Digital Drugs?

Digital Shadow · 1st August 2008, 11:30 AM

I heard the term for the first time today from a coworker who apparently saw a news report on the dangers of these so called "Digital Drugs." Supposedly they are audio files that contain binaural beats which cause your body to produce various horomones and simulate the effects of drugs like marijuana. I am understandably skeptical of the claim. It certainly is not impossible, but I doubt the audio files produce anywhere near the effect they claim, if any effect at all. A quick google search seemed to yield a little science and a lot of woo surrounding the topic.

Has anyone here heard of this or the science behind it?

jj · 1st August 2008, 11:35 AM

Unh, other than missing mechanism, suggestion, and an explaination of how "binaural beats" would do anything more than confuse directional sensation and perhaps create a bit of motion sickness.

Haven't heard of it. Sounds, err, odd.

Horatius · 1st August 2008, 01:08 PM

Actually, it sounds like something I worked on recently at the Canadian Patent Office. It's not published yet, so I can't link you to it, but it was definitely wooish.

godless dave · 1st August 2008, 02:03 PM

Sounds like a load of crap to me. It also sounds related to the plot of a recent Stephen King novel.

Paulhoff · 2nd August 2008, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by Digital Shadow

I heard the term for the first time today from a coworker who apparently saw a news report on the dangers of these so called "Digital Drugs." Supposedly they are audio files that contain binaural beats which cause your body to produce various horomones and simulate the effects of drugs like marijuana. I am understandably skeptical of the claim. It certainly is not impossible, but I doubt the audio files produce anywhere near the effect they claim, if any effect at all. A quick google search seemed to yield a little science and a lot of woo surrounding the topic.

Has anyone here heard of this or the science behind it?

Oh please, ignorance is not bliss.

Paul

Spud1k · 3rd August 2008, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Digital Shadow

Has anyone here heard of this or the science behind it?

Chances are the reason you can't find any science behind it is because there is none.

Digital Shadow · 3rd August 2008, 09:50 PM

That's what I thought.

Madalch · 3rd August 2008, 11:23 PM

And here i thougth you were talking about digitalis.

1st August 2008, 11:30 AM	#1
Digital Shadow Student Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 40	Digital Drugs? I heard the term for the first time today from a coworker who apparently saw a news report on the dangers of these so called "Digital Drugs." Supposedly they are audio files that contain binaural beats which cause your body to produce various horomones and simulate the effects of drugs like marijuana. I am understandably skeptical of the claim. It certainly is not impossible, but I doubt the audio files produce anywhere near the effect they claim, if any effect at all. A quick google search seemed to yield a little science and a lot of woo surrounding the topic. Has anyone here heard of this or the science behind it?
Digital Shadow Student Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 40

1st August 2008, 11:35 AM	#2
jj grumpy old skeptic Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Deep in the rain Posts: 18,522	Unh, other than missing mechanism, suggestion, and an explaination of how "binaural beats" would do anything more than confuse directional sensation and perhaps create a bit of motion sickness. Haven't heard of it. Sounds, err, odd.
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1st August 2008, 01:08 PM	#3
Horatius NWO Kitty Wrangler Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada Posts: 21,895	Actually, it sounds like something I worked on recently at the Canadian Patent Office. It's not published yet, so I can't link you to it, but it was definitely wooish.
	__________________ Obviously, that means cats are indeed evil and that ownership or display of a feline is an overt declaration of one's affiliation with dark forces. - Cl1mh4224rd

1st August 2008, 02:03 PM	#4
godless dave Great Dalmuti Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: St. Paul, Minnesota Posts: 6,131	Sounds like a load of crap to me. It also sounds related to the plot of a recent Stephen King novel.
	__________________ "If it's real, then it gets more interesting the closer you examine it. If it's not real, just the opposite is true." - aggle-rithm

2nd August 2008, 07:42 PM	#5
Paulhoff You can't expect perfection. Join Date: May 2005 Location: South Florida Posts: 12,570	Originally Posted by Digital Shadow I heard the term for the first time today from a coworker who apparently saw a news report on the dangers of these so called "Digital Drugs." Supposedly they are audio files that contain binaural beats which cause your body to produce various horomones and simulate the effects of drugs like marijuana. I am understandably skeptical of the claim. It certainly is not impossible, but I doubt the audio files produce anywhere near the effect they claim, if any effect at all. A quick google search seemed to yield a little science and a lot of woo surrounding the topic. Has anyone here heard of this or the science behind it? Oh please, ignorance is not bliss. Paul
	__________________ For our money "IN WHICH GOD DO YOU TRUST" Much worse than the Question not asked, is the Answer not Given Don't accept an answer that can't be questioned - God is Surperfluous A society fails when ignorance outweighs knowledge Science doesn’t know everything, but religion doesn’t know anything Life is so horrent and also so beautiful, but without it there is nothing

3rd August 2008, 02:26 PM	#6
Spud1k +5 Goatee of Pedantry Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 844	Originally Posted by Digital Shadow Has anyone here heard of this or the science behind it? Chances are the reason you can't find any science behind it is because there is none.

3rd August 2008, 09:50 PM	#7
Digital Shadow Student Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 40	That's what I thought.
Digital Shadow Student Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 40

3rd August 2008, 11:23 PM	#8
Madalch The Jester Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The wet coast. Posts: 8,707	And here i thougth you were talking about digitalis.
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