What is an audio/visual stimulation device? <Top>
An AVS is a device that uses pulses of light and sound in synchrony at various frequencies. These devices naturally lead your brain to match the frequency, thus allowing you to achieve a desired state of mind.



What happens during a session? <Top>
With special light-bearing sunglasses over your closed eyes and headphones over your ears, you are immersed in a colorful world of dancing geometric patterns and entrancing sounds. The light and sound frequency shifts to match brainwaves determined by the program you have selected. Your mental activity will follow the frequency of the machine. 

What are brainwaves, and how do they affect me? <Top>
It is well known that the brain is an electrochemical organ; researchers have speculated that a fully functioning brain can generate as much as 10 watts of electrical power. Even though this electrical power seems rather low, it is used very efficiently. Electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the form of brainwaves. You may have seen doctors in hospitals or on television taking EEG (Electroencephalogram) readings of the natural and ongoing electrical activity of a person's brain. This activity is produced by all of us all the time and it varies according to what kind of activity we are engaged in. There are 4 main categories of brain waves ranging from the low amplitude, high frequency beta waves to the high amplitude, low frequency delta waves:

1) Beta (12-40Hz) - Is associated with normal, waking consciousness; when our attention is directed towards our external environment. Beta is involved with higher cognitive processes & rational analytical, problem solving.

Some examples of beta brainwaves are:
-A person in active conversation.
-You are likely in beta as you read this.

2) Alpha (8-12Hz) - Is a relaxed, calm and tranquil state. Alpha is involved with powerful learning, positive thinking, visualization, and creativity. Often found in dream states and also associated with certain kinds of meditation.

Some examples of alpha brainwaves are:
-A person who has completed a task and sits down to rest.
-A person who takes time out to reflect or meditate.
-A person who takes a break from a conference and walks in the garden is often in an alpha state.

3) Theta (4-8Hz) - Is defined by deep relaxation, associated with dreaming, creative insight, learning and vivid mental imagery. Also found in advance meditators.

Some examples of theta brainwaves are:
-A person who has taken time off from a task and begins to daydream.
-A person who is driving on a highway, and discovers that they can't recall the last five miles, caused by the repetitious nature of that form of driving.

4) Delta (0.5-4Hz) - Is detached awareness, unconscious activity found during deep dreamless sleep, and sometimes found in very experienced meditators.

An example of delta brainwaves is:
-A person in deep dreamless sleep.

These brainwaves affect our lives everyday because we are always using them. Research has shown that although one brainwave state may predominate at any given time, depending on the activity level of the individual, the remaining three brain states are present in the mix of brainwaves at all times. In other words, while somebody is an aroused state and exhibiting a beta brainwave pattern, there also exists in that person's brain a component of alpha, theta and delta, even though these may be present only at the trace level.

There are no “good” or “bad” brainwaves, but some people may have deficient or excessive amounts of certain frequencies. For example, a person with A.D.D. has a shortage of beta brainwaves, and as a result has difficulties concentrating. Use of an AVS in the beta frequency has been known to help train their brain to achieve the desired beta frequencies naturally for use in their everyday life.



What are Binaural Beats? <Top>
Binaural beats occur when two sound waves of slightly differing frequency are presented to the left verses the right ear. Our brains take the difference between these left and right channels and generate a third frequency. This is known as a binaural beat frequency. This beat frequency is typically modulated at the same frequency as the lights.



The “frequency following response” effect <Top>
Many of us have found ourselves slipping into a relaxed or dream-like state while sitting around watching a fire. Research dating back to the 1940s has shown how our brainwave activity has an inclination to mirror flickering light. Sound, such as the beating of a drum for example, has been found to have similar effects on our brainwaves. The principle behind this phenomenon is also known as entrainment. Research suggests that flickering light with binaural beat stimulation can synchronize the left and right brain hemispheres, which is thought to increase the flow of information between the two hemispheres, resulting in increased learning and creativity.



How can I benefit from using an AVS device? <Top>

Relaxation - Entraining to alpha, theta or delta waves will slow down our brainwaves and bring us relaxation.

Reduce anxiety - Entraining to alpha waves can help us to achieve a more relaxed conscious mind, allowing us to deal with stressful situations more calmly.

Better sleep & recovering lost sleep - Entraining to theta can help us mentally recover when we didn't get enough sleep. While entraining to delta can make us fall asleep quickly.

Enhanced creativity - Both alpha and theta brainwaves have been demonstrated to be involved with our creative ability. Entraining to these frequencies can give us more opportunities for creative insight.

Improved mental performance - Entraining to beta can teach our brains to reach peak mental performance. Also the synchronization of brain hemispheres brought about by using an AVS also facilitates physiological improvements to the brain. Mental improvements demonstrated include: Increased IQ,  improved memory and attention span.

Accelerated learning - Both alpha and theta waves have been demonstrated to put the brain into a highly receptive state, allowing one to learn at an accelerated rate.

Strengthened immune system - achieving delta brainwaves brings your body into a state of heightened healing, immune function, the release of natural pain killers the endogenous opiates and other useful hormones including HGH (human growth hormone, associated with youthfulness) within the body.

Addiction Relief - Research suggests addicts have a shortage of alpha waves. Entraining with alpha waves can help one cope.



Is there anyone who should not use an AVS device? <Top>
Nearly everyone who uses audio/video stimulation report that they enjoy 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. See Medical Disclaimer.

Proteus <Top>
The Proteus is our AVS of choice. It is highly versatile and comes at a very affordable price. This part of the FAQ deals exclusively with the Proteus.

Does it come with a warranty? <Top>
Yes, the Proteus comes with a 1 year warranty. Please contact us if you have any problems with your machine. There is also a forum where you can ask any questions regarding the Proteus.

How long do the batteries last? <Top>
We recommend that you use alkaline batteries with Proteus for best results; under normal use you can expect approximately 50 hours continuous operation. You can also use rechargeable Ni-Cad "AA" batteries, which should last roughly 10-20 hours between recharges.



What are the system requirements for the Proteus Editor program? <Top>
Windows 98 or later is recommended (we've heard that this may be run under Windows 95, but have not certified it for doing so.). You need less than 3 MB disc space; practically any system that runs W98+ should work well.



How important is sound as a component of the light/sound experience? <Top>
It is especially important as a means for blocking external distractions, and pulsed audio waveforms can help reduce distracting thoughts via patterned stimuli. Binaural beat frequencies can induce brainwave activity at the beat frequencies in some cases, which further assists in accessing certain states of awareness. Generally speaking, the audio component is much less important than the visual, since a large part of our brain (about 40%) is involved with vision.

If you are using AudioStrobe or other forms of audio input, such as various forms of spoken word (affirmations, NLP, etc.) the importance of the audio increases in the overall experience.



I can't download sessions from my computer into Proteus. <Top>

Check the following:

• Have you selected the proper serial port?

• Is the serial cable plugged snugly into the computer and Proteus?

• Are you using the proper cable? (it should be black; the ThoughtStream cable looks identical but is beige)

• Is Proteus in DL mode? (if not, press the middle button until it is, and repeat the download process.

Remember that the Proteus digital display will show rapidly changing numbers if it is receiving data. If you've tried all of the above and you still cannot download, write or call us.



How do I update the Proteus firmware (operating system)? <Top>

Follow these steps:

A. Launch Proteus Editor and click the “Update Code” button on the top right hand side of the program window.

B. Notice that there are three checked boxes on the lower right, under “send data to Proteus” in the above mentioned screen; in the future you can selectively upload new session data, code or user preferences separately. Leave them all checked for the moment.

C. Point your cursor to the “Prot2_2.pts” (or whichever version is included with your program) file and left-click to highlight the filename.

D. Be sure your Proteus is connected to your PC, and if necessary press the MODE (middle) button until the display reads “DL” (for “download”). Verify that the PC cable is plugged into the AUX input on the lower right side of Proteus.

E. Now left-click the “Upload Code” button. You will see a display on screen indicating that the firmware update is downloading. The Proteus display should also show rapidly changing numbers during the download; if this is not the case then either you have not selected the correct serial port, or the serial cable is not properly connected, or you are not in DL mode.



Why are LEDs used instead of Incandescent Lights? <Top>
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) 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 patterns of brainwave activity. They also create very pure colors - again an important factor in the alteration of consciousness and brainwave activity.

Why are the LEDs in the lightframes red and green? <Top>
These colors include a large range of evocable feeling-states, ranging from red (energizing) to green (relaxing) with a range of possibilities in between, especially amber, which is most efficient at evoking the “peak performance” state. Also, testers reported that these colors produced the most vivid imagery.

We also carry red/blue (ruby/sapphire) LightFrames; blue is deeply relaxing and the visual effects and overall “feel” of these colors is more trance-like.

In what way is multicolored light superior to a single color? <Top>
Single-color stimulation does not take into account the differential effects of colored light stimulation on mood and EEG. Proteus is the first system to provide real-time control over the brightness of both colors simultaneously, allow smooth shifts between the 250+ possible color combinations (16 shades each of red and green).

So a typical “ramp” from 16 hz to 8 hz might start all red, shifting to amber at 12 hz and all green at 8 hz. Or, you can try your own combinations to explore more unique effects.



Why is the use of two frequencies simultaneously of value? <Top>
It is possible to elicit more complex states of consciousness by using more than one frequency simultaneously. In fact, most states of consciousness are not exemplified by a single frequency band. Proteus is the only machine available today which at least partially remedies that situation.



What are the advantages of using biofeedback to control Proteus? <Top>
There are several reasons. First, the light frequency, brightness, color, etc. may be used to provide you with direct feedback regarding changes in your physiology associated with the use of light/sound stimulation--whether it be increased or decreased arousal, etc. Secondly, sessions may be created which alternate between light/sound stimulation and biofeedback; this was the approach taken with the Biolight study which led to significant improvement in college grade point average in those who used this system. Thirdly, the light/sound parameters may be "tuned" in real time to craft highly specific states of consciousness.



Why are there multiple sensors listed in the Proteus biofeedback settings? <Top>
We're preparing the system for the introduction of a low-cost, multichannel biofeedback system later this year. Only the EDR 1 setting is active with the ThoughtStream + Proteus combination, although you can assign and scale this data to control any or all of six Proteus parameters.



Can I use Proteus Editor with a Macintosh computer? <Top>
Although we have not tested Proteus Editor with Windows emulation programs, we've heard that it does work with them. One customer recently wrote, "I found that running MS Virtual PC with Windows 98 on a Mac utilizing a Keyspan PDA USB adapter works just fine as far as I can see. The keyspan adapter can be used for both a Mac or a PC but should be configured for a Mac then within the VPC preferences just map one of the Comm ports to it. Its a little more problematical to configure it in the VPC as it sets up as comm port 3 which would not work smoothly."



How do I connect the Proteus to ThoughtStream? <Top>
Using the stereo audio patch cord which came with your Proteus, connect the PC jack on top of the ThoughtStream to the AUX jack on your Proteus. If you have selected a ThoughtStream-enabled program, Proteus will automatically sense the ThoughtStream and run it with biofeedback control.



What is Wavetable Crossfading? <Top>
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? <Top>
BioConnect™ describes our (Synetic System's) biofeedback/light and sound interlink protocol, which enables the automatic, real-time control of light/sound sessions from certain biofeedback systems, such as ThoughtStream.