Received this email from Patrick Flanagn which I thought might be of
interest here, posted with my response;
--------------------
Hi Patrick!
You wrote;
> Dear Jerry
>
> I read some of your comments on the Neurophone and would like to
> clear up some misconceptions.
>
> The current Neurophone was test with a piezo detector and the output
> was run through a FFT analyzer. The result indicated that 90% of
> the signal was centered at 40 KHz. There is a 10% harmonic
> modulation distortion that generates sound that the ear can hear.
> The sound coming off the skin is due to harmonic demodulation of
> the signal. If you use really good transducers [ $10 K each ] you
> can hear the ultrasound signal without any skin demodulation.
>
> Normal hearing people have a hard time differentiating between
> ultra-sound hearing and bone conduction through the normal ear canal.
> Normal hearing people hear the Neurophone through both channels.
> My old Neurophone has a headphone output jack so the listener could
> send information through the ultrasonic as well as the normal hearing
> route. For learning situations, both channels are preferable.
> Hooking the electrodes up to an ordinary audio amplifier activates
> the inner ear through bone conduction only and is no different than
> using head phones.
>
> As you probably know by now, the University of Virginia built a
> Neurophone and proved that we have a small organ in the inner ear
> [the Saccule ] that detects ultrasonic signals, they also indicated
> that 100% of deaf people can hear the signal if the ultrasonic signal
> level is at an 85 db level.
>
> Patrick
---------------------
There was a lady who wrote in very dissatisfied with the Thinkman and
the claims of using ultrasonics....she did measurements of the device
output and said it did not show ultrasonics. I can't find the specific
reference on the website or in the discussion list though I remember
posting it. WHEN I find it I will send to you directly. Here are
relevant Neurophone posts at KeelyNet.
http://www.keelynet.com/interact/Arc_1_99-4_99/00000521.htm
http://www.keelynet.com/interact/Arc_1_98-7_98/00001947.htm
The Grok box mess;
http://www.keelynet.com/grok1.htm
Where I got my Mark Eleven;
http://www.keelynet.com/sales/arrneuro.txt
http://www.keelynet.com/interact/Arc_7_98-12_98/00001953.htm
Now one trusted friend of mine tried the $50 version that was built by
the guy I sent to you a few years ago. He said he could clearly hear
with the wire electrode placed anywhere on his skin. I've not
experienced this version yet but I know the Mark 11 that I have really
isn't what I'd been expecting after all those years of reading reports
and touting it.
Granted, I've not used it on a daily basis trying to train my nervous
system but according to my friend who tried the $50 version the sounds
he experienced were very clear. Now there is one other fellow who has
the Thinkman and says it works as advertised but he doesn't want his
name mentioned in public with regard to it because he wants to remain on
good terms with you, so I can't trust the feedback on that particular
issue.
Not that I have any issues with you, I'm just looking for what works
absolutely as advertised if its being sold or otherwise claimed. That
is why when you offered to send me a Thinkman for free I had to decline
as I felt it would compromise our relationship at that time.
I've been offered that situation more times than I can count, where I
could get something for nothing by agreeing to NEVER say anything
publicly that could impugn the device or technology if it was in error
or fraudulent.
There is a company called Cerebrex who sells all kinds of devices that
let you experience altered states, etc...and I did agree to post their
banner on my webpage since it relates to KeelyNet side issues, he sent
me a $100 pair of dream goggles to check out which I've not been able to
get to work because they are heavy and hard to sleep with...<g>...I
tried them about 5 times and the weight of the thing on my face was more
than I could handle...I keep intending to try them again...they are
supposed to flash the red lights when you are dreaming to wake you up
hopefully into a lucid dream....need to try them again.
I also get a complimentary subscription from Borderlands, Infinite
Energy and Nexus for posting their website banners....though I think so
much of their magazines and quality of information that they were
originally posted for free and they just started sending the subs so I'm
not complaining...
Most websites charge a fee for banners, but money isn't my goal, so I
figured I could keep up with their activities and report to the website
anything they reported that related.
They periodically check in and I send them information that they
sometimes publish so it all works out well without either of us being
compromised to report only good things about the other because of some
backroom deal. I have been offered deals to post completely nonrelated
material that would bring in some decent money every month, but have
declined in every case since they don't remotely relate to KeelyNet, our
interests or goals and I want it to remain as free and open as possible.
At this point, to my view, the tally on Neurophones/Thinkmans isn't
good;
Neurophone 11 I tried only works crudely when placed near the neck, ear
or head
Thinkman the lady tested said it didn't work and had no ultrasonic
carrier
Thinkman another friend has says it works but IMO his judgement is
compromised
Homebrew $50 neural device worked according to a trusted friend who
tried it
and the following email I received recently;
Subject: Re:
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 10:42:35 +0200
From: "Robert S. Thiedemann" <thiedemann@debitel.net>
To: <jdecker@keelynet.com>
>Hi Robert!
>Many of the files from the BBS have never been cleaned up and htmled for
>the website, though I did include them in the zipped files for the BBS
>archive...attached are the two neurophone files, one of which was zipped
>as neurpho1.zip....I'd save my money on that thing as I have a Mark IX
>and it doesn't work worth a flip...good luck...
Hi Jerry,
many thanks for the files and your comment. I just want to give you a
brief
feedback on my research. With the "Flanagan Neurophone" Flanagan has
been
selling a current version of his invention for more than 2 years now he
has
left behind almost all of the working principles he had claimed were
essential for the technology.
E.g. using an electric field with PZT ceramics. He uses polarized piezos
today which act as resonators although back in '79 he stated "mechanical
vibrators will not work because the signal is too gross".
He talks about "ultrasonic hearing" today although he proved at Tufts
University that his invention did not work that way. And on and on... I
wonder why he dliberately stepped back and left almost all of his
findigs of the past behind to put out a toy that fools people.
I'd save my money on that thing as I have a Mark IX >and it doesn't work
worth a flip...good luck...
My English has gaps but this sounds to me like "it is not worth the
money". I had the opportunity to try a Mark XI just a few weeks ago in
Austria. I was disappointed because I had some expectations from what I
had read about the Mark XI before. But it was a prove of principle that
Flanagan pursued different approaches than today.
====================================================
Anyway, I am a researcher and collector. For reasons of documentation I
will in any circumstance try to find an original Mark XI and display it
next to the Flanagan Neurophone I bought 2 years ago. Please let me know
if you know someone.
Again, thanks a lot for your help!
Robert
-------------------------
I know some of the new age material claims to require sensitivity or
developing that sensitivity but I've not seen, experienced or heard of
anything reliable that indicates the Neurophone/Thinkman produces
anything like the claims. Needless to say I was very disappointed after
years of wondering what one would sound like (that was with the Mark
11).
The report of the deaf patent examiner is intriguing and the personal
anecdote related to me by a well known alt science fellow who tried your
Mark 11 device with you, where he told me it was 'like a room that
opened up in his mind' are intriguing but I have the same device and get
nothing remotely like that.
And of the course your written anecdote about running the wire around
the room to broadcast a kind of subliminal suggestion into the audience.
I would greatly love to be able to say without hesitation that the
Neurophone or Thinkman works as claimed, and since my only experience is
with the Mark 11 that I have, then I simply state the truth, FOR ME the
Mark 11 does not broadcast sound into the nervous system as per the
descriptions, it appears to be purely electrostatic modulation of the
skin. I have not experienced the Thinkman and to date have 2 bad
reports and one good one which is IMO is suspect.
As we discussed before you put up your website, I think you could
greatly reduce the cost of the units to let more people experiment with
them, perhaps the 'training' is ABSOLUTELY necessary since you do
indicate that an audio signal should be transmitted along with the
Thinkman/Neurophone signal, then over time slowly reduce the audio which
will open new information pathways.
That is still possible, but my other friend who used the $50 homebrew
version that I've been trying for years to get online, says he could
hear music clearly INSTANTLY without any training whatsoever.
In our communications in the past, you said his machine used more power
than yours, well thats fine with me...<g>...if the effect is
indisputable....these days most everyone I know including myself wants
INSTANT gratification...so this training business is a bit too ZEN for
hardware.
Thanks for your response and interest. I don't have an axe to grind
with you and at one time thought we were somewhat friendly until I sent
you what was claimed to be the reverse engineered Mark 11 neuro circuit
which you said wasn't the same thing as your Neurophone, therefore what
would be the harm in posting it? Soon after your website came online
and I think that was a great and timely thing, but it was then that you
and Gael broke off any communication with me.
...From the first time I ever heard about you, I've been a fan and taken
pains to share your information with as many as were interested. The
only experience with any of your claims I'd had was some basic pyramid
tests and the Sensor medallion which I'd seen you test here in Dallas
using a tobiscope...I was completely blown away by that and I wore a
sensor medallion that I mounted in a belt buckle for years after that.
However, the bottomline remains, the Thinkman or Neurophone either works
or it doesn't.
My Mark 11 doesn't.
I've not spent a lot of time with neuro type experiments or circuits
though I would love to build the $50 homebrew version since it seems to
have the most trustworthy report of successful operation, but the guy
won't send me the circuit...I even offered to host a page so he could
build and sell them since he has a price that anyone can easily afford.
The guy in the email quoted aboves seems to be trying to compare the
different versions which I think would be a great consumer report...
There are several versions, from your original Mark series (where the
patent has run out) to your Thinkman, and a few other versions as posted
at Terry Bastians homepage; http://home.dmv.com/~tbastian/bwc.htm so
its not like people aren't really interested in them.
My preference is mass production at more reasonable costs ($200/$300)
but only if it worked exactly as claimed so that everyone could use and
experiment with them.
I've even gotten posts from people who knew someone with hearing
problems that were considering buying a Thinkman, but reticent to spend
that much money on something that they did not know would help them...so
I had to honestly report my experience with the Mark 11, send them to
Terrys page and to your website and suggest they ask for a money back
guarantee if it did not work for them as claimed.
Well, enough of this, I was very sorry to hear about Gael passing on and
was not even aware she was in bad health, so my condolence on your loss,
she was a very bright and inspiring lady though she and I never met in
person, though you and I have in Dallas. One of hundreds of thousands
in your experience..<g>..so you'd not remember me beyond our phone
conversations of about 4 years ago. Take care and be well.
-- Jerry Wayne Decker / jdecker@keelynet.com http://keelynet.com / "From an Art to a Science" Voice : (214) 324-8741 / FAX : (214) 324-3501 KeelyNet - PO BOX 870716 - Mesquite - Republic of Texas - 75187