They’re the fluctuations of the electric current in the brain, I explained. And scans show that the brain lights up when brain waves hit 7.83 hertz.

The Schumann Resonance, Seema said. I nodded, impressed that she remembered from the first meeting.

Right. Exactly. And at that specific frequency, whole areas of our brain that we never normally use suddenly burst into action. We only otherwise use about ten percent of our brain at any given time.

That’s—that’s a popular myth, she said.

Studies support it.

I’d like to see those studies.

And if that’s the resonant frequency of the Earth’s atmosphere, I continued, then we’ve spent millions of years on the planet evolving under its influence. Every cell, every living thing. So naturally our brains want to synch with it. And all kinds of living things do. Whales, birds, bees—they all use the Schumann Resonance to navigate. And for our health and well-being we need to learn to tune ourselves to it.

Tom chuckled—Tune ourselves?

Yes.

And how does one do that, exactly?

Well that’s the question, isn’t it? I explained to them that people have been trying for millennia. The chants of Buddhists. The Hindu Om. The drone of church organs. Didgeridoos.

All kinds of faiths, maybe every faith, has been trying to do just that; trying to achieve transcendence by tapping into the Resonance, I said, hearing myself trying and failing to articulate the full splendour and complexity of the discussion at Howard’s.

Tom downed the last of his whisky—I’m not religious, so—

Neither am I, I said.

—so I haven’t felt that impulse to uh tune myself with anything, he said, before turning to Seema. Have you?

Well—

With a hum?

No, but—

Just forget religion for a second, I said. Have you never had a moment where you just felt perfectly in rhythm with the universe? Where you’re thinking perfectly clearly and everything seems to make sense?

Maybe after a good cup of coffee, he said, reaching for the Johnnie Walker and uncorking it.

I have, Seema said.

Have you? he asked, with bemusement.

There’s a kind of euphoria to it, isn’t there? I continued. Well just imagine if you could feel like that all the time. And 7.83 hertz is the frequency of our brain waves during meditation and dreaming. It’s like a gateway to deeper states of consciousness and creativity.

Seema exhaled. Claire, the thing is—

And none of it strikes you as bullshit, Tom cut in, pouring himself a fresh shot.

No, it doesn’t. And I’d appreciate if you didn’t infer—

From upstairs in her bedroom, Ashley’s voice suddenly thundered—It’s bullshit! It’s bullshit it’s bullshit it’s bullshiiiiiit.