While he attends to his rats, Persinger gives me the lowdown on the haunt theory. Why would a certain type of electromagnetic field make one hear things or sense a presence? What’s the mechanism? The answer hinges on the fact that exposure to electromagnetic fields lowers melatonin levels. Melatonin, he explains, is an anti-convulsive; if you have less of it in your system, your brain –in particular, your right temporal lobe– will be more prone to tiny epileptic-esque microseizures and the subtle hallucinations these seizures can cause. Mary Roach
About This Quote

Dr. Persinger is a professor at Laurentian University, in Ontario, Canada. Persinger is the Director of the Laboratory of Neuropsychology at Laurentian University where he has studied the effects of electromagnetic fields on humans for more than 30 years. Persinger has become one of the leading expert on his field and has even surveyed other professors to see what they think about his theories.

Persinger’s experiments have shown that when people are exposed to weak electromagnetic fields, the area of the brain that deals with sensory information becomes more active. Persinger believes that by using various fields, one can induce hallucinations in people.

Source: Spook: Science Tackles The Afterlife

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