# The Ganzfeld Effect - Trippy Hallucinations Without the LSD



## RJF

I wrote this thread, but I'm doing a copypasta from the Forum I originally posted it in. Figured that "Science" would be the most appropriate category. 

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I haven't been able to fall asleep for over 48 hours. As such, I'm beginning to experience preliminary hallucinations of a sort. I stare at the computer screen, and it begins to fade out. Strange shapes and mists have been appearing out of the corner of my left eye. And most noticeably, I've begun experiencing an array of highly obnoxious, slightly disturbing auditory hallucinations. I hear cars passing by on the road when there clearly is nothing there. The sounds of machinery in the distsance keep me awake, yet they mysteriously and quickly disappear every time I open the curtain to peer out. Within the last few minutes, I've also begun hearing the roaring of a jet engine coming from somewhere within my computer monitor. 

With all of this hallucinating, it's only natural that I'd do a Google search to find out exactly what's going on, how long it's liable to last, and how severe the hallucinations will become. 

Somewhere along the path of exploration, I discovered several articles and passages related to a peculiar phenomenon known as the "Ganzfeld Effect" - something that's been used quite frequently in parapsychological research, in regards to extra-sensory perception and telepathy. 

I'll describe the experiment, and how it can be set up and performed on your own: 

- First things first, you need the right supplies! 
* Scissors
* Tape
* Pingpong balls
* Headset/MP3 headphones/radio/other means of audio input 
* A source of constant light, preferably red 

- Either tune your radio into static, or download a white noise file onto your MP3 player or computer. You'll be listening to this through the headphones - when I say headphones, I mean, like, Bose headphones, or the kind with the gel/plastic insulate that blocks out external noises. You shouldn't be able to hear much of anything from the "outside world". 

- Take a pingpong ball and cut it in half. Please one half over each eyelid, taping it in place. Make sure you don't do anything retarded, like use duct tape. 

- Turn on the white noise, and stare off into the distance - or, as fate would have it, at the back of the white things taped to your eyes. You should be looking at the light source. 

- By creating a setting in which sensory deprivation occurs, your brain begins to generate images and sounds from nothing. 

Results may vary, but many people report auditory, physical, and visual hallucinations within 15 minutes to one hour. These hallucinations can range from being totally ****ing creepy (hands reaching out for you, disturbing faces) to innocent and happy (unicorns and pink elephants) to seemingly random (sledding down a hill, hiking in the woods). They may be brief and sporadic, or in-depth and detailed. 

I'm going to try this later tonight, or tomorrow night. Hopefully I'll be able to fall asleep once I get back to my mom's house in a few hours. I shall report my results!

I've read a lot of interesting stories on the Internet, and this effect is one that's well-documented. Hallucinations can, and often DO occur to those who actively deprive their brain of sensory input. It doesn't always work for everybody, though. You might have to try more than once. 

But it sounds so trippy and awesome, I figure that I may as well give it a go. Unless, of course, the astronaut standing by the door isn't a figment of my imagination, but rather the homosexual reincarnation of Ted Bundy getting ready to murder and rape me, in that order.


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## Jnmcda0

As a kid, I would often close my eyes tight and then point my closed eyes in the direction of the sun for a minute, then look away (with eyes still closed). This would cause me to have visions. Music (particularly progressive rock) helped as well.


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## RJF

LaRibbon said:


> I'm curious as to why you haven't slept in 2 days?
> I don't have ping pong balls. But I have heard about halucinations due to sensory deprivation. Also if I stare at something long enough it tends to fade out, even if i'm perfectly well rested. Sometimes when I'm falling asleep at night I ear birds tweeting, and I know it can't be because they're not up at that time. And if I get up to check, I can't hear them anymore, so I know it's my mind tripping out.


Quick response since I have to leave to go to the hospital (where I work, I'm not getting hospitalized)...

To make a long story short, I'm not sure why I couldn't fall asleep. My caffeine and sugar intake was irregularly high Friday night, so that may have accounted for my brain's unwillingness to shut down then, but it didn't explain much of anything for last night, though I believe that I may have been able to fall asleep for around 30 minutes or so, which felt surprisingly refreshing.


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## asdfking

I wonder if the same thing happens for a human being in a vacuum like in outer space...

Yes, I did just read this entire thread. :yes I have also done LSD. Don't do it.


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## jim_morrison

This also produces a weird optical illusion effect;


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## Belshazzar

I've heard of this -- basically like a home-made isolation chamber. Is there a reason the light needs to be red?

Also, one of my favorites:


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## HunterThompson

Sleep deprivation hallucinations are a type of delirium, similar to that induced by datura, diphenhydramine and other deliriants - you can experience hallucinations as vivid as someone who isn't there appearing in front of you and talking to you. Psychedelics on the other hand produce more subtle effects, waving, morphing, brightening of colours, euphoria, the desire to talk/hug, enhanced creativity etc.

If you want to see what the effects of high dose psychedelics are somewhat like without taking them, try this:

http://www.neave.com/strobe/

As a psychedelic user myself I can say it's pretty accurate, though a little different, and psychedelics have various additional effects, for example patterns may shift around without the object moving, you might see an overlay of fractals, and when you close your eyes you see some vivid imagery.

Belshazzar's post also mimics what some of the morphing on psychedelics looks like, and the Ganzfield effect is even more interesting when combined with an actual psychedelic, the things you see are astonishing.


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## imt

RJF said:


> I wrote this thread, but I'm doing a copypasta from the Forum I originally posted it in. Figured that "Science" would be the most appropriate category.
> 
> ---
> 
> I haven't been able to fall asleep for over 48 hours. As such, I'm beginning to experience preliminary hallucinations of a sort. I stare at the computer screen, and it begins to fade out. Strange shapes and mists have been appearing out of the corner of my left eye. And most noticeably, I've begun experiencing an array of highly obnoxious, slightly disturbing auditory hallucinations. I hear cars passing by on the road when there clearly is nothing there. The sounds of machinery in the distsance keep me awake, yet they mysteriously and quickly disappear every time I open the curtain to peer out. Within the last few minutes, I've also begun hearing the roaring of a jet engine coming from somewhere within my computer monitor.
> ...


I experience similar things when I'm sleep deprived. Usually I'd here people scream my name and my curtains would shift back and forth. At times I'd hear doors slamming. I'd even dream while I'm wide awake.


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