The meditating brain

A brainmusic video, in which brain activity scanned with fMRI is converted into music (and a visualization). In three parts: 1. A subject looks at film clips alternating with a blank screen, for about three minutes. 2. The same film clips, but now the subject is in a state of awareness meditation known as "open presence" meditation. 3. The two visualizations and soundtracks play side by side. Clear differences in tonality and melody reflect differences between ordinary consciousness and meditation. Frequencies of brain osccillation determine the tones and harmonics. Differences are often found using fMRI, but this data sonification brings out a global difference in time that would not be visible either in a static image or a silent animation.
The technique for making this is similar to the other brainmusic videos, with two significant differences. First, the tones and overtones are algorithmic transformations of the real intrinsic frequencies of oscillation of the brain regions. The sounds are more "brain driven" than most of the other videos, where the tones have been assigned arbitrarily. Second, this one plays at the same rate as the original scan. The elegaic melody is the brain at its own pace (at least insofar as fMRI can detect it). Most of the other videos speed up the soundtracks and visualizations.
The audible difference between the two states of mind suggests a large difference between ordinary consciousness and meditation. They are quite harmonious in themselves, but dissonant when played together. You can't step in the same stream of consciousness twice.
NOTE: Since this video was first posted, the brainmusic project has attracted the interest of the independent documentary film maker Elisa da Prato. To check the status of the feature-length film (and to support the project), see http://musicofthehemispheres.com/
The "mind as music" hypothesis finds empirical support in this open source paper:
http://www.frontiersin.org/theoretical_and_philosophical_psychology/10.3389/f...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• meditation
• brain
• music
• consciousness
• fMRI
• electronic
• experimental