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I am a brand new owner of a BBR LaesEr and am still learning every day more about how to use it.
However, being a bit of a headphone audiophile, I was a bit disappointed when I realized that when hooking up an external source to the “source in” input on the back of the LaesEr, that the unit only uses the right channel of the signal. I had been looking forward to experimenting with using music from an mp3 player combined with my own eigen frequencies to drive the flashing lights in the eyeglasses. But while the eigen frequencies cause both eyes to flash, the external music would only affect the flashing of the right eye.
So I thought of a way around this and pulled out a stereo mixer I had in the garage (a Behringer model 802 – available from Amazon.com) and hooked up the mp3 player to one set of stereo inputs and the output of the “signal out” wire on the back of the LaesEr to another pair of stereo inputs on the mixer. Then I hooked up the stereo output of the Behringer mixer to the “signal in” on the Health Integrator. (Note: my mp3 player has two headphone outputs, so I hook up my headphones directly to the mp3 player to get a clean music signal to my ears without any of the eigen frequencies playing in my ears. You could probably use a splitter on the headphone out of the mp3 player also, although that is not ideal from an audiophile perspective, but at least it would still only be music going in your ears.)
Voila! Now the music and the eigen frequencies both drive the flashing of the white LEDs in both eyes. It does take a bit more fiddling to find the right levels on the mixer as well as the right levels on the LaesEr to get the most interesting mixture. The music by itself just makes the lights flash in sync with the louder peaks in the music (including any loud bass or drum beat) which is not that interesting to my taste. And the eigen frequencies by themselves make for a lot of interesting colors and patterns especially if I use the single hand electrode with the textured surface and twiddle it around in my hands, as described in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4smCtZvKCFI&index=20&list=PLByQiGLCgLCWol8IyyiTut1GOha-wjA1_
But when I use the external mixer to mix just a little of the signal from the mp3 player in with my own eigen frequencies, then there is a very interesting effect where the music seems to drive the changes in the colors and patterns. It makes for a wonderful synergy of music and feedback and sometimes I even get the sense of everything affecting everything else. The music seems to be affecting my own frequencies and shifting the visual effects through the effect of the music on my eigen frequencies, even when I am not twiddling with the hand sensor.
It is a fair bit of extra work to hook everything up and get the levels of the various mixer knobs correct, as well as getting the LaesEr set for the most interesting visual effects. But it does create another dimension to the experience and probably adds another level of DLE stimulation.
My next experiment is going to be tapping into another set of outputs on the mixer to add some sound feedback and music directly into my body using one of these: http://www.vrealities.com/products/force-feedback-haptics/vr-sound-vibration-cushion – If I like it, I may someday even get a sound table or chair from here: http://vibroacoustic.org/index.htm
Finally, I also want to report another discovery. I quickly found that in general using the inversion setting with electrical feedback was too intense for my head or belly, so now when I am doing inversion feedback using the basic feedback setup described here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQD4USymqYI&index=4&list=PLByQiGLCgLCVN2Zw1C9MCFxF4RWAU1NUn – I just use the two stainless steel foot electrodes and one hand electrode. The signal is so strong and comes on so suddenly with the inversion therapy that it stings a lot if I use any other connections. But my hands and feet are “tough enough” for the shock like feeling especially when I am still adjusting the dials to find the right level.
But a fun discovery is that I can use the flashing lights in this setup also and get a dual feedback of electric feedback through my hand and flashing lights and colors through my eyes. It is tricky just like with the setup in the video to get the levels right for the most interesting visual effects. In this setup, the output on channel one quickly goes from nothing to 14 volts, so I just set that at the lowest amplification that gives me a signal at 14 volts, and then I use the right hand dial to adjust the flashing of the lights. It then still works to shift the hand electrode around in my hands using different fingers and one or both hands to get different visual effects, again just like the setup described in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4smCtZvKCFI&index=20&list=PLByQiGLCgLCWol8IyyiTut1GOha-wjA1_
However, there is a difference when the machine is hooked up with two foot electrodes and one hand electrode in that I also feel a lot of electrical feedback coming in through my hands. It is a nice combination with the flashing lights to have both kinds of feedback simultaneously.
Finally, it is also possible in this last setup I just described to use the external mixer to mix in a stereo signal from my mp3 player. Again, I hook up the mp3 player to one set of stereo inputs and the output of the “signal out” wire on the back of the LaesEr to another pair of stereo inputs on the mixer. Then I hookup the stereo output of the Behringer mixer to the “signal in” on the Health Integrator. This way I get a mix of music and eigen frequencies driving the lights. And I also get a mix of music and eigen frequencies in the electric feedback going into my hands through the hand electrode. It is especially interesting when the beat or peaks in the music drives the level of the electric feedback. As the music crescendos or as a loud beat plays, the lights either just get brighter and or flash more in time with the beat, and at the same time there is a surge of electric current with each loud passage or beat of the music. It is a unique combination of sensations to say the least!
I just tried another trick. You can add an inline volume control to the glasses and thereby control the brightness. It might not be worth it for a session on yourself as it creates another distraction from just enjoying the colors, but it can add another level of adjustment and variability when running a session for others.
However, it can also be nice to tone down the brightness on a late night session, even just for your own session. Lowering the brightness creates a softer, mellower color effect.
And based on my experience with the sound and light machines I used to own, some people are just more sensitive to light and would appreciate the ability to make the lights less bright.
Here is what I am using: http://amzn.to/1nLKGmd
It seems to work even though the plug is a TRS plug and the light goggles are using a TRRS plug. The goggles must be wired in normal stereo type configuration so that a regular stereo volume control works.
Warmly,
Nirmala
http://endless-satsang.com
I tried something different tonight. I had the system setup in the standard way like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQD4USymqYI&index=3&list=PLByQiGLCgLCVN2Zw1C9MCFxF4RWAU1NUn
Initially I was using it with the inversion mode on and using the light glasses, so I was using the two foot electrodes and the one textured hand electrode in channel two. I mentioned in my previous post about the mixer that I prefer using the hand and foot electrodes in inversion mode because otherwise I can get a bit of a shock feeling when the electrical feedback signal comes on suddenly.
And just out of curiosity, I tried switching to homeopathic mode and switched one of the foot electrodes from the “body signal” input to the middle “biofield” input. Otherwise everything was the same as in the video above including the reference cable still being hooked up between the LaesEr and the Health Integrator. I was not using music, so the mixer was not in use and the cable on the back of the Laeser was plugged directly into the HI in the usual way. And again, it was a hand electrode that was plugged into channel 2 of the HI. Here is a picture:
I was glad I was using the foot and hand electrodes only, as even in homeopathic mode the signal came on very strong and very fast. Even with the amplification in the lowest range, I reached 14 volts on Channel 1 before the left hand dial was turned to 1. I could then use the right hand dial to lower the tingling in my hands which were on Channel 2 to a more comfortable level.
It seemed to create a new effect that I liked a lot. I would describe it as creating a very solid feeling in my body. It seemed bit like the feeling with the “Biofield feedback setup” in the manual (with two hand electrodes, one in channel one and the other in reference on the Health Integrator, and no reference cable between the LaesEr and HI). But the feeling was much stronger and again more solid. Of course the sensation was much stronger also as I do not feel much tingling in the “Biofield biofeedback setup”, but in this setup the tingling, electrical sensation can be very strong in my hands. Again, I was glad I was using the hand electrodes as my hands can take a lot more electric sensation than say my forehead or belly. This was a lot of electrical feedback especially considering that inversion mode was turned to off. (I was not using the glasses for this session.)
But not only was the electrical sensation stronger, but somehow the feedback itself felt much stronger and gave me the sense of really being present in a grounded, physical way. Probably solid is the best word for it. If I might ask, what is the difference between the “Body Signal” input and the “biofield” input on the LaesEr? I was surprised at how much stronger the feedback was when using the biofield input. Normally with the body signal input, I need to set the amplification switch to 10 to get the lights to light up, but with the biofield input, the lights came on full even with the amplification switch at 1 and the dial barely turned.
I hope you find this helpful.
PS: Kiran replied and said, “The difference between Body-signal and Biofield is the different frequency filters that are used internally.” He also mentioned how to use the flashing lights you always need to use inversion mode. I was not using the lights in the setup described above and the LaesEr was in homeopathic mode with inversion turned off.
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So as mentioned in my previous email, I tried hooking up a microphone to the mixer, and the effect was very amazing. I had the LaesEr hooked up for the flashing light feedback in inversion mode (but note that I like to do this with two foot electrodes hooked up, as that way I get electrical feedback through the hand electrode even as I am seeing the flashing lights.) So now when I added my own voice in the same way you would add music to the mix, the lights would flash and change in response to my own vocalizations. I sang songs, chanted OM and other sanskrit chants and the lights were feeding back my own sounds.
In addition, with the two foot electrodes and one hand electrode hooked up, there was also a surge of electrical tingling in my hands whenever my voice surged. So not only was I getting feedback from my voice in the form of lights, but also I was getting electrical feedback of the frequencies in my own voice. Every time my voice got louder or the pitch changed, the flashing lights and the electrical sensations in my hands changed in sync with my voice. And of course I could hear my own voice also, which happens in any kind of singing or chanting.
The effect was very engrossing and I enjoyed it very much. I would say it enhanced the effect of chanting and increased the relaxation I felt from the chanting. It also worked in the homeopathic biofield feedback mode I described in an earlier email as the lights and the electrical feedback is the same as in the inversion mode when using the body signal input
One of my favorite quotes is when an old Zen master once said, “Everything is perfect, and there is always room for improvement.” I have always enjoyed the dance between perfection and this world of form with all of it’s endless variations and possible “improvements.” The key always for me is to hold things very lightly including all beliefs conclusions, ideas, attachments, etc.
I will ponder further your suggestion about not experimenting so much. It might actually be a good sign as I was kind of feeling dry and stuck, so it has been a pleasant change to have my creative juices flowing again. But I can also sense how I can get a bit manic with my love of tinkering and experimenting.
That all being said, I would still invite you try the idea of including your own voice in the feedback process. You might be able to just hook a microphone up to your computer and then feed your voice into the LaesEr using the line out on your computer, instead of needing a mixer, although I do not know for sure if that would work, and of course it would only be one channel of sound. But overall, including my voice adds another dimension to the experience and is a very direct form of feedback as the lights and colors change in perfect rhythm to my own chanting, and also the electric feedback in my hands surges with each OM. It really is a nice way to connect with my Self.
Warmly,
Nirmala
http://endless-satsang.com
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Just wanted to let you know that I am keeping busy with learning the CoRe software and using it on myself and others, and still doing 2 -3 sessions a day on the LaesEr.
I do have a few more things to share:
1- A practical discovery: the elastic bands that came with my LaesEr for attaching the magnetic applicator to the body also works very well in “attaching” the stainless steel footplate to my feet. That way I can recline with my feet up (I have a zero gravity chair) and my feet are still on the “floor” of the stainless steel plates. This would also be useful for someone lying on a bed with their feet up on the bed.
2-I did end up getting the Portacle software from Don Estes. It is a wonderful tool for feeding back your own breath and voice and fits right in with the approach of the LaesEr. I enjoy doing each one by themselves and also find the Portacle and LaesEr work very well in combination. Sometimes I use them at the same time but do not have the output of the Portacle hooked up to the LaesEr (so I am getting feedback from both systems, but the signals are not combined in any way), and then sometimes I also feed the output of the Portacle into the LaesEr to combine some of the feedback signal. I have just been feeding the output of the Portacle into the source in on the back of the LaesEr instead of using the mixer. It is simpler and everything gets pretty complicated otherwise.
I do find the mixer adds a bit of amplification to the signal and also makes the right hand knob on the LaesEr kind of superfluous as the signals are mixed in the mixer anyways. This all seems to add complexity in getting the “levels” right on the output of the mixer and the LaesEr, so again I am now tending to just use the source in input on the LaesEr without including the mixer.
I may try combining the right and left channels of the headphone out on the Portacle into a mono signal before feeding them into the LaesEr. That way I would not lose any of the frequency info in the second channel when the LaesEr only uses the left channel of the source in input. This could be done simply by using a stereo to mono adapter somewhere in the line going from the Portacle (or a music source) to the LaesEr.
4- I am hoping to get some sound transducers for my zero gravity chair once I sell some headphone equipment I do not really need anymore. That will bring another whole channel of feedback in the form of kinesthetic vibrations to the body. Here are the transducers I am thinking of buying: http://www.sosoundsolutions.
I would love to someday buy one of the Maestro sound chairs from Sosound as they are designed from the ground up like a hollow musical instrument that you lie down on (http://www.sosoundsolutions.
5- I am still sleeping very well and feel more inspired and energized in general.
I will write again sometime with all of my current ideas for a retreat I could offer based on the whole general idea of eigen feedback and DLE, but I still feel I need to walk a bit more before I can run with that idea.
Warmly,
Nirmala
http://endless-satsang.com
Dear Nirmala
I really appreciate all your feedback – I need people like you so much
We all only grow to the extend that we learn to share.
Yes I think the work of Don Estes is totally resonant with my approach, I will also get his software and do more research
also like you I am using the LaesEr in combination with tactile feedback and I found
maybe you can try this very simple and cheap solution https://damsonaudio.com/products/Details.aspx?p=14
keep up your good work
Kiran
1 Comment
Here is a link to the mixer I am using on Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1hXiZHv
And here is a cable to hook up an mp3 player to the mixer, and you will need a second identical cable to hook up the output of the mixer to the input of the Health Integrator:
http://amzn.to/1q0DAeu
Or here is a longer 10 foot version:
http://amzn.to/1lCPlXR
Here is the cable you need to hook up the “signal out” from the Laeser to the mixer:
http://amzn.to/1sg6Rpw
You might need an extension also for this cable as it is very short:
http://amzn.to/SLn2e1