3 - 10 Minutes

It can be done:

• While in bed
• Before going to bed
• After waking in the middle of the night
  
  

1. Don the SerenSpecs and switch them on.

2. Turn the brightness to minimum (fully turn the knob until the brightness is lowest).

3. Observe your breath and body. Let thoughts slip by like clouds.
4. Once relaxed and drifting off, remove the SerenSpecs. Sweet dreams!

• The device goes into deep sleep after 15 minutes to preserve battery life.
• It’s rugged enough to survive a fall — in case it slips off your bed while you snooze.
• Effective for early-morning wakings with lingering thoughts that won't leave us alone!

By gently hyper-connecting the brain’s thalamus, SerenSpecs give your mind a break from the rumination that tends to creep in during quiet night and early morning hours. Sometimes all we need is a few seconds of relief to kick-start the relaxation process.

In spite of the fact that we are stimulating our eyes with red light, the reduction in rumination and the lowering of the stress this causes appears to outweigh any potential sleep disruption, especially as the light is filtered to a very dim red at low intensity.

For early-morning use, SerenSpecs excel as the market leader: we know no other device that allows you to grab, initiate, and control it with your eyes closed — crucial for minimizing stimulation during those delicate hours.

1- 10 Minutes

Keep the SerenSpecs nearby in your working environment.

Whenever you find your mind wandering, your energy dipping, or procrastination creeping in:

1. Make a quick mental (or physical) note of the next task.

2. Don the SerenSpecs and switch them on.

3. If tackling procrastination, activate Bilateral mode (4 clicks); 
otherwise, continue in Manual Mode (default).

4. Adjust brightness (starting page) and then frequency (1 click).

Look for a highly stimulating setting — it should feel like “a lot” relative to your environment.

5. Fiddle with the knob until focus rises.

6. As soon as you feel an impulse of motivation to do the task, get to it immediately!

• Procrastination is an "outdated" stress response triggered by anticipation of emotionally challenging tasks.
• Mental fatigue may result from glutamate buildup in the brain (not muscle fatigue).
• There’s no fixed duration; use the device until motivation naturally peaks, then act. The program will last for maximum 10 minutes.
• The first step is always hardest — start small and move quickly.
• If the protocol isn’t effective, a nap or ending the workday may be what you actually need. This isn’t a substitute for stimulants like caffeine or ADHD medication but provides more subtle and safe enhancement. 

Procrastination is a stress response. By disrupting the stress response, we hypothesize that the SerenSpecs can interrupt this pattern. Adding the Bilateral Stimulation mode may help reduce amygdala influence, helping you hold the task in mind with less stress. This can naturally increase intrinsic motivation as you anticipate the dopamine reward of completion.

Increased mental focus may also come from improved blood flow. 40 Hz stimulation has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain significantly, and this can clear out glutamate buildup and sharpen mental acuity. Even brief breaks from prolonged focus, enhanced by light stimulation, can be surprisingly effective.

In personal experiments, the SerenSpecs have outperformed simply closing my eyes, taking a breather, or meditating, suggesting a significant mechanistic benefit beyond relaxation alone.

10 Minutes

1. Sit at a computer and open a writing document, or grab a blank page and a pen.

2. Write a title summarizing the emotions you wish to process.

3. Align yourself with the page or keyboard — you will be blindfolded, so initial positioning helps.

4. Take a moment for a pre-self-check: how are you feeling? Observe any physical sensations.

5. Don the SerenSpecs. Activate Story Mode (3 clicks) and adjust brightness to your preference.

6. Activate Bi-Lateral Stimulation (BLS) mode (4 clicks).

7. Begin a stream-of-consciousness writing session. Don’t stop. Don’t edit. Continue for the full 10 minutes. If your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back to the feeling or topic at hand.

8. When the lights stop, take a moment to breathe and relax.

9. Conduct a post-self-check: how do you feel now? Observe any physical sensations if needed.

Reviewing your document is optional — the practice can be effective without it.

• Based on the Pembroke protocol, which has hundreds of studies supporting its effectiveness.
• There’s no strict right or wrong way; most deliberate self-reflection practices offer some benefit.
• Please be careful when exploring trauma using this technique. Refer to your healthcare practitioner before adding or changing any protocols to your treatment plan.
• Distinguish between a “traumatic event” (an experience) and “trauma” (the response to that experience). Seek professional advice if unsure.

Research on the Pembroke protocol shows stream-of-consciousness writing is highly effective for processing challenging emotions. The researchers actually recommend tackling the hardest and most challenging memories, which is something I also practice, but recommend conferring with a healthcare professional beforehand if you have any reservations or concerns.

The effectiveness of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is thought to arise from bi-lateral brain stimulation. Alternating stimulation of each hemisphere appears to reduce amygdala activity, a key region involved in generating fear.

Combining these two protocols allows us to “rewrite” memories — or more specifically, how we feel about the memory or topic. Each time a memory is recalled, we remember the last time we remembered it. By engaging with these protocols deliberately and safely, we can alter the context of the topic or memory and our emotional relationship with it. This can help us to "release" unpleasant anchors to that state.

Over time, this decreases the intensity of emotional responses to triggering environments. As our reactions improve, a positive feedback loop forms, supporting a more balanced and resilient state of being.

1 - 10 Minutes

1. Focus your mind on the problem or activity.

     a) Either it is already active in your thoughts, or

     b) Spend 10–20 minutes engaging with it, through deep thought or active work.

2. Activate the SerenSpecs in Story Mode (3 clicks).

3. (Optional) Play lyric-free music that inspires the desired outcome, whether calming or invigorating.

4. Put on the SerenSpecs, straighten your back, and take a few deep breaths.

5. Alternate your focus between the light patterns and the sensations in your brain and body.
6. Let your thoughts pass freely, bringing your attention back to the lights or body whenever you drift.

7. Remove the SerenSpecs when the thought or insight arises that you were hoping for.

Repeat as needed.

• I use this protocol as needed. Sometimes once, sometimes multiple iterations. On occasion I’ll find myself jumping in and out of the SerenSpecs experience, taking notes in-between, with each iteration going a little deeper into the topic at hand.

The best ideas often come in the shower, while running, or during unrelated activities. The key is to prime your mind with the problem, then let it operate just below conscious attention, engaging a broader network of brain regions.

Flicker Light Stimulation induces transial hyperthalamo-connectivity, which could in theory be inducing a deep, inter-brain region connection not easily found in default waking state. This at least seems to be mimicking the "eureka" insight moment often found in the shower., but without leaving your workspace  A balanced approach is best: sometimes go for a run, others take a shower or enjoy a tea break outdoors.

There are many roads to Rome, and this protocol is another path to insight. For me, this is a  high-speed autobahn compared to the usual cobbled tracks.