Mind Modulations

[High Hunter]

Howdy,

I wasn't sure where to put this, so feel free to move if necessary.

Have any of guys heard of Mind Modulations (http://www.mindmodulations.com/)?

It's a website that features very interesting technologies like Light & Sound Mind Machines (http://www.mindmodulations.com/info.html#lightsound) and Biofeedback Machines (http://www.mindmodulations.com/info.html#biofeed). If some of you don't feel like following these links, let me briefly explain you the concepts of these machines.

Let me start with a quote from the site explaining the main aspect of their work:

The brain bustles with electrical activity during every moment of our lives.
Billions of neurons constantly firing on and off form waves that we call brainwaves.
These waves can be found bustling about at different speeds during any given time.
But there will always be a predominant speed where most of these waves synchronize.
The speed of a brainwave is called a frequency - this frequency is measured in Hertz.
Scientists who first measured these waves found that they were connected to mind states.
Brainwaves have been divided into four predominant speed ranges, or types.
Brainwave types are connected to different mind states, or states of consciousness.
Each brainwave type contains smaller bands relating to specific functions of body and mind.
Some complex mental states relate to specific frequencies that repeat in patterns.
There are also mind/body processes connected to single frequencies

Basically, the Light & Sound machine uses both binaural beats and patterns of pulsing lights to induce deeper states of mind (lower brainwave frequencies). It's mainly used for meditation, concentration, and even dreaming they say! I am sure this device would do wonders for WILDs. Also, they state that "the most extraordinary kaleidoscopic patterns of color and geometry unfold before your eyes". The device comes with electronic goggles and headphones.

The Biofeedback machine is a "device with sensors to monitor anything from the muscle tension of your left index finger, to the brainwaves of a specific location in your brain". So it helps you monitor and even alter your brain activity, heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and more. Some of the models come with certain software, such as line charts and even games you can interact with, using your brainwaves!

Here are some of the things they claim these devices do:
Alter consciousness, Improve your memory, Discover deep relaxation, Master meditation, Boost energy, and Heighten awareness.


Now, as interesting as this seems to be, I am not really skeptical about it, for I truly believe this stuff should work. Yet, I kind of see it as a cheat...to attain states and gain abilities that monks would train for years on mountain tops for. But in a way, in today's world, it seems extremely difficult to become a master at these things for we lack the time and constant peace of mind that is required to achieve such incredible results. Yet again, would using these devices end up harming one's body and mind?

Here's a few interesting links from the site:
The Benefits (http://www.mindmodulations.com/beneficial.html)
Resources, Softwares, & Games (http://www.mindmodulations.com/resources.html)
Neurofeedback & Biofeedback Blogs (http://www.mindmodulations.com/mindmods/)

I encourage you to learn more about these devices, and to post how you feel about them. Perhaps some of you have already used these machines? Either way, post away!

[juroara]

for the longest time, I've felt it was wrong to use a device to alter your state of consciousness, or substance use to alter your state of consciousness. that it would be cheating, or fake

but everything around us is already affecting how we feel. colors affect us, music affects us. running water versus still water. living plants versus fake plants. our lifestyle versus our biological time clock. the things we eat. to architecture and whether things are lined up in a rigid grid pattern, or more fluid and organic.

spiritually speaking, the idea is to align yourself with what is good for your being. not because aligning yourself will suddenly make you a guru, but because living out of alignment makes spiritual practice, like meditation difficult. not impossible. just harder.

on one side you can argue westerners are always in a rush, expecting immediate results. the hippies cheated and took drugs. the result was most of them never really obtained true balance, became really unbalanced people, and made the whole being spiritual thing look foolish. so I can see how binaural beats can be the new soma. but on the other level you can argue that spiritually speaking, our time is speeding up. the evolution of our minds is speeding up, and there is more urgency to keep up with time. we have to achieve certain things within a much shorter time frame

these tools should be used to help you get over a barrier thats slowing down your progress. maybe the surface thoughts are preventing deep meditation, or stress, or depression, who knows. but like training wheels on a bicycle, you shouldn't become completely dependent on these things to achieve alter states of consciousness. if you can never achieve these things on your own, you haven't learned much.

these tools can also be inspiring. helping westerners indoctrinated into a material world view, understand the mystical. maybe experiencing deep meditation, or a lucid dream for the first time is enough to create a placebo affect making the next time that much easier. and any research into the brain is good research. we might find that these sort of devices work better to heal clinical depression then drugs, and with more positive side effects than negative.

[ChaybaChayba]

This site is purely commerical. The technology works, sure, but they ask 100-200$ for stuff that's basically free. What a rip-off..

The biofeedback system is a galvanic skin response sensor (http://www.extremenxt.com/gsr.htm), you can make this yourself with lego. And the sound thingy is also completely free... http://www.bwgen.com/

[High Hunter]

spiritually speaking, the idea is to align yourself with what is good for your being. not because aligning yourself will suddenly make you a guru, but because living out of alignment makes spiritual practice, like meditation difficult. not impossible. just harder.

on one side you can argue westerners are always in a rush, expecting immediate results. the hippies cheated and took drugs. the result was most of them never really obtained true balance, became really unbalanced people, and made the whole being spiritual thing look foolish. so I can see how binaural beats can be the new soma. but on the other level you can argue that spiritually speaking, our time is speeding up. the evolution of our minds is speeding up, and there is more urgency to keep up with time. we have to achieve certain things within a much shorter time frame

these tools should be used to help you get over a barrier thats slowing down your progress. maybe the surface thoughts are preventing deep meditation, or stress, or depression, who knows. but like training wheels on a bicycle, you shouldn't become completely dependent on these things to achieve alter states of consciousness. if you can never achieve these things on your own, you haven't learned much.

these tools can also be inspiring. helping westerners indoctrinated into a material world view, understand the mystical. maybe experiencing deep meditation, or a lucid dream for the first time is enough to create a placebo affect making the next time that much easier. and any research into the brain is good research. we might find that these sort of devices work better to heal clinical depression then drugs, and with more positive side effects than negative.

Very good points juroara,

I agree that patience and perseverance are definitely the purest way to attain any type of result, even if in the end, it is not really the result that matters. I certainly do not agree with cheating in general, much less when it comes to important life lessons and ways of enlightenment. However, what motivated me to bring this out here, is the fact that technology seems to slowly shifting towards a more Eastern-like mentality. We have long advised the use of drugs and many other external stimuli to aid people in their quest for inner peace, and even though this is also a materialistic way of discovering the wonders of meditation and biofeedback, perhaps these tools may eventually help people realize that they can willingly alter their consciousness all on their own.

And thank you ChaybaChayba for the information,

I did not mean to advertise or promote the website in any way, it is just a very good example of how these new technologies are hitting the market for the general population.

All in all, I just think of the future, and can't help to wonder if perhaps we may, someday, work mind to mind with technology. It seems that, though it may be different, even animals who seem to be the lowest on the materialism chain, also need the aid of external stimuli to survive and thrive. Sure, all they need is natural, but we as humans, created this technology that sprouted from the earth as well. I mean, everything that is here, really comes from here, someway, somehow, right? May it be good or not, we are but complicated animals who added more factors to our survival, yet the principles stay the same. What I'm saying is, perhaps as we evolve, we may adopt the new technologies that will come to be, and become one with it, to eventually reach a newer type of enlightenment. That is but speculation though... I personally would rather go back to live in the mountains, since I already do that anyway, but who knows what we will become.

That is all, thanks for the comments guys. :)

[DeathCell]

People have been getting in touch with drugs forever.

But that doesn't mean you should dose yourself every day.

[Licity]

The light and sound machine sounds an awful lot like brain entrainment. Like, exactly like it. Download something like BWgen. It will save you a bunch of money. As ChaybaChayba said, the biofeedback machine can also be built by hand, but I don't know much about that.

[High Hunter]

The light and sound machine sounds an awful lot like brain entrainment. Like, exactly like it. Download something like BWgen. It will save you a bunch of money. As ChaybaChayba said, the biofeedback machine can also be built by hand, but I don't know much about that.

Yeah, the light and sound machine is basically a mix of binaural beats and visual stimuli created within the googles. The make shift biofeedback machine sounds pretty interesting.

DeathCell, while you're statement is absolutely correct, I'm still unsure of what your point is?


I'm not really interested in trying those machines myself, not yet anyway, but I'm very curious to hear results from people who have. Don't be shy...I know you're out there somewhere!

[DeathCell]

Was replying mostly to Jau, who said drugs are faking or cheating.

[High Hunter]

Was replying mostly to Jau, who said drugs are faking or cheating.

Oh I see.

Yeah, dosing everyday is definitely not a wise thing to do ;)