AquaThought Foundation
    22321 Susana Ave
    Torrance, CA 90505
    310-316-4563

    (All material contained herein Copyright (C) 1993 by AquaThought.
    All rights reserved. AquaThought and the AquaThought logo are
    trademarks of the AquaThought Foundation.)

    AquaThought Foundation Electronic Briefing - Revision 1.8, 9-6-93

    I. Introduction
    ---------------
    The AquaThought Foundation is a privately funded research
    organization dedicated to the exploration of human - dolphin
    interaction. Since 1989, AquaThought has studied the neurological
    impact of close contact with dolphins on human subjects, and the
    related healing phenomena. Our research in neurological imaging has
    led to the development of MindSet, a low-cost neuro-mapping
    electroencephalograph which makes advanced EEG research affordable.
    In partnership with the Cancun Convention Center, a new virtual
    reality theme park, we are developing the "Dolphin Encounter
    Immersive Simulator" which will bring virtual dolphin contact to a
    massive audience.

    AquaThought, in conjunction with Dolphin Discovery and Dolphin
    Assisted Therapy Association (DATA), is now developing a permanent
    Dolphin Interaction and Neurotechnology research facility near
    Cancun, Mexico. Chartered as the Yucatan InterSpecies Research
    Foundation, this non-profit organization will offer dolphin
    assisted therapy to special needs individuals from around the world.
    Early next year, AquaThought will host the first International
    Symposium on Dolphin Assisted Healing, a conference focused on the
    exchange of research, methodologies, and ideas and the application
    of neurotechnology and virtual reality in dolphin assisted healing.

    II. Background
    --------------
    AquaThought's Mission - "To advance humanity's understanding of
    consciousness and its relationship to healing and wellness"

    AquaThought serves to inform and educate through the publishing of
    newsletters, the submission of papers and articles to various
    institutions, lecturing, and the utilization of electronic forms of
    information distribution. AquaThought's research focuses are
    established by the foundation's Board of Directors in cooperation
    with various affiliated organizations and participating researchers.
    While no current membership drive is underway, future plans include
    expanding the supporting membership base by soliciting members from
    diverse fields of interest. This will expand the scope of
    disciplines, talents, and resources which comprise AquaThought.

    The AquaThought Foundation exists solely on funds donated by its
    directors, participating researchers, and supporting members and
    proceeds from any commercial activities.

    Board Of Directors:

    David M. Cole, Chairman
    David Cole founded AquaThought in May of 1991. He currently serves
    as Director of Research and Development for Chinon America and was
    President and founder of Studiotronics, Inc.

    Steven E. Gorney, Executive Director
    Steve Gorney co-founded AquaThought and currently serves as National
    Sales Manager for Chinon America. He formerly served as Vice
    President of Studiotronics, Inc. and was a primary member of the
    Studiotronics Neurological Research Project.

    Kathi Rogers, Director
    Kathi Rogers began facilitating wellness workshops in association
    with the Dolphin Research Center in 1989. In 1988, she served as a
    delegate to the Soviet-American Citizens Summit in Washington, D.C.,
    where she became involved with the human-dolphin interaction field
    of study. She traveled to Russia, in 1987, to research dolphins and
    underwater birthing in the Black Sea. Kathi is an active member of
    the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and has assisted in many whale
    stranding rescues.

    Sunil Gupta, Director
    Sunil Gupta is President of Monsoon Software, a software engineering
    firm in Baltimore, Maryland. He has served as senior software
    developer for many commercial and large-scale industrial software
    projects and has an expert knowledge of object-oriented programming,
    3D graphic rendering, neural networks, and digital signal processing.
    Sunil is currently acting as senior software developer and software
    project manager for AquaThought's MindSet EEG product.

    III. Dolphin Research
    ---------------------
    The emerging field of psychoneuroimmunology focuses on the
    relationship between the central nervous system and immunity.
    Stress, proved to be a major culprit in the etiology of disease
    states, is the target of psychoneuroimmunology research. Biofeedback,
    guided visualization, and meditation have become common tools used
    to battle stress. The exploration of other methods of stress
    reduction, by specialists in alternative cancer treatment, has lead
    the way to current dolphin-human interaction research.

    Organizations such as Living from The Heart, based in Morrison,
    Colorado, and The Dolphin Child Project, based in Miami, Florida
    have shed much light on the medical and therapeutic applications of
    dolphin interaction. These organizations regularly report direct
    improvements to the well-being of their patients as a result of
    participation in their interaction programs. Missing from this
    research, however, is the underlying how and why of dolphin
    interaction. The study of the complex neurological stimulation
    provided by close interaction with dolphins is the primary research
    focus of AquaThought (all other research activities are ancillary).
    A true phenomena is being uncovered in this ongoing exploration,
    with human wellness as a beneficiary.

    Goals:

        I. "To quantify the phenomenological effect of dolphin
        interaction on humans"

        II. "To understand why and how dolphins cause such changes in
        humans"

        III. "To construct a methodology of electronically reproducing
        the dolphin effect for widespread distribution" (see
        Neurotechnology)

    AquaThought is currently conducting an expansive effort to collect
    electroencephalographic data from a diverse group of subjects.
    Methods of data collection and analysis must be invented, where
    none exist. Specialists in many disciplines of neuroscience are
    required for consultation and collaboration.

    Much of the electroencephalographic testing takes place at three of
    the four dolphin swim facilities licensed to operate in the United
    States and at Dolphin Discovery in Mexico. Although the process
    involved in conducting the electroencephalographic testing varies,
    the following general procedure is followed:

        I. Collect baseline data - This takes place at the swim
        facility, prior to any interaction.

        II. Place subject in direct contact with dolphins - This
        involves diving, touching, free swimming, and playing.

        III. Collect post-interaction data - This also takes place at
        the swim facility, immediately following interaction.

    While the analysis of the data obtained so far is not complete,
    several trends are emerging. The subject's dominate brain frequency
    drops significantly after the dolphin interaction. Also observable
    is a period of hemispheric synchronization (the brainwaves emitted
    from both the left and right hemispheres of the brain are in phase
    and of similar frequency) which is an uncommon neurological state.
    The statistics that follow are representative of both healthy and
    ill subjects with no segregation of sex, age, or physical condition.

    Baseline measures in dominate beta 92%
    Post-interaction measures in dominate alpha 81%
    Post-interaction measures in dominate theta 10%
    Post-interaction measures in dominate beta 9%
    Hemispheric synchronization was detected 5%

    In order to understand the early results of this research, it is
    necessary to look at how this neurological data might correlate
    with reported wellness benefits. The induced alpha brain state may
    be, as psychoneuroimmunology dictates, responsible for
    strengthening the human immune system. This serves as the current
    operating hypothesis for the alternative cancer treatment successes.
    But the question of how dolphin interaction can have such a profound
    effect on the wellness of human subjects is not answered in such
    simple terms. Many reported instances of human benefit do not fit
    neatly into the psychoneuroimmunology hypothesis. Further study of
    the neurological data may expose an entirely new process at work.
    The AquaThought research has established proof of concept that
    neurological study is an appropriate course of action.

    Future Plans.
    Refinements of equipment and analysis technique are a continuous
    effort. A water elimination test will accompany every subject data
    set, allowing for the removal of any water-related neurological
    effect. The scope of the research is being expanded to include
    pattern analysis and recognition of biological signals emitted by
    both subject and dolphin. Additional medical factors will be
    recorded in future tests to expand the information available for
    analysis.

    IV. MindSet
    -----------
    MindSet is a 16 - Channel Electroencephalographic Neuromapper
    designed for use with a personal computer. MindSet combines highly
    evolved neurological laboratory software with a 16 channel
    electroencephalographic preamplifier and a high-speed SCSI Interface
    card, in a package which is compatible with Macintosh or PC
    computers.

    Advanced features of the MindSet system include topographic
    visualization of brainwave data, neurometric analysis, a
    neurodiagnostic suite, online access to a centralized neural-
    network, and user expandability. Potential applications for MindSet
    include clinical neurology, conventional and obscure brain/mind
    research, man/machine interface research, and discrete biological
    pattern recognition research.

    The MindSet product philosophy is to provide a complete, yet
    extensible, EEG system of clinical quality, at a low cost. There is
    no technical obstruction to achieving this goal. The application of
    personal computers to biological signal diagnostics has
    dramatically reduced the expense in components and design. The
    price of clinical EEG systems, however, has risen since the
    introduction of PC based systems. MindSet will enter a market which
    has been enjoying margins of over 10,000%! Priced fairly (under
    $2,000 for a basic system), MindSet has sent shockwaves through the
    EEG industry.

    MindSet is now being readied for extensive field testing at
    qualified sites. This beta testing will provide valuable
    information from scientists, neuro specialists, clinicians, and
    researchers on; MindSet feature implementation, user-interface,
    accuracy, suitability for certain markets, and future enhancements.

    Future Plans.
    With MindSet as the workhorse of the AquaThought Neurological
    Imaging research, the goal of developing a methodology to automate
    the recognition of complex patterns within brainwaves is closer to
    realization. The first step in this ambitious project is to compile
    the database that will serve as the normalization set for a back-
    propagation neural-network. This work will be conducted by
    AquaThought, the many MindSet test sights, and MindSet users. After
    establishing this storehouse of data, AquaThought will apply a
    proprietary process for extracting rich rule-based algorithms for
    automatic correlation between brainwave characteristics and
    biophysical events. The potential applications of such technology
    in computer interfaces, enabling devices, and neurological
    diagnostics are of great interest to the AquaThought Foundation.

    V. Neurotechnology
    ------------------
    An increased understanding of neurological systems as complex
    dissipative structures has led to significant technological
    developments in the past 20 years. The pioneering work of
    neuroscientists who studied the brain as a process as well as an
    organ, has born the fruit of modern neurotechnology. In recognizing
    the colossal importance of this work, the US Congress has declared
    the 1990's the "Decade of the Brain".

    Developments in the field of neurological wellness promise such life
    enhancing and enabling rewards as intelligence capacity
    augmentation, accelerated learning, bio-physical healing, and
    {*filter*}ion elimination. Virtually all mammalian biological
    mechanisms are affected by the brain. For these reasons,
    AquaThought is committed to the research and development of
    methodology and technology to improve neurological wellness.

    Goals

        I. "Explore various existing neurotechnologies (i.e. Light &
        Sound, CES, Electromagnetism, Binaural Signal Stimulation, and
        Flotation) as they apply to neurological wellness"

        II. "Apply AquaThought Dolphin and Neurological Imaging research
        project precipitates to the development of new neurological
        wellness technologies"

        III. "Provide resultant information and technological resources
        to outside individuals and organizations for application,
        collaboration, and further research"

    Entrainment.
    Many neurological stimulation systems have as their operational
    modality brainwave entrainment. These systems seek to modify the
    frequency of electrical activity being produced in the brain by
    generating neurological stimuli at a target frequency. Entrainment
    occurs when the brain begins to resonate at the stimulated target
    frequency. This neurological reaction to stimuli at frequencies
    which naturally occur within the brain is also known as frequency
    following response. There exists a vast aggregation of neurological
    stimulation systems that may be classified as entrainment devices.
    They vary in the type of stimulation provided (i.e. light, sound,
    electromagnetism, direct electrical stimulation) and the
    methodology of generating and controlling the target frequencies.

    Entrainment devices have become essential in the exploration of the
    causal relationship between brainwave frequencies (as emitted from
    various areas of the brain) and specific neurological functions.
    Research suggests that entrainment at specific frequencies provides
    access to specific mental states and facilitates hemispheric
    synchronization (brainwaves emitted from both the left and right
    hemispheres of the brain are in phase and of similar frequency).
    AquaThought is currently researching two specific entrainment
    technologies:

        I. Light and Sound

        Light and sound machines are the most readily available
        entrainment devices. They are sold both clinically and
        commercially for relaxation, creativity enhancement, learning
        enhancement, dependency elimination, and other therapeutic uses.
        As the name suggests, light and sound machines employ light and
        sound stimulation. The user is provided with goggles which emit
        light over the closed eyes and headphones which produce stereo
        sound. The light and sound is pulsed at the desired target
        frequency, facilitating entrainment.

        AquaThought has found light and sound entrainment to be a
        powerful methodology of altering dominate brainwave frequency.
        Light and sound stimulation, when combined with other
        entrainment modalities, is a valuable resource for neurological
        wellness research.

        II. Electrical and Electromagnetic

        These modalities of neurological stimulation provide electrical
        current directly to the brain. Electrical stimulation is
        delivered through electrodes attached to various areas of the
        scalp. Electromagnetic stimulation creates currents inside the
        dura matter and deeper neurological structures through magnetic
        field induction. Both methods result in entrainment by
        electrical stimulation of neurological circuitry at a target
        frequency.

        Electrical stimulation methods result in dramatic dominate
        brainwave frequency modification. AquaThought's current research
        involves various forms of electrical stimulation signals aimed
        at specific locations within brain.

    Flotation.
    The sensory isolated flotation tank was developed by
    neurophysiologist and dolphin researcher Dr. John Lilly, in 1954,
    for consciousness research. It consists of a light-and-sound proof
    chamber containing a solution of water and magnesium sulfate which
    is maintained at 93o F. The user is suspended in the skin
    temperature solution, eliminating the sensation of gravity and skin
    contact.

    Extensive flotation research by cognitive psychologists, neuro-
    endocrinologists, educators, psychiatrists, and physio-therapists
    has uncovered many neurological benefits. Studies have demonstrated
    that periodic flotation reduces heart rate, oxygen consumption, and
    the level of stress related biochemicals in the {*filter*}stream,
    including cortisol, ACTH, lactate, and adrenaline. Flotation, also,
    significantly increases {*filter*}stream levels of endorphins, the body's
    natural opiates. Many of the reported effects of flotation parallel
    the effects of dolphin-human interaction. AquaThought's flotation
    research is currently contrasting the electroencephalographic
    result of flotation with that of dolphin-human interaction.

    Future Plans.
    Through the integration and expansion of existing neurotechnologies,
    AquaThought has constructed an extensive arsenal of research tools.
    Research methodologies have been kept intentionally flexible,
    allowing for synergistic combination with other AquaThought efforts.
    In the near future, AquaThought will be publishing results of
    several neurological research and development projects. Also,
    AquaThought will launch a global electronic information network
    which will serve as an information clearinghouse for neurotechnology.

    VI. Dolphin Encounter Immersive Simulator
    -----------------------------------------
    The AquaThought Dolphin Encounter Immersive Platform will transport
    the point of perception its user into an underwater location
    populated with friendly and inquisitive dolphins. State-of-the-art
    virtual reality and neurotechnology will be employed, making this
    the most engaging LBE (location-based-entertainment) attraction
    ever created. The content, dolphin contact, is attractive to both
    men, women and children of all ages.

    A stereo visual/aural recording created with the Underwater
    Telepuppet will be used to drive the various sensory output
    modalities of the platform. This will be a non-interactive "canned"
    experience in its initial implementation. The platform itself is
    based on a VibraSonic ACV-8000 Total Sensory Stimulation Device.
    The participant will lie with his/her back on the liquid crystal
    filled mattress. The mattress is designed to distribute stress
    evenly against the body, closely approximating the feeling of
    floating in water. The patented Liquid Crystal Floating Transducer
    Platform housed in the VibraSonic device will "base drive" the
    participants entire body with the stereo hydrophone audio signal. To
    completely simulate feeling of massive acoustic energy (contained in
    echolocation) perceived while underwater with a dolphin, a
    neurophone will be employed. The neurophone will transduce the
    incoming stereo hydrophone audio signal directly onto the
    participant's nerve pathways. This form of direct sensory input
    actually reproduces the mechanical skin to water coupling which
    occurs during a dolphin encounter. A CRT based stereo viewer is
    lowered into position directly over the participants eyes to
    provide high-resolution, 3D visual input. All 3D audio/visual
    content will be synchronized when recorded (within the Underwater
    Telepuppet), assuring proper playback.

    The pre-show has introduced you to a talking dolphin, shown you
    dolphins playfully interacting with people of all ages, told you
    about dolphins' remarkable physiology and intelligence, and
    presented heart-warming stories about the altruistic and loving
    nature of these beings. You lie down on the table and wait while an
    attendant adjusts the stereo-optic display and attaches the
    neurophone electrodes. The bed begins to gently undulate as a 3D
    underwater scene fills your vision. Suddenly, you hear and feel an
    intense explosion of sound sweeping around you and through you. As
    you try to orientate yourself to the direction of this strange and
    wonderful sound, an dolphin darts by you, giving you a comforting
    glance with his soulful eye. The experience continues as you
    playfully encounter each of the six dolphins and join their pod in a
    high speed race around a beautiful reef. The 5 minute experience
    ends with a grand and triumphant farewell as the six dolphins form
    a circle around you then skyrocket out of the water in a
    synchronistic movement.

    This virtual experience is truly a roller-coaster ride for the mind.
    The application of VibraSonic and neurophone technology delivers
    unsurpassed sensory realism. The objective is to immerse the guest
    in the wonder, joy, and e{*filter*}ment of actually meeting a dolphin.
    Hopefully, guests will leave the attraction with a greater
    understanding of our intelligent neighbors on the planet and an
    awaking interest in making contact.

    VII. Cancun Convention Center
    -----------------------------
    The Cancun Convention Center, site of a new $100 million dollar
    immersive media and virtual reality attraction, has announced a
    cooperative agreement with the AquaThought Foundation to
    incorporate dolphin - human interaction into the facility. The
    agreement will merge the latest in immersive virtual reality
    technology with the adventure of close contact with dolphins.

    Scheduled to open in September, the development includes a 7,000
    person convention center, a fully immersive multi-sensorial center;
    a 54 store front shopping mall with intelligent kiosks that inform,
    attract, and direct shoppers; an IWerks 3D cinema with an
    interactive laser imaging system; a 600 foot tall panoramic tower;
    and ShowScan simulated rides produced by George Lucas. The
    simulated rides, housed in a 14,000 square foot auditorium, utilize
    ShowScan location-based-entertainment technology. ShowScan combines
    60 frame-per-second 70mm motion pictures with advanced motion
    platforms to produce an experience so real, audience heart rate and
    breathing is affected. The IWerks 3D cinema will be completely
    interactive, tailoring the experience to the audience's screams and
    other reactions. Content plans for the cinema include a 20 minute
    production on the Mayan civilization.

    The main attraction, according to Servando Braun, the project's
    director, is the multi-sensorial center with its virtual reality
    environments. Over $4 million dollars in virtual reality hardware
    alone makes this one of the most ambitious VR projects to date. The
    biggest challenge, says Braun, was to find content which offered
    more than mindless {*filter*}. "An intense sensory experience does
    not dictate that higher-level intellectual functions be switched
    off,"says Braun. "What we want for the Cancun Convention Center, in
    contrast to current VR amu{*filter*}t, is content which is both exciting
    and meaningful."

    Meaningful content is exactly what the AquaThought Foundation has
    brought to the facility. The Cancun Convention Center and
    AquaThought are now working together to develop a tele-presence
    interaction system which will transport the Convention Center
    guests virtually into the Yucatan InterSpecies Research
    Foundation's dolphin area (The Yucatan InterSpecies Research
    Foundation is an advanced dolphin interaction and consciousness
    research facility just outside of Cancun). Also in development is a
    virtual world in which participants are guided through the Yucatan
    Corridor's world-famous SCUBA diving locations by pod of virtual
    dolphins, and a multimedia presentation which informs visitors about
    the healing, interspecies-communication, neurotechnology, and
    natural conservation research being conducted at the Yucatan
    InterSpecies Research Foundation. To realistically simulate dolphin
    contact - specifically the intense acoustic echolocation that
    dolphins often direct towards swimmers - AquaThought has developed
    neurotechnology which actually engages the participant's entire
    nervous system and sensory mechanics in the immersive environment.

    "Dolphin contact is one of the most intense experiences one can have.
    To swim with these intelligent beings is pure joy," says David Cole,
    Chairman of the AquaThought Foundation. AquaThought has
    demonstrated, through electroencephalographic studies, that close
    interaction with dolphins significantly changes the neurological
    state of the participant. In a field of alternative medicine -only
    now being taken seriously by the medical community- dolphin
    interaction therapy has been used for over twenty years to treat
    severe depression, cancer, Downs Syndrome, autism, and other
    disorders. The new relationship with the Cancun Convention Center
    accomplishes one of AquaThought's long term goals; to develop
    technology which allows unlimited numbers of participants to have
    the intense and potentially healing experience of swimming with a
    dolphin, without adversely affecting any dolphins.

    VIII. Yucatan InterSpecies Research Foundation
    ----------------------------------------------
    Located on the beautiful Mexican Caribbean Coast, the Foundation's
    technologically advanced research facility and dolphin - human
    interaction programs include:

    The Special Needs Program.
    This dolphin-assisted therapy program for physically, mentally, or
    emotionally handicapped individuals is designed to scientifically
    quantify the altered neurological states occurring in special needs
    individuals following dolphin interaction. These dolphin-stimulated
    changes in human brain wave activity are believed to be a
    physiological signature of a dramatic healing process which, until
    now, has been documented only anecdotally.

    Phases of this research program include identifying the specific
    spectral content in dolphin sonar and bio-electrical emissions
    which catalyzes physiological changes in humans, exploring ways to
    assist the dolphins in their task of triggering human healing by
    utilizing neurotechnology, and developing a methodology for
    electronically reproducing the dolphin effect for widespread
    distribution.

    To capitalize on the accelerated learning state often experienced by
    special needs individuals following dolphin interaction, an
    immersive multimedia reading, mathematics and art/music laboratory
    will be available to them. Providing a conduit for these
    individuals to express themselves during this time of heightened
    consciousness will likely produce dramatic evidence of accelerated
    learning as well as greatly benefit the special needs participant.

    The Inward Bound Program.
    This revolutionary half-day program provides an exciting opportunity
    for tourists to become active participants in dolphin and human
    consciousness research. Each participant will enjoy sensory-
    immersive technology designed to enhance their in-water dolphin
    encounter as well as provide cumulative data for the research
    programs.

    As part of the program, participants will visually witness their own
    shifting brain wave activity patterns (as a topographic neuromap)
    prior to and following dolphin interaction. By combining such
    powerful tools as virtual reality education with the already
    accelerated awareness levels -achieved by inducing altered
    neurological states through neurotechnology and dolphin interaction-
    this program sets the stage for the most profound interspecies
    interaction ever to be scientifically documented.

    The Transformational Theater.
    Merging virtual reality technology with eco-sensitive educational
    content, healing arts, and human/dolphin consciousness research,
    this facility will serve as a world class laboratory for exploring
    the frontier of interspecies relationships. As one of its functions,
    this open-to-the-public research facility, will inform and
    entertain audiences with a transformative experience via multi-
    -sensorial media.

    During the sensory-immersive media presentations, the audience will
    be exposed to specific sound and light frequencies that will induce
    specific neurological states and balance their bio-electrical
    fields. To the audience, the use of 3D sound and virtual reality
    environments may at first appear to be merely entertaining, but as
    they embark on vivid undersea journeys to learn about cetaceans,
    jungle treks to meet the ancient Mayans, and space voyages beyond
    the Milky Way, they will become immersed in a new reality and begin
    to feel the beneficial effects of the surrounding environment and
    accelerated learning.

    Technologies within the theater include individual neurophone
    headsets transmitting dolphin and whale echolocation, vibrasonic
    platforms, MindSet neurological imaging systems, sound and light
    entrainment devices, individual and group virtual reality
    presentations, and Schumann resonance atmospheric balancing.

    Education and Wellness Product Development.
    The Foundation plans to develop products for widespread distribution
    of the dolphin effect wellness benefits. Various neurotechnologies
    which were developed during pilot research established proof-of-
    concept that the Yucatan InterSpecies Research Foundation will
    serve as an excellent breeding ground for innovation.

    Tele-Present Interaction.
    Using stereo visual and aural tele-presence technology, the
    Foundation will establish remote dolphin interaction links with
    education and healing facilities worldwide. The Cancun Convention
    Center's (Cancun, Mexico) multi-sensorial center will be the first
    facility to establish a permanent tele-present link with the
    Yucatan InterSpecies Research Foundation.

    International Symposium on Dolphin Healing.
    The Foundation will organize and host an unprecedented series of
    conferences which will combine advanced neurotechnology, virtual
    reality, medical science, holistic healing, and dolphin research.
    Goals of the symposium are to form cooperative partnerships (very
    little communication currently occurs between dolphin therapy
    researchers), develop a permanent network for sharing research,
    develop joint research initiatives, explore technology for healing
    and education, and develop initiatives to work toward wild and
    open-release dolphin programs.