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.
mental waves | binaural beats meditation
Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG) or “Brain Mapping” is an FDA approved, evidence-based diagnostic tool that measures the speed and processing of brain function. It is a powerful tool for identifying significant excess and/or deficiencies (abnormalities) in an individual’s brain electrical patterns that can be associated with disorders such as learning and memory problems, attention-hyperactivity disorders, anxiety and depression. Put simply, the brain map objectively and scientifically evaluates a person’s brainwave function.
Aging & Brain Health
Research shows that at around the age of 40, the brain naturally begins to slow. Brain wave activity can decrease, which can affect focus, memory and energy. There is greater susceptibility to stress related problems, which can result in depression, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, weakened immune systems, decreased sexual vitality, insomnia and other sleep related disorders.
It is estimated that you have about one hundred billion neurons in your brain. It has been speculated that you lose about one thousand neurons each day after you reach the age of 40. Research indicates that stimulating the brain regularly can offset this loss. That’s why it’s suggested that you do word puzzles and other types of brain games to keep yourself fit.
When you look at the brain and how it works and then at the body and how it works, you can see how the two work in tandem: healthy body equals healthy brain and vice versa.
Brain mapping utilizes an objective measurement and assessment procedure which pinpoints where the slower brain wave activity is located and why certain issues may be occurring. Based on the results of your assessments through this FDA approved procedure, an individualized program for reclaiming and regaining your full potential at any age can be developed through neurodevelopment training.
Stuck Brain vs A Normal Functioning Brain
Symptoms such as attention and focus problems, learning and memory difficulties, and mood disorders (anxiety and depression) often occur when our brain’s processing ability is dysfunctional or damaged. We often find that its ability to function efficiently is inadequate to do the required or desired job.
Based upon the brain’s natural ability to adapt, a damaged brain will attempt to survive by releasing neuro-inhibitors to protect its limited resources. In doing so it locks itself into a particular electro-chemical pattern in order to not make matters worse. When this happens, we find ourselves losing attentional flexibility which reduces our ability to adapt to varying circumstances.
Our personality generally becomes rigid as well as feelings of there being no solutions to our problems. This is often the root of an overwhelming sense of helplessness, hopelessness and tends to drives us to mood extremes, such as depression, anger and even uncontrollable rage.
Brain Mapping Procedure
The procedure may take about approximately two hours. It generally consists of placing a snug cap on the head which contains small electrodes to measure the electrical patterns coming from the brain. It is completely non-invasive. There is no pain or discomfort associated with the procedure. After your brain is mapped and assessments made as to what may be causing dysfunction, a neuro-feedback training program is established.
Neurofeedback Training
Neurofeedback training is brainwave biofeedback. During typical training, a couple of electrodes are placed on the scalp and one or two are usually put on the ear lobe. Then, high-tech electronic equipment provides you with real-time, instantaneous audio and visual feedback about your brainwave activity. The electrodes measure the electrical patterns coming from the brain. No electrical current is put into your brain. Your brainwave patterns are simply relayed to the computer and recorded.
Ordinarily, we cannot influence our brainwave patterns because we lack awareness of them. However, when you can see your brainwaves on a computer screen a few thousandths of a second after they occur, it gives you the ability to influence and change them. We are literally reconditioning and retraining the brain.
A New You
Think how wonderful it would be to retrain your brain to function at its optimum whether it be to perform better at sports, in school, in business, in the arts or just in everyday life. With brain mapping and neurodevelopment, you can now achieve a better you!
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.
This ‘frequency 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 ‘entrain’ 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, ‘mind-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’s starting position, entrainment can be rather ‘hit and miss’.
If brainwave entrainment leaves you with unwanted side-effects (see below) or discomfort, you’re 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’s strengths and weaknesses are, and see what (if any) brainwaves could use some encouragement.