All plants and animals endogenously produce the protein cryptochrome. Cryptochrome is responsible for regulating circadian rhythms, regulating light sensitivity and provides to ability to sense electromagnetic fields.

A recent study removed the cryptochrome produced inside of flies and found that they could not respond to magnetic fields without it. The flies were then supplied with the human version of cryptochrome and regained their “magnetoreception” ability.

Despite much controversy, no conclusive evidence exists that humans can sense the Earth’s magnetic field, and the find may revive interest in the idea.

Although humans, like migratory birds, are known to have cryptochrome in their eyes, the idea of human magnetoreception has remained largely unexplored since pioneering experiments by Robin Baker of the University of Manchester in the 1980s.

Dr Baker, who maintains his results proving human magnetoreception were “overwhelming”, hopes that the find re-invigorates the pursuit of a final word on the matter.

“I think one of the things that put people off accepting the reality of human magnetoreception 20 years ago was the lack of an obvious receptor,” he told BBC News.

“So these new results might actually be enough to tip the balance of credibility. I shall be fascinated to see.”

Personally, I believe human consciousness resides in the electromagnetic field generated by the sum charge of all neurons firing in the body – especially in the densely bundled neurons in the brain and heart. This is the basis of CEMI Theory as developed by Susan Pockett and Johnjoe McFadden.

The starting point for McFadden and Pockett’s theory is the fact that every time a neuron fires to generate an action potential, and a postsynaptic potential in the next neuron down the line, it also generates a disturbance in the surrounding electromagnetic field. McFadden has proposed that the brain’s electromagnetic field creates a representation of the information in the neurons. Studies undertaken towards the end of the 20th century are argued to have shown that conscious experience correlates not with the number of neurons firing, but with the synchrony of that firing.[8] McFadden views the brain’s electromagnetic field as arising from the induced EM field of neurons. The synchronous firing of neurons is, in this theory, argued to amplify the influence of the brain’s EM field fluctuations to a much greater extent than would be possible with the unsynchronized firing of neurons.

There is definitely a correlation to electromagnetism’s effect on human consciousness. Most notably in Michael Persinger’s God Helmet. The device uses weak magnetic fluctuations to produce a sense of “presence” in the people who use it.

Maybe someone out there has seen what most of us only subtly feel. If you’ve ever seen anything like this in real life, let us know.

In the meantime here’s a beautiful video that visualizes invisible electromagnetic fields.

Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor on Vimeo.

Art by Adam Scott Miller