Human Communication and the Electrophysiological Activity of the Brain
📄 Original studyPlain English Summary
What if two people could share brainwaves without any physical connection? This study had pairs bond through silent meditation in the dark, then separated them into soundproof, electromagnetically shielded rooms. One person got flashed with lights, triggering electrical spikes in their brain. Remarkably, the other person's brain often produced matching patterns at the exact same moment, despite total isolation. About 57% of bonded pairs showed this effect with strikingly high correlations, while stranger pairs showed nothing. This was the first systematic demonstration of 'transferred potentials,' launching a research tradition other labs would replicate.
Research Notes
First systematic demonstration of the 'transferred potential' phenomenon, preceding the better-known 1994 Physics Essays paper. Launched the EEG brain-brain correlation research line later replicated by Wackermann, Standish, Radin, and Achterberg. Foundational to the telepathy/EEG correlation debate.
Three experiments investigated whether stimulus-evoked brain potentials could be 'transferred' between people isolated in separate electromagnetically shielded Faraday chambers. Pairs first established 'direct communication' — nonverbal meditative co-presence in darkness — then separated into two soundproof chambers 270 cm apart. One subject received randomized light flashes while the other's EEG was time-locked to stimulus onset. In Experiment 1 (5 pairs), transferred potentials correlated r = 0.629–0.966 with evoked potentials at 150–276 ms latency. In Experiment 2 (14 subjects), approximately 57% showed transferred potentials (r = 0.606–0.980). No transferred potentials appeared in non-communicating control pairs.
Related Papers
Same Research Program
Precursor
Extended By
- Correlations between brain electrical activities of two spatially separated human subjects — Wackermann, Jiří (2003)
- Evidence of Correlated Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signals Between Distant Human Brains — Standish, Leanna J (2003)
- Electroencephalographic Evidence of Correlated Event-Related Signals Between the Brains of Spatially and Sensory Isolated Human Subjects — Standish, Leanna J (2004)
- Event-Related Electroencephalographic Correlations Between Isolated Human Subjects — Radin, Dean I (2004)
- Evidence for Correlations Between Distant Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis — Achterberg, J (2005)
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📋 Cite this paper
Grinberg-Zylberbaum, Jacobo, Delaflor, M, Sanchez Arellano, M.E, Guevara, M.A, Perez, M (1992). Human Communication and the Electrophysiological Activity of the Brain. Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine.
@article{grinberg_zylberbaum_1993_human_communication,
title = {Human Communication and the Electrophysiological Activity of the Brain},
author = {Grinberg-Zylberbaum, Jacobo and Delaflor, M and Sanchez Arellano, M.E and Guevara, M.A and Perez, M},
year = {1992},
journal = {Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine},
}