I've been interested in the capture of Physiological data since I did my dissertation a couple of years ago. The work was on Music Therapy and how sound can be used to manipulate our autonomous functions such as heart rate, and breathing rate. Many physicians claimed to be able to regulate and in turn entrain these unconscious processes using music in order to relax, or stimulate the listener, depending on their end goal. I also spent some time looking at how neurological functions could be affected using similar methods of entrainment. This method used difference signals to produce slow frequency 'beating' effects that were meant to stimulate respective levels of alpha, beta, theta, and delta information within the brain.
Although the brainwave entrainment stuff is of course hazy and inconclusive, the physiological work, in terms of heart rate, and GSR (galvanic skin response) etc was quite effective. These are the areas I wanted to explore further in an artistic context.
How can I use physiological data and the ideas of Bio-Feedback within my practice? First of all I think i want to remove the unconscious aspects of our bodily rhythms to expose how precise and sensitive those processes are. I feel its important to appreciate such relationships and then potentially highlight how we are abusing them by intervening in our natural chemistry by introducing stimulants and depressants like nicotine and alcohol.
Finally, how would it feel if you were subjected to another persons physiological rhythm? If all external stimuli (sound, vision, touch) was working against your personal responses how would your body react? Would it feel awkward, or would it attempt to reach a resolution?
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