God Helmet Mind Booster of the Paranormal per Michael Persinger at Laurentian University
…reportedly results in the wearer experiencing hallucinations and other similar cognitive responses that, according to Persinger, manifested as visions of God or of being in the presence of God, among other things.
If you’re unfamiliar, the God Helmet is a contraption – a helmet, obviously – that facilitates the transmission of low-frequency electromagnetic waves into the brain of the wearer, which reportedly results in the wearer experiencing hallucinations and other similar cognitive responses that, according to Persinger, manifested as visions of God or of being in the presence of God, among other things. Persinger and his colleagues used the helmet, briefly, to study the effect of subtle energy targeted at the temporal lobe on creativity. An admittedly ill-defined hypothesis, yes, but the point of my piece was to draw a correlation between the observed effect of the helmet and the basic nature of many ghost-type paranormal experiences. http://nexusilluminati.blogspot.com/2014/06/is-paranormal-experience-result-of.html
http://www.paranormalpeopleonline.com/will-paranormal-activity-increase-with-solar-activity/
The “God Helmet” refers to an experimental apparatus developed by neuroscientist Dr. Michael Persinger and his colleagues at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Its official name is the Koren Helmet, after Stanley Koren, who helped design it under Persinger’s direction. The device gained the nickname “God Helmet” due to its association with inducing spiritual, mystical, and paranormal experiences in the wearers.
Design and Function
The God Helmet consists of a modified motorcycle helmet equipped with solenoids (coils) that apply complex, weak magnetic fields to the temporal lobes of the wearer’s brain. The intention behind the design is to stimulate these regions, which Persinger hypothesized are involved in the perception of religious and mystical experiences.
Experiments and Findings
Persinger’s experiments with the God Helmet involved having subjects wear the helmet while sitting in a soundproof, lightproof chamber to minimize sensory input. During these sessions, participants reported a variety of experiences, including feelings of an unseen presence, sensations of floating, out-of-body experiences, and other mystical phenomena. Persinger attributed these experiences to the artificial stimulation of the temporal lobes, suggesting a neurological basis for spiritual and paranormal experiences.
Criticism and Controversy
The God Helmet and Persinger’s conclusions have been met with skepticism and criticism from the scientific community. Critics have pointed out issues with the experimental methodology, including the lack of adequate blinding and control conditions in some studies. Some replication attempts of Persinger’s work have failed to produce the same results, raising questions about the validity of the findings.
Additionally, there has been debate over the interpretation of the results. Some researchers argue that suggestibility and the power of suggestion might play significant roles in the experiences reported by participants. The weak magnetic fields generated by the God Helmet are also a point of contention, with some scientists questioning whether they are strong enough to influence brain activity meaningfully.
Legacy and Impact
Despite the controversy, Persinger’s work with the God Helmet has contributed to the broader field of neurotheology, which explores the relationship between neuroscience and religious experiences. It has sparked discussions on the nature of consciousness, the brain’s role in perceiving reality, and how spiritual experiences might arise from neurological processes.
The God Helmet remains a fascinating, if contentious, piece of experimental apparatus that blurs the lines between science, spirituality, and the paranormal. It underscores the complexity of the human brain and the subjective nature of experience, inviting both scientific inquiry and philosophical reflection on the origins and meaning of mystical experiences.
