Dr. Cody Rall, US Navy Psychiatrist: Vielight Reviews and Comparisons
Dr. Cody Rall, MD is a U.S. Navy-trained, ABPN-board-certified psychiatrist known for testing neurotechnology and translating the science for everyday use. He co-founded Stanford Brainstorm, the university’s brain-health innovation lab, and runs the Techforpsych YouTube channel where he reviews brain devices and shares lab-tested results.
We support Dr. Cody’s work in bringing an analytical psychiatric perspective to the field of brain photobiomodulation.
If you would like to purchase Vielight technology with a 10% discount, use the code: “RALLC25VL“
“The first time I tried Vielight, I actually noticed a real shift in brain state… and my quantitative EEG backed it up.” —Dr. Cody Rall
The Human Skull Tests (Vielight Neuro vs Neuronic Neuradiant)
Dr. Rall’s “eureka” moment came when he acquired an ethically sourced human skull to test a fundamental question: How do brain photobiomodulation differ in terms of penetration through a real human skull?
Neuronic Energy Profile
He first placed the skull inside a Neuronic helmet and used a CMOS camera to capture and visualize the invisible photonic energy. The result was clear: almost no light penetrated the bone.
Vielight Neuro Duo Energy Profile
Then, he tested a Vielight Neuro device. The difference was stunning. As Dr. Rall described it, “the bottom of the skull literally lit up.” The Vielight Neuro generated full transcranial penetration with a focus on the Default Mode Network.
Quantifying Irradiance through a Real Human Skull
To quantify the NIR penetration in this experiment, he used a spectrometer:
- The Vielight Neuro delivered 21.6 mW/cm² of 810nm through the skull.
- The Neuronic device delivered 0.47 mW/cm² of 1070nm light power through the same bone. (~98% less than the Vielight Neuro)
This is without accounting for skin, blood or cerebral spinal fluid, which the brain floats in. The 1070nm wavelength is highly absorbed by water and blood, due to water being the primary chromophore for that specific wavelength.
The Vielight Neuro delivered ~21 mW/cm2 of irradiance through a real human skull when measured with a spectroradiometer. The Neuronic Neuradiant delivered just 0.476 mW/cm2 through a real human skull.
This stark contrast was Dr. Rall’s first clue that not all PBM devices are created equal. It proved that the power, or irradiance, of the light source is critical for it to have any biological effect on the brain.
Why it matters: Skull and soft-tissue attenuation is real; devices need sufficient irradiance and optical design to reach cortical tissue at biologically relevant doses. Independent and company-linked studies on 810-nm, 40 Hz DMN-targeted PBM show acute modulation of brain oscillations and hemodynamics—consistent with Rall’s observations.
The Significance of Research with Vielight technology
From a psychiatrist’s perspective, Dr. Cody Rall analyzes research with Vielight technology and how it correlates to neurodegeneration, cognitive enhancement and immunity.
The medical community is, by nature, skeptical. New modalities, especially those without pharmaceutical backing, face an uphill battle for acceptance. Dr. Rall himself admits that in his medical school training and eight years in psychiatric residency, red light therapy was never discussed.
So, when he first tried a Neuronic helmet, he was underwhelmed. “I literally didn’t feel any different,” he recalled. That device ended up on a shelf, forgotten.
But then, he tried Vielight technology and his entire perspective shifted.
