# what's the straight dope on "the third eye" (cue the new age music) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2004, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720 "2004-01-23T05:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/21 "2004-02-09T17:31:23Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > One Saturday morning when I was living at home I was still 3 quarters asleep when I felt this distinct tingling in my forehead. I cracked an eye open in time to glimpse my mother exiting the room. From this and even subtler cues in my near unconscious state I concluded that she had come in and leaned real close to see it I was still asleep. So there was no beforehand stimulation triggering and anticipatory response. Perhaps my brain was able to detect the electromagnetic field emanating from mom’s brain. Did you ask her if she kissed you? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/22 "2004-02-09T18:56:30Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > One Saturday morning when I was living at home I was still 3 quarters asleep when I felt this distinct tingling in my forehead. I cracked an eye open in time to glimpse my mother exiting the room. From this and even subtler cues in my near unconscious state I concluded that she had come in and leaned real close to see it I was still asleep. So there was no beforehand stimulation triggering and anticipatory response. Perhaps my brain was able to detect the electromagnetic field emanating from mom’s brain. You do realize that the electrical wiring in your walls generates a more powerful electromagnetic field than your mother’s brain, don’t you? You do realize that if you were susceptable to such fields, you would be in a state of constant agitation in our modern electronic society, don’t you? You do realize that all this ESP-Third Eye-Bigfoot Ate My Baby stuff is all rubbish, don’t you? No. I don’t really suppose you do. :rolleyes: ☹ :rolleyes: ☹ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/23 "2004-02-09T20:04:24Z")
What a bunch of pedestrian naysayers. Of course there is such a thing as third eye. There is also the lesser known third ear, third nostril, second tounge and super special skin. These give us access to the sound of synchronicity, the scent of the psychic, the flavor of flight and the rash of religion respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/24 "2004-02-09T21:56:04Z")
Here’s a link that does not mention any new age crap, although it is about reptiles only: [http://www.anapsid.org/parietal.html](http://www.anapsid.org/parietal.html) Skipping all the new-age stuff, some people believe that humans have a related sense that affects our circadian rhythyms, and that the nerves in our forehead respond to light and stimulate the pineal gland. As far as I know, this has not been proven. It is possible that we have vestigal traces of this organ, since evolution has been known to do that sort of thing. Good luck a-googling. ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/25 "2004-02-09T22:02:26Z")
Besides bumping a two week old GQ thread to get in one last joke, what’s with the gigantic sig in every post, **Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor**? Another upgrade quirk? ---
**Author:** ![ValSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/958977/32.png) [@ValSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ValSam)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/26 "2004-02-09T22:27:10Z")
> [@Bromley](#): > > …feel the heat…placing your finger near other parts of your face to see if it generates the same sensation… Sadly (I’ve tried) other parts don’t feel this. I’ve always described the sensation as the anticipation of contact. I’ve noticed a similar sensation when focusing really hard on something, with the “I’m willing you to move!” mental state. I once tried an amature “controlled” test: a close your eyes (blindfold is better, but not one that goes above the eyebrows) and have a friend hold a finger a few milimeters away from the skin just above and between the brows. Have them approach at their discretion, fast, slow, silent, etc. Earplugs would probably make this more schyintifik. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/27 "2004-02-10T01:27:43Z")
> [@Petter](#): > > Besides bumping a two week old GQ thread to get in one last joke, what’s with the gigantic sig in every post, **Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor**? Another upgrade quirk? What giant sig? I see no giant sig. Do you see giant sigs? ---
**Author:** ![SpacemanSpiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@SpacemanSpiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/28 "2004-02-10T15:20:05Z")
> [@The Weak Force](#): > > I believe that the tingling sensation is purely psychological, as others have stated. I know exactly what you’re talking about: when we were kids, my brother and I used to do the finger-just-barely-over-forehead thing to each other to annoy each other. Later on, though, I realized that the physical finger wasn’t necessary; just the thought of it hovering there would start the strange tingling feeling. Now, strangely enough, I don’t even need to imagine a finger; I can just turn the pressure on and off by wanting/not wanting it. Yeah, me too… I used to sit in class long ago, concentrating on my forehead to produce this feeling. Heh, I would pretend that it gave me telekinetic powers, and I’d imagine that I was dangling the teacher from the ceiling. Good times. But, other than the occasional distraction from algebra, this feeling seems to have very little use, and at least a couple possible causes. I tend to agree that it’s nothing more than psychological, but it was a hell of a lot of fun to imagine that I had superpowers… Funny, though, I think this is the first time I’ve heard anyone else say they’ve felt the same. Damn! I’m not the only one with superpowers! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/29 "2004-02-10T15:48:19Z")
There was a book published in the '50s and reprinted in the '60s called _The Third Eye_. The book claimed to be the life history (written in first person) of a Tibetian monk by the name of Tuesday Lobsang Rampa. Rampa claimed extraordinary psychic powers, primarily the ability to see and read a persons “aura”. This he attributed to inate ability, augmented by surgery on his “third eye”, presumably the pineal gland, in his youth. The book and its sequels are actually a fairly engrossing read, detailing the life of this monk, his travels and expereiences. During World War II he claimed to have been a captive of the Japanese, and later of the Chinese after the invasion of Tibet. The book was actually written by an Englishman, whose name escapes me at the moment. He claimed that, after Rampa’s mistreatment at the hands of the Chinese, his life force was transfered from his all-but-defunct body into the body of the English author, who was tired of life and didn’t need his body any more. Subsequently he legally changed his name to T. Lobsang Rampa and claimed to be Rampa in fact. It’s all bullshit, of course, but very entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/30 "2004-02-10T15:58:17Z")
When I first saw this thread, I thought it was going to be about the forehead drillers who get a whole new perspective once they live life with a gaping orifice in their forehead. Now THERE’S a pasttime I will work hard to avoid! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/31 "2004-02-10T18:07:29Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > When I first saw this thread, I thought it was going to be about the forehead drillers who get a whole new perspective once they live life with a gaping orifice in their forehead. Now THERE’S a pasttime I will work hard to avoid! Well, that _is_ more or less what Rampa claimed was done to him… ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/32 "2004-02-11T15:23:43Z")
Well, if I remember correctly, there is a small group of followers (maybe Cecil did a column on it?). I’d be so worried about meningitis and other horrible things. Not to mention how fucking bizarre it would look. I wonder if you have to keep it covered up… ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/33 "2004-02-11T17:40:16Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Well, if I remember correctly, there is a small group of followers (maybe Cecil did a column on it?). [What’s the story on trepanation?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/020906.html), [Straight Dope column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/) from 06-Sep-2002. Searched on “trepanning” ---
**Author:** ![dtaylor404](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc79bd/32.png) [@dtaylor404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtaylor404)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/34 "2004-02-11T17:46:38Z")
> [@Ljut strsljen](#): > > anyone? you know – have someone hover their fingers a few mm away from your skin in the center of your forehead – hell i can do it to myself. aaaggh i am insane! DISCLAIMER: I don’t believe in New Age Crap. I’m not interested in metaphysical explanations. I am quite prepared to accept that it’s all in my head and has no physical basis. Nonetheless, strsljen, I know **exactly** what you’re talking about. The same thing happens to me. In fact, just thinking about it creates the same creepy feeling. I have to touch a hand to my forehead just to read this thread. And yes, I know how stupid that sounds. I would cheerfully turn off this reaction if I could. For me, holding a finger near my forehead triggers the reaction: Actually **touching** the spot firmly relieves it. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720/35 "2004-02-11T20:52:18Z")
> [@Ljut strsljen](#): > > aaaggh i am insane! Maybe you’re a [tuatara](http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/virtual_wildlife/fun_facts/tuatara.cfm). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-the-third-eye-cue-the-new-age-music/225720.md?page=1)