Senses trigged by the “Induced Relaxation” Process

Sense of Touch

Touch is a combination of senses relating to the body, including kinesthetic senses which give us the sense of the orientation of one's limbs in space (proprioception).  The Cirrus System affects the proprioception sense with motion and vibroacoustics.  Proprioception doesn't come from any specific organ, but from the nervous system as a whole. Its input comes from sensory receptors distinct from tactile receptors -- nerves from inside the body rather than on the surface. Proprioceptive ability can be trained, as can any motor activity.  Proprioception is often overlooked as one of the senses because it is so automatic that our conscious mind barely notices it. It is one of the oldest senses, probably even more evolutionarily ancient than smell.

Sense of Sight

Rods and cones perform a function called phototransduction, which simply means converting incoming light into electrical signals to be sent to the brain, making sight possible.  Once light is converted into electrical impulses and sent down the optic fiber, it goes all the way to the back of the brain, where the visual cortex is located.  The use of color and light therapy has roots dating back to the ancient art of using color and light to treat disease.  The human body absorbs light that is made up of the color spectrum. Each color in the spectrum has a frequency, wavelength and energy associated with it. The colors we absorb can have an effect on the nervous system, the endocrine system and subsequently on the release of hormones and other organic substances within the human body. They can also have an effect on the more subtle energies of the chakra system. This may affect our mental, emotional, psychological and physical states of health.

Sense of Hearing

When an object makes a noise, it sends vibrations through the air.  These vibrations are funneled into your ear canal by your outer ear. As the vibrations move into your middle ear, they hit your eardrum and cause it to vibrate as well. This sets off a chain reaction of vibrations. Your eardrum vibrates the three smallest bones in your body: first, the hammer, then the anvil, and finally, the stirrup. The stirrup passes the vibrations into a coiled tube in the inner ear called the cochlea.  The fluid-filled cochlea contains thousands of hair-like nerve endings called cilia. When the stirrup causes the fluid in the cochlea to vibrate, the cilia move. The cilia change the vibrations into messages that are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve carries messages from 25,000 receptors in your ear to your brain. Your brain then makes sense of the messages and tells you what sounds you are hearing.  The auditory system is the first to be functional in the human fetus. It also appears to be the only bodily sensory system that is active twenty-four hours a day, whether you are awake or asleep. The effects of sounds (noises) can occur below the level of consciousness and below the level of hearing.  The impact of the same sound (noises) over time will cause the formation of an energy pattern in the body which can adversely impact physical and emotional health.  To counteract this, Sound Researchers have shown that certain kinds of music and sounds can help individuals balance the cumulative effects of "noise" to help bring about energetic harmony.  It has been shown that specific kinds of music and sounds can either strengthen or weaken muscles of the body. Sounds can help the complex human system achieve a better level of health, as measured by kinesiology, biofeedback, electro-acupuncture.

Sense of Smell

The sense of smell is part of our chemical sensing system. Sensory cells in our nose, mouth, and throat have a role in helping us interpret smells, as well as taste flavors. Microscopic molecules released by the substances around us (foods, flowers, etc.) stimulate these sensory cells. Once the cells detect the molecules they send messages to our brains, where we identify.  About 15 per cent of the air we inhale goes to the roof of the nose, where olfactory receptors transport odours straight to a part of the brain called the limbic system. This area is the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.  We have the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells.  Studies with brain wave frequency have shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation.  Other scientific studies have shown that essential oils contain chemical components that exert specific effects on the mind and body.

Sense of Touch

Contoured like a NASA seat to put the body in balanced position, the Cirrus Lounge simulates a zero gravity feeling with gentle Wave-like motion. The Cirrus Lounge provides natural stimulation to receptors and consequently provides an efficient form of neurological “exercise” for the nervous system.  (Receptor defined:  From the time of conception, the developmental process takes place in a fluid medium where movement occurs in a gentle flowing manner.  During this process, special receptors are developed that are specifically designed to sense changes in motion.  These receptors are located throughout the body and they continuously send (and receive) signals to the brain that provide necessary information that enables us to function properly)  This motion helps us accelerate change and allows us to reach an optimal state in which we can learn or re-learn, heal or recover from the stressful environment that exists around us.  

VRS uses this “wave like rocking motion” of the Cirrus Lounge as the 1st element of the automated “Induced Relaxation Program”.

Just as our brains have memory, so does the rest of our body. Our bodies are like large sponges, they hold emotional events in “cellular” memory. Vibroacoustic sound is not heard through the ears, it resonates through our bodies directly through nerves, skin and bones.  The Cirrus Relaxation System uses vibration, through lower frequency transducers, to rid the body of this “cellular” memory, allowing the muscles and tissues to relax to a peaceful state.

Sense of Sight

We all have found ourselves daydreaming, maybe visions of lying on a warm beach with palm trees blowing in the breeze. These visions are our escapes from the reality of the stress and the overwhelming times in our everyday lives. For some it is water or the oceans waves, for other things like open fields of green grass or maybe the bright blue sky’s above a beautiful set on mountains. Being able to escape using these videos enhances the mindset, relaxing not only the mind but the body. Visual therapy is based on the fact that physiologic functions respond to specific colors. Attached to the brain are pineal glands. When light enters through the eyes (or the skin) it travels neurological pathways to these pineal glands. Different colors give off different wavelength frequencies and these different frequencies have different effects on physical and psychological functions. There are colors which have a stimulating, energizing and vibrant effect like red, orange and yellow and colors which have a soothing, calming and relaxing effect like green, blue and indigo. This is the 3rd element of the “Induced Relaxation Program”, allowing you to visually absorb calming and mesmerizing video footage of peaceful settings, assisting in bringing the mind to a more peaceful and relaxing place.

Sense of Hearing

Music has been around for as long as man has been. Cave man used the beating of drums, mothers sing to their young, In today’s world be have all types of music from soft and calming to loud and what some would call harsh and irritating. What has been studied and learned over many centuries is music has an affect on each of us in many different ways; it can excite us, but also calm us. Music has also been shown to lower amounts of the hormone cortisol, which becomes elevated under stress, and to increase the release of endorphins, the body’s natural "feel-good" hormones. It has been proven that music, especially pieces with a strong rhythmical element, can affect heart rate and breathing, and promote the release of endorphins, or natural painkillers. It has also been shown to reduce muscle tension and can be very helpful in promoting relaxation. Music is used to help treat depression and anxiety, and is often used to help elderly clients deal with memory loss associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. Moreover, scientific studies show that music can affect physiological functions, such as respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure. Music touches all aspects of the mind, body, brain and behavior. Music can provide a distraction for the mind, it can slow the rhythms of the body, and it can alter our mood. Composed exclusively for the Cirrus System, prearranged harmonic and musical sessions are the 4th element of the automated “Induced Relaxation Program”.

Sense of Smell

Aromatherapy is the use of volatile liquid plant materials used to affect someone’s mood or health. The minute molecules of essential oils are readily absorbed into the bloodstream when they are inhaled and the lungs work to oxygenate the blood, where they not only help to kill bacteria and viruses but also stimulate the body's immune system. Some essential oils increase the circulation and help with the efficient elimination of toxins, while others promote new cell growth and encourage the body's natural ability to heal itself. It has been discovered that various relaxing oils work by stimulating a neuro-chemical called “serotonin” that is naturally produced by the body to help relaxation and induce sleep. It is this action that makes these oils so invaluable in helping long-term conditions such as insomnia, stress and tension. Since it has now been proven by scientists that essential oils can influence both the mind and the body - we will be putting into practice what Plato had discovered over 2,000 years ago. Bringing scent to the Cirrus System thru a programmed automated scent machine is the 5th and final element of the “Induced Relaxation Program”.