Sensed presence and mystical experiences are predicted by suggestibility, not by the application of transcranial weak complex magnetic fields
(2005) In Neuroscience Letters 379(1). p.1-6- Abstract
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with weak (micro Tesla) complex waveform fields have been claimed to evoke the sensed presence of a sentient being in up to 80% in the general population. These findings have had a questionable neurophysiological foundation as the fields are approximately six orders of magnitude weaker than ordinary TMS fields. Also, no independent replication has been reported. To replicate and extend previous findings, we performed a double-blind experiment (N = 89), with a sham-field control group. Personality characteristics indicating suggestibility (absorption, signs of abnormal temporal lobe activity, and a "new age"-life-style orientation) were used as predictors. Sensed presence, mystical, and other... (More)
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with weak (micro Tesla) complex waveform fields have been claimed to evoke the sensed presence of a sentient being in up to 80% in the general population. These findings have had a questionable neurophysiological foundation as the fields are approximately six orders of magnitude weaker than ordinary TMS fields. Also, no independent replication has been reported. To replicate and extend previous findings, we performed a double-blind experiment (N = 89), with a sham-field control group. Personality characteristics indicating suggestibility (absorption, signs of abnormal temporal lobe activity, and a "new age"-life-style orientation) were used as predictors. Sensed presence, mystical, and other somatosensory experiences previously reported from the magnetic field stimulation were outcome measures. We found no evidence for any effects of the magnetic fields, neither in the entire group, nor in individuals high in suggestibility. Because the personality characteristics significantly predicted outcomes, suggestibility may account for previously reported effects. Our results strongly question the earlier claims of experiential effects of weak magnetic fields. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/246364
- author
- Granqvist, P ; Fredrikson, M ; Unge, P ; Hagenfeldt, A ; Valind, Sven LU ; Larhammar, D and Larsson, M
- organization
- publishing date
- 2005
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- mystical experiences, magnetic fields, sensed presence, suggestibility
- in
- Neuroscience Letters
- volume
- 379
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 1 - 6
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000228436700001
- pmid:15849873
- scopus:85029270849
- ISSN
- 0304-3940
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.10.057
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ba15c66a-4b7e-4288-81e6-e300306bb25e (old id 246364)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 12:27:14
- date last changed
- 2023-09-16 08:34:56
@article{ba15c66a-4b7e-4288-81e6-e300306bb25e,
abstract = {{Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with weak (micro Tesla) complex waveform fields have been claimed to evoke the sensed presence of a sentient being in up to 80% in the general population. These findings have had a questionable neurophysiological foundation as the fields are approximately six orders of magnitude weaker than ordinary TMS fields. Also, no independent replication has been reported. To replicate and extend previous findings, we performed a double-blind experiment (N = 89), with a sham-field control group. Personality characteristics indicating suggestibility (absorption, signs of abnormal temporal lobe activity, and a "new age"-life-style orientation) were used as predictors. Sensed presence, mystical, and other somatosensory experiences previously reported from the magnetic field stimulation were outcome measures. We found no evidence for any effects of the magnetic fields, neither in the entire group, nor in individuals high in suggestibility. Because the personality characteristics significantly predicted outcomes, suggestibility may account for previously reported effects. Our results strongly question the earlier claims of experiential effects of weak magnetic fields.}},
author = {{Granqvist, P and Fredrikson, M and Unge, P and Hagenfeldt, A and Valind, Sven and Larhammar, D and Larsson, M}},
issn = {{0304-3940}},
keywords = {{mystical experiences; magnetic fields; sensed presence; suggestibility}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{1--6}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Neuroscience Letters}},
title = {{Sensed presence and mystical experiences are predicted by suggestibility, not by the application of transcranial weak complex magnetic fields}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2004.10.057}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.neulet.2004.10.057}},
volume = {{379}},
year = {{2005}},
}