[ Sometimes to relax, you need stimulation ||Light and sound meditation technology that enhances presence || From entertainment to entrainment || Why an external source of rhythm trains your brain || Using light and sound to speed up the benefits of meditation || Trance states and meditation ]
“I’ve been meditating for 20 years and teaching it for 10.., it would take me 5 days of focus to get to the state I’m in right now. You’ve just done me out of a job!”
Those were the first words out of my friends mouth after using a light and sound meditation session on the Roxiva RX1 device for the first time. Well.., when I say first words.., I had to sit patiently for about 15 minutes waiting for her to open her eyes. After the session had finished, it took that long for her to come back to some level of awareness. This is common with people using this technology.
Brain entrainment & meditation
And the added bonus from this session!? She hadn’t had meditation as a specific goal. She had just used a session called ‘If found, return to earth’. Yes you read that right, lol. This particular session (as the name suggests) is designed to be pretty out there. A drug free psychedelic light ‘trip’ type experience with visual patterns, colours and movement made to interact with music.
The RX1 is an audio visual brainwave entrainment device (sometimes called a light machine) at the leading edge of technology. It combines light and sound to create an immersive and intense meditation experience. People come off it feeling totally alive and conscious of themselves and the world around them. Perhaps for the first time!
Contrast this to the unconscious dreamlike state that most zombies…, erm.., people walk around in. It’s clear why experienced meditators are so impressed with how quickly the RX1 can get them there.
Sometimes to relax, you need stimulation
So why did she relax to profoundly with a session that is a drug free psychedelic light trip?
This is actually quite common.
The reason for this is a matter of breaking habitual thought and practice by doing something different. A form of distraction. Secondary is an effect loosely known as an abreaction. An abreaction is a reaction different from the normal expected one.
A common drug related abreaction is an example of this. This happens to hyperactive people that are prescribed drugs like Ritalin. These are prescribed to make them more ‘manageable’ to others. Ritalin is basically ‘speed’.., a recreational drug that for most people (as the name suggests) causes increased arousal and activity. But in people who might be labelled as already over aroused, it causes them to calm down.
The same often occurs with brainwave entrainment or audio visual entrainment. For example people with ADHD or high functioning dis-orders. For them, using frequencies normally associated with arousal and activity.., will instead cause sleep or deep trance.
In my friends case, this was mainly a case of being in a state of excessive thought flow before the session. If your mind is in constant thought or worry.., getting to that thoughtless relaxed state may be a challenge. Even if you are an experienced meditator. Typical meditation techniques may not work for you. However light and sound meditation can interrupt that pattern.
Light and sound meditation technology that enhances presence
When your mind is presented with increased stimulation in a unique way.., your attention is drawn away from habitual thought into the here and now. You become totally present. And that is often enough to result in a profound state of tranquillity.
With the help of expertly crafted light and sound meditation sessions.., disassociation becomes easy. Withdrawing from the outside world becomes something you relax into rather than ‘try’ to achieve.
And it is ‘trying’ that stops most meditators from getting the results they want. Encouraged by the success being enveloped in a unique world of light and sound.., meditation becomes exciting and repeatable. This leads to regularity of practice. And regularity of practice is the most accurate measure of a persons success with meditation. The results go beyond that though. As can be seen in the comprehensive range of articles on this website about positive uses of brainwave entrainment technology.
From entertainment to entrainment
“I felt like I was going through tunnel after tunnel of some dreamland. The colours were amazing. Didn’t you say that it’s just white light?”
Yes is the answer to that. Just white LEDs flashing at different frequencies, durations and intensities.
Stroboscopic light machines work through closed eyelids. Everything you see is your brains interpretation of what it thinks must be there based on those variables.
Light has been part of humanities evolution and celebration since the beginning of the universe and the BIG FLASH.
Lol, yeah OK it’s referred to as the BIG BANG but actually the latest scientific idea’s allow for light energy to have been involved. In fact it wasn’t really a bang at all, it was a moment of singularity.., but the name big bang stuck.
Beyond the entertainment side of stroboscopic light machine use that has the wonderful side effect of lighting up your brain like a Christmas tree.., is the exciting world of audio visual brainwave entrainment.
Why an external source of rhythm trains your brain
Brainwave entrainment is the use of an external frequency in either sound, light or vibration to elicit an altered state of consciousness. Historically the most powerful way being the use of light. Once that altered state is achieved the idea is to hold you there for a period of time so that your brain can ‘entrain’ to the new state.
Fun fact.., science now shows that our brains communicate via biophotons. IE: Light!
The brain is very good at pattern recognition and following consistent patterns. This potentially has links to surviving and thriving in a world where noticing things outside of a pattern could lead to avoiding being hurt or killed. This left other parts of the mind free to focus on more important things while staying safe. And that’s just one simple explanation.
The brains ability to synchronise like this can be used purposely. And this is what light and sound meditation takes advantage of.
Brainwave, is the term used for the frequency of neurological ‘firing’ between neurons via synapses in the brain. This is measured most commonly in Hertz (Hz) or ‘cycles per second’.
And we tend to have dominant brainwave frequencies in our brains depending on what state we are in.
The brain in meditation
Meditation, trance, relaxation and dreamlike state frequencies tend to be predominantly in the region of 4-12 Hz approx. Otherwise known as Theta (4-8Hz) and Alpha (8-12Hz).
Normal awake and active brain frequencies tend to be predominantly in the 12-32Hz range (Beta). With higher periods of activity above 32Hz known as Gamma present during almost all states.
Interestingly.., the moment most people close their eyes they begin to almost instantly settle in the 10-12Hz Alpha range. This is because the brain knows that closed eyes usually means rest and relaxation. Closing your eyes also cuts of one form of information making it easier to think or relax. Light meditation tends to stay in this Alpha range and drops deeper into Theta depending on the style of meditation. Achieving this on a consistent and regular basis is the key to effective long term benefit.
Light and sound, the faster way to meditate
So what does a light machine do with stroboscopic LED lights and music so easily.., that normal meditation takes so long to master? Depending on the goal of the session selected.., it will start at the normal alert frequency and slowly lower itself down (or up) to the desired frequency. The brain ‘entrains’ or matches and follows the flickering light and pulsing sound to a deeply relaxed brainwave state. And it does so typically in minutes rather than hours.
Trying to quiet the mind of thought is sometimes not easy to do. Devices like the RX1 will take care of the frequencies itself while you lie or sit comfortably. Light and sound used this way gets you to the point of meditation where you simply forget to think. And before you even realise it, you are in a state of suspended bliss.
You get to choose.., and you are in constant control of the intensity and duration of your meditative experience.
Using light and sound to speed up the benefits of meditation
“With 10 or 20 years of practice, you too will be a master of your mind” says the yogi.
I don’t know about you, but I want all the benefits now if I can.
And the beauty of using something like the RX1 on a regular basis is the ease of which you can get to these beneficial states. And the more you train your brain to go into these states, the easier it becomes to go there again. Meditation becomes easer even without the light and sound to help you. So it’s a win win. Entrainment will take you where you want to go while at the same time training you to not need it. Pretty cool huh!?
Multiply your practice by combining techniques
I recommend you also take charge of your progress in meditation while using ANY external aid by doing something else at the same time. Like a slow purposeful breathing pattern such as the 5sec in 5sec out coherence breath pattern.
See ‘Brainwave entrainment and breathwork’ >>>
You can then do this same secondary practice at any time (even for just 2 minutes) without the external aid. This way you transfer the skill of relaxing into your everyday life and can practice getting into a relaxed state at will. This works by a process of conditioning or ‘anchoring’ a specific state to a specific practice. The relaxation and dissociation created by the entrainment becomes linked to a repeatable practice. And the result is more than the sum of the two parts.
It’s like anything in life. If you combine strategies and create a routine that you stick to, then your results will magnify over time.
If you have an existing meditation practice and you add entrainment technology to it, the results will surprise you. Whether that be by repeating a mantra, breathing in a specific pattern or using guided recordings.
Inner journeys of consciousness exploration and spiritual connections are very common with people using the RX1. More common still, is the effect it has on handling stress, anxiety and the quality of your sleep. And any improvement in those area’s will radically change the quality of your life for the better.
Trance states and meditation
Trance and meditation are closely related. At least experientially. The intension may be different but the feelings of detachment from the outside world and indeed the brain activity is very similar. Trance encompasses the practice of hypnosis and hypnotherapy of course. And mostly that has a purposeful intention that makes it differ from meditation a little more. Especially if the hypnosis is guided.
Creating a blended trance and meditation state with brainwave entrainment can be mind expanding in ways that have to be experienced.
Users get spontaneous emotional releases, spiritual ‘messages’ and experiences, and relief from pain. Also common are aha moments of insight (eureka), creativity and feelings of restoration.
Conscious exploration at your fingertips
You get to control how deep you go and for how long depending on the type of session you choose.
It’s like having a…
‘Trance at the push of a button’ >>>. (Shameless plug of another related article) 🙂
The experience of trance and meditation induced by light and sound is unique and powerful. And of course light has been associated with health and spiritual practices for as long as history has been recorded. Ancient ancestral people also used psychedelics and cultural rituals involving rhythm. Two more effects that are also replicated in purpose made RX1 sessions.
Most of all, this type of technology allows users to escape the world for a while. Coming back with different feelings and thought patterns. Valuable skills to have in a rapidly changing sometimes uncertain world.
Learn more:
Mindfulness, and changing personal reality though observation >>>
Boost your immunity and supercharge your sleep >>>
Drug free psychedelic light trips >>>