The John Lennon Estate and mindfulness app Lumenate are bringing a fresh perspective to John Lennon’s classic song Mind Games with the release of nine meditative remixes.
Launched on Wednesday (May 1) for Mental Health Awareness Month, these reimagined tracks are designed to guide listeners into a relaxed state through a combination of sound and light.
Lumenate uses the smartphone flashlight to create special light sequences that flicker at specific frequencies. These frequencies are said to nudge the brain into a state between deep meditation and psychedelic experiences. Each of the nine Mind Games mixes is paired with a unique light sequence.
The mixes take Lennon’s original recording and slow it down and extend it to lengths ranging from 5 to 33 minutes, creating a more immersive listening experience. Four of the mixes are “Binaural” versions, meaning they use slightly different frequencies for each ear to create an auditory illusion that can influence brainwaves. These mixes target Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Theta brainwaves, each associated with different mental states.
Sean Ono Lennon, John Lennon’s son, played a role in the project. “I’m very happy to be working with Lumenate on this release for Mental Health Awareness Month,” he said.
“I think our Mind Games project is fun, meaningful, and potentially mind-expanding. I have been using the Lumenate app for my own personal meditations since it launched, and have had many profound experiences.”
He added: “My father was famously into meditation. I remember trying the ‘flicker machine’ he kept in the bedroom, which is what first introduced me to the idea of stroboscopic brain wave induction. I thought it made sense to combine the music of Mind Games with the science of Lumenate. I really hope people enjoy the results as much as I have.”
“It’s been such a privilege working with Sean and The Lennon Estate on this exciting collaboration,” Lumenate co-founder Tom Galea said.
“The journeys it takes you on are so deeply relaxing and emotive, providing a uniquely powerful canvas for exploring your mind. I can’t wait for the world to experience it, it’s already had such a meaningful impact on me personally.”
“My father was famously into meditation. I remember trying the ‘flicker machine’ he kept in the bedroom, which is what first introduced me to the idea of stroboscopic brain wave induction. I thought it made sense to combine the music of Mind Games with the science of Lumenate.”
Sean Ono Lennon
Launched in 2021, Lumenate aims to make altered states of consciousness for mental well-being more accessible.
“Though many are aware of the benefits of meditation, and the emergent field of psychedelic therapy, due to barriers of cost, time and legality, these benefits are inaccessible for most people. Lumenate is here to change that, allowing users to reach these deep, explorative states instantly and effortlessly using only a smartphone,” the company said.
Rosamund Pike, a Glolden Globe-winning actress who starred in Gone Girl (2014) and most recently, Saltburn (2023), is the Creative Director and voice of the app.
This collaboration between the John Lennon Estate and Lumenate reflects the growing presence of wellness and meditation apps within the music industry. It joins a recent trend of partnerships, such as Primary Wave‘s emeraldwave brand recently teaming up with Endel to create personalized soundscapes for sleep, focus, and relaxation from their music catalog.
“It’s been such a privilege working with Sean and The Lennon Estate on this exciting collaboration. The journeys it takes you on are so deeply relaxing and emotive, providing a uniquely powerful canvas for exploring your mind.”
Tom Galea, Lumenate
Similarly, Endel collaborated with Spinnin’ Records, Warner Music Group‘s EDM label, in October 2023 to create “mental health-boosting soundscape” albums catering to various states like focus and sleep.
Warner Music also teamed up with British health tech startup MediMusic in December 2023 to explore the potential of music as a therapeutic tool.
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