The Digital Audio Visual Integration Device (DAVID 1) was the world's first high-quality brainwave entrainment device to use flashes of light and pulses of tones to effectively guide the user into specific brainwave patterns. Since then, Mind Alive Inc., through careful market studies and a well-developed product research and development team, designed the DAVID Paradise series, the DAVID PAL series, and more recently, the DAVID Delight series. The success of these devices is due, in part, to their portability, programmability, and low cost when compared to other treatment methods.
For more than four and a half decades, Mind Alive Inc. has been dedicated to improving brain functioning by developing technologies designed to enhance emotional and cognitive wellbeing. The company is committed to exceptional customer service, high-quality electronic equipment, and innovation in the field of brain performance and stimulation technologies.
Mind Alive’s story began in 1981 when Dave and Nancy Siever founded Comptronic Devices Limited. Their first product was the Neuropulse, a device developed while Dave was working in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Alberta. Under the direction of Dr. Norman Thomas, Dave designed electronic equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. He later developed the Neuropulse II, a handheld device designed to stimulate the trigeminal nerve and relax jaw muscles. His hands-on approach and experimental work earned him a reputation as a creative “mad scientist.”
In 1984, Dave was approached by Donald Hunkin, a performing arts instructor at the University of Alberta, who wanted a light-and-sound device to help students overcome stage fright and enter a relaxed, hypnotic state. In June 1985, Dave completed the first Digital Audio-Visual Integration Device 1, or DAVID1. Dave built two units—one for Hunkin and one for himself—and was impressed by the depth of relaxation and meditation the device produced.
By 1986, Dave began producing DAVID1 for psychologists and other professionals interested in emerging brain stimulation technologies. The device attracted attention through publications and the book MegaBrain. In 1987, Dave and Dr. Norman Thomas conducted an early study examining AVE’s ability to promote relaxation and reduce pain in TMJ patients at the University of Alberta. The findings were presented in the Congress of Hypnosis Journal.
In 2000, Comptronic Devices Limited officially changed its name to Mind Alive Inc. The new name reflected the company’s expanding focus on brain stimulation, brain performance, and technologies designed to support emotional and cognitive wellbeing. The company continued developing increasingly sophisticated devices as microchip technology advanced.
Over the following years, Mind Alive Inc. continued to innovate with successive generations of DAVID devices, including the DAVID Jr., DAVID Plus, Paradise, Paradise XL, Paradise XL+, 2001, PAL, and DAVID Delight series. The company incorporated technologies such as Cranio-Electro Stimulation (CES) and advanced forms of light stimulation. The Paradise XL introduced eye-field stimulation and split-field stimulation, opening new possibilities for relaxation, cognitive performance, and therapeutic applications.
Dave Siever was also an early pioneer in using EEG and quantitative EEG (qEEG) to investigate changes in brainwave activity associated with Audio-Visual Entrainment (AVE). His ongoing research has explored the relationship between brainwave patterns, the thalamocortical network, and cerebrospinal fluid circulation.
Mind Alive’s newest device, the DAVID Premier, was released in November 2024. It represents the company’s most advanced brain stimulation platform to date and supports multiple technologies, including AVE, CES, MET, tDCS, and tACS. The Premier also incorporates advanced stimulation protocols being investigated for pain reduction, glymphatic system support, and brain recovery.
Today, Mind Alive Inc. remains family-owned and operated by Dave and Nancy Siever. Dave continues to focus on research, development, and training, while their son Shaun serves as office manager.
From its humble beginnings as Comptronic Devices in 1981 to the Mind Alive of today, the company’s history is one of vision, perseverance, research, and continuous innovation. More than 45 years later, Mind Alive remains committed to advancing brain stimulation technology and improving quality of life.
See full product History (PDF)
Historical News Clips