Nexus - 0203 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

by Peter FREQUENCY SELECTION a more penetrative nerve activator. Green is occasionally used, but this is more colour therapy. LED's come in a wide range of brightness. Dimmer controls are relevant to relax- ation, but maximum light creates the stunning internal imagery, and kaliedoscopic patterns that pull your attention inside. Some models can flash alternate left and right eye, theoretically accessing each brain hemisphere function in sequence, as opposed to merging them. More uncommon, is a cluster of LED's that "rotate", expand or contract. Transparent lenses allow you to see past the lamps, an advantage for reading retention, or superimposing a nostal- gic psychedelic flicker on the outside world. A few have an infrared emitter over the forehead, presumably to awaken the fabled "third eye", doorway to inner space. Activating waveform: most are a simple, square on/off pulse. these are not single frequencies, in that all odd harmonics of the rate selected are present. A pure rising and falling wave, with a higher proportion of "on" to "off" time, is preferable to anyone but a computer, and now used exclusively in our devices. capability and unlimited availability of sounds. Secondly, the impact of music, recorded affirmations, or guided "vision quests" is enhanced by synergetic light patterns evoked on the screen of the mind. This is accomplished intuitively by the user, according to the inner sensations preferred, or with reference to a numeric readout. The latter is often associated with digital circuitry, which may have a memory chip enabling a ses- sion of migrating frequencies to be entered on a keypad, stored, and called up at a later date. Some systems are sold with factory-set programs for relaxation, creativity, prob- lem solving, etc. Here's where individual choice and budget come in. If the object is self-exploration, an operator who is guided by experiential landmarks within the "mindscape" itself, can achieve more fluid response by the turn of a sin- gle knob ... calibrated or not. These are specific patterns of light and colour that always occur at the same frequency. This approach is becoming more learnable, as devices with increasingly potent sensory interfaces enter the market- place. the only rationale for "computerised", push button gear is its self-contained, predefinable, time-variant func- tions. Its drawbacks include incremented rather than smooth pulse rate transitions, and restricted improvising once a program is started. If accurate calibration is wanted for systematic research, any in-built metering, and the cir- cuitry it monitors, should have a resolution of at least SYNCHRONOUS SOUND > aan nod Applied through ordinary stereo headphones in, or some- tions. Its drawbacks include incremented rather than times 180 degrees out of, phase with optical pulses to rein- smooth pulse rate transitions, and restricted improvising force the entrainment effect. This may be a repetitive tone, once a program is started. If accurate calibration is wanted sometimes with a pitch control and volume you can adjust for systematic research, any in-built metering, and the cir- to your liking. Synthesized "white-noise", similar to wind cuitry it monitors, should have a resolution of at least or rushing water, is also commonly used for its universal appeal and awareness-captivating properties. Heartbeats, "lasers", tropical birds, etc are available at a price. Some leading-edge products now offer the BINAURAL, or "holo- phonic", effect. The user "hears" a compelling internal beat, derived WITHIN the brain itself from separate audio tones fed to each ear. These are tuned by the operator to differ from each other by the exact psychoactive frequency desired. (See Nexus Vol.2 #1) for a full description. The visual output of certain gog- gles can also be modulated in tempo with an external audio source, such as a cassette player. This is useful in two instances. Firstly, the tape may contain lamp-triggering pulses of any sound desired, that shift in repetition rate over its duration, constituting a graduated "journey" to a certain level of awareness and back. This has the same effect as expensive computer sequencing, but is better adapted to implement- ing new trends, with its stereo/holophonic Toke Rae om Re Lup iff, SORE NEXUS - 22 Nielsen YEAR BOOK - MAY/JUNE 1991