Ganzfeld-induced hallucinatory experience, its phenomenology and cerebral electrophysiology - PubMed (original) (raw)
. 2008 Nov-Dec;44(10):1364-78.
doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2007.05.003. Epub 2008 Jun 5.
Affiliations
- PMID: 18621366
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2007.05.003
Ganzfeld-induced hallucinatory experience, its phenomenology and cerebral electrophysiology
Jirí Wackermann et al. Cortex. 2008 Nov-Dec.
Abstract
Ganzfeld, i.e., exposure to an unstructured, uniform stimulation field, elicits in most observers pseudo-hallucinatory percepts, and may even induce global functional state changes ('altered states of consciousness'). The present paper gives a comprehensive overview of the phenomenology of subjective experience in the ganzfeld and its electrophysiological correlates. Laboratory techniques for visual or multi-modal ganzfeld induction are explained. The spectrum of ganzfeld-induced phenomena, ranging from elementary percepts to complex, vivid, dream-like imagery is described, and the latter illustrated by transcripts of subjects' reports. Similarities and differences to related sensory/perceptual phenomena are also discussed. Earlier findings on electrophysiological correlates of the ganzfeld are reviewed. Our own studies of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in the ganzfeld are presented in some detail, and a re-analysis of data on EEG correlates of hallucinatory percepts in statu nascendi is reported. The results do not support the hypothesis of the hypnagogic origin of the percepts; the ganzfeld-induced steady-state is an activated state, and the spectral EEG dynamics in the alpha frequency range reveals processes of attention shifts and percept formation. The final section is devoted to the controversial topic of allegedly anomalous communication between human subjects ('ganzfeld telepathy'). It is shown that the use of ganzfeld in this research field relies partly on unsupported hypotheses concerning ganzfeld-induced states, partly on a weak conceptual background of the experimental procedure. The rôle of a particular belief system shared by the participants and experimenters is critically discussed.
Similar articles
- EEG correlates of multimodal ganzfeld induced hallucinatory imagery.
Pütz P, Braeunig M, Wackermann J. Pütz P, et al. Int J Psychophysiol. 2006 Aug;61(2):167-78. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2005.09.002. Epub 2005 Nov 7. Int J Psychophysiol. 2006. PMID: 16274786 - Brain electrical activity and subjective experience during altered states of consciousness: ganzfeld and hypnagogic states.
Wackermann J, Pütz P, Büchi S, Strauch I, Lehmann D. Wackermann J, et al. Int J Psychophysiol. 2002 Nov;46(2):123-46. doi: 10.1016/s0167-8760(02)00070-3. Int J Psychophysiol. 2002. PMID: 12433389 - Reduction in lower-alpha power during Ganzfeld flicker stimulation is associated with the production of imagery and trait positive schizotypy.
Sumich A, Anderson JD, Howard CJ, Heym N, Castro A, Baker J, Belmonte MK. Sumich A, et al. Neuropsychologia. 2018 Dec;121:79-87. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.11.004. Epub 2018 Nov 6. Neuropsychologia. 2018. PMID: 30412713 - Delusions, illusions and hallucinations in epilepsy: 1. Elementary phenomena.
Elliott B, Joyce E, Shorvon S. Elliott B, et al. Epilepsy Res. 2009 Aug;85(2-3):162-71. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2009.03.018. Epub 2009 May 6. Epilepsy Res. 2009. PMID: 19423297 Review. - Phenomenology of hallucinations, illusions, and delusions as part of seizure semiology.
Kasper BS, Kasper EM, Pauli E, Stefan H. Kasper BS, et al. Epilepsy Behav. 2010 May;18(1-2):13-23. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.03.006. Epub 2010 May 18. Epilepsy Behav. 2010. PMID: 20483670 Review.
Cited by
- Real-time fMRI neurofeedback modulates induced hallucinations and underlying brain mechanisms.
Dhanis H, Gninenko N, Morgenroth E, Potheegadoo J, Rognini G, Faivre N, Blanke O, Van De Ville D. Dhanis H, et al. Commun Biol. 2024 Sep 11;7(1):1120. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06842-x. Commun Biol. 2024. PMID: 39261559 Free PMC article. - A computational account of the development and evolution of psychotic symptoms.
Powers A, Angelos P, Bond A, Farina E, Fredericks C, Gandhi J, Greenwald M, Hernandez-Busot G, Hosein G, Kelley M, Mourgues C, Palmer W, Rodriguez-Sanchez J, Seabury R, Toribio S, Vin R, Weleff J, Benrimoh D. Powers A, et al. ArXiv [Preprint]. 2024 Apr 16:arXiv:2404.10954v1. ArXiv. 2024. PMID: 38699166 Free PMC article. Updated. Preprint. - A novel model of divergent predictive perception.
Reeder RR, Sala G, van Leeuwen TM. Reeder RR, et al. Neurosci Conscious. 2024 Feb 12;2024(1):niae006. doi: 10.1093/nc/niae006. eCollection 2024. Neurosci Conscious. 2024. PMID: 38348335 Free PMC article. - Visual hallucinations induced by Ganzflicker and Ganzfeld differ in frequency, complexity, and content.
Shenyan O, Lisi M, Greenwood JA, Skipper JI, Dekker TM. Shenyan O, et al. Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 29;14(1):2353. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52372-1. Sci Rep. 2024. PMID: 38287084 Free PMC article. - Graph-based analysis of EEG for schizotypy classification applying flicker Ganzfeld stimulation.
Zandbagleh A, Mirzakuchaki S, Daliri MR, Sumich A, Anderson JD, Sanei S. Zandbagleh A, et al. Schizophrenia (Heidelb). 2023 Sep 21;9(1):64. doi: 10.1038/s41537-023-00395-4. Schizophrenia (Heidelb). 2023. PMID: 37735164 Free PMC article.