Neural dynamics of stroboscopic stimulation at different stimulation frequencies

Abstract

Stroboscopic stimulation has been previously shown to induce visual hallucinations and altered states of consciousness, state by entraining the brain to the driving frequency, similar to those reported during the psychedelics although little systematic research exists on the effect of specific stimulation frequency on experience. The present study investigated the effects of different stroboscopic stimulation frequencies on neural dynamics, such as signal diversity (Lempel-Ziv complexity) and spectral power and attempted to relate these changes to self-reported changes in experiential content. The results indicated that the stimulation frequencies near the alpha band (8 to 12 Hz) caused the greatest increase across all neural measures, with 8 Hz consistently displaying the most pronounced results, relative to baseline. All tested frequencies led to an increase in all experiential dimensions, relative to baseline.

Lightening the Mind with Audiovisual Stimulation as an Accessible Alternative to Breath-Focused Meditation for Mood and Cognitive Enhancement

“…In recent years, there has been increasing interest in using AVS specifically to passively induce desired mood states. AVS is also integral to a new wave of so-called "technodelics" 5,6 or "cyberdelics" 7 designed to enhance one's mind and wellbeing, often by inducing a psychedelic-adjacent experience in a nonpharmacological fashion by producing visual perceptions of complex geometric patterns (i.e., form constants; Figure 1B) akin to the hallucinogenic effects of LSD or psilocybin [8][9][10][11][12] . Empirical research into the neural mechanisms of AVS has demonstrated neuromodulatory effects such as alteration of EEG frequencies or complexity 9,10,13 , neural entrainment [14][15][16] , or neuroplastic changes 17,18 .…”

Lightening the Mind: Comparing Audiovisual Stimulation and Meditation for Mood and Cognition Enhancement

“…AVS is also integral to a new wave of so-called "technodelics" 5,6 or "cyberdelics" 7 designed to enhance one's mind and wellbeing, often by inducing a psychedelicadjacent experience in a nonpharmacological fashion by producing visual perceptions of complex geometric patterns (i.e., form constants; Fig. 1B) akin to the hallucinogenic effects of LSD or psilocybin [8][9][10][11][12] .…”