Mind States – Chapter One continued…
During the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s interest in producing altered states without chemicals increased. Alpha EEG feedback by Dr. Joe Kamiya at Langley-Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute in San Francisco aided in initiating the age of biofeedback. Others, including Jack Schwarz and Richard Townsend, continued their investigations of rhythmic light and sound combinations, with emphasis on hemispheric brain synchronization and EEG entrainment (Budzynski 1991). It was during the decade of the 1970’s that the first patent was obtained for a light and sound instrument. This occurred in 1974, with the patent obtained by Seymour Charas. He was a scientist at New York City College and for reasons unknown, never put his device into production (Hutchison 1990).
In the 1980’s there were major breakthroughs in microelectronics. From this came the development of instruments that contained various programs of sound frequency changes and light intensity modulation. In a study by Marchal Gilula, M.D., of Life Energies Research Institute of Coconut Grove, Florida, clinical research on Multiple Afferent Sensory Stimulation (MASS) was conducted. His research found that light and sound (MASS) equipment elicited an 80% subject response with deep states of mind and body relaxation (Ditson-Sommer 1995).
For the past several years, clinical devices utilizing light and sound stimulation have been successfully used in relaxation and learning enhancement. For the general public, small portable units became available. Still, this technology is so new that the majority of us do not know how to use it. Those that do know are using it for commercial purposes, ranging from MP3s, CDs and DVDs to workshops and seminars.
Copyright: Michael J. Landgraf & Mindmachines.com, Granada Hills, CA. / November, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied or duplicated without prior written approval by Michael Landgraf.
Published by Little Minnie’s Publishing House. ISBN 10: 0966259602. ISBN 13: 978-0966259605. All inquiries pertaining to this book should contact Michael@Mindmachines.com.