high priority in my life right now.  Master Chen and I are really working hard in the evenings.) In addition to the darkened goggles, I set my radio to static and laid down on my bed. Everything was dark. Even though the radio static was blaringly loud, after about 3 or 4 minutes, the radio would seem to auto-correct itself and I would begin to pick out songs and an announcers voice through the static. When that happened, I would adjust the dial to random static again.


After 7-8 minutes, I still wasn't getting any pink elephants. I figured that my mind was too well-practiced in picking out rational thought out of irrational situations. It was probably going to take a LONG time. (But that would be OK. My roommates hadn't moved in yet, so the static wasn't bothering anyone.

At about the 10 minute mark I was seriously considering the possibility that this whole thing was a hoax to get people to spend hours on their beds listening to static really loud. Then, suddenly, something nuts happened! I was touching foreheads with a Siberian tiger! (FYI: There are only 200 of them left in the wild.) Our eyes were looking directly into each other's. And the freakiest part was that I could feel the fur of his nose move against my own nose and upper lip! I cherished the sensation for a moment longer and then tore the goggles off cause it was really wigging me out.

So there you have it. You can now go deprive your senses with the Ganzfeld Procedure and see how crazy you are. Warning: prolonged exposure and side effects may include loss of identity, apathy and depression.

*Skeptics, click here to commiserate.

Labels:

Comments

  1. evieperkinsWed Apr 29, 07:39:00 AM MDT

    What's the history behind this experiment? How did it get to be so scientific that it got the name "procedure" like an established fact? Who thought of this?

    ReplyDelete
  2. NoelleMon May 04, 02:33:00 PM MDT

    Yeah? More background please! How random!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please share your thoughts.

Popular posts from this blog

Rummi-"CUB" vs. Rummi-"CUBE"

The "Rummikub" Pronunciation Debate Affirmative Constructive: "Cub" For years, I have been a firm advocate and defender of the pronunciation, Rummi-"CUB".  The game box I grew up with spelled it, Rummicub  on the box. However, other productions of the game have variant spellings: Rummykub , Rummy Kube , Rummy Tiles , etc.  Based solely on box spelling, the game's true pronunciation is open to interpretation. Therefore, Rummi"cub" is equally acceptable to any other given pronunciation. Negative  Constructive : "Cube" My opponents argue that since the game originated over seas, we ought to respect and maintain its original pronunciation. Affirmative Rebuttal: Americanization of the Term When the game was brought to America and given Americanized rules, its name was also Americanized. Pronunciation loyalists then counter my rebuttal with, "there are lots of adopted foreign words that have retained their original pron...
5 comments
Read more

Who's Got The Funk?

I am an amateur guitarist, and I've got no funk. My musical skills seem to lacking that special something . Great musicians have it . Those fortunate enough to have gotten hold of  it , create timeless hits. While musicians without it  fade into oblivion. After spending hours searching through Blues history websites and 1970's band documentaries online, I discovered what that special something  is thank to a (70% Man, 30% fish) character from the BBC show "The Mighty Boosh" named Old Gregg. He identified that  thing  as  The Funk ! But what exactly is The Funk ? Here is some dialogue from the show to help explain its origin and purpose: Old Gregg: You're a musician, yeah? Howard: Yes I am. Old Gregg: Butchya ain't very good, are ya? Howard: I'm one of the best in town. Old Gregg: Come on, I read your reviews. Hmm? You know what your problem is? Howard: What? Old Gregg: Ya ain't got the funk. You're all rigid. Hmm? You're l...
2 comments
Read more

Song Analysis: Your Blood by Aurora

Do You Recognize the Melody? When I first listened to Aurora's 2023 hit single, " Your Blood ," I was immediately reminded of " Lovefool ," a 1996 classic from fellow Scandinavians, The Cardigans. I assumed they were both singing about unrequited love, but I realized they told different stories as I spent more time with Aurora's work. Background Interview with the Artist In this article, A Matter of the Heart , Aurora gives listeners a glimpse into the meaning behind her hit single, " Your Blood" .  In summary, "Your Blood" reflects on the loss of heart and empathy in a world driven by rationality and profit, exploring themes of pain, empathy, and interconnectedness.  Inspired by a letter written by  Indigenous activists from Brazil , Aurora's album,  What Happened to the Heart?,  questions humanity's reliance on mind over heart, highlighting how decisions driven by logic rather than compassion lead to suffering, both for the Eart...
Post a Comment
Read more