Enhanced meditation - the powerful effect of brain entrainment

Although it sounds like something out of a Dr. Who episode, brain entrainment refers to the brainwave response to recurring sensory stimulation such as pulses of sound or light.

It is used to assist the brain into altered states of consciousness, quickly and easily and one of the most common forms of brain entrainment are binaural beats .

The benefits of brain entrainment

It has been proven that meditation and the slowing of brainwaves have many positive physical and emotional health benefits. Unfortunately, many people report finding traditional meditation techniques difficult to maintain, especially those with disorders such as anxiety disorders, panic attacks, hypertension and insomnia.

Research shows that "people who suffer from panic attacks lack a key neurochemical receptor in their brain" (NewScientist.com, 2004). By utilising brain entrainment to stimulate healthy neural pathways, people can overcome such neurological disorders.

What are binaural beats?

Let's get technical.

When two slightly different tones of pure sound are played simultaneously, a pulsing sound, or modulation, is heard. This modulation is called a beat, and the frequency of the beat is equal to the difference between the two original tones.

For example, if one tone is tuned to 440Hz, the other is tuned to 430Hz. The difference between the two tones is 10Hz (440 - 430 = 10), therefore, the two tones will produce a beat of 10Hz.

However, something remarkable happens when the two frequencies are heard in a closed environment, such as stereo headphones. If each tone is presented separately to each ear (one tone in the left headphone and the other in the right), the interaction of the frequencies create a beat that occurs in the brain. The brain entrains (or responds) by calculating the difference between the two tones and produces corresponding brainwaves.

By using the example above we can see the practical application.

One ear is presented with 440Hz, the other with 430Hz. The difference is 10Hz and the brain entrains to 10Hz, or begins producing more brainwaves in the 10Hz range.

In terms of brainwave states, 10Hz is in the middle of the Alpha range - a mildly relaxed state produced when we are day dreaming or just before falling asleep.

The implications of this technology are profound. Relaxed states of consciousness are much easier and quicker to achieve; deeper meditative states and great personal growth are made possible; and a healthy brain is constantly maintained.

The long and the short of it

The wonderful thing about brain entrainment is you don't need to know how to meditate; your brain will do it for you.

However, the added bonus is that for those people who already achieve altered states of consciousness through meditation, brain entrainment can build on existing practices to achieve even deeper states of relaxation.

The practical applications of binaural beats are many and varied, and by utilising technology to our advantage, we can create healthier brains which mean healthier people.

References:

Oster, G., 1973. "Auditory Beats in the Brain". Scientific American , 10: 94-102

Spinney, L., 2004. "Panic attack patients lack key brain receptors". New Scientist. 21 January 2004. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4592

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