On the 25th of July 2024 we gathered at the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre in Edinburgh to experiment with the Ganzfeld Procedure.
The Ganzfeld Procedure is a simple experiment that involves listening to white noise and looking at a uniform field of light. After several minutes, many people who try it report visual and auditory hallucinations.
After a short presentation on the history and science of the Ganzfeld Procedure, everyone strapped on a paper mask, and we switched on some red lights and played some very loud white noise. It was pretty surreal.
People reported all kinds of visual and auditory hallucinations. Things that people heard included: music, drums, chanting… and a phone continually going off. Things that people saw included: snowflakes, patters, ripples of red light, and even shadowy figures.
The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre is, by the way, also very beautiful. Well worth a visit… with or without hallucinations.