Multi-Modal Instrument Panel

Modalities & Instruments

The Ashta Project tests consciousness-related claims by turning each modality into a falsifiable research question, pre-registering the protocol, collecting structured measurements, and publishing positive, ambiguous, and null results.

Measurement Modalities

Established biomarkers, such as vocal acoustic properties and autonomic nervous system metrics, provide an objective baseline of stress and recovery states. Meanwhile, contested somatic methods are held to rigorous, double-blind testing standards to determine if they yield signals beyond expectancy and ideomotor effects. Every evaluation is conducted under a pre-registered, blinded framework, with all raw data and analysis code published openly to verify whether the interventions produce repeatable, measurable results.

established

Voice and acoustic analytics

Voice and acoustic analytics provide an objective, non-invasive readout of physiological and emotional states. The larynx is innervated by the vagus nerve, establishing a direct anatomical link between autonomic nervous system activity and vocal cord tension. Consequently, emotional or physiological stress shifts autonomic activity, which measurably modulates vocal acoustics, affecting parameters such as jitter, shimmer, prosody, intonation, tonality, and pauses.

Evidence FOR: Clinical voice disorders utilize jitter, shimmer, and harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) to discriminate pathological from healthy voices in laryngology. Prosodic range reduction and monotony associate with psychiatric stress in multiple cohort studies. Fundamental pitch variability, speech rate, pause patterns, and voice quality change under cognitive load and acute stress in controlled paradigms.

Critique / Null AGAINST: Acoustic features are multicausal, heavily influenced by hydration, microphone, room acoustics, native language, sleep, caffeine, and training. Attributing them to a stable "subconscious state" without a mechanistic model is overreach. Many speech psychopathology machine learning classifiers overfit on small datasets and fail to replicate on new cohorts. No stable "consciousness fingerprint" is medically accepted.

Replication: Strong in vocal pathology; mixed in speech-based psychopathology classifiers; weak or absent for universal subconscious profiling from short voice clips without a baseline.

Ashta uses modern acoustic analysis engines and large language models (LLMs) to capture and evaluate these acoustic markers from brief voice recordings, tracking variables like hesitation and cognitive-load. We measure these signatures before and after sessions to identify changes. We do not make clinical diagnoses, systemic diagnostic claims, or medical assertions. Voice analytics are used strictly as a research biomarker to correlate acoustic variations with stress-resilience and wellness outcomes.

established

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a primary physiological marker of autonomic nervous system function, reflecting the balance between the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) pathways. The variation in time intervals between consecutive heartbeats is heavily modulated by vagal tone—often described as the "vagal brake"—which slows the heart rate and supports recovery from stress.

Evidence FOR: RMSSD and vagal-band HRV (HF-HRV) index parasympathetic cardiac modulation; low HRV associates with stress, inflammation markers, and cardiovascular risk in large epidemiology and cohort studies. Paced breathing at approximately 6 breaths/minute (optimal respiration rate), exercise, CBT, and biofeedback show moderate increases in HRV and parallel stress reductions in randomized controlled trials.

Critique / Null AGAINST: Readings are heavily altered by systemic confounds such as sleep, alcohol, caffeine, illness, hydration, cycle phases, medications (like beta-blockers), movement artifacts, and breathing rate, without indicating deep psychological states. Time-domain and spectral-domain measures are poorly standardized. Commercial wearables often misreport vagal-band values compared to research-grade ECG. Not a direct meter of consciousness.

Replication: Highly robust in population studies for cardiovascular risk; moderate for stress-reduction interventions; weak for parapsychological claims of telepathy or remote healing.

Within the Ashta protocol, HRV is measured primarily through the phone itself — no wearable required. Two camera-based methods make it universally accessible: contact photoplethysmography (PPG), where a fingertip held over the camera lens and light registers the pulse waveform; and contactless remote PPG (rPPG), where the camera reads the subtle pulse-driven colour changes in facial skin — minute fluctuations in the red channel — to estimate beat-to-beat intervals. Because the phone is already in nearly everyone's pocket, camera-based HRV is the most scalable instrument in the panel. Optional wearables (chest straps, rings, bands) can be layered in for participants who have them, adding a higher-fidelity reference — and the accuracy gap between phone-camera HRV and wearable-grade HRV is itself one of the methodological questions Ashta tests. We track HRV at rest and during active sessions to determine whether self-development work correlates with objective shifts in stress regulation and autonomic stability, rather than relying solely on self-reported psychological states.

under test

Instrumented kinesiology

Instrumented kinesiology, or somatic force-response testing, is positioned strictly within our "under-test" register. Mainstream medical and scientific consensus classifies applied kinesiology as unproven, with published research showing a lack of diagnostic validity. The primary empirical anchor for this null result is a double-blind study by Schwartz et al. (2014), which tested the validity of applied kinesiology under rigorous conditions (PMID 24607076). In this trial, kinesiologists and a hand dynamometer produced a hit rate of only 53% (p = 0.258, non-significant), and pressure sensor data showed no force difference in the predicted direction. Consequently, kinesiologists were unable to identify supplement status in sealed bottles, indicating that the technique does not provide a reliable diagnostic tool upon which health decisions can be based. Positive claims are explained by suggestion, expectancy, and tester pressure (the ideomotor effect).

Evidence FOR: Mainstream sports science validates mechanical force measurement via dynamometry. Subjective alternative medicine claims rest on anecdotes.

Critique / Null AGAINST: Applied kinesiology fails to demonstrate diagnostic validity under blinded conditions. Schwartz et al. (2014) showed a null result. Suggestion, expectancy, and tester pressure explain outcomes; double-blind designs collapse effects.

Replication: Negative replication is dominant. Prior blinded studies align with Schwartz 2014. Somatic response claims collapse under strict blinding.

To eliminate the well-documented ideomotor effect—where unconscious expectation drives muscle response—Ashta uses a double-blind, app-mediated measurement protocol. This protocol utilises an externally-developed mobile instrument that captures a digitised force-response, replacing the subjective hand-pressure of classic muscle testing with an objective, logged measurement.

Our experimental design tests several variables not addressed in previous null studies:

  1. Independent Moderator Stratification: Testing whether somatic response accuracy correlates with a participant's independently measured developmental level, a hypothesis originating from the Map of Consciousness framework in David Hawkins' Power vs Force.
  2. Dual-Response Divergence Analysis: Participants register a conscious guess of a hidden target prior to somatic testing. We then analyse whether somatic responses that diverge from conscious expectations yield a signal above chance, which controls for the ideomotor effect of conscious belief.
  3. Scale: Expanding the cohort from small physical groups to a large-scale, pre-registered app-mediated study to identify potential conditional effects.
under test

Focused intention on physical systems

Ashta tests focused intention on physical systems as part of its experimental register, investigating whether collective intention can measurably influence external matter or systems. This hypothesis builds on the lineage of Lynne McTaggart's "Power of Eight" groups and the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) studies. In mainstream physics, the prior probability of such an effect is considered extremely low, as there is no known physical mechanism for mind-on-matter interaction, and independent replications of similar studies have yielded null or disputed results.

Evidence FOR: PEAR laboratory reports claim small mean shifts in random event generators (REG) correlated with operator intention. The Global Consciousness Project reports deviations around major world events. Schwartz (2019) published a sensory study on taste preference (PMID 30279068).

Critique / Null AGAINST: Mean shifts are tiny and often at the edge of statistical detection; publication bias and optional stopping inflate significance. Independent replications of micro-psychokinesis show null results when pre-registered, powered, and shielded. The Schwartz (2019) wine study was subject to potential confounds (aeration, temperature differences, handling asymmetries, and server bias).

Replication: Contested and inconsistent. Mainstream physics rejects mechanism. Replications by independent laboratories are dominant nulls.

To evaluate this phenomenon, Ashta employs two primary protocols:

  1. Random Event Generator (REG) Deviations: Testing whether focused group intention can deviate certified hardware random number generators (RNGs) from chance, using pre-registered stopping rules and blinded trials to control for selective reporting.
  2. Sensory-Readout Intention Protocols (Blind Wine-Tasting): Replicating and refining a sensory protocol published by Schwartz (2019), which reported that tasters preferred wine treated with focused intention (PMID 30279068). To resolve potential confounds in the original study—such as aeration, temperature differences, handling asymmetries, and server bias—Ashta enforces double-blind pouring, identical transport journeys for treated and control carafes, and triangle sensory detection tests.

For trials involving mineral elements, such as cobalt-doped hydrothermal quartz, the crystal is treated solely as a ritual focusing object. Ashta maintains a strict scientific firewall: crystals are never presented as active agents or energy sources, and they are always controlled against equal-mass glass shams. In alignment with mainstream physics and physical information limits, Ashta rejects explanations based on non-local shortcuts or somatic resonance theories for telepathy or mind-on-matter effects, staying agnostic on mechanism and committed to reporting null results.

under test

Telephone telepathy

Telephone telepathy is the contested hypothesis that a person can know who is contacting them at a rate higher than chance. Ashta tests it as a forced-choice guessing game in the Spanda app: out of a friend group, one member is randomly designated each round and you guess who, with the chance baseline at exactly 1-in-N — the larger the group, the sharper the test. It is an open hypothesis under test, run at large-N under pre-registered, blinded conditions, with every result published including nulls. Read the full telephone-telepathy & Spanda-app protocol →

Evidence FOR: Rupert Sheldrake's experiments propose that individuals can anticipate caller identity at rates higher than the 25% chance expectation.

Critique / Null AGAINST: Mainstream science holds that telepathy is unproven and lacks a physical mechanism. Potential sensory leakage pathways include ringtone cadence, call delays, caller ID metadata, time-of-day habits, and assistant knowledge. Replications under strict blinding (Faraday pouch, automated call routing) tend toward chance.

Replication: Internal positive series vs inconsistent/null external independent replications under strict blinding.

expanding

Expanding biomarker panel

Ashta maintains an open, expanding panel of objective biomarkers to build a comprehensive view of individual well-being over time. This envelope integrates commercial wearable rings and bands to capture longitudinal sleep quality, autonomic recovery, and daily stress metrics. For advanced cohorts, Ashta utilises third-party electroencephalogram (EEG) and Heart Rate Variability coherence tools to monitor cortical activity and physiological alignment during meditative practices. By expanding the biometric envelope, Ashta avoids relying on any single physiological indicator, assessing whether changes in psychological states correlate with broader systemic health signatures.

Curation & Profiling Modalities

Distinct from the active physiological measurement instruments above, Ashta utilizes a profiling layer to match and curate members into complementary clusters of eight. These systems are used as qualitative inputs to our group-matching engine to ensure cognitive and behavioral diversity, rather than asserted as proven scientific truths. Scepticism is welcome, and the efficacy of this matching approach is itself under continuous evaluation.

curation

Astrology

Astrology is a method of character analysis based on the positions of celestial bodies at birth. Ashta uses astrology strictly as a profiling input for our group curation, deriving personality archetypes from birth date, time, and location to ensure a balanced mix of group dynamics (such as initiative, stability, and adaptability). Read how Ashta uses astrology →

curation

Human Design

Human Design is a personality mapping system that synthesizes birth data into specific roles and decision-making styles. We use it to match participants into complementary groups of eight, ensuring that no single cluster is homogeneous, but is instead built like a complex system with different functional components. Read how Ashta uses Human Design →

curation

I Ching

The I Ching is an ancient framework of archetypal states of change. Ashta uses its sixty-four hexagram structure as a structural taxonomy of strategic styles and developmental perspectives, helping our matching engine distribute diverse viewpoints across each cluster. Read how Ashta uses the I Ching →

curation

Myers-Briggs (MBTI)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a questionnaire-based assessment of cognitive preferences. Ashta uses MBTI to map communication styles and thinking preferences, ensuring cognitive diversity and preventing homogeneity within our mastermind clusters of eight. Read how Ashta uses MBTI →

curation

Enneagram

The Enneagram maps human character into nine personality types based on core motivations and fears. We use the Enneagram as a test-based input to ensure motivational and emotional diversity, helping clusters of eight challenge and support each other effectively. Read how Ashta uses the Enneagram →

Pointed at just you

Your own personalised profile report.

Every profiling lens above can be turned the other way — pointed not at matching you to a group, but at you alone. Give us your birth details — date, time and place, to the minute where you have them — and we amalgamate all of them (astrology, human design, I Ching, MBTI, Enneagram) into a single personalised report: not a horoscope and not a destiny, but a structured mirror of how these systems, taken together, would describe you — in one place, in plain language.

Then we ask the only question that matters: how much of it is actually you? A simple feedback step lets you mark it point by point — "yes, that's exactly me" or "no, that's not me at all." Your answers are data. And in time we close the loop with the instrumented muscle test described above — comparing what you consciously recognise about yourself with what your body somatically signals, to see where the two agree, where they diverge, and whether any of these lenses carry real predictive signal at all.

We're building this as one of the first things you receive when you join the Ashta Project — your own report in your member area. (In development; the secure member file and login area follow later.)

Comparison of Modalities

Modality What it measures Evidence status How Ashta tests/uses it
Voice / acoustic analytics Acoustic markers of physiological and autonomic stress states (intonation, tonality, pauses, cognitive-load, hesitation). Established stress/arousal proxies. Unverified for universal subconscious profiling or specific clinical readouts. Before-and-after session recordings analysed via acoustic engines and large language models against a 2-4 week baseline.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Autonomic nervous system balance and parasympathetic vagal tone (vagal brake). Mainstream clinical science; well-grounded biomarker of stress regulation. Parapsychological claims are unverified. Primarily via the phone camera — fingertip contact PPG and contactless facial rPPG (pulse-driven red-channel skin fluctuations); optional wearables/chest straps layered in as a higher-fidelity reference. Tracked at rest and during inner-work sessions.
Instrumented kinesiology Somatic force-response to cognitive and sensory stimuli. Null under double-blind (Schwartz et al. 2014, PMID 24607076). Dominated by the ideomotor effect. App-mediated double-blind force testing using an externally-developed mobile force-response instrument to check for moderator stratification and dual-response divergence.
Focused intention Mind-on-matter or intention-on-matter effects (RNG deviation, sensory shifts). Contested; mostly null under strict design. Schwartz (2019) wine study (PMID 30279068) is a positive under sensory test. Certified hardware RNG deviation tracking and double-blind wine-tasting sensory tests, controlled against glass shams.
Telephone telepathy Anticipation of caller identity before call completion. Contested; Sheldrake's published experiments report positive effects, but independent replications are inconsistent/null. Large-scale computerized testing of guesses against random caller selection via the Spanda app.
Other biomarkers Sleep quality, recovery metrics, cortical activity, and physiological alignment. Varies by device; commercial wearables have established validity for general wellness tracking. Integration of commercial wearable data and third-party EEG/HRV devices to monitor longitudinal wellness trends.
Astrology profiling Cognitive styles, motivational patterns, communication preferences, and birth planetary positions. No blind predictive validity. Carlson (1985) double-blind Nature study showed chance matching. Derived from birth data to serve as qualitative inputs to our curation and matching engine for clusters of eight.
Human Design profiling Personality mapping system synthesizing birth data. No empirical validation or peer-reviewed construct validity. High Barnum risk. Calculated from birth coordinates to serve as qualitative inputs to our curation and matching engine for clusters of eight.
I Ching profiling Sixty-four hexagram taxonomy of change and developmental states. No scientific predictive validity. Reflective coaching utility only. Jungian synchronicity. Derived from birth data to serve as qualitative inputs to our curation and matching engine for clusters of eight.
Myers-Briggs (MBTI) Questionnaire-based assessment of cognitive preferences. Low-to-moderate psychometric validity. Criticised for test-retest reliability and lack of validity vs Big Five. Completed preference questionnaires to serve as qualitative inputs to our curation and matching engine for clusters of eight.
Enneagram profiling Nine character types based on core motivations and fears. Low psychometric validity. Lacks extensive independent peer-reviewed validation. Completed motivational questionnaires to serve as qualitative inputs to our curation and matching engine for clusters of eight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is muscle testing scientifically proven?
No. Mainstream scientific consensus holds that applied kinesiology lacks clinical validity and diagnostic utility. The double-blind study by Schwartz et al. (2014) demonstrated a null result under controlled conditions, with accuracy landing at chance levels (53%, p = 0.258) and pressure sensors showing no force changes in the predicted direction (PMID 24607076).
What is voice biomarker analysis?
Voice biomarker analysis is a research field studying how vocal acoustic characteristics—such as intonation, tonality, and pauses—correlate with autonomic and stress states. Physiologically, the larynx and the heart are both innervated by branches of the vagus nerve, meaning that autonomic stress shifts vocal cord tension.
How does Ashta define the difference between established science and experimental testing?
Ashta classifies its instrument panel into two distinct registers. The established register includes voice biomarkers and Heart Rate Variability (HRV), which rely on validated physiological measurement science. The experimental register includes somatic force-response testing, focused intention, and telephone telepathy, which have contested or weak scientific priors.
Does focused intention affect physical matter?
Mainstream physics does not recognise any physical mechanism by which human consciousness or intention can influence external matter. Ashta is testing these claims under double-blind, sham-controlled conditions to verify whether any repeatable effects can be documented.
What is null-publishing?
Null-publishing is the practice of publishing study results that show no effect or fail to reject the null hypothesis, with the same prominence as positive findings. This ensures scientific transparency and prevents publication bias.
Why does Ashta publish null results?
Publishing null results prevents the cherry-picking of data and builds a credible scientific archive. If a practice or modality does not work under controlled conditions, documenting that failure is critical intelligence for the community.
What does pre-registration mean?
Pre-registration involves submitting a research plan, including hypotheses, metrics, and statistical tests, to a public registry (such as the Open Science Framework) before data collection begins. This prevents post-hoc data dredging.
How is Ashta different from parapsychology?
Ashta does not endorse or assume parapsychological claims are true. We maintain strict method controls, publish all null findings, and evaluate claims purely based on empirical results rather than spiritual theories.
How does Ashta avoid confirmation bias?
We avoid confirmation bias through pre-registration, double-blind trials, frozen data analysis code, and independent red-team reviews of our methods before any data is collected.
Are Ashta studies peer reviewed?
Ashta studies are reviewed by independent methodologists and statisticians before data collection. All raw datasets and analysis code are published openly for post-publication peer review.
What counts as evidence in consciousness research?
Evidence in our research consists of statistically significant, pre-registered deviations from a chance baseline under fully blinded conditions, replicated across multiple trials and sites.
Can contested claims be studied without endorsing them?
Yes. Studying a claim under rigorous, double-blind scientific conditions is the only way to evaluate its validity. Agnosticism and rigorous testing allow us to explore contested modalities neutrally.
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The Ashta Project tests consciousness-related claims by turning each modality into a falsifiable research question, pre-registering the protocol, collecting structured measurements, and publishing positive, ambiguous, and null results.