Brainwave entrainment is a method to stimulate the brain into entering a specific state by using a pulsing sound, light, or electromagnetic field. The pulses elicit the brain’s ‘frequency following’ response, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given beat.
guided meditation script | music and meditation
I don’t think space is the final frontier-the brain is. Scientists have much to study about the brain. There are scientists studying chemicals to change brain chemistry. Some are arguing for mental stimulation to discourage Alzheimer’s. Others think that certain external sound waves mimicking brainwaves can increase creativity, intelligence, control pain or alter psychological states.
I don’t think the final word is in yet. But I do know from personal experience that brain entrainment is a working theory.
In the 1990s when a lot of studies were being conducted on entrainment, I got The Brainwave Suite by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson out of a catalog. There were 4 CDs that included sound wave triggers within ambient music. It was sort of like music anyway.
The four were Alpha Relaxation and Meditation, Theta Insight and Intuition, Delta Sleep and Rejuvenation and Alpha/Theta Awakened Mind.
My absolute favorite was the Delta sleep CD. I am an avowed insomniac and this CD always put me to sleep. My only problem with it was that I wore bulky earphones and they would bother me into wakefulness, just long enough to pull them off. My second favorite was the Alpha Relaxation and Meditation. The first part of the CD helped me calm down and the second led me into a deep meditation.
I didn’t use the Theta too much. I tried to play it and the Alpha/Theta while I typed, but I couldn’t do that. I know that most teens these days do all their work to blaring music, but I like and need my quiet. Science seems to suggest that there is a relationship between sound waves and brainwaves and that sound waves can alter brainwaves in positive ways.
In the conclusion of a study, “A Comprehensive Review of the Psychological Effects of Brainwave Entrainment,” 2008, by Tina L. Huang, PhD., she states that findings suggest that Brainwave Entrainment is an effective therapeutic tool. People suffering from cognitive functioning deficits, stress, pain, headaches/migraines, PMS and behavioral problems benefited from Brainwave Entrainment, but that more studies needed to be conducted. She did mention that it appeared that Beta stimulation increased overall intelligence as did a sound wave test that alternated between 14 and 22 Hz (Beta brainwaves are within the 13-40 Hz range).
These days there are many more brain entrainment programs to choose from. I think that people found as I did that brainwave entrainment works, even though the research itself is sparse.
It appears that the brain is capable of doing some phenomenal things, like self-healing, improving intelligence, relearning how to stop pain, relax and relieve stress, improve behavior, and much more with the help of brain entrainment sound waves.
Brainwave entrainment is a method to stimulate the brain into entering a specific state by using a pulsing sound, light, or electromagnetic field. The pulses elicit the brain? ?requency following?response, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given beat.
This ?requency following?response of brainwave entrainment can be seen in action with those prone to epilepsy. If a strobe flashes at their seizure frequency, the brain will ?ntrain?to the flashing light, resulting in a seizure.
On the positive side, this same mechanism is commonly used to induce many brainwave states; such as a trance, enhanced focus, relaxation, meditation or sleep induction. The brainwave entrainment effectively pushes the entire brain into a certain state.
Brainwave entrainment works for almost everyone. It is a great way to lead your mind into states that you might usually have difficulty reaching, allowing you to experience what those states feel like.
THE HYPE
There is a lot of marketing hype around brainwave entrainment. It is sold with promises of increasing IQ, promoting weight loss, ?ind-tripping? enhancing creativity, concentration, inducing spiritual states and more.
While these claims are not entirely true, they are not altogether false either. In practice, the claims are based on an overly-simplistic view of how the brain and the brainwaves function.
THE RUB
People are very seldom deficient in a certain brainwave type in all areas of their brain. Usually the distribution is much spottier, with an excess in one area and a deficiency in another.
We are all different, especially when it comes to the distribution of our brainwaves. Boosting a certain brainwave state may be beneficial for one person, and emotionally uncomfortable for another. Without knowing each person? starting position, entrainment can be rather ?it and miss?
If brainwave entrainment leaves you with unwanted side-effects (see below) or discomfort, you?e probably encouraging a range of brainwaves that are already excessive in some area of your brain. The way around this is to get a brain map to see what your brain? strengths and weaknesses are, and see what (if any) brainwaves could use some encouragement.