Isolation Ward From ebony pucks to magic foil, mystical and controversial tweaks.

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Except for the cost

Posted by unclestu (D) on February 13, 2013 at 11:44:23

In Reply to: RE: Biofeedback posted by Nirmala on February 13, 2013 at 07:08:09:

one interesting test may be a fMRI. It will literally measure brain wave activity and if there was something occurring, a fMRI would disclose the brain activity that would accompany it. Of course listening to a real speaker while in an MRI machine would be , uh...., a bit difficult, but one could employ other means. (can't even use headphones as the magnetic field would cause big trouble).

Dan Levitan in his book This is Your Brain on Music, uses the fMRI to analyze the brain activity when listening to music. The scale of the brain involvement in listening to music is quite amazing, much more so than if simply reading, for example. The brain functions also incorporate other functions, including the area which which controls vision, for example. I believe more research in this arena is neccessary and interesting as perhaps the higher "sensitives" may have their brain wired such that perhaps a greater brain involvement is part of the process (not saying that they are smarter or implying anything like that at all).

To that end, Oliver Sachs wrote a book entitled Musicophilia, which recounts psycho-physiological cases involving music. It is extrememly fascinating and shows that music is inherent in many brain functions, but often subdued in normal living functions. He covers iondividuals who could be called idiot savants and well as a doctor who got struck by lightning and shortly afterwards started hearing music endlessly.

The PBS video involving the Philadeplhia Orchestra members titled the Music from Within interviewed one member who displays kinesthesia. She sees colors when she hears music, and the colors are definitely correlated to the notes she hears. This just one of many historical cases, and not everyone sees the same colors for the same notes.

As for the pharmacological example you mention, I have several acquaintances in the biomed research sector. It is a bit frightening to hear them talk candidly. Since many newer pharmaceuticals are genetically aimed, and some companies deliberately ignore research on minority groups which they feel can not afford their potential services. After all, there is no law stipulating that they must, but it is a frightening glimpse of the new reality, especially one which allows the private sector to determine the direction of new research.

In fact one of the frightening things they mentioned was that "cures" are no longer actively sought, since a long term medical treatment is economically more viable for the drug developer..... Very scary.....

I believe the only way for audio tweaks is to continue on. Anectdotal evidence while scientifically unacceptable, still has some effect if enough individuals can perceive the effect. There are some even on this forum, who I have nothing but the highest respect for, who can not hear certain tweaks.

That being said, I recall demonstrating a few tweaks to a engineering society at our local universtity and everyone could hear what I demonstrated, even though none, including their professors, could offer any rational explanation for the effect.

At a later, more private demo, one professor grumbled that I had coached them into listening to a particular aspect of music so that the demo was not truly valid. Still as I pointed out, he could still hear what I had coached them to listen for and that he could still hear it, so I do not believe that the coaching was a psychosomatic issue.

For many tweaks, I find this to be the case. One particular aspect of music is altered, but it may be lost amidst the totality of the musical experience. It is much easier listening to a instrumental trio than an entire symphonic orchestra.

Another factor would be the simple enjoyment and need for music. These qualities vary considerably among individuals also and also determines the "need" and "desire" for tweaks. One ex girl friend I had once exclaimed: "I can still hear the words just as well as before". The nuances of the vocal presentation and the back up instrumentation were simply not important to her.

of course YMMV

Stu

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Edits: 02/13/13 03/15/13

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