Quantitative analysis of unconsciousness in extremely low frequency-inducing flickering light sensation

Abstract

A flickering light sensation induced by the extremely low frequency stimulus to retina is known as the one and only phenomenon that the human body can vividly perceive with a biological effect with the use of very weak magnetic fields. Because the flicker sensation can be made visible by direct stimulus to retina, deliberations for details in the retinal receptivity of the sensation are of great importance. In this paper, we examined the several flows of retinal capacities with the extremely low frequency-inducing flicker, employing a functional brain-imaging technique as well as an original human reliability test equipped with spot-detections at irregular intervals. In the results of our functional brain-imaging analyses, the occipital hemodynamics corresponding to the spot-detections were enhanced noticeably when compared with a control experiment. On the other hand, the error rates in the correct spot-detections at the threshold for the flicker perception were significantly poorer in most of eight subjects. The error rates at 80% of the threshold were decreased in no more than five among the subjects; of particular note is, the rates at 70% of the threshold were maintained in two of them. Our experimental results support the fact that extremely low frequency stimuli can reveal definite subliminal effects – – human error, unconsciousness, synaptic plasticity, etc. – – to the human visual perceptions.