Brain Wave Monitor

[Jeroen Schaap]

In article <01bbaf90$75c644a0$b3b3989e at marzipan.demon.co.uk>,
   "Jonathan Baker" <jon at marzipan.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Hello all.  I apologise for posting this to multiple groups but I 
believe
>any/all of you could help me.
>
>I'm studying states of consciousness and the brain, and would like to 
build
>a brain wave monitor.  THis should be a fairly simple but sensitive 
radio
>receiver but I can not find any information about the frequencies 
emmited
>by the brain during different states - alpha, gamma etc.
>
>After studying the frequencies emmited during certain activities I hope 
to
>be able to stimulate the brain using EM waves during sleep to induce
>different types of dreams.
>
>If anyone has any thoughts on the subject, or think they could help 
please
>reply to this post or by E-Mail if you think the subject matter is not
>appropriate to the group.
>
>Thanks
>

You're not the first trying to measure state of mind. I dunno if YOU 
know that, but there is a lot of groups in the world measuring EEG 
signals and by analyzing these signals on frequency-amplitudes trying to 
say something about the state of mind, usually sleep. So different 
frequency-groups correlate with different states of sleep. Nevertheless, 
this classification is not that simple to do, you need some experience 
to 'score' EEGs. 
	Even than, you have your EEGs and your scores, but that doesn't 
tell you anything about state of consiousness apart from the state of 
sleep. Do you want to define consiousness? I wouldn't like to do so. 
Better leave this for future scientists. 
	So, troubles enough at the measuring part. But than..... You 
propose to give feedback to the brain by EM waves!!!!!!!!!! My first 
reaction is: If you succeed, gratz and warn me. We will work together 
and get real  rich by selling your technique! Serious: no change at all. 
Brains don't take EM waves as an input. Neurotransmitters and other 
chemicals but also synaptic contacts do. Not EM waves. You could 
possibly, if you intend to do so, but not supported by any even 
circumstantial evidence, imagine EM waves to modulate in a certian yet 
to be defined way, membrane potential of individual cells. BUT it is 
even harder to even imagine these disturbances could be remotely large 
enough to influence neuronal activity. Even than the question remains 
whether you could elicit a specific reaction like a dream. (Please tell 
me the definition of a dream.)

My conclusion is, please do some more research work before trying to 
modificate dreams by EM waves. Better start at the level of chemicals. 
There exist some chemicals which in fact do alter the state of 
consiousness. Quit an interesting area.

Success!

Jeroen