Electroencephalographic Evidence of Correlated Event-Related Signals Between the Brains of Spatially and Sensory Isolated Human Subjects
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Plain English Summary
This was the biggest EEG study from the same lab, testing whether one person's brain waves ripple when a partner in another room sees a flashing pattern. Sixty people (30 pairs) sat in soundproofed rooms 10 meters apart. One watched a flickering checkerboard while the other just relaxed. About 8% of receivers showed significantly higher brain activation during their partner's flicker periods β and when all the data was pooled together statistically, the overall result was highly significant (p = 0.0005), while the control condition showed nothing at all. That's a clean contrast. One standout subject later went on to replicate the effect in an fMRI scanner, with correlated signals appearing in the visual cortex. By this point, seven independent labs since 1963 had reported similar findings, making the pattern harder to dismiss as a fluke.
Research Notes
Largest EEG correlation study from the Bastyr/UW lab. Deliberately chose not to use electromagnetic shielding to avoid potentially blocking the phenomenon if EM-mediated. Authors note this is the most methodologically rigorous demonstration to date, with 7 independent labs reporting similar findings since 1963. The one pair that replicated (subject DJ) was later studied with fMRI (Richards et al. 2005), finding correlated BOLD signals in visual cortex area 18/19.
Simultaneous EEGs were recorded from 60 subjects (30 pairs) in sound-attenuated rooms separated by 10 meters. One member relaxed while the other received visual checkerboard stimulation (alternating 64-sec flicker/static epochs). A Runs test compared receiver EEG activation (80-180ms post-trigger) during sender stimulus-on vs. off conditions. Five of 60 subjects (8.3%) showed significantly higher brain activation (p<0.01) during their partner's flicker condition. Meta-analytic Stouffer z = -3.28 (p=0.0005) for flickering condition; static control was non-significant (z=0.35, p=0.64). One of four retested pairs replicated the effect.
Links
Related Papers
Cites
- Extrasensory Electroencephalographic Induction between Identical Twins β Duane, T. D (1965)
- The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox in the Brain: The Transferred Potential β Grinberg-Zylberbaum, Jacobo (1994)
- Evidence of Correlated Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signals Between Distant Human Brains β Standish, Leanna J (2003)
- Correlations between brain electrical activities of two spatially separated human subjects β Wackermann, JiΕΓ (2003)
- Event-Related Electroencephalographic Correlations Between Isolated Human Subjects β Radin, Dean I (2004)
Extends
Extended By
- Evidence for Correlations Between Distant Intentionality and Brain Function in Recipients: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Analysis β Achterberg, J (2005)
- Replicable Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence of Correlated Brain Signals Between Physically and Sensory Isolated Subjects β Richards, Todd L (2005)
Companion
- Correlations between brain electrical activities of two spatially separated human subjects β Wackermann, JiΕΓ (2003)
- Event-Related Electroencephalographic Correlations Between Isolated Human Subjects β Radin, Dean I (2004)
- Correlations Between the EEGs of Two Spatially Separated Subjects β A Replication Study β Ambach, Wolfgang (2008)
- Using Neuroimaging to Resolve the Psi Debate β Moulton, Samuel T (2008)
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π Cite this paper
Standish, Leanna J, Kozak, Leila, Johnson, L. Clark, Richards, Todd (2004). Electroencephalographic Evidence of Correlated Event-Related Signals Between the Brains of Spatially and Sensory Isolated Human Subjects. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1089/107555304323062293
@article{standish_2004_electroencephalographic,
title = {Electroencephalographic Evidence of Correlated Event-Related Signals Between the Brains of Spatially and Sensory Isolated Human Subjects},
author = {Standish, Leanna J and Kozak, Leila and Johnson, L. Clark and Richards, Todd},
year = {2004},
journal = {Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine},
doi = {10.1089/107555304323062293},
}