Koren helmet

   Also referred to as God helmet. The eponym Koren helmet refers to the Canadian technician and patent inventor Stanley Koren. It is used to denote a laboratory apparatus (which initially had the shape of a helmet), developed by Koren in close collaboration with the American-Canadian neuropsychologist Michael A. Persinger (b. 1945). The device is able to apply complex, computer-generated magnetic signals to the head of a test person. The Koren helmet generates a very weak rotating magnetic field of the order of 10 nT to 1 iT. It has been used as a research tool to study the role of the temporo-parietal lobes in the mediation of religious and * mystic experiences. It has been claimed by Persinger et al. that in this way they have succeeded in evoking * sensory deceptions such as *sensed presence, *ecstatic aurae, and *visual hallucinations, a substantial number of which had a bearing on the image or presence of God or Jesus Christ. For example, one test person reported seeing a clear * apparition, consisting of the shoulders and head of Christ. Other test persons reported sensing the presence ofdead relatives, spirits, the Great Forces, etc. Reportedly the Koren helmet has also aided in mediating *visions of demoniac beings, * out-of-body experiences, visions of 'other realities', and a range of other sensory deceptions. It has been suggested that the results obtained by Persinger's group indicate that religious experiences in general may have a neural basis.

   References

   Hill, D.R., Persinger, M.A. (2003). Application of transcerebral, weak (1 microT) complex magnetic fields and mystical experiences: Are they generated by field-induced dimethyltryptamine release from the pineal organ? Perceptual and Motor Skills, 97, 1049-1050. Persinger, M.A. (1987). Neuropsychological bases of God beliefs.New York,NY: Praeger.