John Duncan Report 5/29 Closing The Loop 98 - Laboratory with John Duncan Preliminary results from the EEG monitor suggest that the area
being tested John Duncan, May 29 1998 --------------------------------------------------- Closing The Loop 98 - Laboratory with John Duncan I have reason to believe Bert is not deaf. As I don't want to
believe the last explanation, which also flies in the face of REPORT 1
(3 electrodes at the forehead) is not the optimal choice. Possibly
the
temples of the subject's head would prove more fruitful, or perhaps
another
part of the body. It's been suggested that since men are often
rumored to
think mainly with the penis that this be considered as a monitor
area.
Personally, I feel that the midi information that was recorded
with the
methods we used could be useful as a triggering source for other
outside
events, which could in turn be used to test subjects' responses
further --
a 'facing mirrors' approach, if you will, that could indicate
other areas
of study.
Report 5/18
Day Two
The weather was wonderful, now it is raining. In this isolated
corner of Italy, lightening strikes are more than likely, we have
retired from the sensitive electronics area to the relative safety
of the wood-stove warmed kitchen. Discussion of the days work
will follow, plans for tomorrow will be forthcoming.
Experiment
Aim: Determination of brainwave effects of meditative states.
Method: Observation of brainwave spectrum of John Duncan, meditating.
Notes: At certain points during the meditation, various unexpected
sounds, passing cars, steps, induced noises, etc. were heard,
it was noted that as the meditation proceeded, the effects of
the distractions were less.
Regular interruptions at a low frequency in the beginning phase
of the experiment corresponded to swallowing motions.
Experiment series
Aim: Determination of responses in spectrum to various sound/music
sources
Method: Listening to sections of music/sound for a period of at
least 10 minutes, observing responses. Bert Z. played the experimental
guinea pig for these experiments, he lay prone with the headphones
on being measured as we (John D and myself) observed.
Notes:
The pieces of music were:
exp2: J Duncan "Tap Internal" extract.
exp3: CCCC "Go To the Other side" from "Love and Noise".
- There seemed to be some correlations here that later turned
out to be experimental noise.
exp4: Sleep Chamber "Symphony Sexualis"
exp5: Christina Kubisch "Sechs Spiegel"
- very tiring, very repetitive.
exp6: Merzbow "Ultra Marine Blues" from "Pulse Demon."
- low beta very flat
exp7: Francisco Lopez "Populations of Xenophylophores" from "Azoic
Zone".
exp8: Morton Feldman (composer) Jean Louis Fafchamps (perf) "Triadic
Memories"
- alpha waves containing some structure
exp9: Tamas Laboratorium
- music composed specifically for brainstate modification.
- ugly sounds, little observed modification
exp10: Some very full-on techno thing, unlabelled.
- Much more full spectrum response.
exp11: Lou Reed "Metal Machine Music"
- No appreciable difference to spectrum of the last piece.
Results: The main result seems to be no result, the claims of response
seem to be founded in nothing. There is little observable variation
in the spectrum reponses of the listener. Either
- our electrode placement is inappropriate
- the device is insufficiently sensitive
- Bert is deaf
- there is no discernable brainwave reaction to sound.
various popular-scientific orthodoxies and the second is supposedly
not true (by claims of the manufacturers), the first error must
be the major source. Further research is necessary (as always).
Extra issue:
Discussions have led to the discovery of the composer, developer
and theoretician David Rosenboom, who starting in the mid 1970s,
worked on a project under the title "On Being Invisible".
This project brought together aspects of brainwave analysis and
automated composition. This fellow needs to be followed up on
as a quite interesting party.
Plans:
The use of the waveforms that are produced by the frequency analysis
as sources for pure sound, curves of frequency intensity as amplitude
curves of sounds.
The use of the various signals as switching signals for various
sounds, whether samples or pure sounds or notes.
The IBVA encoding of brainwave data, how is this obtained, how
does this sound?
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Report 5/17
San Martino,Italy - John Duncan/T.Boykett/B.Zettelmeier
First day of experiments. General equipment difficulties,as expected.
low degree of success. Sunshine sufficiently distracting, rain
unfortunately imposant. Achieving a level of communion with equipment,
plans beginning to fall into shape at last. Dinner at the lost
artist pizzeria very satisfying, lost Salzburgerin tour guide
enlightens the assembled masses
