Brain Entrainment

For centuries humans have wondered at the connection between specific sound frequencies and the effect it can have on the brain and corresponding moods and emotions. From tribal drums to periodic stimulus tones the human brain taps into dominant external frequencies and when it does the mind can be altered to induce a host of different states including relaxation, sleep, creativity and excitement. The practice of causing brainwave frequencies to match a periodic stimulus to produce an intended state is called brainwave entrainment or brainwave synchronization and it is becoming more popular as life becomes more stressful.

The study of sound and light and how it affects the human brain is nothing new. In the 1930's William Grey Walter used EEG equipment and strobe lights to detect the existence of high speed alpha waves and low speed delta waves and how each played a factor in human sleep patterns. In 1973 Gerald Oster published his discovery of binaural beats in Scientific American, a breakthrough article that defined binaural beats as apparent sounds which arise in the brain for specific physical stimuli. Though first discovered in 1839 by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove it wasn't until Oster's research that scientists began to speculate that binaural beats could be used to help induce relaxation, creativity and other desirable mental states.

Today brainwave entrainment is gaining rapid popularity with people who feel over-stressed, depressed and unmotivated. With technology growing by leaps and bounds it's not hard to understand how a person can feel overwhelmed by information and sensory overload and instead of taking pills a growing segment of the population is turning to brainwave entrainment to produce a more natural and lasting feeling of relaxation.

Guiding the brain into a specific frequency is now aided by computer generated rhythmic pulses of sound, also called isochronic tones, so the brain can synchronize to a desired frequency. Guiding the brain to faster or higher frequencies has been shown to stir creativity and motivation while switching to lower or deeper frequencies can induce states of relaxation and calm. What used to take years of constant meditation can now be achieved in a few weeks using an MP3 player and the right isochronic tones. Through this method of brain training and stimulation many people have experienced increased productivity, desired feelings of calm and well-being and even more restful sleep that can all lead to a happy and healthier life.

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