Ganzeld effect

blamehoffman

A legal method of inducing hallucinations via seneory deprivation; you're supposed to put a half a ping pong ball over each eye and listen to a radio on static via headphones. The lack of neural stimulation is supposed to induce hallucinations "like LSD". The same effect has been reported by sages who live in caves (called the 'prisoner's cinema'), people exploring the arctic (since it has vast unchanging white evironements), and miners trapped underground. Im going to try this as soon as i can find a ping pong ball, ive got some LSD experience so I'll let y'all know if theyre similair.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/graphics/011109_hacking_your_brain/

Gary Oak

I've always wanted to try this. I don't have any ping pong balls though. I think the same thing happens in those deprivation chambers. It's like a big empty container thing that's filled with 100's of gallons of salt water, so when you go in it you kind of float in darkness.

StephenPBarrett

Im going to try this today. Will post results. It would be interesting to see how it affects different people if it does.

Unknown

I've also been quite interested in this particular method but I don't have a ping pong ball to use I really would like to give it a shot though, so if I can obtain a ball then I'll definitely bump this thread with some kind of report. I'm curious, but I'm also doubting it a little due to how simple it sounds. Maybe it will be like some kind of meditation process or something.

StephenPBarrett

The article says that it may take a few minutes. Im willing to devote 30 before I call it quits.

Speedbags

I've never tried LSD but if this works it would be an interesting way to see what it would be like.

Unknown

MissingMuse wrote: »

The article says that it may take a few minutes. Im willing to devote 30 before I call it quiet.

Awesome. If you need some noise generated, try using http://www.simplynoise.com/ - it can generate White noise, brown noise, pink noise and all the rest of them

StephenPBarrett

^ thanks a lot. I will use that. I was just going to turn the radio to a static station but I know I sometimes here things in the static or at least I think I do.

duuude

I actually have ping pong balls in my kitchen right now. I would go ahead and try it but I've been smoking all morning and I want to do it completely sober.

StephenPBarrett

Tried this but was too tired to tell if I was seeing things or falling asleep. I used online white noise. Im going to try again later but use radio static.

blamehoffman

I think I may have forgotten to mention;
- dont tape over the ping pong balls with duct tape, use transparent tape
- stare at a light source, a red one.
- obviously keep your eyes open
-

hallucinations should start in 15min to an hour.
I still havent tried it yet even though I said I would. When I do I'll post back.

skunk

If you want to 'hallucinate', start meditating. I find taking extremely long and deep breathes to be an easy method for me to enter the "zone" so to speak, something like one or two breathes for an entire minute.

15 seconds to breathe in, hold for 15 seconds, and release for 15 seconds. You can then wait another 15 seconds before you breathe in again to complete the circuit.

Edit to add: Make sure the room is pitch dark, a blindfold or sleeping mask may be helpful if you can't totally block out the light.

StephenPBarrett

There are several breathing methods I've used for meditation. That is a new one to me. Usually I breathe in 2 hold 4 out 6 in 2 hold 6 out 4. I find that one helps me get into "the zone" easily but I will try yours.

skunk

You probably will want to take it slow at first, maybe start with 2-3 breathes per minute and work your way up to one. The goal is not to pass out.

Osiris

What helps me the most with meditation is if I go to a river, find a spot 2 or three feet deep and sit down and brace myself against the current. This works so incredibly well for me and If you guys live near a river you should try it out and let me know if it works for you at all. Even just a pool or body of water I can float in, the water works wonders.