What Are "Mind Machines?

An AVS (Audio Visual Stimulation) system, Light and Sound Relaxation system or a "Mind Machine" is a microprocessor controlled device designed to create relaxation or other mood changing effects through the use of sound and light stimulation. The user selects a session, puts on headphones and stimulation glasses, and sits back and enjoys the experience, which can be for relaxation, stimulation, meditation or just plain fun depending on the session.  more

The phrase "mind machines" covers a whole range of technologies that may work directly or indirectly on your mind or consciousness. In broad categories, this includes binaural beat and multi-source hypnosis tapes, light and sound mind machines, TENS and CES electrical stimulation hardware, lucid dreaming machinery, neurophones, biofeedback, and of course the old classic sensory deprivation tanks. For the purposes of this revised FAQ, I am mostly ignoring biocircuits, orgone devices, and radionics, as this compiler remains unconvinced that any of these things do anything at all, let alone anything effective. Nootropic herbs, nutrients, and drugs are left out of this FAQ as well, not so much because they aren't effective mind-altering technologies, but because there is an excellent FAQ already available, Samu Mielonen's "A Short Introduction to Smart Drugs" at http://www.uta.fi/~samu/SMARTS2.html. See also the web page for the Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute at http://www.ceri. ...  more