Reticular Activating System (RAS)
At any moment in time our brain is processing a number of simultaneous types of information coming in from the external world through our physical senses. A portion of the human brain that is sensitive to these changing external stimulii is known as the Reticular Activating System (or RAS). Whenever one of our senses produces an unvarying input, then our RAS directs our attention to other senses.Science's View
Experiencing The Void (Blankout)
For example, if our eyes are presented with an unvarying visual input then after a period the RAS system decides that there is no important information coming in visually and directs awareness to other senses, creating what is known as a “Blank-out”. Here our sense of sight is suddenly switched off.
Researcher Robert Ornstein discovered that “Blank-out” was not merely the experience of seeing nothing, but one of actually not being able to see at all, where the sense of vision is completely switched off. For instance during “Blank-out” the observers did not know, for instance whether their eyes were open or closed.
This phonomenon has been observed for thousands of years. One ancient meditation technique consists of simply staring at a cloudless blue sky until there is no sky. Many ancient traditions describe this “Blank-out” as experiencing “the void”, “emptiness” or “the cloud of unknowing”. The “Blank-out” effect seems to be the key to many of the benefits of meditation ranging from stress reduction to increased sensory actuity & mental clarity. However, it is not easy to achieve this state reliably.
Galzfelds & Ping-Pong Balls
can induce an increase in psychic abilities
Modern researchers have tried numeorus way of initiating Blank-out in the laboratory from dense uniform fog to translucent goggles. One very simply and highly effective method used by many scientists is to cut a ping-pong ball in half and place one half over each of the eyes. A beam of white light is then directed at each of the white hemispheres. The individual then stares at the white featureless void before their eyes. This unvarying featureless visual input is known as a Ganzfeld and has been particularly effective at producing Blank-out and deeply internalised meditative states of consciousness. As a result many scientists investigating the brain and consciousness use this method in their experiments.
Psychic Abilities Enhanced
Interestingly, in numerous controlled statistical studies; the Ganzfeld has repeatedly produced a significant increase in psychic abilities such as Telepathy, Psychokinesis and Remote Viewing.
It would appear from these experiments; that when sensory input ceases, the brain itself starts to bring forth it’s own stimulii directly from the mind. In this state the observer may undergo vivid hallucinations or visions. It would appear that this method is particularly useful in accessing the subconscious mind. It would appear from the findings of many, that our subsconscious minds are in constant communication with and can perceive higher realms of existance at all times. The subconscious is also the avenue to our higher self.
