Light & Sound - Frequently Asked Questions

What is a light/sound machine?

Utilizing light and sound pulses at a specified frequency, these machines stimulate the mental activity in various ways, essentially leading their minds from normal waking consciousness to a variety of altered states of consciousness.

What are some examples of "altered states of consciousness" and how do they differ from normal states?

Waking state: attention directed to surroundings. Includes agitated, restless/"monkey mind" states which are especially amenable to treatment with light and sound stimulation.
"Alpha" state: Relaxed, tranquil, daydreaming, "inward awareness" state. Light meditation here, too.
Hypnagogic, or "twilight" state: Borderline sleep; deep meditation state; hypnotic state; access to the unconscious mind and enhanced retrieval of memories; creativity, accelerated or "superlearning", inspiration.  Associated with increased theta brainwave activity.
Trance state: Deep, dreamless sleep; deep rest. Often associated with increased delta brainwave activity.

Who can benefit from this technology?

Light and sound is an effective tool for anyone who wishes to explore altered states of consciousness, awareness expansion and sensory stimulation, or those seeking an entertaining path to relaxation.

Is there anyone who should not use this technology?

Nearly everyone who uses light and sound stimulation report enjoying it. However, if you have a family history of epilepsy, are taking psychoactive medication or have ever had a seizure of any sort, we recommend consulting your physician before using light and sound. Likewise, if bright light bothers you (i.e., can give you a headache), then light and sound may not be for you.

What happens when I have a session?

With special light-bearing sunglasses over your closed eyes and headphones over your ears, you are immersed in colorful dancing geometric patterns and entrancing sounds. The light and sound pulse rate shifts from state to state as the session progresses; mental activity will follow the pulse rate of the machine. 

What is achieved by experiencing these states of consciousness?

The following are some of the areas being explored by users of these machines: psychological stress relief, deep relaxation, assistance in falling asleep, memory improvement, increased learning, stabilizing emotions, increased intellectual focus, lucid dreaming, greater sound can substance abuse reduction, sensory stimulation, increased physical energy. While some of these benefits have been substantiated by research studies, these machines are experimental and results will vary from person to person.

How important is sound to the overall experience?

Sound and music have been used for centuries in many cultures to alter consciousness. Drums, chants, and environmental sounds like wind and rain all provide strong mental pictures and associations. Pleasant sounds are much more enjoyable and relaxing than one-note beeps or tones.

What are "binaural beats"?

Binaural beats occur when two sine (pure) waves of slightly differing frequency are presented to the left and right sound channels: the difference between the left and right is synthesized by the brain and perceived as a slowly modulated frequency. This is known as a binaural beat frequency. This beat frequency is typically modulated at the same frequency as the lights.

Why are LEDs used instead of incandescent lights?

Light emitting diodes--LED's--are state of the art solid state devices that convert small amounts of electrical energy into light. They can be switched on and off much faster than incandescent lights, producing the crisp strobe-like pulses which have been shown to be most effective at inducing desired patterns of activity. They also create very pure colors--again an important factor in the alteration of consciousness.

What is "wavetable crossfading"? 

The Proteus includes four different, user-editable audio waveforms. The waveform, pitch etc. can change from segment to segment, and to avoid a startling "hop" from one to the next, we smoothly mix them together at the segment boundaries; this is called "crossfading". 

What is BioConnect?

BioConnect(tm) is a biofeedback/light and sound interlink protocol, which enables the automatic, real-time control of light/sound sessions from certain biofeedback systems, such as ThoughtStream.