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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Is this possible? Yes most certainly, but like most things, you need to have the right conditions. Mozart for example, wrote symphonies at the age of nine. Sure, he was undoubtedly born with some predisposed talent for music, but that is not the issue under discussion. What we want to look at is how therapeutic his music is, as our first example. Much research has been done, suggesting a possible improvement in emotions such as depression and relaxation. Also, some speculation and testing to show temporary improvement in mental spatial skills, has given more therapeutic benefits for his music. Then of course, is also the state of Mozart’s mind, which we can only speculate must have been well balanced to produce such incredible music masterpieces. This “Mozart effect” still has many people convinced that his music has useful health benefits.
In the seventies, and even today, there are still people and companies espousing the ultimate virtues of Alpha level music. This is certainly mildly relaxing, but that’s about it, for science has progressed considerably, especially in the area of electronic monitoring. It is amazing how many people think they are relaxed, when skin resistance, brainwave monitoring, and blood pressure readings will indicate otherwise. Just a half hour drive to work in peak hour traffic, will raise your blood pressure and your G.P.’s eyebrows. We are living in a stimuli saturated environment, all chipping away at our balanced mental and emotional state.
Most living organisms love music, even plants. Some research, using four different sound stimuli, were conducted to see the effect on plant growth. Three were music pieces — rock, classical, and heavy metal. They all gave similar plant growths, in their respective glass houses. The fourth sound stimuli was a recording of angry talking. This produced significantly less plant growth than the music ones. We would assume that the plants did not have any music preference, or needed any placebo testing.
Is there any way of knowing which type of music is beneficial for motivation? It can’t be just relaxation music, because we can be lying around relaxed for hours, but totally unmotivated. There is an enormous range of music CD’s on the market that claim many specific benefits. Some are for relaxation, some for mental alertness, others for many other individual applications. Most have little or no scientific proof, apart from mentioning names of people or institutions. A very few do actually give print outs of brainwave recordings, to indicate the effect for example of a particular music on say, stress.
I have yet to see a music CD ( apart from our own ), being marketed specifically to “balance” a person. This can only be scientifically verified, by showing brainwave patterns on a monitor, balancing out as you start listening to the “balancing” music. What does this mean?
It means that you don’t have extremely high Beta brainwaves, while the others are low, indicating a high stress level. Or very high Delta brainwaves, and Beta ones low, indicating high sensitivity and lateral thinking, but presenting as ADHD. Or very low Alpha and Theta brainwaves, possibly indicating poor memory retention, because there is little connection between Beta and Delta.
So without scientific brainwave monitoring of what the music is doing, there can not be any proof of its balancing effects, if there are any. True balancing music will neutralise dyslexia, and reverse ADHD, as soon as you start hearing it.
As far as motivation goes, seeing balanced brainwaves from listening to balancing music, is a start. Then it becomes more subjective, because it is up to the individual to decide if they are then more motivated.
If, however, you listen to true balancing music for an extended time of say, two hours – then you will find extremely high and equal levels of Delta and Beta. This indicates a profound lateral thinking state, at the same time as a very high state of mental processing abilities. This is an extremely rare condition, except in elite professionals, such as in sports, science, performing arts, and of course, healing gurus.
To be in such a heightened balanced state, ( whether it occurs in five minutes, or a couple of hours ), must certainly be conducive to being motivated. The reason being, that you are in a heightened state of deep relaxation, lateral thinking, and mental arousal, and will automatically be stimulated to think and act. You are motivated.
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.