This thread was suggested by another currently-running thread in
Usenet newsgroup bionet.general on the anesthetic effects of noble
gases.
On page 86 of
Robert O. Becker, M.D., and Gary Selden, _The Body Electric.
Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life_," New York, Quill,
William Morrow, ISBN 0-688-06971-1, $10.95 (1985).
is a brief description of two techniques of inducing sleep with
electricity: Becker, an orthopedic surgeon, claims that electrical
methods are widely used in France and the Soviet Union to produce
sleep. I want to warn readers:
* * * DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME !! * * *
The Franco-Russian "electronarcosis" technique consists of passing
small currents across the head from temple to temple. The Russian
"elektroson" technique of sleep induction, "uses electrodes on the
eyelids and behind the ears to deliver weak direct currents pulsing at
calmative brain-wave frequencies." Russian cosmonauts were supposed
to use this technique to fall asleep whenever necessary, and also to
get more rest per hour than from natural sleep. (I recall reports
that our U.S. astronauts were given posthypnotic suggestions so that
they would fall asleep on verbal command from ground control in
Houston.)
On pages 110-117, Becker discusses some of his own research in which
he induced anesthesia electrically in newts in two different ways: in
one, he ran a DC current through their brains; in another, he simply
put the newt between the poles of a 3,000 gauss DC electromagnet.
Is electrically-induced sleep / hypnosis / anesthesia / brainwashing
just cold-war disinformation, or is there a real physiological effect
to patent and exploit? Apparently, you come right out of it in a
couple of minutes, rather than convulsing for an hour or so in a
recovery room while you are still unconscious. I'd think that would
have to less stressful on old or weak patients.
Becker was writing while the cold war was in full swing. Today, the
Russians are practising "market-Leninism" and selling off all their
technology, the FDA has set up an office to study alternative medical
techniques, and alternative treatments such as acupuncture will be
covered by medical insurance. So, have any western investigators
looked into electrosleep or electroanesthesia further?
If it's a real effect, do the huge magnetic fields produced by some of
today's MRI scanners create any mental effects such as sleep or
anesthesia? Are those DC or AC fields, by the way?
Bill Park
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Grandpaw Bill's High Technology Consulting & Live Bait, Inc.
