Encounters with the Fantastic: The AV3X meets the Diviner’s Sage
By Zoe Seven
(Part One of Five)
Michael Landgraf, publisher of the AVS Journal, a magazine dedicated to mind machine enthusiasts, initially contacted me via email about possibly writing an article about what I do for his magazine. Which I did, and my article, “Cyber-Shamanism: the fusion of modern technology with ancient, plant-based shamanism,” appeared on the fall 2002 issue. This time he emailed to ask if I would be interested in trying out a new product: a new “digital meditation” DVD: the AV3X, which had been recently released. I immediately perked up while reading the email and wrote back to him saying definitively, as it sounded like something right up my alley: an ancient practice innovated by way of modern technology. Coincidently, within that same time frame I was also contacted by Christopher Oliver, an internationally renowned expert in the field of brainwave entrainment technology and musical composer and actual inventor of the AV3X for the same reason. I also said yes to him and, as a result, I got 2 free DVD’s… heh.
A few days later I got in the mail this new technology which I was very much looking forward to trying out. At the time I had not thought of doing anything but taking the AV3X for a ride as far as my infamous alchemical combination experiments are concerned. It did not cross my mind at all to combine a DVD together with a psychoactive plant. But this would change…
So there I was, in my living room dimming the lights and getting ready for the AV3X “digital meditation” experience. I flicked the TV on, took the DVD out of its case, popped it into my DVD player, dawned by headphones and sat back on my couch. After choosing four out of its six audio/visual tracks and began playing them, the first thing I noticed was that layered right on top of the visual images was a strobe-like effect, which I immediately figured was to help facilitate brain entrainment, as I had already been told that the music was embedded with binaural frequencies in the alpha and theta brainwave range to produce a soothing, meditative experience.
The combination of strobe and binaural frequencies was indeed a powerful combination. I also enjoyed the actual music of the soundtrack as it has qualities I look for when searching for musical pieces to enhance any of my mental practices such as mediation, relaxation and lucid dreaming/OBE induction; even entheogenic/ psychonautical exploration. This music is dreamy and spacey as well as expansive. It is also abstract yet melodic and apparently composed to bring about certain moods. The visuals are simply stunning and consist of digital mind-bending, fractal-like visuals, which morph into the music with rich colors melting into each other. At times the imagery on this DVD makes one feel as though on an inner-journey voyaging through a swirling cosmic tunnel. I immediately saw this new technology as the next step in light and sound brain wave stimulation, and after trying out the AV3X I was so excited that I immediately sat down to write a review article for it, which I published on my website. From the article:
“…Christopher Oliver’s innovative creation goes one step beyond as it uses the power of digital imaging special effects to skillfully replicate the swirling, morphing, colorful visions and abstract landscapes that may be seen under the influence of shamanic vision-inducing plants. In that sense these images, although high-tech in aspect and design, are very ‘organic’ and ‘fluid’ in nature.
This is something that has not been able to be replicated by any of the light and sound brainwave synchronizers available anywhere. In that respect this DVD is the next best thing to a shamanic visionary experience.”
End of Part One
Copyright Zoe Seven for AVS Journal (2004). All right reserved.