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The 98.7% Proven Meditation Technique Open Your Third Eye YouTube video claims:

What you are about to hear is a short audio track designed and prepared by Professor Jeffery Marlon Harris along with researchers at the University of Pembridgeshire, of whom worked closely with three of the top audiologists in Europe to produce this soundtrack. After taking a little over 4 years to compose by teams of experts, along with tireless research and accuracy this finely tuned 'work of art' as it has been referred to by many is now available to people to hear worldwide. It somewhat 'guarantees' to influence positivity throughout the mind, creating a bond between the brain and the central nervous system whilst stimulating the pineal gland. Research is still being carried out but to date 98.7% of people tested have reported a very noticeable or drastic increase in confidence and positivity after only listening to this track once.

Is this just a hoax? Do humans have a third eye?

Oddthinking
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Madhu
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    The "third eye" is a mystical and spiritual idea. Unless they make a claim that is falsifiable in the natural world, the question about whether it exists rather moot. Occam's Razor would suggest not. As for "positivity", music has a long history of effecting emotions... Perhaps the question is really "Does Professor Harris exist, and has he published this research?" – Oddthinking Mar 22 '13 at 02:07
  • @Oddthinking, Thanks for elaborating my questions – Madhu Mar 22 '13 at 02:07
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    There is no University of Pembridgeshire. There is a PemBROKEshire College. – Oddthinking Mar 22 '13 at 02:12
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    "Third eye" is a term that some people use while meditating. It's a mental construct. Asking whether it's "real" is like asking whether Freud's superego is "real" or whether depression is "real". Occam's Razoring away mental concepts just because they have no direct neurophysiological expression misses the point. – Christian Apr 10 '13 at 14:18
  • I wouldn't trust my brain to any researchers with such a poor command of grammar. – Larry OBrien May 07 '13 at 02:13
  • the central nervous system consists of brain and spinal cord... sound a bit silly trying to create a bond between this and the brain, as it's already included - unless you're some kind of crazy unknown species... – oezi Jun 25 '13 at 06:24

1 Answers1

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Does this audio track create a bond between the brain and the central nervous system whilst stimulating the pineal gland?

The brain is part of the CNS so it is nonsensical to write of creating a bond between them.

The pineal gland's activity is primarily affected by light not by sound.

Is this just a hoax?

There is no Jeffery Marlon Harris FRCS registered as a Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons

There is no county of Pembridgeshire in England or in the UK

There is no University of Pembridgeshire in England (as Oddthinking observed in a comment to the question)

The pineal gland produces melatonin. If you want extra melatonin in your bloodstream, you can eat plants that contain it, such as cherries. There is no need to use roundabout methods to stimulate your pineal gland.

Any video containing these falsehoods has no credibility.

Do humans have a third eye?

The "third eye" is a somewhat mystical name given to the pineal gland by somewhat mystical people. It's activity is affected by light levels which are sensed via photoreceptors in your eyes (the real ones). It doesn't provide any sensory capability itself (in the normally accepted meaning of "sense"). I could equally assert that humans have a second nose if I chose that as an alternative name for the appendix. Calling something an eye doesn't make it in any way like the two eyes in the front of your head. So yes humans have a "third eye" if you accept that name.

RedGrittyBrick
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  • Myself heard the video and felt positiveness and so as others. We cannot conclude this video is false since the name is false isn't? – Madhu Mar 22 '13 at 10:44
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    @Madhu: Equally, you cannot conclude that because the music is nice, therefore Pembridgeshire must exist. Experience tells us that liars are not to be trusted and we should not waste our time with them. P.S. I didn't write "false" I wrote not credible. A useful distinction. – RedGrittyBrick Mar 22 '13 at 10:47
  • Thanks for your comments. Its not a nice music though. – Madhu Mar 22 '13 at 10:52
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    Can you provide a source for your claims about the "third eye" being the pineal gland? – rjzii Mar 22 '13 at 12:38
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    @Robz: I think there's a clear association made in the title ("open your third eye") and quotation ("stimulating the pineal gland") in the question. YMMV. I have also added a couple of references to my answer. – RedGrittyBrick Mar 22 '13 at 15:03
  • @RedGrittyBrick: Nice answer and thanks for that. But why do i feel positive energy? Perhaps you can try listening to it for couple of days as directed and tell me your experience. Before i accept your answer i am going to wait ;-) – Madhu Mar 22 '13 at 17:11
  • @RedGrittyBrick - Heh, I've heard of other meanings for the "third eye" where it is not related to the pineal gland but rather to "second sight" so it can be an overloaded term. – rjzii Mar 22 '13 at 17:56
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    @Madhu: you feel what you want to feel. If you believe in these things it is more likely that they will affect you because YOU want them to affect you. It is [confirmation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias) [bias](http://www.skepticblog.org/2013/05/06/the-lunar-effect-and-confirmation-bias/) at his best. – nico May 07 '13 at 06:48
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    @RedGrittyBrick: nice answer. I would add another "red flag" to your list. The video says it will stimulate your "central cortex" (whatever that is..., definitely not a standard anatomical term), but then it goes on saying that it stimulate the pineal gland, which is definitely not in the cortex. On top of that, I would point out that "98.7% proven" does not mean anything. – nico May 07 '13 at 06:55