"What is Modulated Cranial Electrostimulation?" he asked. The patient looked at Diane, all he could think was "what a nerd." She wasn't really ugly, she was just very plain, geeky, and kind of skinny, just not attractive at all. He's been trying to quit smoking for a long time and has tried everything else, so he decided to stick around and hear the sales pitch anyway.
Diane answered the question. "Cranial Electrostimulation is a process by which you apply micro-currents to areas of the brain through the skull which behaves like serotonin to decrease depression and anxiety without medication. It was invented in the 1950s in the Soviet Union. It has been under steady research and improvements for decades. I did my first Ph.D on it."
"Your first Ph.D?"
Diane continued, "In 1979, it was discovered that if you modulate the wave form of the current to resemble the wave form put out by healthy nerve tissue, it is far far more effective. My first Ph.D was about how to make the system even more therapeutic by synchronizing its wave form with existing brainwave patterns. Rather than the wave forms interfering with one another and reducing the effect, the synchronized wave form fits right into your brain and the effect is multiplied. I used a 'Phase Locked Loop' circuit to match the generated wave form to that of the subjects own brain waves."
She continued, "The topic of my second Ph.D is a hypothesis I'd like to prove that by modulating vocal statements on to the synchronized wave form, the brain's speech processing center will pick up the words without the person ever hearing them. It kind of works like subliminal messaging in movies, your brain sees the image but you are not conscious of it. This should be a lot more direct. The patient processes and internalizes the messages more readily and yet has no knowledge of ever hearing them. In fact, the subject just thinks they are sitting in a quiet room relaxing and anything that comes in feels like their own thoughts."
That settled it, the patient thought, she was a big nerd. "That sounds creepy. You can insert thoughts into a person's head and they don't even know?"
Diane noticed the ill ease of her perspective patient. "You see, its not quite as ominous as that. You can't make a person do or say something that is incompatible with their personality, in that way it is just as limited as hypnosis."
"So, it can't be used for mind control, right?"
Diane was going to have to dance around this, tell the truth, but hide the gravity of it. "Mind control is boogie man of science fiction. Tools like MCE (Modulated Cranial Electrostimulation) may have the ability to help people modify their behaviors. In early tests, it looks like it should be very effective at helping smokers stop and obese people lose weight. Its not 'mind control,' its re-enforcing what the patient actually wants to do." What Diane didn't say was that her theory is that if you have access to a patient over a long enough period of time, you should be able to get them to do anything regardless of what they normally would or wouldn't do. All that would be needed is to subtly and gradually subvert parts of their personality in a way that resembles the brains natural learning process. People's minds change naturally over time, Diane believed that her machine could direct and speed up that process by inserting new ideas without the patient's normal safe guards getting in the way.
"Ok, I'll try it. You think you can help me quit smoking?"
This is exactly what Diane wanted. She responded; "I'm very confident that we can, yes. Remember, this is a research center and this is an experimental treatment." Then she added "They make make me say that and have patients sign the release form. I guess so that if I get you clucking like a chicken, you can't sue." He was going to be her guinea pig for her next Ph.D! She booked the appointment and had him sign the release.
On the day of the appointment, the patient arrived 10 minutes early. As he sat in the waiting room, he noticed that it was quiet. Maybe he was the last appointment of the day. Diane came out of the office and called him in. "I see you came on time. Are you ready to stop smoking?"
He answered, "Yes. I'm kind of nervous I've never done anything like this before."
Diane answer in a cheery disarming voice. "This is just like hypnosis, it just works a little faster. Don't worry you'll be fine."
Relived, the patient put on a strange looking webbed "shower cap" that had electrodes, circuits, and wires, then proceeded to sit down and try to relax.
Diane, smiling to herself, explained: "The cap you are wearing has a number of devices. It has one set of electrodes to apply current, it has other set to measure electrodermal activity, it has a handful of other sensors so we can monitor brain activity. There's lots of safe-guards as well. I designed it myself, it's safe." Diane then turned on the machine, set signal strength somewhere between 2 and 3. She called out to the patient, "Do you feel that? How does it feel?"
The patient did feel it. He felt physically and mentally relaxed, almost, but not quite, euphoric.
Diane let him relax for about 10 minutes, and then tested the device. She said into the microphone: "you feel hot."
The patient almost immediately took off his sweater, saying "Its really warm in here."
Diane had a little thrill, but she had to keep it to herself. First order of business, she needed to be professional and help him with his smoking. She said into the microphone: "The urge for a smoke just doesn't feel very strong anymore." Knowing that she can't change a habit over night, small modifications are the only things that work. She added "You think Diane is attractive. You will think about her this week."
The patient heard nothing of course, he enjoyed the relaxing effects of MCE and was really impressed. Diane let him relax for another 15 minutes while the programming repeated over and over silently in his head.
When the session was over, the patient was relaxed, felt better than he had in years. He still craved cigarettes, but the pull on him was much less. He could envision quitting smoking for the first time since he started. He then noticed Diane at her desk observing him and taking notes. He hadn't noticed it before, but he thought she was pretty cute, not his normal type, but... something.
As he was preparing to leave, Diane approached him and said "This is the first session. You should feel better. It doesn't work over night, you will still want a cigarette, but it will be easier to refuse the craving. Considering that you have been smoking for most of your life, I think it could take a number of sessions. Do you want to continue?"
The patient answered, almost too quickly, "Yes."
Diane said "Why don't we book several more sessions for the few next weeks? I think I can be finished by then."
The patient was curious about the usage of the words "be finished," but thought it was more of a clinical statement than anything else. He replied "Ok." She processed his insurance card, scheduled his appointments, and sent him on his way.
The next appointment ran much the same as the previous. The patient arrived, waited in the waiting room. When called he went in to Diane's office. Put on the cap and tried to relax. He said "It's funny, I'm kind of embarrassed, but I have been thinking about you."
Diane was pleased that the programming was working. She replied "That's perfectly normal, everybody does that. This is all new to you, of course you are going to be thinking about it." This time she set the machine to a little over 3. She let him relax for about 10 minutes before she tried the next set of instructions. She said into the microphone "You still crave cigarettes, but its not as strong as it used to be. You don't feel like you need them anymore." She added, "You like being around Diane, you like how she smells" (knowing how strong the sense of smell is for a hook) "You like when she tells you to do things." Again, letting the patient to relax for 15 more minutes and let her unheard words repeat.
As he was preparing to leave, Diane asked, "will you reach for that book on the shelf? I can't reach it."
The patient got the book off the shelf and handed it to Diane, saying (without thinking) "Thanks, I like doing things for you." As he left, Diane was beside herself, giddy with power. She was going to try something daring on the next session.