Brainwave Entrainment Through Sound

Brainwave entrainment or brainwave synchronization is incredibly popular these days, and rightly so. It seems that when we do anything at all, our brains are “tuned” to a certain frequency, a certain kind of behavior, a certain resonance.

For instance, let’s look at two situations:

1. You’re standing in front of an audience, about to give a speech that is critical to your career …
2. You’re lying in bed, about to drift off to sleep …

Is your brain behaving the same way in both situations?

Of course not.

Here are the brain wave patterns that we know about {there are most likely more!}

Gamma Brainwave States: 40HZ+

These are the fastest states we know about and have frequencies of 40HZ and more. Until recently, we either didn’t know about them, or didn’t pay any attention to them. Apparently they are the realm of genius when high-level information processing occurs – Einstein’s Theory of Relativity – or the sudden appearance of insight –  Archimedes running around the city in a towel hollering “eureka”.

Beta Brainwave States: 13HZ – 40HZ

This is the state of mental activity, the state of (hopefully) alertness and concentration. When you’re giving your important speech, driving a car or chatting at lunch about the latest political scandal, you’re in Beta.

Alpha Brainwave States: 8HZ – 13HZ

Alpha is a realm of creativity, of art, of visualization. Your mind is more relaxed and your brainwaves slower than when in Alpha.

Theta Brainwave States: 4HZ – 8HZ

Theta is the state of deep relaxation, of meditation, of dreaming or REM sleep. This is a state of deep rest and we all need this on a daily basis to maintain vibrant health. I have often meditated for 20-30 minutes and felt as refreshed as when I awake in the morning.

Delta Brainwave States: 0HZ – 4HZ

These states aren’t as well known because it’s hard to remember anything that happens in these states of dreamless sleep. For those who have an interest in “lucid” dreaming – a dream in which the person is aware that they are dreaming while the dream is in progress, also known as a conscious dream – then this is the state you’re looking for. When the dreamer is lucid, they can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Supposedly, with practice, anyone can learn lucid dreaming, although I’ve never had any success myself.

Now, if certain states are more desirable for certain activities – for instance, alpha if you have a problem to solve – then it makes sense to try to deliberately create that state, and that’s what brainwave entrainment is all about.

The most common way this is done is with sound and in that case it’s also known as binaural training using binaurual beats. It works like this … the experimenter wears a set of headphones and listens to two tones: the left ear hears 500HZ and the right ear hears 510HZ (it doesn’t matter which ear hears 500HZ and which hears the 510HZ). The exact HZ can vary but the point is the two different frequencies.

The subject hears only a tone and cannot recognize a difference between them, but the brain definitely knows the difference. In an effort to reconcile the two different tones, the brain will pulse at 10HZ. And 10HZ is right in the Alpha zone.

Does brainwave entrainment ‘work’? It absolutely does – on me. Will it work for you, too? I don’t know but it’s a fascinating subject and one that we will continue to discuss at great length on BlissPlan.com.