From: lpb@florida.swdc.stratus.com (Len Bucuvalas)
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Voyager(TM) light and sound device
Date: 4 Sep 92 19:04:15 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., San Jose, CA

In article <1992Sep02.233220.3923@microsoft.com> ryb@microsoft.com (Danger Mouse) writes:
>It's a small walkman-like box, with headphones and opaque glasses with two
>LEDs 3/4" apart over each eye. There are eighteen programs ranging from 10 to
>60 minutes in length; each program is a different sequence of flashing the
>LEDs and making a tone at varying frequencies. It appears the faster the
>flashing, the faster the tones, and so on. You have your eyes closed so
>patterns appear to form on your eyelids from the LED flashes. The headphones
>have a stereo mini-plug; from the patterns it seems the link is inside-inside
>LEDs & outside- outside LEDs.
>
>The idea is that the combination of audial and visual stimuli can alter your
>brain from beta to alpha, theta or delta states -- good for relaxation and/or
>subsequent study. There are various other wonderful benefits "users are
>reporting" which I'm not buying into -- if it at least works for relaxation
>it will be a boon to my wife who often has difficulty doing so. So far, from
>the two times she's used it, it appears to work, so we're going to get one and
>try it out for 30 days.
> 
>Has someone else tried Voyager? Is there something to this idea of light and
>sound devices? The literature mentions a researcher in the 1940's named Gray
>Walter who discovered "photic driving" -- that brainwave activity tends to
>fall into lockstep with flickering light, particularly in alpha and theta
>range.
> 
>Any comments would be appreciated.
> 
>  -- Danger Mouse

Personally...I think it's fantastic...though not as good as the $600
Megabrain device...which is not portable.  It is designed according to
the theory that the brain can be entrained to operate in a manner in
keeping with the input to the brain.  Theoretically, the sound can
sync both hemisperes into synchronization with the sound....which can
be adjusted, per ear, to be either in or out of phase. The flashing
leds seem to also entrain the brain (terrible alliteration here!) by
stimulating the visual cortex.

The are something like 36 (?) different programs yu can apply. All
ranging in frequency from beta to delta state programming. 

For myself? I find it EXTREMELY relaxing. If I can't sleep, I plug in
to program 8 (delta) .... by the time the 30 minute program is
over....I dont realize it...my wife has, at times, had to remove the
glasses and headphones from me!

There are other claims to...claims of esp development, abilities to
reach out telepathically to other dimensions of reality in order to
communicate, the ability to far sight..etc....I am not in a classic
labratory environment with the target experiment and a control,
therefore I cannot either validate nor invalidate these claims...but I
do find it entertaining and relaxing.

You can also plug in an alternate sound source disbaling the internal
sound generator....like the Moody Blues....program in a light show on
on program 18 and you get a series of visuals timed to the music in
repetition rate, frequency of imagry, and intensity of briliance. It
really is neat!

Len

DISCLAIMER: My opinions...not my employer's

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Newsgroups: sci.skeptic