Session Preferences

Hi guys, I'm finally getting around to making my own sessions and was wondering if anyone has any tips?

Preference obviously comes down to personal taste and I suppose that's what I'm asking for.

I tend to prefer the type of sessions that are less predictable and wander somewhat haphazardly through the different states (Beta to Delta). I get bored and distracted when a session lingers too long at a particular frequency. I wonder if changing the "phase" occasionally during long stretches could help with this.

I also prefer shorter sessions (up to 25 minutes), but this might be related to the issue above.

What elements, in your opinion, make for a good session?

What about sessions you don't care for? What is it about them that's lacking? How could they be improved?

Cheers, Matt

You are asking good questions. Of course I have many theories and take certain approaches depending on the intent of the session. As you say though long, static, unchanging sessions tend to be very boring. Sometimes though that is the point.

I am most interested in the feedback of readers here. Specific session reviews help with creating better sessions and also giving recommendations. Thanks for starting the conversation.

Which sessions specifically do you like and which not? Don't worry if I created them or not.

Knowing this, then I can provide better information regarding your questions. And as always, anyone else, feel free to chime in.

Scott

Thanks Scott.

I own 8 different AVS, but not all of them have pre-programmed sessions. Of those that do, the sessions I lean towards ones are described as visual (e.g. Creative Visualisation). The first session I'll try on a new machine will always be one I think will show off its capabilities.

I agree that some sessions need to be "boring" as their purpose is entrainment to achieve a goal rather than entertainment. I wonder if their efficacy could be kept while still "mixing it up a bit". For example, could a 20 minute stretch at 7hz that alternates phasing and ranges in duty cycle and brightness, be as effective entrainment-wise as a session that doesn't change?

In an old thread Robert Austin mentions using ramps as a way to snare brainwaves as no single frequency is likely to be "perfect" for everybody. This makes perfect sense to me and I think even small changes over a long period of time can be more "interesting" than an unchanging one.

When I speak of sessions that are intended to be boring, what I mean is that the purpose is to 'transcend' the stimulus. A session in this manner is somewhat like a ganzfeld although it does have synchronization 'instructions'. Still, it is more in the character of a traditional 'non-enhanced' meditation, towards the idea that you create a rather stale sensory environment and let internal thoughts and imaginings fill in the blank space. Bore yourself to inner wealth as it were...

AVS also provides, at a different level, what I have come to think of as an 'enhanced' form of meditation. This is a meditation that creates states of awe, artistic appreciation, synchronistic pattern formation, geometric entanglement, and ultimately dazzling visions. This is not to say that one couldn't achieve this otherwise but AVS seems ideally suited for encouraging these states.

To this end, I think it is very important that a session has changing parameters. These can be mild changes like varying brightness, which is good to create lighter and darker shades of color. And keeping in mind that the lights flash at fast speeds, even mild changes can create neat effects.

I really have to say that the structure of most editors dictates 'ramps' between changes, usually fairly long in the order of many seconds. Over time I have come to prefer a more non-linear approach like you can get with random values in Mind Workstation or especially values that are controlled by biosensors.

Let's look at a few strategies for change:
Frequency ramps - abrupt climbs and drops create unique patterns and are the basis for 'geometry' to a large degree. Small alterations create interest and stimulate a wider range within a band. This insures that personal, operative frequencies are stimulated and also may subsequently lead to a better 'following' response.

Color alterations - when red is set as a primary 'entrainment' pulse, changing the phase or brightness of combinations of green and blue can create 'rotating' color effects. This is a simplistic way that works with several editors. Red often needs a lower amplitude (brightness) in portions to let the other colors shine through.

Phase changes - phase alone can create the impression of frequency ramps as the various light pulses move in an out of sync with each other. At the 50% point the effective frequency doubled (or halved if you separate between the eyes, ie 'alteration') Now that I think about it, since the Procyon can't split between the eyes with the RGB glasses, its phase setting speeds up the various LEDs which is a little different than how most Kasina sessions are approached. This might be a key to some of the Procyon's geometry.

Duty cycle changes - Duty cycle on a square wave acts as a flicker intensity control. When the Duty Cycle is short the flicker is relatively more staccato and 'crisp'. When it is longer it is more legato and 'saturated'. The Procyon has a unique ability to smoothly move between pulse widths - which is the same as duty cycle. Current Kasina tools handle this a bit differently though I am learning methods. The Procyon also distorts sine and triangle waves with duty cycle settings. Mind Workstation can 'morph' waves and this is a vast world of possibility for AudioStrobe and especially SpectraStrobe.

Slight Frequency Offsets - This is a big trick that you will see over and over. For instance, set one light channel from 10hz to 13hz while another light channel goes from 10hz to 13.5hz. Over the segment the lights will drift slightly out of sync creating more complex patterns. If done in different eyes this technique has been termed 'diffusion'. Like the left and right brain will be stimulated at different rates, but close.

Doubling and Halving Frequencies - after establishing a key entrainment frequency it is good periodically to quickly jump up to twice that frequency or drop down to halve the frequency. The mood of the session can help dictate this. Like if wanting deep trance then drop to half for a moment or so and come back up. Or if you tend to drift during sessions, jump to double.

This only briefly touches on some techniques. It will take a book to really lay them out. Certainly, though these are good general guidelines and food for thought. At least I hope so.

Best,
Scott

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neuroasis

This only briefly touches on some techniques. It will take a book to really lay them out. Certainly, though these are good general guidelines and food for thought. At least I hope so.

---

OMG, yes! Thanks Scott, there is so much greatness in that post.

I love the idea of doubling/halving frequencies. I'd noticed large jumps in sessions before and planned on using them in my own creations but I'd never thought about what specific frequencies would be nice to jump to.

Slight Frequency Offsets sound very interesting. I am working with MindExplorer SW, which doesn't allow quite as much control as Mind Workstation. However, it does have settings for Freq1 and Freq2 so I think I can achieve this effect.