|
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AV3X: Entertaining and Relaxing!, August 30, 2002
I find myself choosing the AV3X when wanting to do an alpha or alpha/theta session rather than using my personal avs unit. Its easier and takes less time. I've used the AV3X in three different manners: 1) Using a portable DVD player with tv glasses and headphones (which is also the method I use when utilizing the Brainmaster eeg/neurofeedback unit for simultaneously recording the participant's real-time brainwave frequency entrainment response to the AV3X); 2) Combining a DVD player with tv glasses and headphones to my IMS bed (for light, sound and tactile stimulation, 360 degree orbital motion, an incredible visual presentation and all synchronized with music); and 3) Kicking back in my favorite chair, choosing session three on the AV3X, and enjoying the presentation via a 600 watt Sony A/V home entertainment system. Its a downright decent way to relax.How do you use the AV3X ? You don't have to "stare" at the screen nor look at its center. Rather, I recommend you follow different parts of the screen, letting your eyes guide you. The darker the surroundings the better, but it is not a necessity. I see the AV3X as both a toy and a tool. A toy because it is entertaining and a tool because it gently guides my brain to a more relaxed state. Its a nice combination, and with a price tag in the [money] range, an excellent addition to anyone's DVD library. Just as avs / light and sound stimulation affects each individual differently, so too does the AV3X. The presentations on this DVD are designed to help you relax, to release the day's stressors, in an entertaining fashion. But there are degrees or levels of stress that most of us seem to possess, colors that affect us positively and colors that don't, and a daily schedule that inhibits `free-time', when considering which session/presentation to watch. Each AV3X track is of a different length, blending different colors, different visuals, into a presentation suitable for a mid-day relax break, study break or "just got home and the rest of the day is mine" segue into your personal time. The AV3X is also perfect for use in seminars to teach about brainwaves et al, and great to use in the beginning of meditation/yoga classes to deepen the experience. As you are watching the visuals and listening as the sounds happen in total synchrony with what you are seeing, let your thoughts drift and your eyes follow whatever visual movement they should fall upon. Experience each session, make note of how each affects you, and pick your favorites for specific tasks. These tasks can range from the aforementioned relax breaks or incorporating into breaks between study sessions, to enhancing visualization and imaging skills for improved performance in upcoming events, whether it be a test, job interview or athletic endeavor. Teachers can use the AV3X before presenting material their students need to memorize, or as a tool for reducing pre-test anxieties, or for helping their students relax and focus after recess or lunch. Therapists can use this DVD in their reception area, for relaxing their clients and helping them focus on why they are there before they meet with the therapist, and for helping clients calm down after driving across town to get to their scheduled appointment. The terminally ill can use the AV3X to relax and cope, as can overworked police officers and postal employees; just about anyone who is affected by stress at work or at school can use the AV3X and feel positive and refreshed. The Research How do I know these presentations are effective for learning relaxation? That they do indeed increase the alpha and/or theta brainwave production of a participant? The answer is simple: I measure the real-time response of a participant's brainwave production before, during and after an AV3X session using eeg/neurofeedback. My goal is to get an eeg sampling from 250 participants for each AV3X session and I am admittedly far from it. But what I have observed when reviewing eeg responses so far has been an immediate increase in the desired brainwave state when placing the "active" eeg electrode at "CZ" or basically dead-center on the top of the skull. Under the supervision of Dr. L. Jerry Cunningham, I performed hundreds of hours of eeg/neurofeedback training and am confident that the "CZ" location is an excellent site for measuring the production of alpha and theta brainwaves. From the time a presentation begins until alpha entrainment occurs and a frequency following effect is observable has been within 2-3 minutes. Theta increases appear to happen within 5-6 minutes. It is too early, the AV3X is too new, for me to say this DVD can and will relax you or can and will help you cope with stressors. But I can say it has helped me cope with daily stress, and that I enjoy watching the different presentations versus doing an avs session. The AV3X is an entertaining and cost-effective alternative to avs instruments. Could this DVD possibly be a turning point in how avs is delivered?
|