Since 1997, Herbert Benson, of the Harvard Medical School, has reaffirmed that "Sixty to ninety percent of [doctor-patient] visits are prompted by conditions related to stress." Especially in today's world, stress management is truly vital to emotional, relational, and overall physical health. As a psychologist, I understand that most tend to consider meditative exercises as too difficult to learn; and too time consuming to practice.
Although activities like watching television and listening to music can be relaxing, they do not illicit the relaxation response that is most beneficial for managing stress. In order to de-stress, people need to do something that sounds contradictory, namely engage in activity that is not passive. The Surgeon General recommends physical activity for stress management. One can also manage stress by engaging in self-meditations.
Even though Light and Sound Machines are effective devices that help to induce healthy meditative states, most also consider them to be too expensive. To sample the positive effects of these devices, "Flasher 1.51" is actually a fully-functional, virtual Light & Sound Machine freeware program, that was created in the early 1990's. It was designed to similarly entrain brainwaves with precisely timed, flickering lights. One can simply choose the settings one wants, sit in front of the computer monitor, and close one's eyes. The software then pulses the monitor so that the flickering is experienced behind one's closed eyelids. It offers a remarkably effective, seemingly effortless feeling of DEEP RELAXATION, within only a few minutes. The effect appears very similar to the experience of using actual Light & Sound Machine goggles.
This meditation enhancer was recently given new life, by an American computer programmer. It now allows the previously out-dated program to function within today's modern Windows environment. I often recommend it to my patients who want to better mange their stress.
FREE "Virtual Light & Sound Machine" Download
Tucows offers the download link here: http://www.tucows.com/preview/509052
The effectiveness and ease of audio hypnotic programs can even be enhanced with the use the meditation enhancer software technology, described above. For some FREE audio hypnosis downloads and complete information on Light & Sound Machine technology, please feel free to visit my professional website.
I am a Pennsylvania licensed psychologist, certified hypnotherapist, and EMDR-Level II practitioner in full-time private practice. As a presenter for PESI, I provide national continuing education workshops for mental health and educational professionals on topics related to EMDR and mindfulness meditation. In 1995, I completed my EMDR training in Philadelphia, under the direction of Dr. Francine Shapiro, EMDR's originator. A former patient and I are interviewed within the 2011 documentary featuring Dr. Shapiro, "EMDR: a documentary film." I also host my professional website (http://www.ThePsychologist.com) that helps visitors simplify their overall healthcare, by improving their emotional health with my psychology-related links, e-books, hypnosis and other FREE self-help programs. As a doctoral candidate, I am currently completing my research dissertation on the meditation benefits of audio-visual stimulation in pursuit of my Ph.D.