Selecting a light and sound session is simple. Your mind machine owners manual contains a complete list of all built-in sessions, plus instructions on how to custom design others.

You should first ask yourself which type of session you feel like experiencing. The session list will contain such types as energy, relaxation, creativity, meditation, learning and sleep. Decide which type you feel in the mood for and check which sessions are available within each type.

This list will also tell you what frequencies are targeted and the intended general effect. Since we are all different, that is, no two individuals think exactly alike, the general effect of each session will vary on an individual basis. In general, however, if a session deals with relaxation, all individuals should expect to experience varying degrees of relaxation and calmness. The same idea also pertains to the other types of sessions.

Session titles are usually chosen by the session designer and are based on the programmer’s experience with the session and also the experiences of test subjects. Just keep in mind that since we are all different, we will all be affected differently by each session. Therefore, the best way to determine which sessions work best for you is to experiment with each session title within each session category.

Open your owners manual to the section that lists the sessions. In the first column the sessions are broken down into types, like energize, relaxation, meditation, entertainment, etc.. Then you have the session numbers followed by their length. Next comes the titles of each session, their frequency range, type of tone used and a brief definition of what each session tries for.

Here is the easiest way to figure out which one you want to use. Find the type of session you feel like doing, then go straight to the frequency range. Of course you already know the different brain states and general characteristics of each state. So for example, say you need to relax. You go to the relaxation sessions. How deep do you want to go? The frequency range will tell you how deep the session goes, not the title of the session or the brief definition that follows. Those are informative, but it is easier to just look at what frequencies the session targets.

Two sessions target the same frequency? Check which type of tone is used. Length of session is also important. Decide what length you want. Remember, always listen to the complete session. Do not listen half way through then go out and drive the freeways. That is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Besides, most light and sound units give you the opportunity to either lengthen or shorten the time of each session. Also, most allow you to change the type of tone for each session. Over time, you will probably try all of the sessions, you will know the sessions you like the most and you will stop referring to the owners manual when you go to use your system. That’s okay. That says you know what your system has to offer and how you can manipulate the parameters to suit your specific needs.

Many sessions target more than one brainwave category. Say the purpose of doing your session today is for creativity. You are working on a project and you need some fresh ideas, but you are facing a deadline for getting it completed. Do you do a short creativity/theta session for some quick inspiration or a half-hour creativity/energize session to conjure up fresh ideas and simultaneously produce the energy to write it down really fast? Try the short creativity/theta session. Why? Because at sessions end, you will be back at your normal low beta state, feeling relaxed and fresh and hopefully full of new ideas. And your focus will also be enhanced. Being in a relaxed and focused frame of mind should enable you to write what needs writing in a fashion that meets your deadline. Your mind should also possess the clarity to carry you through to project’s end.

On the other hand, how late were you up last night? Do you need the alertness associated with high beta/energize stimulation? Can you spare the extra time doing a longer session and still meet your deadline? Say you need the alertness associated with the energize session but lack the half-hour to do the session. Why not take the best from both sessions? All you have to do is shorten the length of the creativity/energize session. If it is 30 minutes, make it 15 instead. Just make sure at session’s end that you sit down to finish your project and not run out to hit some tennis balls.

That is just an example of how you can adjust the built-in sessions of your instrument to suit your specific needs. When doing a session, see if this statement holds true for you: When experiencing a beta or gamma session, the colors are predominantly black, white and grey with a lot of intricate patterns. When doing alpha, theta and delta sessions, there are more colors, lots of green, blue, red, yellow, etc., and there are more swirls and blends rather than patterns. I am not sure why that is. I do know all those visuals are produced by your mind. And after performing thousands of light and sound sessions on clients, friends and associates, I have found this to be the norm rather than the exception. But as for why that happens, ask your local neurologist. They usually know everything.

     You must need to know if light and sound stimulation is safe for you to use.  Generally speaking, the answer is yes, when used properly and with understanding. For example, do not listen to a session half way through then go out and drive a car. Allow the session to end, bringing your awareness back to your normal low beta state, before performing tasks involving heavy machinery. Do not use light and sound without professional medical supervision if you have epilepsy, heart trouble, latent seizure tendencies or are photosensitive. Some sessions promote the emergence of suppressed events and issues. If you have never had therapy or have trouble handling these issues, be very careful in choosing sessions. If you find yourself as an at risk individual, seek advice from your physician before using a pulsed light device.

     Remember: everyone is different. No two people think exactly alike. The effects from using light and sound equipment will vary from individual to individual. So play it safe. If you have questions, get the answers before experiencing light and sound sessions.

     Light and sound instrumentation is not intended as a treatment for any mental, emotional or physical ailment or condition. Persons with a history of epilepsy, photoepilepsy or any form of brain seizure, whether knowingly or not, should not use a pulsed light device without professional medical supervision. Latent seizure tendencies, brain injuries, toxemia, drug abuse and unspecified other conditions, known or unknown to the user, are conditions which may produce brain seizures.

        Are you an individual who would be at risk by using light and sound technology? Less than 2% of the U.S. population are likely to ever experience a photoconvulsive seizure from pulsed light stimulation (Newmark & Penry in Niedermeyer 1982).

      A proven method of determining whether or not you are prone to a seizure of this type is to be screened by a qualified technician using  EEG analysis prior to using light and sound equipment. However, many epileptics may not experience any adverse effects from light and sound because they are not photoconvulsive (Stevens in Niedermeyer 1982). Still, it is wise to seek professional medical advice prior to using light and sound equipment if you have a history of epileptic or photoepileptic tendencies. Even though medical professionals can identify most of us who have these tendencies by reviewing our individual family histories, some people slip through the screening process undetected who are actually at risk. Why? Because some may be totally asymptomatic or have forgotten that when they were young (commonly between the ages of six and fifteen) they did have a seizure.

      The following list of questions are very important for you to ask yourself prior to using light and sound, but collectively should not be construed as a reliable screening procedure:

      1. Have you ever had periods of blanking-out or have suffered from any form of convulsive seizure?

     2. Have flashing lights ever made you nauseous or uncomfortable?

     3. Has anyone in your family ever been prone to seizures?

     4. Are you an individual in the beginning stages of drug or alcohol withdrawal?

     5. Are you suffering from severe medical disorders?

     6. Do you suffer from any type of mental illness?

     7. Do you have a pacemaker or are you pregnant?

     If you answered yes to any of these questions you should consider yourself at risk for possible adverse effects from utilizing pulsed light stimulation.

     If you find you are unable to use light and sound because of possible adverse effects, there is an alternative. Sound only. This utilization of audio frequency sessions has proven quite successful in each one of my learning and relaxation programs. The ideal sound-only alternative, which was developed by Christopher Oliver and Michael Landgraf, is the 515 MP3.

     Light and sound instruments give you the ability to control your mental states. Because each person has their own psychological makeup, no one can guarantee you will experience positive feelings after every session. Using light and sound is a personal choice, and the better informed you are, the better experience you will have. 

     Before ending this discussion concerning the possibility of adverse effects, I feel it is important to address one issue that a majority of my clients and associates have, at one time or another, asked about. If you consume alcohol or drugs (legal or otherwise) before experiencing a light and sound session, many researchers contend that you will automatically have a brain seizure. This is not true. Chances are you will, but it is not automatic. After fifteen years of sponsoring light and sound programs, not once has there been an adverse reaction to light and sound from any of the participants in these programs. Many were on prescribed medications, while others were confronting their drug or alcohol dependency. Others combined alcohol with light and sound during social gatherings and I repeat, not once did anyone experience any adverse effects.

     Here is one example, in a social setting, where individuals consumed alcohol prior to experiencing light and sound. A few years back, representatives of a major international music company asked for my assistance at a party they were having to publicize a new rock group. It was held at a very respectable nightclub on Santa Monica Boulevard. The news media was well represented at this function.

     During the course of the festivities, I performed over seventy light and sound sessions on curious individuals who wanted to experience what light and sound was all about. I can not and will not say drugs of any kind were used by any of the attendees. I can say alcohol was consumed. The majority of those experiencing light and sound sessions did indulge. In a way it was almost comical. I asked each person before setting them up on light and sound if they were under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. Of course they all answered no, even with red eyes and silly grins that told me otherwise. Now if I believed everything that has been written about this combination, I never would have agreed to hook anyone up. But no one suffered any adverse effects unless you term having a great time adverse.

     Here is an example where prescribed medications could possibly lead to adverse effects when combined with light and sound, yet none were experienced. A few years back, a client started EEG / neurofeedback training after being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Over the course of the previous ten months, she had been prescribed over sixty different medications to combat what at that time was an undiagnosed illness. Yes, you read that correctly. Over sixty. She was gradually weaned from the majority of the medications and began utilizing light and sound to help her cope with daily stressors while she did her neurofeedback training. Although she was still taking some of her prescribed medications while experiencing light and sound, not once did she suffer any adverse effects from the combination.

     I am certainly not advocating the use of alcohol or drugs. And I do not advocate their use with light and sound equipment. What I am saying is people have been known to use both simultaneously and not experience any adverse effects. That is a fact.