SPIRITUAL GEOCACHING

BIOFEEDBACK DEVICES HELP FIND SOME OF THE MOST SOOTHING PLACES ON EARTH

Overview

Spiritual geocaching is a project based on the idea that certain physical locations on this planet may hold spiritual significance. From Moses on the mountain top, to Jerusalem, and Mecca, many cultures have embraced the idea that certain locations may hold a spiritual value.

The concept of this project is that certain areas in the wild are extremely calming, and in this state of relaxation a person residing at this location will become more meditative and approach the spiritual. By using a combination of biofeedback and gps data, it may be possible to locate these locations and then post them on the internet so that others may enjoy the healing properties.

In this work, biofeedback devices including galvanic skin response and peripheral tempertatures are used to chart the levels of emotional stress felt by the body at any particular location. The location of the data is determined by the tracklog of a GPS system, which can then be used to tell the exact coordinates of calming areas for use in geocaching, as well as for more visual representations such as this map.

On June 2nd the first experiment in spiritual geocaching was made in the form of a hike taken through some of the oldest trees in the world using biofeedback and gps technology. The tracklog and biofeedback data show the expiement was successful, listing the most powerful locations in the area. For the two most significant locations videos of the view are included.

Background/ History

On Feb 14, 1989, the US Department of Defense put the first Global Positioning satellite into space. On May 1, 2000, the government turned selective availability off allowing wide access to the general public. Since then, a recreational treasure hunting game called geocaching has become increasingly popular. This game, which uses GPS devices to find small prizes located at coordinates posted online, now has an estimated 350,000 and growing number of listed coordinates on the internet. (www.geocaching.com )

In response to this popularity of geocaching, artists from the C5 corporation decided to make a work in which they asked the geocaching community to post coordinates, (instead of locations of hidden trinkets), of specific places they felt to be sublime. C5 member Jack Tootlin then took a cross-country motorcycle ride and visited these locations using his GPS device, and photographed them, as if each location was in itself a geocaching “prize”.

In another GPS based art project, artist Brett Stalbaum devised a virtual hiking trail called Rush Creek Wilderness Trail. This trail has no physical existence as far as a trail head, markers, or path, but can be tracked using coordinates downloaded from a website, and then followed by a GPS device. (http://www.c5corp.com/)

These projects have in common that they make available virtual coordinates that can be converted to the physical location of a participant. Similarly, spiritual geocaching will also list coordinates with the intension of allowing participants to find a physical location. However, beyond the beauty of the geographic destination itself, spiritual geocaching uses technology to determine the effects of space on the body.

Artist Christian Nold uses biofeedback technology to study the effect of environment on the body and mind in his biomapping projects. However, his maps simply map the arousals that come within any urban environment. Where factors such as busy streets and bars affect his data, spiritual geocaching attempts to map and perhaps pinpoint the power of natural environments on this planet. (http://biomapping.net/)

Concept

Although spirituality, or the connection to something beyond the sensual presence of this world, is by definition apart from the physical world, spiritual geocaching is based on the premise that certain physical locations calm the body and mind, making them more open, increasing the likelihood of spiritual elevation.

Many traditions and cultures emphasize the possibility for spiritual enlightenment to be found in physical environments such as in journeys into the wild. Also historically, many cultures already celebrate certain locations as holding spiritual power.

For example, in Christianity, Jesus is said to have ventured into the desert to find his way, and moses received the commandments on top of a mountain. In native American traditions, young shaman would go into the forest on vision quests to find enlightenment. In Buddism, Budda became enlightened under a tree. These examples all show the accepted idea of the potential of nature to encourage enlightenment.

Many cultures also already hold certain locations in high spiritual esteem. For example Islamics, Christians and Jews all hold Jeruslem as a holy site. In India, millions of people every year make a pilgramage to mecca. In Europe, some of the most famous churches are built upon the intersection of old pagan lay lines. In Australia aboriginal songlines.

If there are so many cultures that believe in the the wild having a strong spiritual impact, and of the possibility of places to be spiritual, maybe there are more, and maybe they can be tracked using scientific tools.

The goal of this work is to use the modern scientific devices of GPS and biofeedback to chart the effects of the environment on the mind and body in attempts to find such spiritual places so that others may enjoy them.

Implementation

To study the effects of the environment on the body, I use a variety of biofeedback devices. These devices chart different physical changes in the body related to elevated stress levels as well as physical output. The Scientific tools include a Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) device and a peripheral skin response thermometer (PSRT)

Galvanic skin response, also known as electrodermal response, psycholgalvanic reflex, or skin conductance response, is a practice which measures the electrical resistance of the skin. There is a relationship between emotional arousal and the body which causes the electrical resistance of the skin to rise with excitiement.

GSR readings are taken by connecting two leads to the skin and taking a base measure. Then, as the study is performed, the new readings are taken from the leads. There are two ways to take GSR readings, by passing electricity through the body, or reading the current generated by the body itself. In this project, the current was measured coming out of the body (passive GSR).

GSR is used in a variety of ways. It is one component of polygraph (or lie detector devices), it is used in hypnotherapy to detect the depth of hypnotic trance, and in psychotherapy to help patients train themselves to avoid anxiety.

Peripheral skin temperatures function by attaching a special thermometer to the fingers or toes. When a person becomes stressed the blood vessels are narrowed by the musculature in there walls, and bloodflow is reduced. This causes less blood flow, especially to extremeties, causing a drop in peripheral temperature.

In my experiement I used a GSR device where the leads where 1.2 cm apart and between my thumb and forefinger on my left hand. For the peripheral skin temp I used a small skin thermometer between my thumb and forefinger on my right hand. I controlled for physical exertion and extraneous emotion by using a heart rate monitor to keep a steady heart rate. I controlled for air temperature by keeping the skin thermometer sealed between the skin of my forefinger and thumb, insulated from air exposure.

The first stage of the experiment took place in the controlled environment of a room at the White Mountain research center dorms. Here I collected preliminary data without the soothing influences of nature as a sort of control for my experiment.

My control experiment was a very interesting start to the project. I was collecting data in the dorms at the research station the night before the big hike, and I thought my GSR device was broken because it only gave a reading of 1. However, with the help of a more scientifically inclined classmate, we figured out that I was really just off the charts of what my GSR could read (over 2000 ohms). When I calmed down, I found that I stabilized at about 1800 ohms, occasionally getting down close to 1000. My Peripheral skin temp remained in the mid 80’s.

On June 2, 2007 I hiked the Methuselah trail, which includes some of the oldest living things on the planet. According to many myths and legends, old trees are supposed to hold magical powers. (http://www.zuko.com/exotic_and_myterious_places_arou.htm, http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/trees.html, http://www.ecopsychology.org/journal/gatherings7/Treesjnhf.htm) If old trees hold powers, then the oldest trees on earth should in theory hold immense power. This place did indeed prove to be magical.

As I walked, I chanted mantras and tried to keep as steady of a train of thought and as steady of breath and heart rates as possible. I followed a trail (it hurts the trees the walk on their shallow roots exposed off trail, and causes erosion), but let my body and mind guide me through intuition or “feelings” as to where the most powerful spaces were. I also kept an eye on my GSR and PSRT for any significant changes in data. At the points where I had strong feelings and where my data showed that my body and mind were extremely calm, I took waypoints on my GPS device to mark the location, and recorded the scientific data. I also took video footage and made personal sketches at these locations.

Findings

My control experiment was a very interesting start to the project. I was collecting data in the dorms at the research station the night before the big hike, and I thought my GSR device was broken because it only gave a reading of 1. However, with the help of a more scientifically inclined classmate, we figured out that I was really just off the charts of what my GSR could read (over 2000 ohms). When I calmed down, I found that I stabilized at about 1800 ohms, occasionally getting down close to 1000. My Peripheral skin temp remained in the mid 80 s.

Here is my info from the hike:

The higher the Peripheral Skin Temp, the more calm

The lower the GSR number, the more calm

As you can see from the data, a few particular points were much more soothing than the others. However all of these points were more soothing than the average trail, which averaged just a little more soothing than the trailhead.

The really interesting part is that certain points, especially the most soothing two, (points 6 and 7) were very localized. One step in any direction and the numbers, as well as my gut feeling, changed dramatically. It is interesting that the most powerful points were also the most localized.

A crazy part of the strange waypoints is that when I walked through that part of the trail I heard very strange sounds. I had a bad feeling and got a little scared and did not stop. At the end of my hike when I met back up with my carpooling friend, he said that he had also heard the same weird sounds and had had a bad feeling. Coincidence, or evidence of something else? You can decide.

Future

In the future I hope to run more experiments in which multiple people will walk through the same area at different times without knowledge of the previous participants to collect a broader set of data.

Do It Yourself

For now, readers at home can participate themselves by either going to the coordinates listed, or add coordinates themselves. Simplified GSR and peripheral skin temperature devices can be made very inexpensively.

To make a peripheral skin temperature device you can put a very small sensor on an electric thermometer. Also skin thermometers can be purchased from online stores for less than $10 (USD).

GSR devices can be made by putting two small leads into an ohm meter. These leads can then be taped together at a set distance (.7-1.2cm works well) and then taped or help between fingers. Make sure if held between fingers to hold with a consistant pressure and at the same part of the fingers (or the readings will change).

For more information on this project click here.

HEATHER CLARK

HEATHER CLARK IS AN UP AN COMING ARTIST THAT IS INTERESTED IN THE INTERSECTIONS OF SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY.