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Megabrain: New Tools and Techniques for Brain Growth and Mind Expansion
Scientists have learned more about the brain in the last decade than in all of previous history, and the implications of the latest research are clear: The human brain is far more powerful, and has the potential for immensely greater growth and transformation, than was ever before imagined. These discoveries may constitute the most significant development in learning since the invention of writing.
Michael Hutchison captures all the drama, excitement, and adventure as we finally begin to comprehend the most mysterious and complex structure in the universe, the source of human culture, a still untapped reservoir of power and skills. He looks at the recently developed machines and devices that may soon allow us to increase brain size and intelligence; regenerate brain cells; trigger specific brain states such as euphoria, long- and short-term memory, sexual excitement, and creativity; and control the brain's electrical activity in order to alter such "involuntary" mechanisms as blood pressure, heart rate, and the secretion of hormones. Megabrain is a lucid and lively account of where the pioneers in brain research are headed — and where they are taking us.
- GenresPsychologyScience
347 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 7, 2016
This is a well-written, informative book about one of my favourite subjects, the brain. However, the version I read was from 1986, and I kept feeling that the book was somewhat out-of-date. I now see that the latest version is from 2014, so others can read that one.
I am myself using Bill Harris´s brain synchronization programme, Holosync, with some success, but there was no information on that, obviously, the edition being so old.
We´re told of brain experiments with rats showing how, when placed in an “enriched environment”, they become smarter, and whose brains increase in size. (Not that I approve of animal experimentation.)
Then we´re introduced to various, fascinating machines which were shown to stimulate the brains of humans, including those with a variety of neurological problems, including Down´s syndrome, mental retardation and learning disabilities; the subjects were shown to have “astonishing recoveries of mental abilities or sharp increases in a variety of brain values”.
The focus of the book is about examining these tools as a means of stimulating already healthy brains and provoking them into greater-than-normal growth and higher-than-ordinary capabilities. The author states that “the ultimate creative capacity of the brain may be, for all practical purposes, infinite.”
We are informed about the work of Ilya Prigogine, a scientist Bill Harris was much inspired by. Prigogine discovered that order arises because of disorder, not despite it, and life emerges out of entropy (“a quantity expressing how much of a system´s thermal energy is unavailable for conversion into mechanical work”), not against it.
However the chapter on Prigogine´s theory of dissipative structures, for which he received the Nobel Prize, was somewhat difficult for me to comprehend, and it was not terribly clear what all this had to do with the subject on hand, apart from the fact that the brain apparently is a dissipative structure (dissipate = to disperse or disappear), and neither was it clear to me what dissipative structures actually were, except for the fact that the brain apparently is one. So I will refrain from attempting to explain the matter.
The author refers to the second law of thermodynamics without explaining what this is, neither does he define “dissipative structures”.
When stimulated, the brain is pushed into a higher level and spontaneously “transforms itself into a new state, more ordered, more coherent, more complex, more interconnected, more highly evolved than before”.
I found Michael Hutchison´s explanations abstruse and lacking in definitions, thus making the material hard for the non-scientifically gifted reader to comprehend.
The author himself tries various exciting brain-enhancing machines and presents us with his experiences. These machines were 1) a transcutaneous Electro-Neural Stimulator (a TENS unit), which caused the brain to release large quantities of pain-killing, euphoria-causing endorphins, 2) the Alpha Stim, mostly used for pain relief, but which also provides “electronarcosis”, characterized by deep relaxation, heightened awareness and a sense of euphoria, 3) the CAP Scan, where one oneself can observe the brain and interact with it, changing various colours in order to produce various positive effects, 4) the Mind Mirror, where five patterns can be identified – high beta activity, symmetrical alpha rhythms, “alpha blocking”, symmetrical alpha and lesser-amplitude theta, and finally “the awakened mind, lucid awareness, the fifth state”.
Then there is an exciting chapter about Robert Monroe´s renowned Hemi-Sync. Monroe was the definitive investigator into out-of-body experiences as described in his three thrilling books. The author of the present book attended a seminar at the Monroe Institute and listened to many Hemi-Sync tapes every day, each one taking the participants “progressively further away from ordinary consciousness into expanded awareness”.
Further chapters deal with the Synchro-Energizer, the Graham Potentializer, Tranquilite and the Flotation tank.
To sum up, I found this book to be in part immensely gripping and stimulating, and will now google the various mentioned apparatuses to see if they are still available, which I assume they are. The only problem was that the text was in part not easily comprehensible, and necessary definitions and an index were lacking.
I would recommend the book in the newest edition for all those interested in brain development and such machines as assist in this.
I am myself using Bill Harris´s brain synchronization programme, Holosync, with some success, but there was no information on that, obviously, the edition being so old.
We´re told of brain experiments with rats showing how, when placed in an “enriched environment”, they become smarter, and whose brains increase in size. (Not that I approve of animal experimentation.)
Then we´re introduced to various, fascinating machines which were shown to stimulate the brains of humans, including those with a variety of neurological problems, including Down´s syndrome, mental retardation and learning disabilities; the subjects were shown to have “astonishing recoveries of mental abilities or sharp increases in a variety of brain values”.
The focus of the book is about examining these tools as a means of stimulating already healthy brains and provoking them into greater-than-normal growth and higher-than-ordinary capabilities. The author states that “the ultimate creative capacity of the brain may be, for all practical purposes, infinite.”
We are informed about the work of Ilya Prigogine, a scientist Bill Harris was much inspired by. Prigogine discovered that order arises because of disorder, not despite it, and life emerges out of entropy (“a quantity expressing how much of a system´s thermal energy is unavailable for conversion into mechanical work”), not against it.
However the chapter on Prigogine´s theory of dissipative structures, for which he received the Nobel Prize, was somewhat difficult for me to comprehend, and it was not terribly clear what all this had to do with the subject on hand, apart from the fact that the brain apparently is a dissipative structure (dissipate = to disperse or disappear), and neither was it clear to me what dissipative structures actually were, except for the fact that the brain apparently is one. So I will refrain from attempting to explain the matter.
The author refers to the second law of thermodynamics without explaining what this is, neither does he define “dissipative structures”.
When stimulated, the brain is pushed into a higher level and spontaneously “transforms itself into a new state, more ordered, more coherent, more complex, more interconnected, more highly evolved than before”.
I found Michael Hutchison´s explanations abstruse and lacking in definitions, thus making the material hard for the non-scientifically gifted reader to comprehend.
The author himself tries various exciting brain-enhancing machines and presents us with his experiences. These machines were 1) a transcutaneous Electro-Neural Stimulator (a TENS unit), which caused the brain to release large quantities of pain-killing, euphoria-causing endorphins, 2) the Alpha Stim, mostly used for pain relief, but which also provides “electronarcosis”, characterized by deep relaxation, heightened awareness and a sense of euphoria, 3) the CAP Scan, where one oneself can observe the brain and interact with it, changing various colours in order to produce various positive effects, 4) the Mind Mirror, where five patterns can be identified – high beta activity, symmetrical alpha rhythms, “alpha blocking”, symmetrical alpha and lesser-amplitude theta, and finally “the awakened mind, lucid awareness, the fifth state”.
Then there is an exciting chapter about Robert Monroe´s renowned Hemi-Sync. Monroe was the definitive investigator into out-of-body experiences as described in his three thrilling books. The author of the present book attended a seminar at the Monroe Institute and listened to many Hemi-Sync tapes every day, each one taking the participants “progressively further away from ordinary consciousness into expanded awareness”.
Further chapters deal with the Synchro-Energizer, the Graham Potentializer, Tranquilite and the Flotation tank.
To sum up, I found this book to be in part immensely gripping and stimulating, and will now google the various mentioned apparatuses to see if they are still available, which I assume they are. The only problem was that the text was in part not easily comprehensible, and necessary definitions and an index were lacking.
I would recommend the book in the newest edition for all those interested in brain development and such machines as assist in this.
March 6, 2009
This book really opened my eyes to what is available for those who are looking to explore other levels of conciousness and alternative forms of meditating and learning. The first half of the book delves more into the whys and hows of the brain how it functions and the studies that have been done that demonstrate that the brain can easily be changed and shaped through a variety of different mechanisms to create in a person a more relaxed and meditative state and a brain that is more conducive to learning and problem solving,.
The second half of the book deals with all the different CES, light and sound machines (you'll have to read the book to know what I'm talking about it) that are currently available. I bought one of each of the above and can profess that they indeed do work.
As good as the book is, it came out over 20 years ago, so many of the machines that are discussed no longer exist or much more advanced units have taken their place. There are more than likely other, more contemporary books describing new tools and techniques for brain growth and mind expansion.
The second half of the book deals with all the different CES, light and sound machines (you'll have to read the book to know what I'm talking about it) that are currently available. I bought one of each of the above and can profess that they indeed do work.
As good as the book is, it came out over 20 years ago, so many of the machines that are discussed no longer exist or much more advanced units have taken their place. There are more than likely other, more contemporary books describing new tools and techniques for brain growth and mind expansion.
November 25, 2018
I picked this up based on the reference / qualification recommendation from Kevin Kelly in the Whole Earth Catalog "The Fringes of Reason." Kelly praised Hutchinson for getting out and trying the devices, but lamented the gee-whiz, credulous reporting. And yeah, when Hutchinson can repeat "I'm a skeptic" like some sort of mantra and yet brush past inventors' claims that their device enables psi powers or astral travel or whatever, I just had to roll my eyes. It's also not a particularly well-written book, with some sloppy repetitious phrasing and weird formatting choices, at times seeming more like field notes than a full book.
Still, the melange of actual cutting edge brain science and full tilt woo made me think, so I guess the title isn't false advertising - and some of the devices seem like they would be fun to try, so there's that.
Still, the melange of actual cutting edge brain science and full tilt woo made me think, so I guess the title isn't false advertising - and some of the devices seem like they would be fun to try, so there's that.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews