Bilateral stimulation for calm and rest
Waven is a VR experience that uses multi-sensory bilateral stimulation to support calm and rest. An early alpha release is now available on Meta Quest 2, 3, and 3S.
What Bilateral Stimulation is, and how Waven uses it
Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) is a well-established technique that has been used for decades, most prominently within EMDR and related therapeutic approaches. It involves rhythmic, alternating stimulation of the left and right sides of the body, commonly delivered through visual movement, alternating sounds, or tactile cues.
BLS does not require talking, interpretation, or belief. It is often used to support grounding, settling, and nervous system regulation, either on its own or as part of structured therapeutic work.
Waven delivers bilateral stimulation in virtual reality, engaging multiple senses at the same time. We hypothesize that this could potentially induce a stronger relaxation response with faster onset.
Bilateral stimulation
At its core, BLS relies on rhythmic left–right alternation. This engages attention in a steady, non-demanding way, which many people experience as settling. Classically, stimulation is either visual, auditory, or tactile.
Multi-sensory through VR
Most non-VR BLS tools stimulate a single sense at a time. Virtual reality allows visual, auditory, and haptic stimulation to be experienced together, in a synchronized way, without relying on multiple clunky devices or another person.
Resourcing in VR
In therapy, BLS is often paired with techniques such as imagining a peaceful or calming place. This is called resourcing. In VR, users can simply travel to their peaceful place, rather than having to construct and maintain that image in their mind.
„Waven started as a personal tool. I had benefited greatly from bilateral stimulation sessions with a licensed EMDR therapist. But then I moved to Europe and lost access to my therapist. So with two friends we began building something we could use on our own for relaxation. I have been using Waven for a while now — when I feel my body tensing up, and to settle my mind after an activating day. I got curious if Waven can be helpful to others, too, so we are sharing Waven alpha for free.”
Britta
Co-founder Waven
Why bilateral stimulation in virtual reality?
Bilateral stimulation or BLS began with a simple observation: rhythmic left–right eye movements can reduce emotional distress, but only when an external rhythm is present. Over time, many tools emerged to deliver that rhythm – each of which is to varying degrees clunky, expensive, prone to failing mid-session, or requires multiple hardware pieces to set up.
Virtual reality makes it possible to deliver bilateral stimulation across all senses at once within one widely available consumer device, and it offers an embodied experience of a peaceful place on top.
The origins of bilateral stimulation
In the late 1980s, psychologist Francine Shapiro noticed something unexpected while walking outdoors during a period of personal illness. As her eyes moved naturally from left to right while walking, she observed that the intensity of her worrying thoughts decreased. Intrigued, she began experimenting…
How BLS is delivered today
A multitude of tools exist, many of them rather inventive. They are, however, to varying degrees bulky, clunky to use, limited, prone to failing mid-session, or expensive…
What VR changes
Virtual reality allows visual, auditory, and haptic bilateral stimulation to be experienced in synchrony within one single consumer piece of consumer hardware. It also makes resourcing easier by allowing travel to a calming environment, rather than relying on imagination alone. No other device can do this today.
„Some people find visual input most effective, others respond more strongly to sound or touch. We hope that a multi-sensory approach like Waven makes bilateral stimulation more broadly accessible. Waven is highly configurable yet easy to use – you can pick which senses you want to stimulate today and how.“
Alessia
Co-founder Waven
Are you curious to try out Waven for yourself?
Great! If you already have a headset, download Waver from the Quest store here and get started.
Waven is in alpha stage, so we need your feedback to improve and decide what to build next.
Message us on hi@waven.app.
Are you a therapist interested in a research partnership, in providing feedback, or in using Waven with your clients?
Great! We are laypeople, not licensed clinicians. We are interested in partnerships/advisory with licensed clinical practitioners or researchers in the field of EMDR-based trauma treatment.
Reach out us on hi@waven.app
„One working hypothesis we are particularly excited about is inspired by research on EMDR and working-memory taxation:
We hypothesize that engaging several senses at once places a higher load on working memory. And when working memory is occupied, fewer brain resources remain available for rumination, worry, or intrusive thoughts.
This means that relaxation can occur quickly, in just a few minutes, and that the relaxation response is stronger.
We aim to explore this working hypothesis through Waven.”
Sarah
Co-founder Waven
Questions
Common questions around BLS, VR and Waven
What is BLS?
BLS is short for Bilateral stimulation. It refers to rhythmic, alternating stimulation of the left and right sides of the body. It is commonly delivered visually, through sound, or through touch, and is widely known through its use in trauma therapy (with a licensed EMDR therapist) or as a self-help technique for calm, focus, and rest.
Is Waven therapy?
No. Waven is not therapy and does not replace a therapist. It is a VR tool for delivering bilateral stimulation. You might call it a subclinical mental wellness app.
Does Waven heal trauma or treat conditions?
No. Waven does not claim to heal trauma or treat medical or psychological conditions. Individual experiences vary. Please reach out to a licensed therapist for trauma treatment, or if you are in doubt about whether Waven is right for you.
Is Waven for me?
If you answer the following questions with a ‚yes‘, do give Waven a try:
1/ Do you have at least some VR experience?
2/ Are you interested in muscle/mind relaxation?
3/ Are you interested in being an early adopter and open to trying out an early app version?
Please, also read the „When should I NOT use Waven“ text below.
When should I NOT use Waven?
TODO: Britta to copy and paste the disclaimers from the Tapping In book.
What is your roadmap?
Waven is starting out with bilateral stimulation for wellness. Trauma first aid and resourcing as outlined in Tapping in and other self tapping scenarios are potentially next. Therapist-supported EMDR sessions are a potential future direction as well.
Most importantly, each step puts safety first. And, each step will be informed by feedback from users and therapists.
Is Waven free?
Yes, the Waven app is currently free to use. If you already own a VR headset, then just head to the app store and download Waven.
What do I need to run Waven and how expensive is it?
You need a VR headset. Waven currently runs on the following headsets: Meta Quest 2, 3 and 3S. You can buy a Meta quest at your nearest tech store or online. At the time of writing (Jan 2026) a Quest 3S is $269. (No, we don’t earn anything if you click that link)
Background and disclaimers
Waven is not an official implementation of any specific therapeutic protocol and is not endorsed by individual clinicians. The founders are users of BLS technology, not licensed clinicians (even if Waven is heavily inspired by existing clinical literature on BLS and EMDR). If you aren’t a clinician and want to learn more, we recommend the book Tapping in by Dr. Laurel Parnell.
This project is exploratory by design. The goal is to understand whether carefully delivered bilateral stimulation in virtual reality can be useful for more people, while staying within clear ethical and safety boundaries.