The phenomenom of listening to sound waves stereophonically, with binaural tones involves listening to alternating frequencies that affect the mind in a positive manner. But, the question is, do binaural beats work as many vehemently claim ?
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 discovery of binaural beats is largely credited to a man named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove who is said to have first noted the auditory phenomenon back in 1839.
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?
Electrical activity in the brain or brain waves will function in your brain at different frequencies and changing cyclic patterns. “Tuning” the brain by listening to sounds of certain frequencies, or brainwave entrainment, may bring about the ideal state for meditation, relaxation, self hypnosis, or simply for personal development.
But what else do binaural beats work for besides relaxation? Plenty from relieving stress , tension, worry or anxiety to using the technology for medical benefits as well as simply helping people lose weight or stop smoking.
A separation of one’s conscious and subconscious minds is also reported while listening to binaural beats 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.
The answer to the question do binaural beats work is ultimately up to you as some may experience more noticeable results than others. In essence, using audible binaural beats for brainwave entrainment can be fairly effective provided you have access to a well designed program as well as a decent pair of stereo headphones in order to truly receive the effects of the binaural sounds or tones. Try a brain waves MP3 or an entrainment cd and relax the subconscious mind.
