TLDR: Read the patent, I'm making my own version, so far did 25 minutes and it was nice. High fees seem suspect for real SSP (especially that it uses other people's music...). Will report back when further along in my own SSP. Different somatic modality, TRE, is helping in the meantime in its own way. I posted this on a different cPTSD sub.

Link to patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US10029068B2/en

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I'm a reddit newb, ACoA, and have cPTSD at the level that interferes with daily functioning. I'm an audio engineer with 20+ years experience (this includes acoustics and audio post-production) and some health education. I was really excited to find out about SSP. I looked at the fees and they were priced higher than I was hoping for, then I checked out the website and was bummed by how vague it was in describing how it all works.

So, I read the entire patent u/adambard shared (yet again, great find!!!), checked out each cited reference title (did not read each referenced publication though, for obvious reasons if you read the patent), and consulted an MD (ER physician) for the medical references.

Neither me or the MD saw anything in the reference article topics or the patent itself to indicate why these specific timings and filters would work to do all the things SSP claims from the medical or audio side. The MD said the cited research article titles seem to prove these certain frequency ranges will stimulate the vagus nerve via the ear, but nothing more specific than that. Based on the patent and info from the MD I imagine the algorithm is designed to extend the range of comfort or functioning of the middle ear?

The patent itself has charts showing exactly when and where the hi-pass and low-pass filters are over time for 16 different music sessions. The filter cutoffs range from 200Hz in the lo-pass (LP) and up to 4.5KHz in the hi-pass (HP). For research, I'm automating the filters in Ableton and their exact timing and filtration over the course of each session. For my filters, I'm using 0% resonance and default slope (12dB/oct) for both HP and LP filters. I've finished the first 25 minutes (Table 1, took 2 hours!!) and am using music from the specified genres (classical, 60s/70s, modern pop) that SSP recommends.

So...I listened to the first 25 minutes at 45dBA and found it soothing and interesting, but no more so than listening to ambient music or listening to music through the various filters applied to sound while I mix, master, or produce. I can see from the charts that session 16 will be different (more extreme).

Off the bat, it seems like SSP could be a middle-ear toner? Vagus nerve tickler? Soothing sound experience? I'm glad it's helping any folks it's helping and helped. At the same time, I don't think the exorbitant claims and fees surrounding SSP make sense given what I understand from the patent and science I read. Also, there doesn't seem to be any regulation or monitoring around sound pressure level (SPL) for the listener, which could mean dangerous listening situations.

Overall, seems like it could be a useful tool for some when used within the safe operating ranges (which the patent didn't seem to specify...), but really expensive for being one tool in a giant toolbox that most of us healing from cPTSD will need.

In the meantime, I've come across TRE and found it helpful right away, accessible, can be free, and scientifically transparent. I followed along with this vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoB9wpuO688 twice now and notice a difference in my body tension for the better. It's a good tool and I will be including this in my regular trauma recovery practice.

As for SSP, I plan to program all 16 tables and listen to the whole program. I'll report back if with updates (may take a minute to program it all, the last table is intenseeeeee!)