Binaural beats, are a part of a fascinating phenomenon that involves listening to sound waves of varying frequencies for the purpose of positively affecting the mind. But do binaural beats work as many vehemently claim ? Some have lauded binaural beats as new technology or some sort of recent discovery but they actually have been studied for a couple hundred years and are being successfully used in medical application, psychological inducing various states of consciousness, reaching the subconscious mind , to meditating to developing new talents.
Binaural beats are when two sounds or tones that are rather close in pitch, but not identical, are played separately into each ear via headphones to create one, seemingly single sound. The auditory phenomenon of binaural beats was actually discovered around 1839 in studies by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove.
But, little else was said on the subject after then until finally in the early 1970s when an article entitled “Auditory Beats in the Brain” by Gerald Oster was published in Scientific American that offered insightful information and new findings based on recent laboratory research on the subject.
Oster was convinced binaural beats were able to have a direct effect on the brain and could be an extremely useful tool for cognitive and neurological purposes as well as being a potentially effective way of diagnosing certain medical conditions. But, do binaural beats work for everyone automatically or are there things you can do to ensure you will make the most of binaural beat technology?
Binaural Beats and Entrainment
Electrical activity in the brain , or brain waves , move through the brain through cycles of frequency or varying frequencies moves through the brain depending on actual states of consciousness. “Tuning” the brain by listening to sounds of certain frequencies, or brain entrainment, may bring about the ideal state for meditation, relaxation, self hypnosis, or simply for personal development.
Besides relaxation, many say they have found great relief from stress, tension and anxiety and have used the technology for health purposes such as stopping smoking and losing weight
A separation of one’s conscious and subconscious minds is also reported while listening to entrainment cds and a deep feeling of sedation is rather common. Some people also say they experience visual “hallucinations” in the form of seeing bright, vivid colors and patterns. Because of all this, it is highly advisable to not drive or operate machinery while experiencing the incredibly relaxing effects of binaural beats.
