SpaTrends
62 AsiaSpa November/December 2017
Writer Rana GoodLight and sound have been used
to treat various symptoms and illnesses since
the beginnings of modern medicine. In the
last 30 years, this dual process has been
fine-tuned and become known as audio-
visual entrainment, using flashing lights
and rhythmic tones to entrain brain waves
toward a desired rhythm or frequency to
change and improve brain function. Audio-
visual entrainment can be used to treat
low moods, depression, seasonal affective
disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder
and head traumas, such as concussion. It
can offer a breakthrough when traditional
methods have been exhausted, and provides
an alternative to medication. This method
is becoming more popular in medical
practices and wellness centres worldwide.
David Siever is the authority on audio-
visual entrainment and founder of this
treatment, who has published research in
the field over the last 30 years. He and
other experts administer the audio-visual
entrainment method to create constant,
repetitive stimuli of sufficient strength to
‘excite’ the thalamus. The thalamus is the
sensory gateway to the brain, as all sensescan improve balance and decrease the risk
of falling.
The treatment is also used in military
facilities and police stations to reduce stress,
particularly helpful with PTSD, capable of
completely turning patients’ lives around.
Siever says, “I had a call recently with a
police officer who had severe PTSD and
was on the verge of divorce. His police
department spent US$70,000 for therapy,
but to no avail. We used a Delight [device]
on him and it changed his life. His wife
called me and said ‘thank you for giving me
my husband back.’”
Unlike other forms of therapy, a highlight
of audio-visual entrainment is that youexcept smell pass through it. According
to Siever this “ups the neurotransmitters
that are typically deficient, and excites
the neurons which has a calming effect on
the whole brain.” In 1985, he developed
the D.A.V.I.D. 1 which helped performing
arts students overcome stage fright at the
University of Alberta.
Since then, Siever has spent decades
developing audio-visual entrainment to treat
disorders and illnesses in patients of all ages.
In high school and college students, audio-
visual entrainment can help lessen anxiety
and increase the ability to focus, proven
effective with those suffering from ADD and
ADHD. In seniors, audio-visual entrainmentAudiovisual Well-Being
How light and sound can positively influence your brain and health