God helmet
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God Helmet refers to a experimental apparatus in neurotheology. The apparatus is placed on the head of an experimental subject and stimulates the brain with fluctuating magnetic fields. The device, built by Michael Persinger, the leading researcher in this area, uses a modified snowmobile helmet containing solenoids placed over the temporal lobes. These solenoids stimulate the temporal lobes with a relatively weak, varying magnetic field. Persinger reports that at least 80 percent of his participants experience a presence beside them in the room, which ranges from a simple 'sensed presence' to God. About one percent experienced God, while many more had less evocative, but still significant experiences of 'another being'.
Persinger's apparatus does not rely on standard TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), a clinical technique that employs magnetic fields much stronger than the Helmet and which uses pulsed 'trained' magnetic fields instead of the 'complex magnetic fields' used in Persinger's research.
There is controversy as to whether Persinger measured an actual effect or whether his subjects only believed they experienced an electronically-induced epiphany. In December 2004 Nature [1] reported that a group of Swedish researchers, attempting to replicate the experiment under double-blind conditions, were not able to verify the effect. However, Persinger criticizes the Swedish attempts to replicate his work. He argues that the Swedish group did not expose the subjects to magnetic fields for long enough to produce an effect. He also stresses that many of his studies were indeed double blinded.
A report of an experiment on Richard Dawkins in 2003 said:
- The experiment is based on the recent finding that some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, a neurological disorder caused by chaotic electrical discharges in the temporal lobes of the brain, seem to experience devout hallucinations that bear a striking resemblance to the mystical experiences of holy figures such as St Paul and Moses. Such associations have been noted by researchers for over a century, including Dr. Wilder Penfield's work, published in the 1950s.
Dawkins was reported not to have experienced a religious feeling. The report said:
- Dr Persinger explained his lack of effects. Before donning the helmet, Prof Dawkins had scored low on a psychological scale measuring temporal lobe sensitivity.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Neurotheology: With God in Mind — Article describing neurotheology and Dr. Persinger's work with the God helmet
- God on the Brain, BBC, 2003
- This is your brain on God, Wired Magazine November 1999, article on Persinger's work
- Link to available version of the God Helmet available Released 2009
