| United States Patent |
6,135,944
|
|
Bowman
, et al.
|
October 24, 2000
|
Method of inducing harmonious states of being
Abstract
A method of inducing harmonious states of being using vibrational stimuli,
preferably sound, comprised of a multitude of frequencies expressing a
specific pattern of relationship. Two base signals are modulated by a set
of ratios to generate a plurality of harmonics. The harmonics are combined
to form a "fractal" arrangement.
| Inventors:
|
Bowman; Gerard D. (West Boylston, MA);
Karam; Edward M. (Springfield, MA);
Benson; Steven C. (Watertown, MA)
|
| Assignee:
|
Zebedee Research, Inc. (West Boylston, MA)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
187591 |
| Filed:
|
November 6, 1998 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
600/27; 600/28 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A61M 021/00 |
| Field of Search: |
600/27,28,26
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4834701 | May., 1989 | Masaki | 600/28.
|
| 4883067 | Nov., 1989 | Knispel et al. | 600/28.
|
| 5036858 | Aug., 1991 | Carter et al. | 600/27.
|
| 5135468 | Aug., 1992 | Meissner | 600/28.
|
| 5213562 | May., 1993 | Monroe | 600/28.
|
| 5289438 | Feb., 1994 | Gall | 600/28.
|
| 5356368 | Oct., 1994 | Monroe | 600/28.
|
Other References
"Chaos--Making A New Science", 1987 by James Gleick p. 293.
|
Primary Examiner: Hindenburg; Max
Assistant Examiner: Szmal; Brian
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application under 37 CFR .sctn.119 claims priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 60/065,851 filed Nov. 14, 1997
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of generating a combined signal, comprising:
(a) selecting a first and a second base frequency, the first base frequency
being different than the second base frequency;
(b) providing a multiplication array having at least two elements;
(c) multiplying the first and second base frequencies by each element of
the multiplication array, thereby producing a plurality of respective
first and second harmonic frequencies; and
(d) combining the plurality of first harmonic frequencies to produce a
first original composite signal and combining the plurality of second
harmonic frequencies to produce a second original composite signal.
2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:
(e) subjecting a human being to the first and second original composite
signals.
3. The method defined in claim 2, wherein the first and second original
composite signals are audio signals.
4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:
(e) selecting one of the plurality of first harmonic frequencies as a
substitute first base frequency and selecting one of the plurality of
second harmonic frequencies as a substitute second base frequency;
(f) repeating (c) and (d) using the substitute first and substitute second
base frequencies, respectively, in place of the first and second base
frequencies, thereby producing, respectively, a first and a second
additional composite signal.
5. The method defined in claim 4, wherein the first and second original
composite signals are not generated while the first and second additional
composite signals are generated.
6. The method defined in claim 4, wherein the first and second additional
composite signals are generated at least part of the time that the first
and second original composite signals are generated.
7. The method defined in claim 6, further comprising:
(g) subjecting a human being to the first and second original composite
signals and the first and second additional composite signals.
8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein the first and second original
composite signals and the first and second additional composite signals
are audio signals.
9. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the difference between the first
base frequency and the second base frequency is 7.85 Hz.
10. A recording, comprising a playback medium storing at least first and
second tracks of data representing, respectively, first and second
composite signals, wherein:
(a) the first and second composite signals comprise, respectively, a
combination of a first and a second plurality of harmonic frequenceies;
(b) each of the first and second plurality of harmonic frequencies is a
product of a respective first and second base frequency and a ratio of
positive integers; and
(c) the first base frequency is unequal to the second base frequency.
11. The recording defined in claim 10, wherein the first and second
composite signals are audio signals.
12. The recording defined in claim 11, wherein the first base frequency
differs from the second base frequency by 7.85 Hz.
13. A harmonic fractal matrix of frequencies, comprising a first and a
second column of elements, wherein:
(a) both columns contain an equal number of elements;
(b) each element represents a frequency;
(c) each element of the first column is a product of a first base frequency
and an element of a multiplication array;
(d) each element of the second column is a product of a second base
frequency and an element of the multiplication array; and
(e) the first base frequency is unequal to the second base frequency.
14. The harmonic fractal matrix defined in claim 13, wherein each element
of the multiplication array is a ratio of two positive integers.
15. The harmonic fractal matrix defined in claim 14, wherein the first base
frequency differs from the second base frequency by 7.85 Hz.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to applying stimuli to a human being to induce an
altered state of consciousness.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Throughout the ages music has demonstrated the ability for sound to
influence an individual's state of being. Musicians have intuitively
produced compositions that elicit a wide range of emotional response. The
science of psychoacoustics explores the processes underlying this
phenomena. The psychoacoustic theory of the present invention incorporates
a scientific method of influencing an individual's state of being through
sound.
Several methods for using sound to induce altered states of being have
previously been explored. Most of these efforts have dealt with techniques
that incorporate measured physiological data, primarily
Electroencephalograph (EEG) signals, into a stimulus to be introduced to
the body. Encoding EEG frequency information into an audio stimulus to
induce specific brain wave frequencies is a technique commonly found.
Typically, these techniques employ a single frequency or a plurality of
frequencies that are varied over time to linearly guide the brain waves to
a desired frequency of vibration. Several known techniques for inducing
altered states using vibrational stimuli based upon EEG brain wave
information are shown, for example, in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________
4,834,701 5,135,468
5,356,368
4,883,067 5,213,562
5,036,858 5,289,438
______________________________________
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of inducing harmonious states of
being through the application of vibrational stimuli, preferably sound.
The stimuli are comprised of a pattern of waveforms that express what we
call a "fractal" arrangement in their frequency relationships. FIG. 1
exemplifies such a fractal arrangement of harmonic frequencies. This
arrangement is organized in matrix form and thus is referred to as a
"harmonic fractal matrix". The ratio of 3 Hz to 5 Hz is in the same
proportion as 30 Hz to 50 Hz and 300 Hz to 500 Hz. Each of these frequency
pairs are said to be "fractally equivalent" to every other as they express
the same proportion through varying levels of magnitude.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by reference to
the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a fractal frequency arrangement expressing the
structured pattern of harmonic relationship of the harmonic fractal matrix
according to the invention;
FIG. 2 graphically illustrates the process of multiplying carrier frequency
1 70 and carrier signal frequency 1' 80 by modulation array 90 and
combining the resulting signals into the structured pattern of harmonic
relationship expressed as the harmonic fractal matrix 100 of the
invention;
FIGS. 3A-3B show a detailed example of the modulation array and harmonic
fractal matrix of FIG. 2 according to the invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates the process by which a plurality of harmonic fractal
matrices are created according to the invention; and
FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a multi-tiered pyramid arrangement
outlining a template for combining and sequencing multiple harmonic
fractal matrices according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The application of vibrational stimuli comprised of harmonic relationships
arranged to form specific patterns has been extensively investigated by
the present inventors. As a result of that investigation, it was
determined that stimuli comprised of harmonic frequencies arranged to
express fractal relationships brought about profound changes in conscious
perception, as well as psychological and physiological states of being.
The method, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
derives from this discovery the fractal arrangement of frequency harmonics
referred to as the "harmonic fractal matrix". FIG. 2 graphically
illustrates the process by which the harmonic fractal matrix is generated.
A base frequency 1 70 and a base frequency 1' 80 are operated upon by a
multiplication array 90. The resulting harmonic frequencies produce the
harmonic fractal matrix 100 as shown.
The detailed example below outlines each of the formulaic steps to create
the harmonic fractal matrix using audio signals.
First, two audio base signals having frequencies f.sub.C1, and f.sub.C1',
are chosen such that the frequencies are separated by a non-zero value. An
example of two such frequencies is given below.
______________________________________
Base Signal 1 Base Signal 1'
______________________________________
f.sub.Cl = 144 Hz
f.sub.C1 ' = 151.85 Hz
______________________________________
The separation frequency, .DELTA..function..sub.C1, of 7.85 Hz used in this
example is derived from the following equation.
.DELTA..function..sub.C =3.phi..sup.2 =7.85
Where .phi. is the mathematical "golden mean" (1.618), a ratio commonly
found in nature and in esthetically pleasing Western works of art.
Choosing a separation frequency based upon the golden mean has been found
to produce beneficial results.
Second, a set of ratios of whole numbers is selected to comprise the
elements of a multiplication array. These ratios are of the form expressed
in the following equation.
##EQU1##
where: R=ratio;
i and j=positive integer values;
n=harmonic number counter (1,2,3, . . . N); and
N=total number of harmonics.
FIG. 3A shows an example of a quintessential (N=5) multiplication array
comprised of ratios.
Third, the frequency of each base signal is multiplied by the
multiplication array to produce a plurality of harmonic signals. FIG. 3B
shows the result of applying the multiplication array of FIG. 3A to the
base signal frequencies. As shown, the ratio that stands between the
harmonic frequencies remains constant as the absolute frequency values are
changed. This produces harmonics that relate to each other in a "fractally
equivalent" nature. Thus the simultaneous application of base frequency 1
harmonics and base frequency 1' harmonics produces N simultaneous levels
of fractally equivalent frequency relationships establishing the harmonic
fractal matrix of FIG. 3B.
Another desired characteristic of this process is to apply the
multiplication array as a dividing principle to the amplitudes of the base
signals. The amplitudes of the harmonic signals are thus inversely related
to their frequencies. In other words, the amplitude of a harmonic signal
is decreased in the same proportion as its frequency is increased and vice
versa.
Finally, the signals of the harmonic fractal matrix are combined for
application to the human body. Base frequency 1 harmonics are combined to
produce composite signal C1 while base frequency 1' harmonics are combined
to create composite signal C1' as shown in the equations below.
##EQU2##
The composite signals, C1 and C1', may be applied monaurally and/or
binaurally to the ears to create varying effects. The aforementioned steps
are preferably repeated a multitude of times to produce a plurality of
harmonic fractal matrices. Each matrix is created using the same ratios
applied to new and different base signal frequencies chosen from the
original set of harmonic frequencies. FIG. 4 shows an example of creating
two additional fractal matrices in which the original base frequencies are
replaced by level 3 and level 5 harmonic frequencies.
The composite signals of the harmonic fractal matrices may be applied
simultaneously or preferably in stages to provide a gradual introduction
of the stimulus to the body. FIG. 5 shows an example of a gradual
introduction wherein the composite signals have been sequenced and mixed
into two separate tracks. Here, the composite signals of a single matrix
are initially applied, followed by the introduction of composite signals
of additional matrices combined and sequentially arranged in time
according to a multi-tiered pyramid arrangement. Tier 1 has C1 applied to
track 1 while C1' is simultaneously applied to track 2. Tier 2
incorporates a mix of C1 and C2 to track 1 with a mix of C1' and C2'
applied to track 2. Tier 3 includes a mix of C1, C2, and C3 to track 1
with a mix of C1', C2', and C3' applied to track 2. The duration of each
tier is typically in the range of two to ten minutes, though shorter or
longer durations may be used.
The multi-tiered pyramid arrangement is preferably introduced to the body
by means of stereo audio signals applied to the ears. In one application,
track 1 and track 2 are separately applied to the left and right channels,
respectively. In another application, track 1 and track 2 are applied in a
mix to both left and right channels in direct or inverse proportion to one
of the whole number ratios.
The original base signals may be of a continuous or discontinuous nature.
In a first embodiment continuous signals alone are used. In a second
embodiment pulsated signals alone are utilized. In a third embodiment both
continuous and pulsated signals are simultaneously utilized wherein the
frequencies of the pulsated signals are either the same as, or are a whole
number multiple of, the frequencies of the continuous signals. In this
third embodiment, the continuous and discontinuous aspects are
simultaneously applied to create an audible experience of a smooth melodic
backdrop accompanied by the sounding of periodic pulses.
The method of the present invention has applications in a number of
different areas. The induction of a natural state of harmony is marked by
a reduction in muscle tension, reduced stress and anxiety, and an overall
sense of well being. Variations in the base frequencies and ratios
selected provide other desirable states including relief of mental tension
and fatigue; induction of meditative states; heightened focus and
concentration; enhanced dream activity and recall; and sleep induction.
Other areas of application include aiding individuals with Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD) to remain calm and focused. The present invention
further provides a method to positively influence the human body through
non-intrusive, non-chemical, and inexpensive means, such as audio stimuli
recorded on a cassette, which can be utilized at the discretion of the
user.
The principles and preferred embodiments of the present invention have been
described in the foregoing specification. The invention should not,
however, be construed as limited to the particular forms described, or the
particular examples given, as those are to be considered exemplary in
nature and regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Variations
and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from
the scope and pioneering spirit of the invention. Consequently, the
invention should be considered as limited only by the scope of the
appended claims.
* * * * *