Atmospheric electromagnetism: Individual differences in brain electrical response to simulated sferics

• Published in: International journal of psychophysiology Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 177 - 188
• Main Authors: Schienle, Anne, Stark, Rudolf, Kulzer, Rainer, Klöpper, René, Vaitl, Dieter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.1996
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Affect - physiology; Atmosphere; Biometeorology; Brain - physiology; Computer Simulation; EEG; Electroencephalography; Electromagnetic Fields; Extraversion (Psychology); Female; Humans; Male; Neurotic Disorders - psychology; Neuroticism; Personality; Personality Tests; Sferics; Somatic complaints; Weather; Weather sensitivity; Biometeorology; Neuroticism; Sferics; Somatic complaints; Weather sensitivity; EEG
• ISSN: 0167-8760; 1872-7697
• DOI: 10.1016/0167-8760(95)00052-6

The living organism is constantly affected by natural electromagnetic influences covering a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. One of these natural influences is represented by a phenomenon called atmospherics or sferics. Sferics are very weak electromagnetic impulses generated by atmospheric discharges (lightning). With a newly developed simulation system it was possible to reproduce a previously registered sferics signal and present it to 52 subjects while recording the electroencephalogram (EEG). The repeated application of this stimulus for ten minutes evoked a significant decrease in alpha power in parietal and occipital regions compared to the control condition without sferics presentation. Two constitutional factors were revealed as mediators of sferics effectiveness: the general physical condition of the subjects, and their neuroticism. Individuals with many somatic complaints and a high degree of emotional lability did not respond to the sferics stimulation. This absence of a response is interpreted as an adaptational deficit in reaction to variations in atmospheric parameters.