Find answers to common questions about bilateral stimulation, how Bilateral Focus works, and how to get the most from your sessions. If you don't see your question answered here, feel free to contact us.
Try it now: Experience bilateral stimulation with our free online Bilateral Focus tool.
Bilateral stimulation is a technique that involves alternating stimulation of the left and right sides of the brain through visual, auditory, or tactile cues. This alternating pattern creates a rhythmic back-and-forth activation across both hemispheres of the brain.
In Bilateral Focus, this is achieved through both:
Bilateral Focus works by providing alternating visual stimuli (moving balls) and auditory stimuli (alternating tones) that stimulate both hemispheres of your brain in a rhythmic pattern. When you watch the moving balls and listen to the alternating sounds with headphones, your attention shifts back and forth between left and right.
This bilateral stimulation may help:
The app allows you to customize the speed, tone frequency, and transition style to suit your preferences and goals.
No. While Bilateral Focus uses bilateral stimulation, which is a component of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy, it is not a therapy tool and should not be used as a replacement for professional mental health treatment.
EMDR is a comprehensive psychotherapy approach that includes bilateral stimulation as just one of its eight phases. EMDR therapy should only be conducted by trained mental health professionals.
Bilateral Focus simply provides the bilateral stimulation element as a tool for focus, relaxation, and personal exploration.
For the full experience, headphones are recommended. The auditory component of bilateral stimulation works best when the alternating tones can be clearly distinguished between the left and right ears.
However, you can still benefit from the visual stimulation component (the moving balls) without headphones. Many users find that visual stimulation alone is effective for focus and relaxation.
Session length can vary based on your goals:
It's best to start with shorter sessions (5 minutes) and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable with the experience. Pay attention to how you feel and adjust accordingly.
There's no strict rule about frequency, but many users report benefits from:
As with any practice, consistency often yields better results than sporadic use. Experiment to find what works best for your needs and schedule.
Mobile browsers have stricter policies about audio playback. To ensure audio works correctly:
If you still experience issues, try using a different browser or accessing Bilateral Focus on a desktop/laptop computer.
Bilateral Focus is designed to work on most modern devices, including:
The app uses standard web technologies and should function in all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). For the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of your preferred browser.
You need an internet connection to initially load the Bilateral Focus web app. However, once loaded, the app runs entirely in your browser and doesn't require a continuous internet connection to function.
This means you can load the app when you have internet access and then use it in places without connectivity (like on an airplane or in remote locations).
Many users report a variety of benefits from regular bilateral stimulation, including:
Individual experiences vary, and benefits may develop gradually with regular practice.
The timeline for experiencing benefits varies considerably from person to person:
Many users find that bilateral stimulation acts as a "state changer" - helping to shift from one mental state to another (e.g., from anxious to calm, or from scattered to focused).
Ready to experience bilateral stimulation? Try Bilateral Focus Now