The PsycheCymatitron: Biofeedback, Cymatics, and Random Event Generators

Imagine... you are strolling along the Esplanade at Burning Man, and something catches your eye. Bands of lights are rapidly moving up and down a 30 foot high pyramid, from Red at the bottom, through Orange, Green, Turquoise, Indigo, Violet, and finally White light at the top. Nothing too unusual, but look! Projected on 10 by 10 screens to either side of it are complex geometric patterns pulsing like fractal mandalas. You say, "What's the big deal, I see that everywhere?" But upon closer inspection you learn that the people waiting in line are eagerly anticipating the moment they will stick their finger into a Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) meter, measuring the electrical conductance across their skin. It's like a lie detector test, measuring just how calm or agitated these Burners are. This in turn produces a tone, which varies according to the relative stress of the Burner. The tone is then translated into a geometric pattern by a cymatics device. This consists of a transducer, which is basically a speaker, underneath a flat (now vibrating) metal plate with grains of salt on top. The salt, sand, water, or even cornstarch, is now creating beautiful geometric patterns, which is finally projected onto a screen for all to witness.