The telluro-geo-psycho-modulator is the latest experiment in a series of playful explorations and elaborations of a general psychogeophysics thesis, extracted from Michael Persinger's work, that brain states are modulated by the interference of weak geomagnetic fields, and that such modulations cause anomalous experiences.

Documentation

In the May 2015 London Workshop and Field Trip participants built a simple interface with which to test Persinger's thesis, amplifying the earth's telluric currents (naturally weak electromagnetic fields), modulating the signals with solenoids made from geological samples, and then playing them across the brain, with any anomalous effects registered and recorded.

London event information here. Project information here.

Impressionistic reports:

Reports made after testing the apparatus at Loughton Camp

First I think the field trip is part of a larger segment of time-space, of the cyclical formations in time-space where everyone is participating. I realize this when we were approaching the center - to the execution of the Telluro EM device in Loughton Camp, I sensed the manifestation of phenomena. My experience using the EM telluro device was that of change of state. It was a subtle change, it was a bit hard for me to concentrate, because I was the last to try the device and everyone was tired and talkative. It seemed to me my comrades were talking louder when I had the device on. Then I heard a high pitch frequency followed by a short sleep that lasted for about two seconds. Then I opened my eyes and the girl was smiling to me (because she had done her own experiment where she was moving the electrodes to see if there was some reaction when I opened eyes). Then I had a brief grasp of a dream: A tree had an open trunk that laid down before my eyes and we begun to walk in it, as if it was a bridge or a boat - a voice said, it is a long journey. And we were advancing slowly. In general I think I sensed heat on the skin of my skull. After the end of the experiment and while going back home on the underground I felt warm traces in my head, like warm vibratory lines in the skin of my skull. In the next days I preserved the sense of the extraordinary that stays along with me these days.
List of manifesting phenomena (all of these may have a rational explanation but I sense a repetitious occurrence) 1. While arriving late to the field trip I find the group very easily already inside the Forest. 2. Red balloon? high on the tree 3. When arriving to Loughton camp we see an old airplane (like if from WWII) 4.The screeching trees whenever we connected the device, the first times. 5. Found jacket at the end of the trip. 6. General feeling of tiredness, exhaustion.

Whilst connected to the apparatus I initially felt pulsing in my head, this could have been blood vessels in my scalp pressing against the rocks. I then felt very peaceful and meditative, I relaxed into this state and opened myself up for any 'sendings' from the earth. I wasn't sure what these might feel like but I mostly felt more relaxed. I then tried to send something into the earth and see if I could get a response, I sent pulses of 'feeling' into the apparatus and waited for any signs, I think i just felt more relaxed. :) My proposal for a followup project involves using ethnographic Veve symbols used by the Voodoo to communicate with Loa or spirits, these would be to created using conductive ink possibly mixed with crushed ores, and connected to the apparatus circuits.

I found the field trip to be very interesting and when trying the stones out felt a pulsing sensation.

When I sat with the rocks on my head I felt pulses in my face's muscles, all of them not only in the temple. I felt spasms in one or maybe two at a time not in all together in the same moment. At the same time I started to felt some kind of tension in my stomach and my chest. I don't know if it was pleasant, but definitely wasn't unpleasant. That tension didn't dissapear when I took the rocks off but the spasms did. At night when I was in bed I still was able to feel some of that tension in the stomach and I could not sleep until 4am, quite strange in me. I do not know if everything I'm telling you is related with the rocks, but it is how I felt.

While the solenoids where attached to my head the right side of my face/head was particularly affected by the earths magnetic field: my muscles started moving in an erratic way, which I perceived as very relaxing. I obviously felt really relaxed whilst the whole action as well.

The pulsating of blood through my left temple and the musky smell of newly disturbed soil. Five people desperately working to get a bunch of rocks, wrapped with copper wire, to stay attached to my head with two elasticated headbands. A self awareness of looking like a fucking hippy and the sound of three or four camera shutters photographing me. A really unlikely start to an experiment which offered the potential for a paranormal experience. With my brain fully wired to the earth's electromagnetic fields, the clicking of cameras started to fade and unexpectedly my usually chaotic thoughts started to calm. In only two minutes a profound and intensely pleasant calm came over my mind and my body relaxed, my self consciousness about looking like a knob and any initial anxiety about having electronics mess with my brainwaves seeped away along with any concept of time. I sat peacefully for an unquantifiable period with my eyes shut. There were no signs of the hallucinogenic dreams or bursts of lysergic colour I had secretly hoped for; just the uncharacteristic calm. I opened my eyes and looked around the clearing. Intense shards of light passing through the foliage, I could see other members of the experiment huddled together in small groups chatting, I momentarily caught someones eye, but felt distant and aloof, closing my eyes again. I sat enjoying the experience; 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, half an hour, who knows? Time seemed to stop until a nagging thought eventually entered my mind, I should let someone else try, 14 people at around 10 minutes each is going to take another couple of hours. I disconnected the headband and removed the rock solenoids from my skull. The sense of calm and feeling of dislocation persisted. I had the desire to withdraw from the group and went for a walk, tracing the boundary of Loughton Camp. About half way around the perimeter I approached an abandoned bivouac and experienced a sudden overwhelming sense of loss, a welling of sadness forming deep inside. I battled to suppress the melancholic outpouring before it could fill my eyes with tears. Tulta disrupted my insular thoughts with a shout! My 13 year old son, had got himself stuck high up in the branches of one of the tall beech trees and everyone was concerned about him. Both the distant calm and the moment of melancholy were replaced by adrenaline and a sense of responsibility. I helped him down from the tree and returned to the group, helping out with the attachment of the rock solenoids to the heads of the remaining participants.

When I put the apparatus on I was concentrating on trying to feel something. The person before me had described seeing images. I didn't see anything, but I did get a strong sense of a circle stretching around me. This may have been from knowing that was how the electrodes were arranged. While the apparatus was on on I was very calm, although at the same time I was aware of scanning for any particular sensations. The most interesting thing happened when I took the apparatus off. I felt a subtle kind of drop in… awareness. The best way I can describe it is when you have an eq in mixing sound which is raised above 10khz then you drop it back down to flat. That's a very geeky way of describing it. Another way would be to say there was a drop in brightness and presence.

Workshop Images:

Furtherfield Commons 02.05.2015

Rupert1Rupert6Rupert2JohnWild4Rupert4

Field Trip Images:

Loughton Camp, Epping Forest, N. London 03.05.2015

JohnWild1Nihal4Nihal5Chris3Chris1JK3JK2JohnWild3JohnWild2Nihal6Chris2

 
london_workshop_fieldtrip_documentation.txt · Last modified: 2015/05/15 18:56 by j
 
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