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

Gentle journey is a apply pioneered by neurologist and psychologist Dirk Proeckl and medical psychologist and psychotherapist Engelbert Winkler. Flashing gentle patterns, mostly facilitated by a lamp referred to as Lucia N°03, theoretically mean you can 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 Gentle Lucia, who guides folks via gentle journey at her dwelling 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 individual guiding your session—Peoples, in my case—controls every part from a laptop computer, stopping and beginning this system and adjusting the depth based mostly 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 have been taking part in throughout a display 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 keep in mind a lot else about my 90-minute session (which appeared like 10 minutes), besides that it felt extraordinarily enjoyable 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 totally in my physique once more.

Ideally, it’s finest to gentle journey at evening, catch a experience dwelling, and instantly go to mattress. I went within the afternoon, although, and wanted to get my daughter from college. In some way, even driving in LA site visitors, I felt extraordinarily calm (in a great, safe-to-drive method). That feeling lasted for a few days.

The Results of Lucia Gentle

Basically, the aim of the Lucia N°03 gentle is to information you into what’s referred to 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 rest and a deep meditative state that evokes creativity and lucid dreaming.

What’s taking place within the mind in the course of the session? How is flashing gentle so impactful, even along 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 certain,” says Zeitzer. Scientists do know that the flashing gentle synchronizes or entrains the mind to (kind of) harmonize in a method that it usually doesn’t, except you’re sleeping or experiencing a seizure. And the eyelids act as a lightweight filter (about 90 % 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 adjustments within the sensitivity of the thalamus, a mind area identified 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 Gentle Touring

It’s price a attempt in the event you’re open to experiencing gentle journey with none expectation of a particular consequence—a lightweight exploration, so to talk. However going to a trusted skilled is essential. “The precise frequency and the way they’re utilized can [deliver] very totally different results on the mind,” says Zeitzer. IntoMeSea in Santa Monica affords gentle journey classes for one or two folks at a time. Flower of Gentle Lucia affords particular person, {couples}, and group gentle classes at its dwelling studio and does native dwelling visits within the larger 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 could be examined by your physician with an EEG to find out whether or not a seizure is more likely to happen throughout a session, however there’ll all the time be some threat.

The Lucia N°03 gentle is just not a medical machine, however we all the time suggest consulting your physician previous to making an attempt 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 is just not, neither is it meant to be, an alternative to skilled medical recommendation, analysis, 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.