Binaural beats are a form of brainwave entrainment that has good, bad, and ugly components that need to be considered when deciding on a entrainment process.
They’ve been around since 1839, discovered by physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, but they didn’t become popular with ordinary people until the early 1970s.
Scientist Gerald Oster discovered that binaural beats, when fed into the mind as two different tones, at slightly different pitches, separately in each ear, produce a third tone heard only by the brain. The brain would then naturally train both hemispheres to that third tone, being influenced in a subtle way. His clinical studies showed that binaural beats could trigger the release of a host of hormones and chemicals, particularly feel-good ones, affecting a person mentally, physically, physiologically, biologically, and spiritually, in parts other than the mind. such as the neurological system.
The good
· Effective to turn the brain into a stereo, left and right hemispheres in balance, improving brain function.
· It can improve states of consciousness.
· Can be immersed in music for an easier workout.
· Induces relaxed, meditative, creative, calm, happy and desirable mental states.
Reduces anxiety and pain.
· It can have an effect equivalent to white noise or music.
· Produces a dissociative state of consciousness.
· It is excellent for accessing the frequency of alpha, theta and delta brain waves.
· Easily slows down brain waves without conscious effort from the user.
· It will increase your natural alpha waves as you participate in normal life, helping you to be closer to your most beneficial frequency.
· It is a great tool for visualization.
· Releases the hold of anxiety and stops the overproduction of harmful stress chemicals.
Helps you sleep by releasing melatonin.
· Leaves you feeling good, happy and positive.
Increase your memory and IQ.
· It is a phenomenal help for addictions of any kind.
· Can activate your psychic center.
· Increases levels of mood stabilizing chemicals such as serotonin.
· Releases endorphins that can make you feel good and pain free.
It can help you access your subconscious and change your programming.
The bad
It doesn’t train as well at higher frequencies like beta and gamma.
It is rarely found in nature. Man made, computer simulated.
It takes a little longer to train, 8-10 minutes compared to isochronous tones which take about 6 minutes.
· Simply listening passively to binaural beats may not alter your state of consciousness.
Your experience is influenced by your willingness and ability to relax and focus your attention.
· If you have neurological damage to your ear(s), you may have trouble producing a third drag tone.
Some people don’t like the feeling of movement that binaural beats produce, as the brain processes the sound.
Binaural beats do not activate the thalamus, which means they do not drag, but instead cause dissociation and incredible relaxation.
The ugly one
Over time, with continuous and repeated sessions using binaural beats, the brain can get tired of doing the third beat, ignoring the stimulus, producing very little effect.
Binaural beats definitely have their place and have an excellent hypnotic and relaxing effect by way of dissociation.
Consider whether binaural beats are good, bad, or ugly for you personally. People hear and are affected differently by binaural beats.
The most effective brainwave training on the market today is isochronous tones, and if binaural beats don’t seem to work as well for you anymore, they’re a good direction to go.