title: Atmospheric electromagnetism: individual differences in brain electrical response to simulated sferics.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany. Anne.Schienle@psychol.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schienle
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kulzer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klöpper
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vaitl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D001272:Atmosphere; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010556:Personality Tests; D014887:Weather