 I recently discovered an app that said it could create psychedelic like experiences without any drugs or substances. My curiosity was piqued, as I have been exploring microdosing psilocybin, which is the active ingredient in mushrooms, for the last few months. I had heard mushrooms could help with treatment resistant depression, and I have been afflicted with anxiety and depression ever since I was a kid. The mushrooms provided mostly good results, and I do believe in their benefits. Despite my success with them, I was often nervous if I took too much I'd feel like I'd lost control. Thus, I was willing to give this app a try, which claimed I could turn the "experience" off at any time. According to this new app, all I needed was a dark room and the flashlight on my phone. I was intrigued but also skeptical. What was this bizarre technology and how on earth would my phone flashlight induce a deeply introspective, meditative state? I needed to know more and so I downloaded the Lumenate app. I'd heard about it from Rosamund Pike, and this is what she said about it in an Instagram post: Are you interested in exploring your subconscious? I am creative director of a new psychedelic-inspired meditation app: Lumenate. Based on 2 years of research into the effects of stroboscopic light on brain function, the mobile app uses stroboscopic light sequences from your phone’s flashlight to neurologically guide you into an altered state of consciousness... all you need is ten minutes to yourself in a darkened room and the camera light on your phone... I promise. It’s that wild, and that easy. Before I tell you about my experience with it, a word of caution. This app works by pulsing the flashlight on your phone at your closed eyes. If you suffer from seizures or are sensitive to strobing lights, do not use this app. It's also important not to use it if you've been drinking, as that will have adverse effects. I would also advise you to take caution if you are prone to migraines. I am not a doctor and cannot advise you on whether or not it's safe to use this app. Yes, I know it seems weird to have a medical caution for an app. Is it really that intense? I would say that yes, it is, and from my initial experience it's highly effective. After one night of use, I believe in this technology and am excited to explore it more. Here's how my initial experience went: The day I downloaded the app I was feeling tired. I'd been feeling tired for over a week. It's the way I get when I'm depressed, but I didn't feel depressed. I couldn't say exactly what was wrong, only that I wasn't interested in anything, and I was struggling to get through each day. It was perhaps the beginning of a depressive episode, but I hadn't yet gotten past the initial stage where I just feel like I'm in a funk. As had become my recent habit, I was sitting around watching reruns of a show I found comforting. Unmotivated to do anything else, I thought, why not try the app? I have nothing to lose. I went into my room and turned off all the lights. I closed the door, sat down, and opened up the app. I went to the introductory experience and hit play. I put on noise cancelling headphones and listened as I was instructed on what to do.  To use the app, you hold it close to your face with your eyes closed. You want the flashlight to strobe between your eyes. I felt awkward at first and wasn't sure where the phone should be situated. I kept wondering if the flashlight was between by eyes, and so I kept moving the phone up and down, forward and back. Despite my awkwardness with the process, by the time the 5 minutes was up something was definitely happening. Bright colors were beginning to explode in my mind. From the upper left corner of my inner vision, it kept seeming like something big and bright and beautiful was trying to come in. I felt a bit emotional and like I was on the verge of a breakthrough. I was amazed and shocked I'd experienced so much. Needless to say, I needed to know more. So I went to the first full experience, which is about completing a goal. I hit play, fumbled with getting the flashlight into the right place, and fell down the rabbit hole. As I sat listening to the calming music and feeling the light pulse on my face, the colors really did begin to swirl and grow. It truly did have the effect of a psychedelic experience, which was so wild! But the thing that blew me away was the clear visions I began to have. I began to see something that gave me a crystal clear answer as to why I'd been feeling tired and semi-depressed. Before I knew it, tears were falling down my face. I felt an immense sense of relief, as if I'd just taken off a constricting belt and I could breathe again. I was so fascinated and I had to know more. So I tried one more session, this one for relaxing. Once again, the strobing light soon turned into a kaleidoscope of colors, followed by a clear vision. And once again, I cried tears of relief. I was so floored by what had happened I hit subscribe after my session ended. To be clear, I have no affiliation with Lumenate or its creators. I write this as someone who had a deeply profound healing experience, and who wants to share this healing with others. This was only my first experience with Lumenate, and I'm curious and excited to see where it takes me next. I have shared this app with friends, and I cannot wait to hear what kinds of experiences they have with it as well. If you are interested in alternative forms of healing, meditation, exploring your subconscious, relief from treatment resistant depression, or just like to be on the forefront of new technology, I suggest giving this app a try! Update!After nearly 10 months of using this app, I'm still a fan, and am still using it! If you're in need of some deep healing yourself, I invite you to join my monthly healing membership, The Healing Sanctuary. For $5 / month, you'll have access to over 100 powerful guided meditations and visualizations. You'll also receive each new exclusive weekly audio! These powerful audios will do everything from Chakra balancing to connecting you to your Higher Self to healing fear and anxiety. You won't find a healing resource like this anywhere else, and I can't wait to connect with you inside this sacred space! The Healing Sanctuary
|
