BOOK 5 // CHAPTER 35

Magnetic Tuning (TMS)

Editing the software without touching the hardware.
The Coil
Fig 35.1: The Wand. Using magnetic fields to induce electrical current in the specific circuits of the Self.

Faraday's Law in the Brain

If you pass electricity through a coil of copper wire, it creates a magnetic field.

If that magnetic field passes through a conductor (like your brain), it induces an electrical current.

This is Faraday's Law of Induction.

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) uses this principle to fire specific neurons from outside the skull, without surgery or drugs. It is non-invasive engineering.

The Target: The Dormant CEO

In depression, the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) usually goes dark. This is the "Willpower" and "Executive Function" center.

When the CEO is asleep, the emotional centers (Amygdala) run wild.

  • The Protocol: We aim the coil at the Left DLPFC and fire pulses at 10Hz (10 pulses per second).
  • The Result: LTP (Long-Term Potentiation). The neurons are forced to fire repeatedly. "Neurons that fire together, wire together." We are mechanically waking up the CEO.
Induction
Fig 35.2: Induction. The magnetic flux passes through the skull (insulator) and turns into electricity in the brain (conductor).

Frequency Matters

The brain speaks in frequencies.

  • High Frequency (>5Hz): Excitatory. Wakes up underactive regions (Depression).
  • Low Frequency (1Hz): Inhibitory. Calms down overactive regions (Anxiety/Right DLPFC).

We can "Turn Up" the logic center and "Turn Down" the fear center simultaneously.

The Inheritance of Perspective

We often think of "Willpower" as a moral muscle. It is not; it is a battery. If the DLPFC is under-perfused and under-active, you cannot "try harder." TMS reminds the battery how to hold a charge.

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[!NOTE]
Clinical Context: Safety and Side Effects

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1. Non-Systemic: Unlike pills, TMS does not enter the bloodstream. No weight gain, no sexual dysfunction.
2. Seizure Risk: Extremely rare (<0.1%) but present. We measure "Motor Threshold" (twitching thumb) to calibrate dose.
3. The Sensation: Feels like a woodpecker tapping on the skull. Can cause scalp discomfort or tension headaches, which usually resolve after the first week.