"Ganzfeld" on Proteus?

[completeandtotalidiot]

I'm trying to isolate an effect I've seen in some factory programs with the Proteus: a focus-less field of color. I've assumed this is specifically what "ganzfeld" refers to, and the "ganzfeld effect" being the similar effect from sensory-deprivation: a unique loss of sense of place.

In going through previous posts on all the forums (hoping not to start a redundant thread) I learned that only the Procyon has a ganzfeld feature, though, again, I believe I've seen and experienced this effect with the Proteus.

If I'm confusing terminology, could anyone who understands what I'm referring to in Proteus sessions set me straight, and hopefully, help me program that feature as an exclusive segment in the Proteus?

[CraigT]

'Ganzfeld' has become a complete pain of a term. It seems to have aquired mystical qualities that just don't exist.

It is German for 'blank field' and was coined by arctic explorers to describe the dissociation/disorientation arising from the constant white-on-white of the arctic terrain, particularly during white-out conditions.

The only requirement for ganzfeld is that there be no stimulus (flashing) and that the light be sufficiently diffuse, which the eyelids do quite well. In fact, just closing your eyes while looking at a light will do the job just fine.

I haven't attempted to reproduce it with the Proteus (the Procyon does it easily), but I'm happy to have a look at if you wish, when I have a bit of spare time.

"True" ganzfeld is an eye-open phenomena. The 'classical' ganzfeld experiment is to cut a ping-pong ball in half and place one hemisphere over each eye while facing a suitable light source. Simply closing the eyes induces an immediate rise in alpha activity in most people, so the eyes-closed experience is immediately different to the eyes-open version.

Cheers,
Craig

[completeandtotalidiot]

These forums alone are worth the cost of the units...

The origin of "ganzfeld" coincidentally happens to be perfect. I've gotten that sense of place-less-ness with the Proteus; I recognize the most promising thing to do is to run each program I've used before while hooked up to the editor, stop when I see the effect that caused this, and see what the settings are. The much smarter thing to do is to somehow get Craig to do this for me while I watch TV.

I will try the pingpong ball experiment; I will have someone take a picture of it; I'll post it here and I'll eventually figure out this was just Craig's experiment to see if he could get some Americans to put pingpong balls on their eyes.

MindModulations swears there is nothing unhealthy about me spending the rest of my life doing nothing but staring at this field in the Proteus, and that I won't acclimate to it -- in fact the experience should become deeper. I hope they're right, but my fear is that the effect is caused by the brain giving up on figuring out where the heck it is and just gives in to the place-less-ness -- and eventually place-less-ness will become a ho-hum occasional but "acceptable" diversion from place-ful-ness.

I'm going to start making up words in German, because when I do it in English they just look stupid.

[CraigT]

Hmmm. This is an interesting concept. What can I make a forum full of Americans do without resorting to hypnosis? I'll have to give this some thought.

Thank you for your invaluable insights.

Cheers,
Craig

[completeandtotalidiot]

You can probably get them to refinance their homes twice a week for 5 years and then scratch their heads when they realize the banks and Wall Street did not actually have their best interests at heart and that celebrated national greed is not, turns out, "self-regulating."

Who would've guessed, that as complex forms of bacteria, humans actually behave like bacteria and devour ourselves into non-existence?

If we ever get around to televising a World Series of Natural, Probable and Inevitable Financial Self-Destruction, don't worry about any international ramifications -- like all our World Series', we'll probably only invite Toronto to participate. When they can behave.