The Ganzfeld Effect

willhub · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:14

What's the red light for if you cannot at all see the red light?

KiTBoH · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:17

willhub said:
What's the red light for if you cannot at all see the red light?

I would've thought a ping pong ball was translucent :/ It's pretty thin

Mobius 1 · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:24

i think skimping out on any of the requirements is going to lessen the chance of anything happening. i would have thought putting ear plugs in and the headphones on cranked all the way up to full volume might help keep pretty much all noise out.

Dinomania · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:29

Yeah, the idea is that you're keeping yourself from seeing and hearing /anything/ other than nothingness and white noise.

Then, while your brain is clamouring for something to identify, it starts picking anything it can out of the nothingness, and you start tripping...

I think you need a good blindfold, in a dark room (not worth bothering with coloured ping pong ball madness), and a good pair of cans or those earphones that plus into your ear properly with white noise at a level that blocks out everything else.

...so no one's managed it yet?

z0mbi3 · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:36

brb

Tefal · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:41

sara said:
thingness, and you start tripping...

I think you need a good blindfold, in a dark room (not worth bothering with coloured ping pong ball madness), and a good pair of cans or those earphones that plus into your ear properly with white noise at a level that blocks out everything else.

...so no one's managed it yet?

iof you do it with a blindfold/blackness your bain will more than likely just put you to sleep the coloured light/plain white keeps your brain awake.

if you're doing it in the dark you're going to need willpower and concentration to stay awake.

z0mbi3 · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:45

Mobius 1 · 23 Sep 2009 at 22:57

Tefal said:
iof you do it with a blindfold/blackness your bain will more than likely just put you to sleep the coloured light/plain white keeps your brain awake.

if you're doing it in the dark you're going to need willpower and concentration to stay awake.

i thought the idea of having the red light through ping pong balls was to trick the brain into thinking you are blind, even if your eyes are open all you would see is red anyway? or am i wrong?

Dinomania · 23 Sep 2009 at 23:04

Hrm, dunno.

But I'm sure I saw some documentary about this on telly a while back - they deprived people of their senses...

Ah, here - indeed you're right, those left in the dark slept to begin with:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7199769.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/isolation/

"Three subjects are left alone in dark, sound-proofed rooms, while the other three are given goggles and foam cuffs, while white noise is piped into their ears."

Wonder what the goggles were like? I can't be arsed to watch and find out...

Tefal · 23 Sep 2009 at 23:07

-Tauren- said:
i thought the idea of having the red light through ping pong balls was to trick the brain into thinking you are blind, even if your eyes are open all you would see is red anyway? or am i wrong?

No it works with any colour/white.

It's just to you're not seeing any detail or anything to give you ideas of depth or distance.

Fenris · 23 Sep 2009 at 23:09

Well I tried it with toilet roll but got nothing.

However it is...incredibly relaxing.

willhub · 23 Sep 2009 at 23:12

So you ARE supposed to see the red light through the blindfold?

Tefal · 23 Sep 2009 at 23:14

willhub said:
So you ARE supposed to see the red light through the blindfold?

You're not meant to wear a blind fold.

The ping pong balls/paper will let the light through easily as they're meant to.#

You can do it with a blindfold/in the dark but it;s going to take a lot of willpower to not fall asleep.

Fenris · 23 Sep 2009 at 23:16

Tefal said:
it;s going to take a lot of willpower to not fall asleep.

Thats the problem I had with the toilet paper.

I just ended up so relaxed and spaced out I nearly fell asleep, no visions or otherwise unusual apparitions to report.

Margaret · 23 Sep 2009 at 23:33

I might go give this a whirl, is toilet roll not deemed worthy?

Margaret · 24 Sep 2009 at 00:59

Just gave it a go with toilet paper for around 15 mins, I had my eyes open the whole time not sure if you are supposed to or not.

Anyway I swear I saw things a few times, just the silhouette of various characters and shapes, it also seemed as if the red background was slowly becoming darker and darker with black gradually creeping in on the corners, although this only happened briefly for a few seconds it was quite weird.

Will have to get it a proper try tomorrow as I am really tired at the moment.

OldComputerGuy7 · 24 Sep 2009 at 01:22

ScarySquirrel said:
Do you have to have incredibly small ears for this?

How do you fit your whole ear in half a ping pong ball?

EDIT: LOL! I didn't read it properly. I'll leave my original post for the lulz though.

that made me laugh out loud.

willhub · 24 Sep 2009 at 10:25

I gave it a go, but I just used the light of the room filtering through the toilet paper, nothing happening for a while, then lots of weird blobs of colours and then the background light dissapeared, but this usually happens to me in the dark with my eyes closed, I think that the fact I was tired did not help and also blinking stops anything from happening, but I find it hard not to blink.

Dinomania · 24 Sep 2009 at 11:16

I once had a scary night of no sleep (had been on the Red Bulls that evening) where I just couldn't fall asleep. I was wide awake, it was dark, and very quiet - and I swear I started seeing people in my room. Grim.

Tom|Nbk · 24 Sep 2009 at 11:22

agnes said:
Oh, he gave up, said he felt dizzy and confused and needed a poo real bad, oh well, will try it tomorrow my self

ags

LOL

greywolf said:
About 59 secs in he starts talking about a duck.

OMG, im in hysterics.

"there is a duck talking to me I DON'T THINK THAT DUCK IS SPEAKING TO ME, I DON'T THINK HE IS. No no he can't be he's wearing glasses". Lol'd hard. Cheer me right up that did.