Temporal Lobe Signs and Enhanced Pleasantness Scores for Words Generated during Spontaneous Narratives

Temporal lobe function has been strongly implicated in the processes of semantic selection. Within this context, enhanced activity of deep mesiobasal structures is expected to influence the affective dimensions of language use. Quantitative measures of the evaluative (pleasantness) dimension but not the activity (arousal) dimension of words generated during narratives of subjective experiences within an exotic setting were significantly correlated with the numbers of temporal lobe signs.

“Prefrontal Deficits” Discriminate Young Offenders from Age-Matched Cohorts: Juvenile Delinquency as an Expected Feature of the Normal Distribution of Prefrontal Cerebral Development

A total of 36 male adolescent delinquents and 19 age-matched students from a male secondary school were administered several different performance-based tests. Although estimates of intelligence did not differ significantly between the groups, the incarcerated delinquents displayed more impulsivity, lower conceptual level, less conceptual flexibility, and poorer critical thinking than the reference group. The linear combination of only three variables, critical thinking, conceptual level, and numbers of errors during a conditioned spatial association task, correctly classified 89% of the 55 subjects. The results were considered consistent with the hypothesis that delayed or different development of complex functions associated with the left and (particularly) the right prefrontal cortices and their limbic inputs may be responsible for antisocial behavior. This variation will always be present due to the statistical variations in ontogeny and less than optimal parental structure within a consistent but small proportion of any generational cohort.

Interactions between Temporal Lobe Signs, Imaginings, Beliefs and Gender: Their Effect upon Logical Inference

Rotton's Paralogic Test, Wilson-Barber's Inventory of Childhood Memories and Imaginings (ICMI) and the PPI (Personal Philosophy Inventory) were administered to 100 male and 100 female university students. Both sexes displayed moderately strong (0.50) correlations between content-selected and factor analyzed clusters of possible temporal lobe signs, exotic beliefs and the numbers of childhood imaginings. Although there were no sex differences between the accuracy of logical statements that contained paranormal or neutral content, males who displayed more temporal lobe signs were more accurate for logical items that contained paranormal content. Females who displayed more imaginings were more accurate for valid than for invalid items. Accuracy for items with paranormal content increased with exotic beliefs but not with conservative religious beliefs for both sexes. The relationship between exotic beliefs and accuracy for items with paranormal content was especially strong for females. These results suggest: 1) gender differences in the neurocognitive processes that contribute to logical problem solving and 2) accuracy may depend upon the degree to which the subject matter is commensurate with the person's history of enhanced temporal lobe signs, capacity for fantasy and imaginings and beliefs in exotic concepts.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: XII. The Weather Matrix Accommodates Large Portions of Variance of Measured Daily Mood

Multiple regression lag analyses demonstrated that four to five major components of the weather matrix accommodated approximately 30% to 60% of the variance in daily mood scores for 5 male and 5 female university students over either a 2- or 3-mo. period. Between 10% and 30% of this variance was also explained by day-of-the-week for 4 subjects. Optimal values from the weather matrix occurred about three days before mood measures. Two of the most frequent variables were geomagnetic variation and mean barometric pressure. Temperature, which was contaminated by serial correlations, could be substituted by other variables. Standard errors of the estimate for the equations ranged between 8% to 15% of the mean mood measures. However, equations for three of the subjects' predicted scores were significantly correlated with the observed scores for the 10 days and to a lesser extent the 20 days after the period used to generate the equations.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: III. Prediction of UFO Reports by Geomagnetic and Seismic Activity

Multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis that UFO (unidentified flying object) reports are indices of natural events associated with accumulating tectonic strain within the earth's crust. More than 80% of the variance in a sample of UFO report numbers within the central and eastern U.S.A. between the years 1950 and 1966 could be accommodated by entering the appropriate three to five measures of geomagnetic or seismic activity of the previous one to three years. In general, UFO report numbers tended to increase two to three years after decreases in geomagnetic activity and the year after increases in the number of local, low intensity earthtremors. Predicted UFO report numbers within these regions were also determined from the equations for the years 1967–1981.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: IX. Expected Clinical Consequences of Close Proximity to UFO-Related Luminosities

Transient and localized plasma-like luminosities associated with intense electromagnetic fields appear to be systematically associated with tectonic strain within the earth's crust. Although contact proximity to these UFO-like luminosities is fatal, less terminal encounters have generated many religious and cosmic references. Unfortunately, the biobehavioral effects produced by these hazardous exposures have not been considered seriously. One hypothesis is that close-encounter experiences displayed near a luminosity are evoked by direct stimulation through current induction within the observer's brain. Because of the architectural and electrical characteristics of temporal lobe structures, their functions should dominate clinical profiles. Whereas the immediate experience would involve dream-like sequences, terror, perceptual changes, depersonalization, vestibular alterations, auditory sensations, and profound meaningfulness, post-episodic effects would include amnesia, time loss, confabulation, crisis suggestibility, and electroconvulsive shock symptoms. Progressive personality deterioration could be characterized by enhanced religiosity, “sense of the personal,” a compulsion to proselytize, affective disorders and modifications of memory from before the event.

Geophysical Variables and Human Behavior: VIII. Specific Prediction of UFO Reports within the New Madrid States by Solar-Geomagnetic and Seismic Measures

Seismic and solar-geomagnetic variables that involved absolute measures and the percent change in these measures during 6-mo. intervals for the years 1952 and 1969 were used to predict numbers of UFO reports within the six states surrounding the New Madrid area in the central U.S.A. Expected values from sample optimal equations with multiple rs larger than 0.83 involving 5 or 6 lagged variables were compared to observations not involved with calculation of the equations. Optimal equations predicted all of the major “UFO flaps” within this region as well as some other minor increases not evident in the observed measures. Predicted UFO variations for the years 1970 to 1982 are presented.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: IV. UFO Reports and Fortean Phenomena: Temporal Correlations in the Central U.S.A

To test the general hypothesis that populations of Fortean events change qualitatively over time, temporal correlations between UFOs and several classes of Fortean events reported during a 20-yr. period (1949–1968) were completed for the central and eastern U.S.A. For the central U.S.A., numbers of UFO reports were significantly correlated with numbers of electromagnetic transients (power failures) (0.57) and odd human behaviors (0.62) of the previous year but with numbers of poltergeist-like (0.57) and odd fall reports (0.52) of the consequent two years. Only the latter correlations were evident for data in the eastern U.S.A. The analyses support the idea that as the geophysical source stimuli increase, Fortean events are first displayed as mundane electromagnetic episodes, then as frank UFO displays, and finally as more bizarre poltergeist-like reports.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: VII. Prediction of Recent European UFO Report Years by Nineteenth Century Luminosity and Solar-Seismic Measures

Discriminant analyses were used to determine optimal solar and seismic variables that could correctly classify years in which major luminous events had been reported within Germany, Italy, Austria, France, and Switzerland between the years 1849 and 1926. Expected discriminant scores were generated from these functions for the years 1820 to 1971. Functions that accurately classified more than 90% of the luminosity events between the years 1870 and 1905 also accurately predicted the major UFO flaps between 1945 to 1971 in this area. These analyses support the contention that luminous events reported in the nineteenth century share the same source of variance as modern UFO reports and these phenomena are associated with tectonic strain within the earth.

Association between Intermale Social Aggression and Cellular Density within the Central Amygdaloid Nucleus in Rats with Lithium/Pilocarpine-Induced Seizures

Aggressive behaviors (numbers of bites/hour) within groups ( ns = 8) of normal rats and rats in which seizures had been induced by a single systemic injection of lithium/pilocarpine were observed for 11 successive, 1-hr. periods. Mean numbers of neurons and glial cells were counted for 10 different nuclei of the amygdala for 16 different brains (8 control; 8 seizure). Although there was no significant difference found between rats with chronically induced seizures and controls for the numbers of neurons per area within the central medial amygdaloid nucleus, the neuronal density was correlated significantly (.92) with mean numbers of bites per hour for the chronically epileptic group only. The hypothesis that seizure-induced damage within proximal amygdaloid nuclei disinhibits the central nucleus and encourages aggression was supported.

University Females are More Fearful and Males are More Egotistic: Possible Implications for Vocational Pursuits and Response to Crisis

Clusters of items that indicate fearfulness and egotism were derived from a data base accumulated over 10 years. There were 235 men and 331 women whose ages ranged between 18 and 29 yr. Women displayed higher scores on the fearfulness cluster and lower scores on the egotism cluster than men; the interaction was statistically significant. Discriminant analyses indicated that the two clusters explained 13% of the variance for the sex differences. The relatively enhanced fearfulness and decreased egotism among university women compared to their male cohorts may be a useful predictor for entry into novel vocations and responsiveness to catastrophes involving other young women.

Temporal Lobe Signs, the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Hemispheric Quotient

Scores for the inference of Temporal Lobe Signs, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, and the Hemispheric Quotient were obtained for men and women. Moderately strong positive correlations (.70) were found between indices of complex partial epileptic-like signs and the Dissociative Experiences Scale; there were no correlations between the Hemispheric Quotient and the Dissociative Experiences Scale or Temporal Lobe Signs. However, factor-derived left hemispheric items (related to religiosity, verbal meaning, and sense of presence) and right hemispheric items (depersonalization, automatic behaviors) displayed the appropriate Hemispheric Quotient. Scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale were most strongly correlated with the right hemispheric factor.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LXXVI. Seasonal Hydrological Load and Regional Luminous Phenomena (UFO Reports) within River Systems, the Mississippi Valley Test

We hypothesized that an equilibrium in seasonal variations between water load and both seismicity and reports of odd, spherical, luminous phenomena within the river basin should result in systematic but phase-lagged relationships between these variables. Within 320 km of the confluence of the Mississippi System, the monthly variation of a specific and major class of UFO reports (which appear to represent luminous phenomena that are generated by tectonic strain) peaked 3 to 4 months ( r = 0.87) after the river crested. The phase lag between these luminous phenomena and seismic activity within the same region was about 6 months. The results support the model that river load-induced strain and fluid percolation into and diffusion within the earth's crust promote the production of natural luminous phenomena.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: XXXI. Global Geomagnetic Activity during Spontaneous Paranormal Experiences: A Replication

A retrospective analysis was completed of the global geomagnetic activity (aa indices) for the day, month, and year in which subjective experiences of telepathy-clairvoyance ( n — 57), precognition ( n = 56), and post mortem ( n = 74) phenomena were reported to have occurred. All of the experiences referred to death, sudden illness, or intense crisis to members of the family or to friends. The experiences were obtained from a series of first-hand reports from FATE magazine and involved all cases that contained the day, month, and year (1920 through 1967) of occurrence. Days on which telepathy-clairvoyance experiences occurred displayed significantly much lower geomagnetic activity (aa = 13.5 ± 10.9) than days on which the precognition (25.5 ± 23.1) and postmortem (26.4 ± 19.1) cases occurred. The aa values for the days on which the telepathy-clairvoyance experiences occurred were also significantly less than the average geomagnetic activity for the months or years in which the experiences occurred. This was not evident for the other types of cases. Results for telepathic-clairvoyance are similar in both direction and magnitude to those from two other data sources. We conclude that such phenomena should be considered within the framework of behavioral epidemiology.

Exotic Beliefs May Be Substitutes for Religious Beliefs

The percentages of items of the Personal Philosophy Inventories that reflect either traditional religious or exotic (alien intelligence, reincarnation) beliefs were compared for 504 female and 343 male university students as a function of church attendance; the data were collected over a 10-yr. period. A statistically significant interaction between the two clusters of beliefs and church attendance suggested that exotic beliefs may substitute for religious beliefs. Years of university experience did not reduce the incidence of either type of belief while preteenage religious experiences enhanced endorsement of both religious and exotic beliefs.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LXXIV. Man-Made Fluid Injections into the Crust and Reports of Luminous Phenomena (UFO Reports)—Is the Strain Field an Aseismically Propagating Hydrological Pulse?

According to the tectonic strain theory, both earthquakes and most reports of UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) or odd luminous phenomena are generated by local transient changes in regional crustal stress. Because the injection (or containment) of fluids or their percolation into the upper crust can trigger earthquakes, we predicted that reports of these anomalous luminous phenomena should display temporal lags and spatial diffusion around these sites. The hypothesis was supported around the five test sites of Derby, Colorado; Attica, New York; Rangely, Colorado; Sanford (Amarillo), Texas; and Hanford, Washington. The results support the hypothesis that luminous phenomena, often described by the contemporary label of UFOs, are associated with natural hydroseismicity and can be initiated by man-made activity.

Application of Transcerebral, Weak (1 Microt) Complex Magnetic Fields and Mystical Experiences: Are They Generated by Field-Induced Dimethyltryptamine Release from the Pineal Organ?

During the last 15 years weak, complex magnetic fields have been applied across the two cerebral hemispheres at the level of the temporoparietal lobes of more than 500 volunteers. Most of these subjects have reported visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensations as well as experiences of detachment from the body of ‘sentient beings’. Similar but more intense experiences were reported by Strassman in 2001 for volunteers who were injected with N,n-dimethyltryptamine, a compound Strassman hypothesized as the primary mediator of these experiences. If this speculation is valid, then subjects who are exposed to the very weak, complex fields known to elicit similar experiences should display significant increases in the metabolites of this compound within their blood.

Criterion Validity for Rotton's Paralogic Test-Beliefs of Forbidden Knowledge May Negatively Affect Inferential Problem Solving

The hypothesis was tested that belief in restricted or exclusionary knowledge interferes with strong inferential processing. Scores on Rotton's Paralogic Test, multiple-choice examinations (mutually interactive items), and the belief clusters from the Personal Philosophy Inventory were factor analyzed for 55 part-time university men and women. Subjects who endorsed more items concerning forbidden knowledge (i.e., there are some things that Science should not investigate) displayed poorer logical and inferential performance (25% explained variance). These results suggest that such beliefs may limit cognitive exploration of certain conceptual domains.

Increased Proportions of Sensed Presences and Occipital Spikes with 1- and 10-Msec. Point Duration of Continuous 7-HZ Transcerebral Magnetic Fields

To test the hypothesis that the numbers of “sensed presences” induced by the application of weak (1 microTesla) magnetic fields over the right hemisphere was subject to an optimal time of presentation, digital-to-analogue computer generated 7-Hz sine-waves were applied with point (“pixel”) durations of 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, or 20 msec. for 5 min. each in a sequential counterbalanced order for six subjects. The proportion of numbers of sensed presences reported along the subjects' left sides and the proportions of electroencephalographic spikes over the occipital regions were greatest when 1- or 10-msec. point durations were employed. These results indicate that the specific duration of each successive field strength composing a complex sequence should be considered when designing optimal configurations for intercalating with neurecognition.

Does Phase-Modulation of Applied 40-Hz Transcerebral Magnetic Fields Affect Subjective Experiences and Hypnotic Induction?

12 men and 12 women were exposed to a sham-field, a 5-Hz sine-wave magnetic field, a 40-Hz sine-wave magnetic field, or the latter field-phase modulated five times per sec. (5-Hz) for 30 min. between two administrations of the Spiegel's Hypnotic Induction Profile. To replicate the geometry that has produced significant increases in these scores in previous studies, the weak (1 microT) magnetic fields were applied over the right parietotemporal region through a modified helmet. The hypothesis that the enhanced suggestibility previously observed was due to an intrinsic phase-modulation of the fields was not supported. However, the ratings of overall pleasantness of the experiences were negatively correlated ( r = –.36) with global geomagnetic activity at the time of the experiment. The pleasantness was ranked significantly greater by subjects exposed to the 40-Hz field (explaining 41% of the variance) relative to subjects exposed to the 5-Hz field who also reported more visual experiences within their left peripheral visual fields. The percentages of time alpha rhythms were measured over the temporal lobes (but not frontal or occipital lobes) during the treatments were moderately and positively correlated with scores on questionnaires administered before the experiment, from which the capacity to imagine, temporal lobe signs, and religious (but not exotic) beliefs were inferred. The groups exposed to either the 5-Hz or 40-Hz/5-Hz phase-modulated field displayed greater durations of alpha rhythms over the temporal lobes than the other two groups.

Psychophysiological Effects of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields: A Review

Extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field-waves, defined in this paper as occupying the frequency band of .01 to 100 Hz, are associated with geomagnetic disturbances, weather perturbations, electrical appliance discharges, and possibly seismic movements. ELF electromagnetic phenomena have been recorded as sinusoidal-like wave forms or as ELF pulses of short duration from higher frequency (10 to 100 kHz) waves. Although natural ELF electrical component intensities range from less than 1 mV/m to slightly more than 1 V/m with magnetic components less than a μ gauss and calculated power densities of 10−8 watts/m3, these waves can propagate long distances without appreciable attenuation and penetrate housing structures. Theoretically, it has been calculated that energy available from ELF phenomena can contribute to neuroenergetic functioning and protein-lipid activity. Correlational and experimental data indicate that ELF fields can influence reaction time, timing behavior, ambulatory behavior, oxygen uptake, endocrine changes, cardiovascular functions, and precipitation-clotting times of colloids. Possible mechanisms of ELF-organismic interactions are discussed.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: Xcix. Reductions in Numbers of Neurons within the Parasolitary Nucleus in Rats Exposed Perinatally to a Magnetic Pattern Designed to Imitate Geomagnetic Continuous Pulsations: Implications for Sudden Infant Death

Correlational analyses have shown a moderate strength association between the occurrence of continuous pulsations, a type of geomagnetic activity within the 0.2-Hz to 5-Hz range, and the occurrence of Sudden Infant Deaths. In the present study, rats were exposed continuously from two days before birth to seven days after birth to 0.5-Hz pulsed-square wave magnetic fields whose intensities were within either the nanoTesla or microTesla range. The magnetic fields were generated in either an east-west (E-W) or north-south (N-S) direction. At 21 days of age, the area of the parasolitary nucleus (but not the solitary nucleus) was significantly smaller, and the numbers of neurons were significantly less in rats that had been exposed to the nanoT fields generated in the east-west direction or to the microTesla fields generated within either E-W or N-S direction relative to those exposed to the N-S nanoTesla fields. These results suggest nanoTesla magnetic fields, when applied in a specific direction, might interact with the local geomagnetic field to affect cell migration in structures within the brain stem that modulate vestibular-related arousal and respiratory or cardiovascular stability.

Geophysical Variables and Human Behavior: XV. Tectonic Strain Luminosities (UFO Reports) as Predictable but Hidden Events within Pre-1947 Central U.S.A

Changes in tectonic strain within the earth's crust have been hypothesized to be the primary energetic source for most documented UFO (unidentified flying object) events. Multiple regression analyses indicate that at least 50% of the variance in UFO report measures can be accommodated by optimal solar-seismic variables. Equations for the central U.S.A. accurately predicted the occurrence of UFO-report episodes after the years from which they were generated and indicate the occurrence of UFO-like reports long before the year 1947. However the labels applied to these phenomena may have changed from generation to generation.

Geophysical Variables and Human Behavior: XVIII. Expected Perceptual Characteristics and Local Distributions of Close UFO Reports

Although the frequent occurrences of UFORs (unidentified flying object reports) within regions of compressional deformation and the systematic variation over time between UFORs and seismic activity have been supported by empirical analyses, the mechanisms that could generate observable local phenomena have been less clear. A tectonogenic condition that includes electromagnetic (EM) characteristics is one hypothesis. Specific predictions require the delineation of local fault systems and the visualization of adjacent topography, geology and man-made structures as distributions of charge collectors, conductors, dielectrics and other EM equivalents. Extrapolations from recent laboratory experiments indicate that the major visual, kinetic and EM features of close UFORs can be explained. Since clusters of UFORs or “flap periods” are often accompanied by social concern, these extrapolations, applied cautiously, may be useful for field scientists who must predict when and where the phenomena could occur.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: XXXII. Evaluations of UFO Reports in an Area of Infrequent Seismicity: The Carman, Manitoba Episode

A critical test of the observation that most well documented episodes (“flaps”) of UFO reports (UFORs) display a temporal relationship to the nearest release of seismic energy was completed for the Carman episode. These reports occurred over a 3-yr. period (1974-1977) near Winnipeg, Manitoba; yet, this province has no recorded seismicity. Visual inspection of the numbers of UFORs per month during this period indicated they were strongly correlated with the amount of seismic energy released within 1000 km. The Carman episode occurred during the time of the closest and strongest recorded earthquake in the recent history (since 1950) of the area. Characteristics of the local geology and crustal morphology were considered as factors that might influence the furthest distance at which seismicity is associated with UFORs. The results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that most well documented episodes of UFORs refer to actual geophysical phenomena that are generated by tectonic strain.

Weak-To-Moderate Correlations between Global Geomagnetic Activity and Reports of Diminished Pleasantness: A Nonspecific Source for Multiple Behavioral Correlates?

In two previous experiments the ratings of the pleasantness of the experiences for a total of 45 subjects tested within a specific experimental setting were negatively correlated ( rhos about −.35 to −.40) with the global geomagnetic activity on the days of the ratings. In the present analysis, subjective ratings from a comparable experiment completed 13 years ago were also negatively correlated ( rho = −.50) with the global geomagnetic activity on the days of the experiences. The consistency of these results suggests a common neurophysiological process that generates hedonistic affect with which the multiple types of behaviors, such as aggression, homicide, traffic fatalities, epileptic seizures, and industrial accidents, are correlated. Consequently these apparently “divergent” behaviors are correlated with geomagnetic activity because they are correlated with a central neurophysiological process which may be sensitive to increases in geomagnetic activity.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: Xcii. Experimental Elicitation of the Experience of a Sentient Being by Right Hemispheric, Weak Magnetic Fields: Interaction with Temporal Lobe Sensitivity

We tested the hypothesis that proportionally more people with above average numbers of complex partial epileptic-like experiences before the experiment would report a proximal presence during applications of a weak (1 microTesla), frequency-modulated magnetic field over the right hemisphere. Each of 16 subjects sat in a darkened, quiet room and was exposed for 20 min. to complex fields, applied through a helmet, either along the right hemisphere or across both hemispheres. None of the 8 subjects with below average scores reported a presence during the applications of the magnetic fields while 75% and 60% of the 8 subjects with above average scores reported a presence during right hemispheric and bilateral stimulation, respectively.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LXI. UFO Reports in Carman Manitoba and the 1975 Minnesota Quake: Evidence of Triggering by Increased Volume of the Red River

The tectonic strain theory states that most UFO reports are related to luminous phenomena which are generated by the same stresses that produce earthquakes. Analyses of the epidemic-like profile of UFO reports within southern Manitoba during 1975 indicates that they were coupled to an unusually strong Minnesota earthquake. The quake occurred near the source of the Red River that flows into Manitoba. As hypothesized, (1) UFORs within the three neighboring states (ND, SD and MN) also increased dramatically during 1975, (2) there was a positive correlation between annual seismic energy release within these states and the numbers of UFORs, and (3) the numbers of UFORs within central southern Manitoba were strongly, positively correlated with the monthly volume of the Red River within this province, especially during 1975.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LXII. Temporal Coupling of UFO Reports and Seismic Energy Release within the Rio Grande Rift System: Discriminative Validity of the Tectonic Strain Theory

Persistent, moderately strong temporal correlations (0.7 < rho < 0.8) between the numbers of UFO reports (UFORs) and the amount of seismic energy release were evident for approximately 30 years within New Mexico and Colorado, surrounding the active Rio Grande Rift System. The hypothetical construct of a moving “strain field” was suggested by the gradually closer occurrence of UFORs over time to an imminent epicenter. Tests of discriminative validity involved partial correlation analyses for different types of UFORs. The results indicated that only classic luminous phenomena, similar to historical descriptions of earthquake lights, were strongly correlated with the release of seismic energy within the area. Anomalous luminosities similar to conventional transients, such as meteors, or putative extraterrestrial intelligence, were not correlated significantly with the energy release. Both the validity and reliability of the tectonic strain theory were supported.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LXIII. Quasi-Experimental Evidence of the Tectonic Strain Theory of Luminous Phenomena: The Derby, Colorado Earthquakes

This study provides the first quasi-experimental evidence for the Tectonic Strain Theory for luminous phenomena. Approximately 1500 earthquakes occurred near Derby, Colorado during the years 1962 through 1967 as a result of injection of several millions of gallons of industrial waste fluid into the crystalline bedrock. Correlations between numbers of luminous phenomena within successive 100-km rings from the injection site and the release of seismic energy gave significant coefficients for distances as great as 400 km. Lag/lead analyses between the monthly volume of fluid injection and the monthly numbers of luminous phenomena at various distances indicated that some process was diffusing away from the injection site at a rate of 50 to 100 km/month to distances as far as 300 km. Partial correlation analyses supported the hypothesis that both the luminous phenomena and the Derby quakes were generated by the stresses evoked by the amount of fluid injection during that period. Unprecedented increases in luminous phenomena occurred before releases of strain energy that exceeded magnitudes of 1017 ergs/month.

Geophysical Variables and Behavior: XLIII. Negative Correlation between Accuracy of Card-Guessing and Geomagnetic Activity: A Case Study

A single subject who had a history of multiple PSI experiences was given 23 sessions of 40 symbol-guessing trials per session over a 4-mo. period. Accuracy scores were correlated with the geomagnetic activity (Ap) on the days of the testing. A moderately strong negative correlation was found between the scores and the geomagnetic activity. These results are compatible with those reported for subjective psi experiences.

Diverse physiological consequences of long-term sucrose consumption in female rats

Although a considerable amount of work has addressed the short-term consequences of sucrose ingestion on a variety of morphological, physiological and hematological measures, relatively few studies have investigated these parameters following long-term sucrose intake. Results of the present experiments indicated that female rats given ad libitum access to a 10% sucrose solution for 9 months were conspicuously larger and had significantly heavier thyroid and spleen weights compared to rats offered either a restricted (20 min) daily sucrose option or control rats given only water. Rats given free access to sucrose also displayed abnormal serum levels of creatinine, sodium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, uric acid and cholesterol which could indicate dysfunction in many organs including the kidney and liver. In the brain, however, chronic sucrose access was not associated with any discernable changes in neuronal or glial cell density within selected brain regions, but brain weight was found to be highly negatively correlated (r = - 0.97) with total sucrose intake. Finally, we report that high doses of estradiol can significantly attenuate the intake of sucrose in female rats. Together these findings demonstrate that free access to a sucrose solution for long periods can induce profound effects on rat physiology and may have important implications for the management of diet in humans.

Increased photon emission from the head while imagining light in the dark is correlated with changes in electroencephalographic power: support for Bókkon's biophoton hypothesis

Bókkon's hypothesis that photons released from chemical processes within the brain produce biophysical pictures during visual imagery has been supported experimentally. In the present study measurements by a photomultiplier tube also demonstrated significant increases in ultraweak photon emissions (UPEs) or biophotons equivalent to about 5×10(-11)W/m(2) from the right sides of volunteer's heads when they imagined light in a very dark environment compared to when they did not. Simultaneous variations in regional quantitative electroencephalographic spectral power (μV(2)/Hz) and total energy in the range of ∼10(-12)J from concurrent biophoton emissions were strongly correlated (r=0.95). The calculated energy was equivalent to that associated with action potentials from about 10(7) cerebral cortical neurons. We suggest these results support Bókkon's hypothesis that specific visual imagery is strongly correlated with ultraweak photon emission coupled to brain activity.

Lever attacking by rats during free-operant avoidance

Rats pressed a lever to avoid shock on a free-operant avoidance schedule. Some subjects were also exposed to extinction in which the response-shock contingency was eliminated while the shock-shock contingency remained in effect. A specially constructed lever was used that registered not only presses, but also biting attacks on the lever. Throughout various phases of the study, shocks often elicited lever biting as well as post-shock responding. The results suggested that shock-elicited attacks that are forceful enough to activate the operandum might account for some of the responding that occurs in experiments on free-operant avoidance behavior. In particular, shock-elicited operandum attacking might account for post-shock response bursting during free-operant avoidance and the extreme persistence of responding sometimes noted when shocks are delivered during the extinction of avoidance behavior. To the extent that this is true, these phenomena should not be characterized as operant behavior in interpreting the results of experiments on free operant avoidance.

Emerging synergisms between drugs and physiologically-patterned weak magnetic fields: implications for neuropharmacology and the human population in the twenty-first century

Synergisms between pharmacological agents and endogenous neurotransmitters are familiar and frequent. The present review describes the experimental evidence for interactions between neuropharmacological compounds and the classes of weak magnetic fields that might be encountered in our daily environments. Whereas drugs mediate their effects through specific spatial (molecular) structures, magnetic fields mediate their effects through specific temporal patterns. Very weak (microT range) physiologically-patterned magnetic fields synergistically interact with drugs to strongly potentiate effects that have classically involved opiate, cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and nitric oxide pathways. The combinations of the appropriately patterned magnetic fields and specific drugs can evoke changes that are several times larger than those evoked by the drugs alone. These novel synergisms provide a challenge for a future within an electromagnetic, technological world. They may also reveal fundamental, common physical mechanisms by which magnetic fields and chemical reactions affect the organism from the level of fundamental particles to the entire living system.

INFLUENCE OF A COMPLEX MAGNETIC FIELD APPLICATION IN RATS UPON THERMAL NOCICEPTIVE THRESHOLDS: THE IMPORTANCE OF POLARITY AND TIMING

The application of a weak (1 microTesla) complex magnetic field pattern with a relevant electrophysiological signature produced an analgesic response in rats to thermal stimuli when the pattern was presented once every 4 sec for 30 min through iron-core solenoids. In one experiment, the burst-firing pattern was presented once every 4 s for 30 min and restricted to the positive polarity, negative polarity or a bipolar equivalent. The strongest analgesia occurred when the burst-firing pattern was presented with positive polarity or as the typical bipolar signal. Administrations of the burst-firing pattern once per week for four consecutive weeks produced analgesia that was clearly evident during the first, third, and fourth weeks but not during the second week of treatment. A telephone sensor coil (that can be readily obtained from local electronic shops) was then used instead of the solenoids along with an audio (.wav) file to generate the magnetic field; the analgesia was still apparent. However, when the magnetic pattern was generated from a compact disc source the analgesia was not evoked. The current results suggest that these fields can be generated through simple commercial devices controlled by available computer software.

COMPLEX MAGNETIC FIELDS ENABLE STATIC MAGNETIC FIELD CUE USE FOR RATS IN RADIAL MAZE TASKS

Male Wistar rats were trained in an eight-arm radial maze task (two sessions per day, delayed-non-matching-to-sample) that included an intramaze static magnetic field "cue" (185 microT) specific to the entrance point of one of the arms. Rats were exposed daily for 60 min to a complex magnetic field waveform (theta-burst pattern, 200-500 nT), presented with several different interstimulus intervals (ISIs), either immediately following training sessions or immediately preceding testing sessions. Application of the theta-burst stimulus with a 4000 ms ISI significantly improved the rats' memory for the arm of the radial maze whose position was indicated by the presence of a static magnetic field cue. Reference memory errors were homogeneously distributed among all eight arms of the maze for sham-exposed rats, and among the other seven arms of the maze for complex magnetic field-treated rats. These results suggest that static magnetic field cues may be salient orienting cues even in a microenvironment such as a radial maze, but their use as a cue during maze learning in rats is dependent on whole-body application of a specific time-varying complex magnetic field.

POWER INCREASES WITHIN THE GAMMA RANGE OVER THE FRONTAL AND OCCIPITAL REGIONS DURING ACUTE EXPOSURES TO CEREBRALLY COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELDS WITH SPECIFIC DERIVATIVES OF CHANGE

A total of 11 men and women were exposed for 5 min each to six different temporal configurations of pulsed magnetic fields that were delivered through serial activation of 8 solenoids in a counterclockwise direction around the head within the horizontal plane above the ears. Twenty-second samples of quantitative electroencephalographic activity within the delta, theta, lower alpha, upper alpha, beta, and gamma regions were collected after each configuration had been activated for 2.5 min. Only the circumcerebral presentation of the first pulse for 25 ms followed by an acceleration of +2 ms to each of the other 7 solenoids (the last duration = 11 ms) resulted in a significant increase in power within the gamma range (35 Hz to 45 Hz) over both frontal and occipital lobes but not over the parietal or temporal lobes. These results suggest topical application of specific spatial-temporal configurations of magnetic fields may affect the recursive creation of the rostral-caudal waves of cohesive fields that might produce consciousness.

REDUCED LITTER SIZES FOLLOWING 48-H OF PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO 5 nT TO 10 nT,0.5 HZ MAGNETIC FIELDS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUDDEN INFANT DEATHS

To test the hypothesis that a narrow intensity band of geomagnetic activity contributes to Sudden Infant Death, 32 pregnant rats were exposed for two to three days before expected parturition either to a coil that generated 0.5 Hz sine-wave, 5 to 10 nanoTesla magnetic fields, or to a reference coil (<1 nT) in the same room. The field was off for 30 min every 4 h during the exposure. The orientation of the coils was perpendicular in space and activated alternately in four blocks of experiments. The litters born to the exposed mothers contained significantly fewer pups (M = 14.1,SD= 2.1) than those exposed to the control conditions (M = 16.2, SD = 2.7). There were significantly fewer numbers of males and fewer numbers of females in litters exposed to the fields generated in the east-west and north-south directions, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that a specific temporal configuration of brief periods of geomagnetic activity can produce an increased incidence of nonvital fetuses, neonates, or infants.

A THEORY OF NEUROPHYSICS AND QUANTUM NEUROSCIENCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR BRAIN FUNCTION AND THE LIMITS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The authors have assumed there are specific temporal patterns of complex electromagnetic fields that can access and affect all levels of brain space. The article presents formulae and results that might reveal the required field configurations to obtain this access and to represent these levels in human consciousness. The frequency for the transition from an imaginary to real solution for the four-dimensional human brain was the wavelength of hydrogen whereas the optimal distance in space was the width of a proton or electron. The time required to expand one Planck's length as inferred by Hubble's constant for the proton was about 1 to 3 ms, the optimal resonant "point duration" of our most bioeffective magnetic fields. Calculations indicated the volume of a proton is equivalent to a tube or string with the radius of Planck's length and the longitudinal length of m (the width of the universe). Solutions from this approach predicted the characteristics of many biological phenomena, seven more "dimensions" of space between Planck's length and the level of the proton, and an inflection point between increments of space and time that corresponded to the distances occupied by chemical bonds. The multiple congruencies of the solutions suggest that brain space could contain inordinately large amounts of information reflecting the nature of extraordinarily large increments of space and time.