Is flashlight meditation safe?

For most people, a flickering light through closed eyelids is uncomfortable at worst. The real risk is photosensitive epilepsy, where flashing light can trigger a seizure. If you have epilepsy, have ever had a seizure, or have a close family member with photosensitive epilepsy, do not use Auralis or any app like it.

By the team that makes Auralis · Updated October 14, 2026

Who is at risk

About 1 in 100 people has epilepsy. Around 3% of those have photosensitive epilepsy, according to the UK's Epilepsy Society. Most people who develop it do so between the ages of 7 and 19. It is more common in women than in men. You are more likely to have it if someone in your family does.

That age range matters for an app. A teenager may not yet know they are photosensitive, which is one reason we advise against Auralis for children and teenagers.

Closing your eyes does not protect you

This is easy to get wrong. The light passes straight through your eyelids; that is how the visuals happen. The Epilepsy Society's advice to anyone suddenly exposed to a flashing trigger is to cover one eye completely with a hand and turn away. It specifically says not to close both eyes, because that can cause a flicker effect of its own.

The conditions that make a session work are also the ones the same factsheet lists as raising the risk: a dark room and light that fills the whole field of vision. For someone who is not photosensitive, that is simply what makes the colors vivid. For someone who is, it is a reason not to start.

Which flash rates carry the most risk

Auralis keeps its light between 5.5 and 12.5 Hz in every session and never enters the 15 to 20 Hz band. That gives up a rate one study found effective for visuals, on purpose. It lowers the risk. It does not remove it: 5.5 to 12.5 Hz is still inside the 3 to 30 Hz range that can trigger seizures, which is why the warning above is absolute rather than "take care".

What else can happen

Flicker can make people with or without epilepsy feel disoriented, uncomfortable or unwell. That does not mean they are photosensitive. Headache, eye strain and nausea are the usual complaints. There is nothing to gain from pushing through them: open your eyes, put the phone down and stop.

Give yourself a few minutes after a session before you drive or do anything that needs your full attention. Sessions end with a slow fade for this reason.

Medication and substances

Do not combine a session with alcohol, cannabis or any other substance. Do not use flicker to intensify one. If you take a medication that affects the nervous system or is known to lower the seizure threshold, check with your prescriber first.

What Auralis does

• Shows a safety warning during setup, which you have to acknowledge before your first session.
• Keeps every session between 5.5 and 12.5 Hz, out of the 15 to 20 Hz band.
• Ramps the light in over the first 30 to 45 seconds and fades it out at the end, rather than starting or stopping abruptly.
• Keeps sessions between 4 and 21 minutes.
• Lowers the light rather than letting it cut out if the phone gets hot.

Auralis is a relaxation app. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition. If you are unsure whether it is suitable for you, ask a doctor before your first session.