Effects of Musical Acoustic Signals Controlled by the Subject’s EEG Oscillators

Abstract

We report here studies of the effects of two methods of musical EEG biocontrol in which the subject’s dominant spectral EEG components (EEG oscillators) were transformed into music-like signals with flute-like timbre. In some cases, the pitches and intensities of these sound signals varied smoothly depending directly on the ongoing EEG amplitudes of the EEG oscillators. In other cases, variation in the pitch and intensity of flute sounds were supplemented by another musical characteristic – rhythm. Single exposures were found to produce modifications to the bioelectrical activity of the subject’s brain, which were accompanied by improvements in the subjects’ psychophysiological status. Effects were particularly marked when the musicality of exposures were increased by adding the property of rhythmicity.