Binaural beats are unique sounds recorded in such a way that they re-adjust the brain wave frequencies of the listener automatically. Through a technological technique that has been named brain entrainment, binaural beats can change the mental and physical state of anyone who listens.
Analysis has shown that some brainwaves, like intense relaxation, are ideal for learning and retaining new information while delta brainwave states promote relaxed healthy sleep. Until the adaptation of binaural beats tapes, CDs and MP3s, the only technique to create deliberate changes in your brainwave patterns was with deep meditation. For thousands of years, this type of meditation has only been possible for practitioners of meditation with over 20 years of experience, such as Zen Buddhist Monks.
However, the promise is that by using binaural beats it is now possible for every person to enter this kind of meditative states within minutes only by using good headphones and a specifically recorded pre-made binaural beats recording.
Although the science consists of brain entrainment is a bit complex to explore the basic premise is easy to comprehend. Binaural beats were discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove when he was an Associate Professor at the University in Berlin. Prof Dove discovered that when 2 similar sounds, that differ only slightly in frequency, are presented separately to the left and right ear (Binaural) they will cause a pulsation or beat type effect to occur in the brain.
It was in the late '70s when Scientific American published the research paper by Dr. Gerald Oster called "Auditory Beats in the Brain". This paper showed how Dr. Oster took Prof. Dove's discovery and through research found that by utilizing these binaural beats he could direct the brain processes of the listener to match the internal beat created by the binaural beats. When this occurred the brainwaves of the listener began to resonate with the same frequency as the binaural beats. Thus Oster found that through this technology he was able to change the brainwave frequencies of the listener and bring about deliberate mental states.
To the normal person, this would just be another scientific discovery that has nothing to do with real life and our everyday routines were it not for the fact that everything you do in life has a corresponding brainwave pattern. Most times the effects you wish to create are affected correspond to the state your brainwaves are in at that moment. The things you do have a dominant frequency associated with each and every one. When you are in a state of deep relaxation when asleep your brain has a specific frequency associated with it with specific patterns such as Theta waves. When you a physical state where you are alert and intensely concentrating your brain is engaged in Beta or even Gamma frequency patterns. When you enter a state of focused relaxation like enjoying TV, imagining or while under the influence of hypnosis, you are in the Alpha state. This is also the state experienced with most forms of meditation. However men and women with a year of meditative experience, like Zen Buddhist Monks, can enter Theta and Delta states while staying extremely aware. These states would normally take an entire life to achieve by practising meditation, can be prompted within minutes using binaural beats.
"This all sounds great", you may say but how does it affect me? It is possible to induce meditative states at will using binaural beats? Is this relevant to you and me? In order to answer that question, I turned to meditation enthusiasts.
These practitioners claim that some of the benefits of meditation include:
1. Deep relaxation.
2. More profound more restful and energizing sleep.
3. Higher levels of creativity.
4. A slower ageing rate.
5. Releasing of past negative emotional turmoil.
6. Relief from Stress.
7. Heightened physical energy.
8. Heightened focus and concentration.
9. Better retention of learned information.
10. Faster recovery times after surgery.
This list is a small sample of the claimed benefits of meditation and this list is certainly not extensive.
Comments