Safety of AVS

AVS is safe with very few provisos. Countless individuals have made use of the technology without a moment’s concern. The wonderful thing is that AVS uses the “standard human inputs” (ears and eyes) that have evolved over millennia to safely channel audio and visual information to the brain. There is little about AVS to distinguish it from the multitude of other sounds and lights that we routinely encounter in the ordinary world.

Most products include some form of medical waiver. Let’s look at the concerns raised and see what they mean to the average person.

Seizure risk is the big one. A small proportion of the population are predisposed to photically induced seizures. This may be due to epilepsy or brain injury. If there is no history of head injury or epilepsy there should be no problems whatseover. Most epileptics are unlikely to have problems, as photic triggering of seizure is the exception rather than the rule; in fact AVS and neurofeedback have shown promise in teaching epileptics how to control the brain activity that leads to seizures. For those who are predisposed to seizures, good results can still be obtained using audio only – the risk is only associated with the flashing lights.

Pregnancy is often listed as a contraindication. This relates to primarily seizure risk. The susceptibility to and consequences of seizure in pregnant women are greater than for the general population. Information on these risks is inextricably tied to epilepsy and its medications, so the best advice for anyone considering the use of AVS is to discuss it first with a medical practitioner.

Head or brain injury also places an individual at higher risk of seizure, so again, professional advice should be sought.

There is commonly a warning against the use of AVS if suffering from mental illness. This is a bit of a contradiction, in that much of the research has applied to just this area. There would appear to be two eventualites that may arise. One is the case of psychotic disorders which can be triggered by any number of stimuli. Dissociation (sense of detachment from the everyday world) is a commonly reported effect of AVS and this may be alarming to those for whom dissociation is a major symptom of their disorder (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, dissociative identity disorder, etc.) The other is that low alpha and theta sessions have been known to bring repressed or distant memories to the surface, which in the case of traumatic events can be quite alarming. It is, however, this very fact that makes AVS such a powerful tool in dealing with mood and anxiety disorders, but vulnerable individuals should ensure that they have suitable psychological or psychiatric support available.

Use of AVS in conjunction with mind-altering substances, including alcohol and prescription medications (antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics and tranquilisers) can have unpredictable results. There don’t seem to be any specific contraindications, however I would venture that the risk of psychosis is somewhat increased by lowered psychological inhibition in the highly relaxed and suggestible states. Another remote possibility relates to increased seratonin release associated with alpha sessions. Many of these substances act on the seratonergic system and although I have found no reports of it occurring in conjunction with AVS, the serious condition of excess seratonin, Seratonin Syndrome, would be a worst case scenario.

AVS can help to reduce high blood pressure, however those using medication for hypertension, or who have unusually low blood pressure need to take special care.

A common question is whether the bright lights can harm the eyes. Most AVS devices are used with eyes closed and the eyelids provide a very effective filter. Even with eyes open, the light levels are well below those required to cause lasting damage – the worst most people could expect is a black patch in their vision for a little while. Blue light has been implicated in some forms of retinal disease, specifically macular degeneration. The blue content of AVS lighting is no greater than is commonly found elsewhere, such as fluorescent lighting or television, so those with retinal disorders need only take their usual precautions. Blue light is also significant in the seratonin/melatonin conversion within the circadian cycle, and excessive exposure can lead to sleep problems. There’s a wide range of glasses available featuring a variety of colours and LED configurations so it is easy to avoid any colours that may be problematic. The few glasses designed to be used with eyes open all have the LEDs positioned outside the main field of vision or use a diffuser so there is no more risk, possibly even less, than with closed-eye glasses.

The final consideration comes from structural changes to the brain through the  increased bloodflow and synchronised activity that AVS can produce. In adults this is completely beneficial. The effects on children, whose brain is not yet fully developed, are not yet adequately known. AVS is acquiring a good track record in dealing with ADD/ADHD, so it is in common use with children, however it would be wise not to use it with young children without prior discussion with a professional familiar with juvenile neurology.

The one warning that is not to be ignored is… DO NOT USE AVS WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERY. This seems so obvious that it barely seems worth mentioning, but you’d be amazed at how often I’ve been asked if sessions can be used in the car on the way to work. All sessions, including generally energising beta, can induce extreme relaxation and dissociation. These are the same effects that drivers often encounter on long trips – driving on “autopilot” and suddenly becoming alert to wonder what happened to the last 15 kilometres. This is a very real risk and the consequences could be lethal!

All this said, I am not aware of a single reported case of anything seriously untoward happening as a direct result of AVS use. The bulk of this information is provided to protect vendors from liability and does not reflect results in the field. Many users have reported sore/dry eyes, headaches, anxiety, disrupted sleep or other minor discomforts, however these effects are short term and pass quickly of their own accord. More often than not, adverse effects are the result of a combination of factors and cannot be directly attributed to the AVS session.