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.
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Panic disorder is an advanced mental condition where the individual finds themselves in a very anxious or panic stricken condition without having an actual reason to present these anxiety or panic disorder symptoms.
In other words, the individuals mind perceives a threat or danger which does not actually exist and thus send mental messages to the nervous system so as to alert it to this perceived danger and triggers the instinctual “fight or flight” response in the body which results in the release of a cocktail of hormones and stimulants such as adrenalin.
Now the body who is receiving this cocktail of stimulants and does not know why this is happening and thus a number of anxiety and panic disorder symptoms begin to manifest such as heightened apprehension, edginess, irritability, lack of concentration and eventually a mental state of panic.
This then causes a number of physical panic disorder symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, muscle tension and twitching, upset stomach and eventually heart palpitations and chest cramps which are very similar to those of a sufferer of a heart attack. It is for this reason that many of the suspected heart attacks in our emergency rooms of hospitals nowadays are attributed to anxiety or panic attacks.
But why is the mind causing these anxiety or panic disorder symptoms to manifest and bring on this very unpleasant anxiety or panic attack? Well what it all boils down to is that the mind has received incorrect programming and the subconscious has begun to use certain stimulus or situations as a trigger to activate the mental process for no apparent reason which should actually only be used in truly dangerous or threatening situations.
It is therefore pretty self explanatory that to be able to rid oneself of these anxiety and panic disorder symptoms effectively, you will need to take a closer look at your brainwave programming and where exactly it is that this programming went wrong.
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.