The Faraday Cage

The Faraday cage is a standard piece of equipment in many research labs - as well as occuring in one form or another in a lot of the standard electronic goods we all buy. It also has a reputation as being frequently used in psi research.

What Is A Faraday Cage?

A Faraday cage - named after its inventor Michael Faraday - is essentially just an electromagnetic shield. At its simplest a Faraday cage is simply a metal container or enclosure. More sophisticated versions are made of metallic mesh. The cage blocks the penetration of electromagnetic radiation - electricity, radio waves, etc. The exact level of protection given depends on the design and build of the cage.

The Faraday Cage and Psi

Faraday cages used to be used a lot in psi research although they seem less common today. By preventing electromagnetic radiation from reaching the subject the cage helps to reduce the possibility of deliberate cheating by signalling.

The cage also has a role to play in trying to determine the mechanism by which psi effects - if they exist - are generated. If an experiment that works normally then fails when the cage is employed, this strongly suggests that some form of electromagnetic radiation is involved. The electromagnetic hypothesis would seem to be a logical idea, especially given the level to which electrical signals are essential to the brain and hence - presumably - are connected with consciousness.

Despite the attraction of the theory, most research suggests that psi is not blocked either by the presence or absence of a Faraday cage. This suggests strongly that the mechanism for psi phenomena is not electromagnetic in nature.

That said, as with most areas of parapsychology the results are not clear cut. There has been some research (1) that suggests the use of a grounded Faraday cage might actually increase General ESP (GESP)!

Which is especially bad news for those who trust in tin foil hats to protect them from external mind control.

External Links:
(1) Effects of Electrical Shielding on GESP Performance