Underground Knowledge — A discussion group discussion

This thread is about the extraordinary potential of the human mind. Here I'll reprint my goodreads review of two books:

Altered States of Consciousness: A Book of Readings
by Charles T. Tart

My review:
Lately, I have an interest in unusual claims made in the field of psychology, for it seems to me that at least some of these claims are well founded--arguably, more well founded than Fortean claims in other fields. I got this book from a used bookstore in my neighborhood.

This book, first published in 1969, is a collection of readings about altered states of consciousness. Some of the papers report quantitative information, such as an electroencephalograhic study of Yogis. However, other papers, usually the older ones, are more like a personal essay. For example, the philosopher William James writes about his experience under the influence of nitrous oxide.

Here are some claims I came across in this book which I found fascinating:

--- Rachmaninoff, in order to deal with depression, saw a therapist who specialized in hypnotic treatments. Rachmaninoff was told under hypnotic suggestion to write music and work with great facility. Rachmaninoff's gloom evaporated and he wrote Concerto Number Two in C Minor for Piano and Orchestra.

--- Two Yogis were able to keep a hand in ice cold water for 44-55 minutes without experiencing any discomfort.

--- The Senoi, a tribe which lives in the Malay Peninsula, claims that there has been no violent crime or an intercommunal conflict in 200-300 years. They credit this to a psychotherapy of dream interpretation which is an integral part of their society.

The book also contains an impressive list of References. I find it exciting to think that further research has gone on since the time when this book was first published, and that there is still much to be explored.

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An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales
by Oliver Sacks

My review:
I've been aware of the work of Dr. Oliver Sacks for many years, yet oddly I have just recently read one of his books.

This book is a collection of well written case studies of neurological disorder and creativity.

In one case study, an artist, after being in a car accident, obtained incredibly sharp vision--the artist said he could see a worm wriggling a block away--but could now only see in black and white.

Another artist, after having an feverish illness, became obsessed with painting his hometown--from memory, yet accurately. Dr. Sacks compares him to the character Funes in the Borges story "Funes the Memorious": "He is not at liberty to misremember, nor is he at liberty to stop remembering..."

Another essay in the book is entitles "Prodigies." One example was a blind teenager in the 19th century, who had no musical training yet learned to play the piano from hearing others, learns airs and tunes from hearing them sung, and can play any piece on first trial as well as the most accomplished performer. Another savant had read Gibbon's _Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire_ in a single reading and imprinted it in memory.

Ronald wrote: "This thread is about the extraordinary potential of the human mind. Here I'll reprint my goodreads review of two books:

Altered States of Consciousness: A Book of Readings
by Charles T. Tart

M..."

Very interesting stuff, Robert. I think this video on government and corporate studies and experiments on time travel using the mind possibly relates to this subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z5oD...

bump (for Yogis)

Altered States of Consciousness: A Book of Readings



An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales

The Amazing Secrets of the Yogi

Ronald, thank you for this fantastic and deeply thought-provoking post. The case studies you've shared—from Rachmaninoff to the savants—are a brilliant collection of the profound anomalies that conventional psychology often struggles to explain.

It raises a fascinating question: what if these extraordinary abilities are not separate, unrelated phenomena, but are all different expressions of the same underlying, dormant human potential?

What if our DNA is not just a biological blueprint, but also a multi-generational hard drive, capable of storing not just traits, but experiential memories and complex skills? In this view, a prodigy like the young pianist isn't just a genius; he's an individual with a rare, natural ability to access a library of information that exists, latent, within all of us.

This concept of "Ancestral Cognitive Resonance" is the very scientific "what if" that I became so obsessed with that I had to explore it in my debut sci-fi novel, The Sentinel Project.

Thank you for starting such a wonderful and important conversation.

— Soren K. Blackwood