Once I was first requested if I wished to gentle journey, the one response I might muster was: “Huh?” However after a little analysis, I used to be all in.

Mild journey is a observe pioneered by neurologist and psychologist Dirk Proeckl and scientific psychologist and psychotherapist Engelbert Winkler. Flashing gentle patterns, mostly facilitated by a lamp known as Lucia N°03, theoretically can help you enter a deep meditative state, effortlessly—with out the psychological focus required to look at your ideas, quiet your thoughts, or focus in your breath. It’s like a light-induced meditation.

I quickly discovered myself mendacity down on a pleasantly cushioned, sheer-draped cover mattress with a Lucia N°03 gentle positioned above my head. Theresa Peoples, a Lucia N°03 gentle practitioner and proprietor of Flower of Mild Lucia, who guides individuals by means of gentle journey at her residence studio, positioned headphones over my ears and pressed play on a soothing soundtrack. (The Lucia N°03 gentle lamp, which has one halogen gentle within the heart surrounded by eight LED lights, is linked to a pc program. The particular person guiding your session—Peoples, in my case—controls all the pieces from a laptop computer, stopping and beginning this system and adjusting the depth primarily based in your desire.)

After I closed my eyes and Peoples turned on the Lucia N°03 lamp, I instantly noticed vibrant, kaleidoscope-like fractal patterns as in the event that they had been taking part in throughout a display screen on my eyelids. Inside minutes, my ideas started to drift away earlier than I might full a sentence. After which my thoughts chatter stopped fully. I used to be in a set state of awe, unaware of time and house. I used to be gentle touring.

I can’t bear in mind a lot else about my 90-minute session (which appeared like 10 minutes), besides that it felt extraordinarily stress-free and a bit out of this world. And afterward, it took a couple of minutes of wiggling my toes, sipping heat natural tea, and nibbling dried white mulberries to reawaken my senses and really feel like I used to be absolutely in my physique once more.

Ideally, it’s greatest to gentle journey at evening, catch a trip residence, and instantly go to mattress. I went within the afternoon, although, and wanted to get my daughter from college. One way or the other, even driving in LA site visitors, I felt extraordinarily calm (in a superb, safe-to-drive manner). That feeling lasted for a few days.

The Results of Lucia Mild

Basically, the aim of the Lucia N°03 gentle is to information you into what’s known as an alpha-theta hypnagogic state. It’s a stage the place our mind waves are someplace between the alpha (8 to 13 hertz) and theta (4 to 7.9 hertz) frequencies—between leisure and a deep meditative state that evokes creativity and lucid dreaming.

What’s occurring within the mind through the session? How is flashing gentle so impactful, even together with your eyes closed? We requested Jamie M. Zeitzer, PhD, an affiliate professor within the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford College. “Precisely the way it works, nobody’s fairly positive,” says Zeitzer. Scientists do know that the flashing gentle synchronizes or entrains the mind to (roughly) harmonize in a manner that it usually doesn’t, until you’re sleeping or experiencing a seizure. And the eyelids act as a lightweight filter (about 90 p.c of sunshine is blocked), however lots nonetheless reaches the mind to have an impact.

There’s not a lot analysis on this remedy, however there are some budding hypotheses that gentle remedy triggers the rise of sure neurotransmitters, like acetylcholine (a distinguished neurotransmitter all through the physique). It’s additionally doable that there are modifications within the sensitivity of the thalamus, a mind area recognized for its function in features just like the sleep-and-wake cycle, ache, senses (besides smelling), cognition, arousal, and motor expertise.

The place to Go Mild Touring

It’s value a attempt if you happen to’re open to experiencing gentle journey with none expectation of a particular end result—a lightweight exploration, so to talk. However going to a trusted skilled is vital. “The precise frequency and the way they’re utilized can [deliver] very completely different results on the mind,” says Zeitzer. IntoMeSea in Santa Monica affords gentle journey periods for one or two individuals at a time. Flower of Mild Lucia affords particular person, {couples}, and group gentle periods at its residence studio and does native residence visits within the better Los Angeles space.

Warning: You probably have a historical past of light-induced epileptic seizures, this remedy could set off seizures throughout your session. You will be examined by your physician with an EEG to find out whether or not a seizure is prone to happen throughout a session, however there’ll all the time be some threat.

The Lucia N°03 gentle just isn’t a medical machine, however we all the time suggest consulting your physician previous to attempting a brand new remedy.

This text is for informational functions solely, even when and no matter whether or not it options the recommendation of physicians and medical practitioners. This text just isn’t, neither is it supposed to be, an alternative to skilled medical recommendation, prognosis, or therapy and may by no means be relied upon for particular medical recommendation. The views expressed on this article are the views of the professional and don’t essentially characterize the views of goop.