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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One of the most popular aspects of isochronic tones deals with how they sound. Isochronic tones are used as a means of helping to get brain patterns to synchronize with the sounds. This works through the frequencies of isochronic tones. These tones deal with impacting how the brain works and how it is used to help with releasing important brain chemicals naturally.
Frequencies are used as tones for relaxation among many other things in these isochronic tones. What happens in these tones is that a particular type of frequency is consistently used throughout the entire tone. When it is used as a means of background noise or while relaxing it works to help with changing frequencies that are used in the brain itself. The EEG frequency deals with how thought patterns in the brain work. When this frequency changes as a result of isochronic tones the body will be impacted in different ways.
Many frequencies will be used to help with getting the body to be able to release chemicals from the brain without any voluntary attempts to do it. For instance, endorphins or serotonin can be released through the concentration and relaxation that is involved through certain tones that can be in different intensity levels.
The way that this is done is simple in that the brain will eventually begin to focus on the frequencies heard in these tones for relaxation. The brainwaves will be able to focus on the tones and be able to involuntarily adjust to these tones. This is done as long as the listener hears the tone and does focus on the sound.
Various different types of frequencies are used in these tones for relaxation too. Low octaves can be used for helping to get the brainwaves to be in a more relaxed state so that it will be easier to be able to get the brain to release important chemicals involuntarily. Higher octaves can be used to help with stimulating certain glands in the body including adrenal glands. Some tones will even use two or more frequencies at once. This is more common in spiritual tones that are intended to help with balancing the mind and spirit.
Frequencies of isochronic tones will be important for the listener. These tones deal with the ability of the brain to be able to adjust its brainwaves and to help with releasing important brain chemicals without any attempts to force it. What’s more is that it even works to help with getting the body to relax. These frequencies work to help with making this a simple way to help get the brain to relax and to release important chemicals to improve one’s life.
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.