--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <LEnglish5@> wrote: > > > > In an exploratory study on Pure Consciousness, the only > > baseline needed is between episodes of pure consciousness > > and the rest of the meditation period. The subjects provide > > their own baseline. > > > > Once you establish that there is a distinction that can be > > made in those specific subjects, you can then start to compare > > them with people who don't report regular episodes of pure > > consciousness, but until you establish that there is something > > to study, using a control group makes no real sense. You don't > > even know what to be looking for in the first place. > > So like I said, "special" science. Why are you replying?
That's not "special" science, Barry. Such studies could be looking for all kinds of things completely unrelated to TM. It's a standard methodology for that kind of exploratory study. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <LEnglish5@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Not all studies require controls. Some of the early Pure > > > > Consciousness studies were merely trying to establish what > > > > physiological correlates (if any) could be found for the > > > > self-reports of Pure Consciousness episodes. Control groups > > > > don't really make sense in that context. > > > > > > Because this is "special" science, doncha know? > > > > > > You don't need the control groups you need in any > > > other EEG study if you're doing "special" science. > > > > > > You don't need to compare the results you expected > > > to find to any kind of baseline because...let's face > > > it...no baseline can possibly compare meaningfully > > > to the "special" thing we're researching. > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Apr 25, 2012, at 1:40 PM, sparaig wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > There's no such thing as "proper controls" in an EEG study on hand- > > > > > > picked subjects. > > > > > > The subjects in many of the Pure Consciousness studies were > > > > > > selected because they were self-reporting regular periods of Pure > > > > > > Consciousness > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > What you meant to say is "they didn't use any" because they wanted to > > > > > > > > > > "handpick their results". It's meaningless to test EEG without EEG > > > > > controls. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
