Infrared Blackness

Model # 4 The Infrared Hypothesis (1999). This Model Combines Concepts Contained In The Accompaniment Model # 3 (1998) With The Idea That Infrared Photons Are Stimulating The Retina. This Model May Be More Believable Because Infrared Photons Have More Energy, Thus, Can Have A Greater Effect Upon The Photoreceptors. Many Of The Philosophical And Other Arguments For Darkness/Blackness As Radiation Are The Same As For Model # 3. This Discussion Is Not Repeated Again In This Text. To View These Arguments, See Model # 3 At: http://www.johnkharms.com/darkness.htm .

Author's Update (January, 2002): This Line Of Experimental Research On Infrared Has Now Been Labeled As "Classified" By Governmental Authorities. It Seems That With This Technology One Can "Erase" (Through Cancellation) Incident Light Shining On A Lighted Body, Hiding Tanks, Aircraft Or Any Other Equipment That Might Require The Cloak Of Invisibility From Incoming Light. Hence, Light + Darkness Photons = 0. The Author Actually Had No Idea That This Work Had Any Technological Applications (Particularly Military Ones). This Was Not The Point Of The Author's Efforts--The Exploration Of New Ideas Was! That The Experimental Findings Are Now Classified Demonstrates The Validity Of The Author's Work In This Text.

Author's Further Update (Feburary, 2005): "More Evidence Has Accumulated, This Time From The ASSAP (The Association For The Scientific Study Of Anomalous Phenomena). It Appears That Oddities Called "Orbs" Have Appeared In Digital Photography. Many People Believe These To Be The Initial Manifestation Of Ghosts. Further Investigation Leads To Alternative Theories In The Way That The Images Themselves Are Recorded (Or Even Processed In The Camera).

Other Evidence Has Also Come To Light (Pun Intended) Such As "Seeing Things" In Night Vision Cameras. This Might Have Been A Prediction Of This Model (Although Was Not By The Author At The Initial Writing In 1999). For Example, Working In Complete Darkness And Flooding An Area With Infrared Light Yields More Such Strange Ghostly Images. At This Writing, However, It Is Not Clear What Might Be The Effect Upon The Human Brain By Bombarding It With Infrared Light? More Research Will Be Required For Answers. Much Thanks To Frank Browett (A Member Of ASSAP) For Forwarding This Information To The Author."

The Infrared Hypothesis--Blackness As Stimuli

By: John K. Harms

Email: harmsjk3@earthlink.net

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Abstract:

This is an attempt to understand the mechanism of vision, a theoretical hypothesis. It is suggested that darkness and blackness is a stimulus to photoreceptor cells. As will be discussed, this statement is in general agreement with current experimental findings. It is proposed that the stimulating agent of retinal cell receptors is electromagnetic radiation at infrared wavelengths. Measurements of infrared background supports the conclusions of this hypothesis. Hence, blackness perception has its own band at infrared frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum. The consequences of this hypothesis are discussed.

Key Words: Darkness, Blackness, Infrared Radiation, Photoreceptor Cells, cGMP, Resonance, Darkness Photons, COBE

Introduction

Neuroscientists commonly speak about blackness or darkness as though they were identical to any other color experience. A fair amount is presently known about internally generated activity. However, in experiments, the preponderance of brain activity in the dark is largely dismissed as "internally generated" by present theories. The visual system appears to treat blackness at all times on an equal basis with visible light. That, similar to visible light, blackness is an "external" stimuli in the visual field has not been considered by neuroscientists. Based upon the activity levels of the brain, there are high levels of activity in both light and blackness conditions.

In an attempt to understand the mechanism of vision, a simple approach to the visual system can be employed that blackness is a stimulus to retinal cell receptors. However, for this idea to be plausible, there must be an identifiable stimulus in the visual receptive field which is presently not being recognized by neuroscience. How can this be so?

When all the known electromagnetic frequencies are scrutinized as candidates for blackness stimuli, a suspect region of the spectrum emerges in the infrared. Since the photoreceptors are already known to be sensitive to the visible wavelengths, radiation at infrared wavelengths is proposed to be responsible for the apparent stimulation in the darkness. In this hypothesis, radiation at infrared wavelengths might be called for simplicity "darkness photons".

The Behavior Of The Visual System In Darkness

The retinal cells of the eye treat darkness and blackness as legitimate stimuli. The photoreceptors in the retina are a buzz with activity in total darkness (Schnapf & Baylor, 1987). The potential across the cone membrane is about 50 millivolts in darkness (Hubel, 1995). When a cone absorbs a photon of visible light, this potential increases. In 1964, Tsuneo Tomita at Keio University in Japan made this important discovery (Hubel, 1995).

Tomita found that stimulation by visible light hyperpolarizes photoreceptors cells. In other sensory neurons (besides photoreceptors), this state is considered "off". In photoreceptors, light exposure cuts down the release of transmitter at synaptic clefts. In the dark, light receptors are more depolarized than resting nerve cells. This depolarization in the dark releases a steady flow of glutamate transmitter at axon terminals, as if an actual stimulation of the receptor (in darkness) has occurred. In other sensory neurons, this is the "on" state. Thus, photoreceptors behave precisely as if the darkness is the stimulus. In darkness, photoreceptor membranes have an appreciable permeability to sodium ions (Na+) (Hubel, 1995).

These experimental findings suggest that there is an actual darkness stimulus. Current theories in neuroscience have largely ignored this possibility. In all other sensory systems (mechanical, thermal or chemical) actual stimuli lead to the release of transmitter at axon terminals.

It is usually explained that blackness must be an "illusion" created by the visual system. Lateral inhibitory interaction is just such an explanation of the sensation of blackness. This explanation is similar to the two phenomena known as Mach bands and simultaneous contrast. Scientific instruments demonstrate that these effects are created within the visual system (Hartline et al., 1956).

It is often assumed that since darkness cannot be a stimulus, observations can be reconciled by the differences in the mechanics of the photoreceptors themselves. Hence, the viewpoint is held that retinal receptors function in a radically different manner than other sensory neurons. That there is an environmental electromagnetic stimulus in the receptive field is a simpler resolution of this dilemma.

Optic nerve fibers are active in the dark, again despite the claim of no stimuli. Since retinal cells are active in the dark, it is not surprising that the optic nerves are also. Horizontal, bipolar and ganglion cells are conveying signals and behave as though actual signals are being received (Hubel, 1995). If there is no stimuli, what is the purpose of all this activity in the dark by all aspects of the visual system?

In 1970, the dark current was discovered which is a flow of Na+ into the cells, balanced by Potassium ions (K+) which flows out (Hubel, 1995). When a visible light photon is absorbed by a cone or rod, the dark current is reduced and the influx of Na+ into the membrane is blocked. The dark current is responsible for the depolarization of the receptors. Again, the membrane behaves as if there is a continuous stimulation in darkness.

If an actual stimulus is taking place, the region of stimulation is likely to be at the area(s) where Na+ is rushing into the membrane (Levine & Miller, 1991). Near this region of the membrane, the excess of positive ions outside the membrane is reduced. For an instant, the membrane at this region is depolarized. It is proposed that infrared photons are absorbed and have an effect upon the production of cyclic guanosine monophospate (cGMP). CGMP holds open Na+ pores open where the proposed darkness stimulus is occurring.

CGMP is likely to be the key to understanding if the stimulation by infrared quanta is actually taking place. When photo bleaching occurs, transducin deactivates hundreds of cGMP molecules via the visual cascade system. This closes millions of the channels, blocking Na+ from entering the membranes. The cGMP molecules control the transport of Na+ through the surface membrane. In the dark, channels are kept open by direct, reversible binding of cGMP to the channels (Molday & Hsu, 1994). The cGMP directly opens the sodium channels. It is a transmitter in visual excitation (Stryer, 1986).

An alternative model of a photoreceptor's membrane might be suggested. Since cGMP is formed from GTP by guanylate cyclase and is hydrolyzed to 5' -GMP by the phosphodiesterase, perhaps the absorption of infrared photons is closely involved in cGMP production (Stryer, 1986). The exact mechanism for cGMP production by darkness photons is not as yet known.

However, it is proposed that the control of Na+ permeability is governed by the absorption of infrared darkness photons i.e., photo transduction. The Na+ channel is designed to detect changes in cGMP concentration (Stryer, 1986). Darkness quanta lead to the continuous stimulation of the Na+ membrane, a proposal which is in accordance with the experimental evidence above. The absorption of visible photons by rhodopsin, results in the hydrolysis of cGMP to GMP and the closing of the Na+ membrane which blocks the dark current. Therefore, a continuous simulation by infrared photons results in the dark current.

It follows how photoreceptors might have evolved to work "backward" from the other sensory neurons: 1) Because of a constant stimulation by infrared darkness photons, chemical transmitter is released at the synaptic cleft at the maximum amount. Visible photons cannot cause more glutamate transmitter to be released because the postsynaptic receptor sites are saturated from a continuous darkness stimulation. 2) Ion permeation sites can exceed a million Na+ per second in darkness (Stryer, 1986). Perhaps, these channels cannot handle a larger quantity of Na+.

As a result, visible photons turnoff receptor cells due to a saturation of the visual system by infrared darkness quanta stimuli and a depolarization of the Na+ membrane. Thus due to the constant absorption of darkness photons (even in daylight), nature has adapted the system to function in-reverse, an unexpected result. For visible photons to be detected, rods and cones must hyperpolarize to absorb a visible photon. It is a great evolutionary advance in terms of the amount of information receptors cells can transmit (Thompson, 1993).

The Infrared Hypothesis

As darkness stimuli, the infrared background simply fills-in areas where there is no visible light. Thus, there is never a time when the absence of light exists because we are always interacting with the medium of the infrared background. It follows also that infrared darkness photons must always accompany ordinary radiation and be revealed as darkness only when the visible wavelengths are absent. Moreover, all visible colors, even white, must contain a certain amount of this blackness medium embedded within their visible wavelengths. Hence, the infrared background is inescapable.

A black object simply absorbs most all visible wavelengths (and gets slightly warmer) and emits darkness photons as infrared radiation as a result of this excess accumulation of heat energy. Thus, black objects absorb visible radiation and reradiate this heat energy as infrared darkness photons. Therefore, it is the same radiation that warms our planet across the vastness of space that also provides us with the perception of blackness.

All black colored objects above the temperature of absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius) actively emit blackness radiation. Therefore, such objects always appear black. Moreover, darkness at night is due to the absence of visible wavelengths and the retina's sensitivity to the universal medium of infrared radiation inside the atmosphere.

Outside the atmosphere, there is a cosmic infrared background as measured by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite. COBE discovered a smooth infrared background in the 240 and 140 micrometer wavelength bands (Villard, 1998). Hence, outside the Earth's atmosphere the blackness of space has a cause, the "cosmic" infrared background.

The retina's oscillation, due to the infrared background where there is no visible light, creates the perception of darkness. Similarly, black objects absorb most all visible wavelengths and therefore emit blackness infrared radiation. This demonstrates the interconnected relationship between darkness and blackness. Darkness and blackness stimuli are both the identical infrared photons and are fundamentally identical sensations to the visual system.

The retinas must be "tuned" to the natural resonance frequencies of the waves of infrared darkness photons. In a similar fashion, the retina is "tuned" to the frequencies of visible light. Thus, the retina is sensitive at two distinct bands on the electromagnetic spectrum. One band at the visible light wavelengths of between 400 and 700 nanometers and the other at infrared extending from the visible light region to about one millimeter in wavelength (On-Line Resources, 1998).

It is somewhat common for resonant systems (like building structures in earthquakes, for example) to have more than one distinct frequency band where the phenomena of resonance does takes place. It is suggested that this same "bi-spectral" arrangement might also be common to the physiology of the retina.

It may seem that closed eye lids will block darkness photons, but any object above -273 degrees Celsius is an active emitter of infrared. Therefore, the eye lids themselves, or any other warm object, emits darkness photons. Since it is also warm within the eye itself, the transparent internal fluids present there could be emitting infrared photons and, hence, stimulating the retinal receptor sites. Could this be the source of the dark current?

Conclusion

This has been an attempt to understand the mechanism of vision, based upon the high levels of visual activity in the dark. The concept that blackness perception is due to infrared radiation is a working hypothesis. This theoretical hypothesis has the following six probable consequences:

1) Darkness and blackness are stimuli to the visual system.

2) Since the universal darkness background is inescapable and accompanies other frequencies of radiation, all visible color wavelengths reflected or emitted must contain an embedded blackness component.

3) There is no fundamental difference to the visual system between darkness and blackness. This is because their stimuli are identical. Their close relationship is demonstrated by a black object, which emits only darkness photon stimuli and often a small amount of scattered visible light.

4) The darkness is discontinuous and grainy.

The last two consequences are specific only to the infrared background hypothesis. They are tests of the infrared concept.

5) Infrared photons must affect the visual system by causing the perception of blackness.

6) If the infrared background is the stimulus for blackness to the visual system, a black object cooled to -273 Celsius might not appear black, since such an object would not then be emitting the proposed blackness photons. This could be a test of the infrared blackness hypothesis. However, this measurement may be negated by the overwhelming dominance of the infrared background surrounding the experiment.

Acknowledgment

Much thanks to Milo Wolff for suggesting infrared as the possible blackness radiation wavelengths.

Links To The Author's Related Work

The Accompaniment Model: This contains the author's many arguments for darkness/blackness as radiation, although this model uses long-wavelength photons instead of infrared: http://www.johnkharms.com/darkness.htm . It will likely be of interest to readers of this text who want more information.

The History Of My Research Into Darkness/Blackness: It contains the early tachyon model, the idea that ordinary photons are tachyon-like objects i.e., faster than light particles: http://www.johnkharms.com/Black.htm --for deep radical thinkers. Another early model is also shown.

Color and the wave theory of matter: The author's views about color and matter as waves. This model ends up not only explaining the colors we see, but is consistent with the author's views of gravity and the decay of subatomic particles as well: http://www.johnkharms.com/color.htm .

See also black holes: http://www.johnkharms.com/blackholes.htm

And also gravity: http://www.johnkharms.com/gravitation.htm

Or: Particle decay, the Big Bang and the end of the Universe: http://www.johnkharms.com/decay.htm

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References

Hartline, Wagner, Ratliff, (1956). Journal Of General Physiology, 39 , 651

Hubel, D. H., (1995). Eye, Brain and Vision, New York, Sci. Am. Library, 48-49

Levine, Miller, (1991). Biology, New York, D. C. Heath Co., 813

Molday, Hsu, (1994). The cGMP-Gated Channel of Photoreceptor Cells, Camb. Univ. Press, 7, 9, 11, 23

On-Line Resources, (1998). On the World Wide Web at: http://www.csm.ohiou.edu/comt101/spectrum/sld039.htm

Schnapf, Baylor, April, (1987). Scientific American, 256, 40

Stryer, L., (1986). Ann. Rev. Neurosci., 9, 87-119

Thompson, R. F., (1993). The Brain: A Neuroscience Primer, W. H. Freeman Co., 64, 230

Villard, R., (1998). Press Release on the World Wide Web at: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/astro/cobe/dirbe_press_release.html

Reader's Note: Proper References And/Or Acknowledgments To This Text Are Appreciated.