A landmark study at IONS (The Institute of Noetic Sciences) has shed light on the brain activity behind a remarkable phenomenon known as “Upsight” – the ability to perceive holographic images within one’s visual field. The study, conducted with Tom Matte, an individual who experiences Upsight firsthand, reveals significant differences in brain electrical activity compared to traditional mental imagery. This groundbreaking research offers new insights into human cognition and perception, with potential applications in fields ranging from neuroscience to augmented reality.
NOVATO, Calif., Jan. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — In an unprecedented scientific investigation, a recent case study has shed light on intriguing differences in brain electrical activity associated with a unique phenomenon known as “Upsight.” This study, conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, offers remarkable insights into the human brain’s ability to perceive holographic images within one’s visual field.
Tom Matte, the subject of this groundbreaking study, reports experiencing Upsight. He describes it as the ability to consciously perceive holographic images on an internal screen overlaying his normal visual field, whether his eyes are open or closed.
The study, led by a team of esteemed researchers from IONS (The Institute of Noetic Sciences), employed a meticulous methodology. Tom alternated between two experimental conditions – a control condition where he mentally recalled a previously viewed image, and the Upsight condition where he visually perceived the image on an internal “screen.” Throughout these alternating conditions, data was collected using a 64-channel EEG.
The results of the study are nothing short of remarkable. Significant disparities in scalp EEG signals were observed between the two conditions, with the most notable differences occurring in the alpha frequency range, particularly at channel PO8 (cluster peak at 11 Hz; t = -19.5; p-corrected<0.001). Source reconstruction analysis further revealed pronounced alpha asymmetry in frontoparietal brain regions (cluster peak at 11 Hz in the left frontal midline cortex; t = -17.7; p-corrected<0.001).
These findings have been interpreted in alignment with the asymmetric inhibition model, suggesting that the Upsight experience is correlated with a substantial reduction in inhibition within frontoparietal brain regions. This reduction in inhibition may reflect the participant’s deliberate suppression of the Upsight perceptual stream to successfully perform the control condition.
Furthermore, statistical analyses of EEG data at the scalp level demonstrated widespread and significant differences (p<0.001 after spatiotemporal cluster correction for multiple comparisons) between the Upsight condition and the control condition. Notably, six significant clusters were identified:
- Cluster 1: 4-26 Hz, peak effect at channel PO8 at 11 Hz (t = -19.5).
- Cluster 2: 28.5-32.5 Hz, peak effect at channel F8 at 31 Hz (t = 8).
- Cluster 3: 42.5-45 Hz, peak effect at channel F8 at 45 Hz (t = 7.6).
- Cluster 4: 39.5-41 Hz, peak effect at channel F8 at 40 Hz (t = 7.2).
- Cluster 5: 1.5-2.5 Hz, peak effect at channel O2 at 1.5 Hz (t = -6.8).
- Cluster 6: 39-45 Hz, peak effect at channel O1 at 40 Hz (t = 6.5).
The most substantial disparities were evident at 11 Hz in posterior electrode sites, although differences were widespread across all channels, indicating significantly lower alpha power during the Upsight condition relative to the control condition. Alpha waves are typically associated with a lucid, calm, physically and mentally relaxed brain state.
These groundbreaking findings have unequivocally refuted the null hypothesis of an absence of brain electrical activity differences between conditions with a staggering 99.9% confidence level (p<0.001). This study paves the way for further exploration of the source and nature of the Upsight perceptual stream, opening new doors to our understanding of human cognition and perception.
The research team at IONS is submitting “A case study on differences in brain electrical activity between recall-based mental imagery and a subjective phenomenon of Upsight” to the Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition (JAEX) and is currently under peer review.
The preprint can be read here: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/e6q7x
For more information about this groundbreaking IONS study, or to schedule an interview with Tom Matte, please contact:
Michael Moriarty
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SOURCE IONS (The Institute of Noetic Sciences)
