h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Brainwave Patterns - A798889
Author: ChipMonkey - U199743

I just want to see if my first attempt at an entry is any good. I think it's good, and would like to see it edited.

you might want to make your mention of the brain into a link. my page at http://www.xyroth-enterprises.co.uk/thebrain.htm goes into considerable detail.

another thing is the article is supposed to be about brainwave patterns, but seems to be more about the alpha,delta, etc states and how to induce them.

I think that you either need to narrow it down to just this small subject, and expand on it, or massively expand the article to cover more of the subject it currently claims to be about.

at the moment it only covers these brain states for the entire brain, not mentioning the different states it is possible for the different parts of the brain to have at the same time.

You're right - so, rather than do any more work on it, I have changed the subject (it is a lot easier ).

I've taken the liberty of posting this in this thread (it was attached to the entry) because it's interesting.

Subject: First entry
Posted 4 Hours Ago by Miztres
This is a reply to this Posting

Posting 2

This is a really fasinating subject for me personally so I'd like to see this entry eventually make it to editing.

First off it does need a little work. Here's a few ideas you can dip into:

1. Is there anything that tells us what makes those waves? Is it the general activity of the brain that we pick up and analyse or is it something else?

2. You tell us about the binaural beat frequencies for altering the mind states, but not about the visual stimuli. If you want to limited your entry to the auditory stimuli, you can put in a small statment saying that you will on concern yourself with the auditory.

3."This, combined with another frequeny-encoded noise in the other ear, can produce different brainwave patterns by having the same frequency repeated over and over again." I don't think this comes out as you meant. Possibly better to mention the two frequencies in one sentence and have another sentence about how the repetitive sound afects the brain... Anyway, the sentence needs some work.

4. "However, if, for example, a frequency of 10 Hz is wished to be obtained, a frequency of 500 Hz in one ear combined with 510 Hz or 490 Hz in the other, a frequency of 10 Hz is registered in the brain, because..." What I think you're trying to say here is that they two opposite frequencies cancel each other out, leaving on the sum of the two waves...the 10Hz. I think it needs to be explained to those that don't know, that opposite waves cancel each other out and that's the reason the brain only hears 10Hz

5. What benefits can be gained by messing with your brains this way? e.g. Help people with insomnia? I don't know and some facts are needed to back this up. What are some disadvantages...for example it was used to brain wash people. I don't know of any examples off hand, but if you could find some that would be cool. Is this treatment used currently for anything?

I know this looks like heaps and that you probably thought you were finished but as I said, this topic is very interesting and deserves someone to do a good job of it. There's probably a dozen more things that can be done to this entry to make it great, but try with one or two of the above first. If you need help I would be glad to give you any assistance you need.

Just before I leave you, I just want to say that you did an excellent job with the GuideML. I still have to learn how to make graphs and other clever things.

- Miztres

(posted here by Bels)

Just to let you know that this entry has been scouted but before I process it for inclusion in the Edited Guide, can you act upon the feedback given above?

As it seems that the Researcher may be away on hols (lucky, lucky thing), I'm freeing this entry up so it can be scouted when the feedback has been acted upon.

Many thanks everyone

Ashley

Sorry I didn't reply earlier, must have missed that message. Anyways, I have acted upon the feedback, and I think it is a lot better. I might also write up an entry on the Ganzfeld effect, something which I briefly explained, but didn't talk about in that entry.

Hi there!

Just a few initial points after skimming through this... will have a more thorough read later...

In 'Uses of Altering Brainwaves', you list ADD and ADHD. Perhaps you could put a footnote there of what ADD and ADHD, as I'm guessing that not everyone knows what their full names are.

Also, there is a first person 'I' in the following paragraph... perhaps you could change that to '...but this Researcher suggests that you should avoid...', to comply with the third-person rule.

In the same paragraph: 'learing' - 'learning'

This is looking good!

Caper Plip

Good work, this entry is looking really nice now. I see it's been scouted for the guide...congrat!

Interesting article. Not a subject I know much about but still very interesting.

One thing I would change though is the sentance:

This happens because two different frequencies are canceled out in the brain, leaving only whatever the difference was.2

I would change as follows:

This happens because the two different frequencies are cancelled out in the brain, leaving only the difference between them.


Question:

If you desire a frequency of 10Hz, why generate two frquencies 10Hz apart and then use the difference. Why not 10Hz to begin with?

Regards

Stuart

"Why not 10Hz to begin with?" - presumably because you won't get 10Hz across the mechanics of the ear.



"This happens because two different frequencies are canceled out in the brain, leaving only whatever the difference was." indeed, this one reads clumsy.

Here's a explanation:
the two sounds can be represented mathematically by the sine function, each with its own frequency in the argument part:
soundX = AmplitudeX * sin(2 * pi * frequencyX * time)

Now if you *multiply* two such sounds with frequencies A and B then what you get is a mixture of *four* sine functions:

sound1 = Amp1 * sin (2 * pi * frequencyA * time)
sound2 = Amp2 * sin (2 * pi * frequencyB * time)
-- ie: the original input sounds are present in the output as well)

sound3 = Amp3 * sin (2 * pi * (frequencyA + frequencyB) * time)
-- ie: this tone has a frequency that is the sum of A and B

sound4 = Amp4 * sin (2 * pi * (frequencyA - frequencyB) * time)
-- this is the tone that you're talking of, its frequency is the difference between A and B

This generation of beat frequencies (A+B and A-B) happens when you're overloading your stereo equipment: the signal is processed at some non-linear part of the amplifier's characteristic curve, it starts 'clipping' and the result isn't much of a pleasure.

Back to brainwaves, this would incur that apparently somewhere in the brain there is a circuit that multiplies the input from the left and right ear...




And now for something entirely different...

When driving down an alley/parkway (ie: a road with trees along the side between you and the sun), does the weird feeling have anything to do with induced brainwaves because of the blinking?

"When driving down an alley/parkway (ie: a road with trees along the side between you and the sun), does the weird feeling have anything to do with induced brainwaves because of the blinking?"

I believe it does. I have heard of it triggering an epileptic fit in people so disposed. Its for the same reason that strobe lights in discos have been regulated so that they are only used for short periods.

Stuartt

right! Now that you're saying it, I too remember there was some connection to epilepsy!

Ok. I have edited the entry with the feedback I got. It is looking better all the time. Also, i added a little bit of info at the end of paragraph 2 to do with brainwave altering being dangerous to poeple with epilepsy. Thanks for your feedback everyone!

I'm afraid the 'cancellation' bit still doesn't make much sense, and perhaps you should run the piece through a spell checker.

the section on the uses of brainwave modification could do with a bit of work. at the moment it doesn't make clear as to if it induces or helps with the set of problems mentioned, and I think the author is also jumping the gun a bit in saying that the stuff on the list is possible.

I've done up the entry a bit, mostly the binaural beat frequenies, and a bit on uses. And I'm not saying the stuff on the list is possible, just that tests have been done and show that it has some effect. I don't think it would help in a lot of those examples, but it does work for simple stuff, like making you feel more active and sleep inducement. It's not totally fake, but some people take it as fake from the start, some sell it with new age heraling crystals so people think it is fake, and some claims about it that I've heard about it making you psycic are definately fake. Depends on what you are willing to believe.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Congratulations Chipmonkey!!!

First celebrate!
Then...what are you going to write next for Peer Review?

Hi ChipMonkey,

Congratulations. See you on the front page



Stuart