@article{ref1,
title="Atmospheric electromagnetism: individual differences in brain electrical response to simulated sferics",
journal="International journal of psychophysiology",
year="1996",
author="Schienle, Anne and Stark, R. and Kulzer, R. and Klöpper, R. and Vaitl, D.",
volume="21",
number="2-3",
pages="177-188",
abstract="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.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0167-8760",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}