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.
catholic meditation music | alphabeat
If everyone knew how to stop insomnia, completely, then the world would be a better place. But there are just so many “methods” out there to choose from… some adequately effective, some costly and harmful, and others that are just plain hokey. The first is the most obvious, sleeping pills.

Whether these medications are gotten over the counter or prescribed from a doctor, these chemical based drugs are harmful due to their strong potential for becoming addictive, and their inefficiency after weeks of use when dependency has gained a foothold. The side effects alone can be nothing but trouble. Quick fixes are just not the answer here. There needs to be an effect on the cause, not just a masking of the symptoms.

Other techniques found by those seeking to know how to stop sleeplessness and insomnia include listening to subliminal messages and hypnotic suggestions in audio CDs. These just simply do not work to this end. Hypnosis itself can be quite costly per session, with sequential sessions extending for many months. Of course, listening to audio therapy CDs is a step down the right track.

One type of audio therapy which has had phenomenal and even long-term effects is known as binaural audio therapy. Two nearly similar sets of tones and pulses, in frequencies slightly out-of-sync with each other, are listened to through stereo headphones, one set for each ear. In the processing of these out-of-sync frequencies in the brain, translating it as one signal, the desired brainwave activity occurs which is most conducive to sleep. The only handicap is trying to sleep with headphones on without knocking them off in your sleep and waking up again. This can be uncomfortable, and quite frankly, counterproductive.

The most recent attempt to figure out how to stop sleep deprivation and insomnia has been a breakthrough… the use of isochronic pulses in a therapy known as brain entrainment. These require no stereo headphones, and a regular CD player does the trick. The tones and pulses which are barely audible start and stop rapidly at certain frequencies that speak to the brain in its own language. Inducing brainwaves such as alpha wave activity and others in order to train the brain to resume healthy sleeping patterns, this therapy is the concrete answer to how to stop insomnia.
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.

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.
binaural beats concentration | relaxing yoga music
If all of the world’s pessimism has got you down, you probably could use some help to boost confidence. In order to feel more confident, the subconscious mind has to be rehabilitated to focus on positive beliefs. The easiest and quickest way to do this is with meditation and binaural beats mp3s.

The subconscious mind controls nearly 90% of what we do and think every day. If the beliefs and convictions stored in the subconscious are negative, then that is how we will perceive everything. This agglomeration of gloominess has to be cleaned out and more positive perceptions instilled.

The process of rebuilding the subconscious mind can only take place when brainwave frequencies are in slower and more relaxed ranges. This cannot happen when brainwave frequencies are predominantly in the higher beta range, which is the conscious state and high awareness. The desired frequency ranges are alpha and theta.

Meditation is the best way to get the mind and body into those relaxed regions. If you are meditating on a regular basis, you will be able to open the door to the subconscious and make the necessary improvements in perceptions. When more positive beliefs are installed, the subconscious will tell you how to act and think with more confidence. Now, your subconscious mind will be working for you and not against you.

The problem with meditation is that it can take a lot of practice to be done properly and get the desired results. The technology of binaural beats mp3s makes it easier and quicker to reach those lower meditative regions and stay there long enough to work on the subconscious.

Binaural beats are recordings that are specifically designed with certain frequencies that will help and coax brainwaves into the relaxed and meditative states. All you have to do is put on a set of headphones, put yourself in a comfortable environment, and let the auditory tones do their work. It’s really pretty simple and doesn’t take a long period of instruction or practice to be effective.

Getting a boost in confidence is not a lost cause. You can gain control over your subconscious mind and make it into whatever you want with consistent meditation and sessions of binaural beats mp3s.
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.

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.
relaxing zen music | binaural beats anxiety
If a human body has to act and function well, the mind has to be sound, as the mind is the most crucial part that controls all the actions that a human does. There are many dysfunctions of the mind and even a sound and healthy mind is plagued with negative thoughts that stand in the way of living a good life. Therefore, there are many technologies and techniques that are developed, in order to get rid of these and one such attempt is the brain wave technology.

Scientists after a long and advanced research found how the brain functions and were successful in evolving a technology using sound. Brainwave technology is a completely safe method that does not involve any drugs and has no side effects. While using such audio technology, the brain waves in the brain get aligned with the electrical activity of the recorded sounds.

Brain wave entrainment works in unison with the brain frequency waves and sends affirmation signals to the subconscious mind. Listening to brain wave MP3s revitalizes the mind, soul and spirit. This makes it develop in a more positive manner and think rationally that would be helpful in taking up day to day activities. Brain wave technology also assists in communicating to the subconscious mind and makes it slip into different conscious states, thus helping to heal and rejuvenate through positive message.

The brain wave can be classified into alpha, beta, theta or gamma, depending upon the frequency and accordingly, the mind is said to be in various conscious states. Every state of mind has different result and the outcome will also be varied to both the mind and spirit. For example, alpha state will help to focus attention and creativity; theta state will help to resolve issues related to the soul and spirit. Therefore, brainwave technologies such as the binaural beats, monaurals beats are very effective for those who are caught in various addictions.

Since there is bound to be a great transformation in the mind, while using brain wave entrainment continually, such addictions can be overcome very easily. In addition, brain wave technology is also helpful in calming the mind of those who are affected by mental disorders like ADHD and other mental dysfunctions. There are many brainwave entrainment products available on the net that can be downloaded free of cost.

When consistent use of brain wave technology is administered, it is bound to help an individual to have a relaxed and continual stress free life. It also helps to better health and brain functions. Brain wave technology also helps to clear the mind of anxieties and worries and enable the person to have a more positive look on life. It also helps to improve the longevity of a person and offers more restful sleep. The unresolved mental and emotional blocks will be removed. If a person wants to change life for the better through safe and reliable means and without any side effects, brainwave technology is the best way out. This is just the beginning for utilizing human abilities to become more creative.
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.

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.
body meditation | calm meditation music
I’d like to open your mind up to a centuries-old concept that has begun to spread like wildfire in the western world.

Has it become so interesting to people because they are looking for a lazy way to be productive? I’m not sure of each person’s motives, but I’d like to think that we are defining a productive way to relax. Another way to think of it would be a relaxing way to be productive.

The concept is commonly known as Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Subliminal Messaging, Brainwave Entrainment, or Self Hypnosis. In simple terms, it is us training our mind (usually the subconscious part), with the help of programming tools, so that our mind pays attention to, and works hard for, a specific goal. For example, if I want to manifest more money into my life, I would use one of these tools to train the subconscious part of my mind to work hard for that goal.

Suppose in my youth I learned incorrectly that money was bad, that people who had money were greedy, that money was evil, or worse, that I wasn’t deserving of large amounts of money. That would mean that at that time my mind connected my meaning of money to one of those incorrect understandings. That understanding would then be a core part of my belief system. My entire body would BELIEVE and hold on to the notion that money is bad, and if I get it, I need to get rid of it. Money might come my way, but I would end up caring for it in all of the wrong ways and end up struggling to pay the bills each month.

Because we are all in control of our lives, we get to CHANGE our incorrect programming and create new and correct belief systems with money! Remove the mental money blockages, and money will flow to you like you have never seen before! This is really true, and it’s easy to do.

How do I change my negative money beliefs?!!!!

Take any one of these programming tools and use it for 15 minutes a day! That’s it! Consistency is key, though. You MUST do it every day!

There are MANY out there to chose from, and while I stand completely by what we have created, I suggest at least picking one that you trust. The programs that we have created involve braking down negative beliefs and blockages and then building back up with the correct belief system that creates results.

While you’re driving to work or have a few minutes at home, pick your favorite program, pop in the CD, and watch that part of your life change. I have watched how women shed unwanted weight by changing the belief that they don’t deserve to look beautiful. I have seen relationships mend and have seen families earn an extra $100,000.00 in a year, so I know that this is possible!

For my final thought, picture in your mind that you are sitting in a car on a hill, facing downhill. Like the gravity pulling on a car, you are actually being pulled to your millions! Yes, God/The Universe really WANTS you to have it! You know that because you are living in a time and place where you can have it just as much as the person next to you IF you do what it takes to earn it. The only thing that is KEEPING you from getting to the money you already deserve is YOU. You are holding on to the brakes because of fear! The second you release the brakes, you will FLY to your millions, and it will happen so fast that it will frustrate you that you didn’t do that sooner. No one can be more in control of your life than you. Make the decision to let go of the brakes, and allow your life to change. You deserve every bit of it.
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.

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.
online meditation | binaural waves
I write this article because I do believe in the power of prayer. I have witnessed how prayer and mediation have provided physical and mental healing. Especially nowadays when the world has to go through lots of changes and chaotic situations and when people feel despair or sorrow, I recommend that we turn to prayer in hope it will ease our stress or grief. Why? Because a prayer will be able to make us calm and soothe our spirits, as we will have something to hold on to.

Some of you may have a deep religious faith, hoping prayer will amazingly rescue you in time of hardship or difficulty. In fact, prayer, in one way or another, will heal us spiritually. Prayer together with meditation will effectively improve everyone’s health. You will be surprised that prayer has actually many more benefits. Prayer can actually improve your physical health, which can be scientifically proved. To elaborate, prayer is a kind of meditation, and meditation of any sort can be an invaluable aid in keeping one mentally and physically grounded.

There have been lots of studies by scientists confirming the impact of prayer on the heart and brainwaves. The study results showed that most people who had meditated for years would experience a state of physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Recent scientific and medical studies have evidenced that those with diabetes, cancer, HIV/Aids, showed positive results. Those with diabetes have lower levels of blood sugar after months of moving meditation practices.

Meditation is also helpful for patients with high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. In cancer patients, it resulted in the decrease of white blood cells and cancer cells. Patients with psychosomatic disorders also improved through laughing meditation. Yoga meditation was found helpful for street children and prison inmates. It helped them to reduce the use of drugs, by healing their insomnia, increasing their appetite, and lessening their worries. For patients who suffered from burns, meditation helps them sleep better, boost their spirits, and ease their physical and mental wounds.

Meditation can be interpreted in many ways: it is a religious psychology, a relaxation technique, and a mind-body medicine which has an effect on the human’s psychoneuroimmunology. It is recommended that you should practice how to control and train the five senses – sight, sound, smell, touch and taste – along with body movement, as they will have certain effects on the functions of the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system, immune system, cardiovascular system, and limbic system which control human emotions and behavior.

No one can argue that when our body and mind work in perfect harmony, it will result in the balance of our body and nerve cells. When you pray, you will focus your mind and spirit on an external object such as the changed mantra, or a word/phrase, church music, a peaceful scene or image, a candle, or even a set of pray beads. As a result, you are bridged to inner stillness, and will be moved deeper into the next phase of meditation.

Since you have focused on the words or phrases from a mantra or any object when praying, it will trigger two changes in the nervous system, depending on the speed of praying. If you pray at a fast speed, it will accelerate the function of the sympathetic nervous system which works to speed up the heart. The result of fast prayer will be like that of running, jogging or aerobic exercises. What you’ll get is a substance called beta-endorphin, which promotes a feeling of happiness, but it won’t lead to calmness because in the process, your metabolism is also high.

I recommend that you do it in a slow rhythm so the nerve signals will register at the right part of the brain. In addition to beta-endorphin that creates a sense of happiness, slow praying will relax the central nervous system. When you pray slowly and repeatedly, the process will reduce glutamate acid, which is a workhorse neurotransmitter of the brain, while increasing “Gaba” (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) that helps to control the sensory perception of what’s going on around us. When Gaba increases, your sensory perceptions will be better controlled, and the brain will begin to relax.

Your frustration will be calmed down, and your aggression will weaken. This occurs after you continue praying for 10 minutes. After 15 minutes of praying, the brain will send signals to the body, making cells begin to relax. You will surprisingly feel your worries are eased. At the same time, the parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates responses associated with rest and energy conservation, will function better.

This allows the hypothalamus, which is responsible for maintaining a regulation of blood pressure, heart rate and temperature, to function efficiently. It will make you a calmer while stimulating the secretion of several neurotransmitters and pituitary hormones. These include serotonin which works to ease stress and acetylcholine that boosts short-term memory, thus causing you to have good consciousness. Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin, a miracle hormone that works like an elixir. It helps human cells live longer and induces a fair, glowing complexion.

The hypothalamus will also inhibit the production of a hormone called dopamine which helps for the healing of Parkinson’s disease and arginine vasopressin that regulates the kidneys’ function. At the same time, it reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol, thus boosting a person’s immunity, and decreases the production of adrenalin and noradrenalin, helping to slow the cardiac function. As a result, cardiac patients will have relaxed muscles and become less tired. When you continue praying for 20-30 minutes, free-radicals will also be excreted from cell membranes. If you pray with the right method, your muscles will relax, you will breathe slowly and your heart beat will slow. The waste in your body cells will be released.

However, praying for healing is, to a certain degree, different from praying for religious faith. In religious prayer, you chant several long mantras for the worship of a god or the sacred deities. But to pray for healing, the mantra should be cut short and recited repeatedly. The chanting mantra can be compared to music therapy in a way that they carry short and repeated phrases. Yet music therapy works slower than praying, because the signal that gets into your ear will work more slowly than the one registered through your speech. Also, note that not every prayer will get all those beneficial substances and hormones. If you are interrupted in the middle of the prayer, you can’t obtain the full benefit.

In sum, prayer is a kind of still meditation, yet moving meditation gives better result. When you pray, it involves three functions – the mouth when you chant, ear as you hear the chanting, and eyes are closed. But in moving meditation, you will have to control more of your functions. The more you can control them, the better you can balance your mind and body.
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.

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.
childrens meditation music | relaxing music cd
I would say that 95% of beginners who attempt to astral project give up before ever experiencing a successful separation. Most people don’t realize the time or patience that it takes to master this technique. The good thing is that it’s like riding a bike – once you learn how to do it you never forget and it becomes easier each time. By preparing yourself beforehand and learning about the tools that exist to guide you on your journey, you can dramatically reduce the time it takes and increase your chances of success.

What is Astral Projection

If you are just beginning to learn about projecting then you may be a bit confused about what exactly it is. This is not some advance form of lucid dreaming as many people who have never experienced it claim but a real experience with real encounters in a real place. It is the practice of shifting your conscious awareness from your physical body to your astral body where you are then able to explore new realms of existence.

The astral plane is the spiritual realm that exists beyond the perception of the physical senses. It is the place where spirits, entities, guides, and angels exist. It’s also the place where people go once they pass on from this life to the next. There are higher and lower vibrational levels that exist in this plane and this can be what most people refer to as heaven and hell. In the higher levels you will find angels and feel a sense of complete euphoric joy. At the lower levels low vibrating entities such as what most people refer to as demons and other non-friendly spirits exist.

What are the Benefits of Astral Projecting

The benefits of learning this technique far outweighs the trouble beginners face. Whatever your reason for learning this skill keep it fresh in your mind at all times to keep you motivated and persistent. Here are just a few of the benefits of this amazing phenomenon:

Proof of Life After Death – there is no greater feeling than being comforted by immortality. This is the only way to truly know and prove that once you move on from this life you will continue to exist.

Personal and Spiritual Growth – not only can we communicate directly with our spirit guides who can teach us an extraordinary amount of things, this technique is the best way to accelerate our personal and spiritual development.

Expanding our Perceptional Awareness – We become aware of the true reality that exists around us. This allows us to see who we truly are as human beings and discover our true purpose in this life.

Increase in Knowledge – the spiritual realm is the place where all knowledge exist – past, present, and future. The amount of information you can tap into is limitless.

Are There Any Dangers with Astral Projection

When beginners first experience the separation process it can be very frightening. Rest assured, it is completely safe and natural. You may have heard many myths surrounding this as it’s still a relatively unknown concept. Some of these myths include not being able to come back to your body once you separate, spirits being able to possess your body, attracting negative entities, and even death. Only one of these myths are actually true.

It is possible to attract negative entities that feed off your energy. Of course you can do this in the physical too but this is all up to you and what doors you want to open. Just as you wouldn’t go into bad neighborhoods at night or pray to and worship negative entities, you shouldn’t go near those areas or try to communicate with them in the astral. As long as you stay away from them they will stay away from you. If you do happen to run into one while projecting then just ask your spirit guides or angels to protect you and you will have nothing to worry about.

How to Astral Project for Beginners

Now that you know the basics it’s time to learn how to successfully separate. Preparation, knowledge, dedication, drive, and the tools used will all determine how much time it will take before experiencing your first successful session. If someone is determined and practices enough then it can take no longer than a couple of days. On average it will take a couple weeks to learn if you implement all the right strategies, but if not it can take many months usually resulting in the beginner giving up. Before attempting any of the techniques be prepared to set aside at least 15 minutes a day to practice. How much time you spend is up to you but this will determine how quickly you learn.

Hypnagogic State – This is state of consciousness we must enter before astral projection will occur. This is when the mind is fully awake yet the body is completely asleep. It’s a self-induced form of sleep paralysis. Reaching this state will be the hardest thing to accomplish when you are trying to separate. Once you can get to this state and learn to stay in it, separating from your body will be extremely easy.

Extremely advanced meditators can reach this state quite simple but this takes years of practice and a daily meditation routine. There are many breathing and energy exercises out there that work great, but again, these can take some time. If you are serious about learning how to astral project quickly then the only way to do so is by using special tools such as binaural beats. These tools greatly increase your chances of separating while dramatically shortening the time it takes to learn.

Binaural Beats – This is a form of brainwave entrainment that influences your brainwave frequencies to reach desired states of consciousness on demand. By using astral projection binaural beats, they will bring you down to the hypnagogic state very quickly and keep you there where you will then be able to initiate the separation process. For these to work properly you must wear headphones. When practicing, lie down, relax, and focus on the sounds of the recording. Do not try any separation techniques until you have fully reached the hypnagogic state.

How do you know when you have reached the hypnagogic state? Basically your body will feel completely numb. You won’t be able to move it at all and you will feel tingling vibrations throughout your entire body. It’s kind of like the feeling you get when your arm falls asleep except for it’s completely painless. You may hear a slight buzzing noise in your ears or other foreign sounds that people refer to as astral static. Most beginners pay too much attention to these vibrations and sounds which usually snaps them out of this state. Try to ignore them and stay focused on separating.

Initiating the Separation Process – Now for the fun part. Your first couple of times you will inevitably fail. Most beginners don’t realize just how intense it can feel. Fear combined with not knowing what to expect, and the excitement of knowing your about to astral project for the first time will definitely snap you out of it. Just remember to stay calm and don’t get frustrated. Patience is a virtue.

When in the hypnagogic state you will most likely be able to lift your astral legs and arms quite easily. The head will be the hardest as it has the strongest physical attachment. Implementing the basic techniques below, you will be able to successful separate with a little practice.

Roll Out Technique – Take your astral body and act as if you’re rolling out of bed. Many beginners make the mistake of physically rolling out of bed stopping the entire process. Make sure not to attempt any physical exertion but to mentally roll out.

The Rope Technique – Probably the most successful and easy method to implement. Some people like to actually hang a piece of string from the ceiling for a reference point but this is not necessary. Imagine that there is a rope hanging down in front of you. Grab it with your astral arms and use it to pull yourself out.

Visualization – The hardest to learn, but once mastered, it’s the most effective. It also depends on how good of an imagination you have. You basically imagine you’re standing about 5 feet away from your body. Observe the room with as much detail as possible from the perspective of this position. If you can do it long enough with enough details, your astral body will separate to that point.

Light as A Feather – Imagine that your astral body is as light as a feather. As you feel yourself getting lighter you can basically float right out.

Will Power – Not for beginners but with enough practice you will basically be able to will yourself out of your body.

Controlling Your Astral Body for Beginners

Once you have successfully separated you will now be in a new realm with new laws that are different from the physical. You will have to take baby steps to learn how to control your astral body. The first thing you will want to do is get as far away from your physical body as possible. Your physical body has a strong connection and it’s very easy to get pulled back in, especially at first when your astral muscles are still very weak.

Exploring the astral at first may feel like you are drunk. It’s confusing, you get disoriented easily, your vision can be blurry or completely gone, your experiences may not be what you were expecting, and it’s hard to move where you want to go. This is where you must learn the power of your mind. The astral plane is a much higher vibrational realm than the more dense earth realm. Just like the physical, your thoughts create your reality, only at a much quicker rate.

With these basic techniques any beginner will be able to astral project as long as they spend the time to practice.
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.

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.
brainsync | tm meditation
I would love to conduct a world-wide survey and ask everyone the same question: if you had the ability, where would you astral project to? I can’t even imagine the range of answers I’d receive, as I know how different people are (not to mention imaginative!). The problem conducting my little survey would be that of people either not believing astral projection is possible, or those that believe it’s possible but not for them. I can’t say this topic is for everyone; some people experience results and journeys while lucid dreaming and are fulfilled by that alone.

Now in order to astral project to anywhere, you have to travel on the astral plane and this is where the brain comes in. There are frequencies the brain can hear that the ears cannot; sounds odd I know, but it’s true. Knowing this, some researchers set out to identify the frequencies that trigger our brains in various ways (auditory). Binaural recordings, as long as done with differentiated tones (like Brainwave Entertainments’) for each ear, have a high success rate in helping people astral project to wherever they desire. Of course, practice is needed to sharpen any ability and it certainly applies here.

I would astral project to so many places if my abilities allowed me to. I can’t wait to find the time to practice astral projection; I’m one of those people I mentioned earlier, who is happy with lucid dreaming (sometimes it feels like astral projection). No matter where you’d go know that there are others like you that love talking about these subjects and a lot of people find help by joining social groups focused on these abilities (metaphysical ones). It took some time before I found any local groups by my home, but I also live in a rural area – point being, don’t give up if you’re looking for like-minded people; just look a little harder.
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.

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.
binaural beats high | beta brain waves
I will attempt to answer the question why do people dream. However, this is far from an easy query to address. This question has been pondered for centuries and yet we still ask – why do people dream?

There’s differing views that attempt to answer the question “why do people dream?”

There are several scientific and mystical theories as to why people dream but the truth is we really don’t know for sure.

A typical dictionary definition of dreams, which should therefore answer the question why do people dream, says that dreams are images and ideas that happen involuntarily in the mind of the sleeper. I would add that not all dreams are of an involuntary nature. In fact some dreams can be induced and controlled. This is something I will return to later in this article!

Psycho-analysts are fascinated with dreams. Sigmund Freud asked the question why do people dream and viewed dreams, in his psychoanalytic model, as repressed or suppressed desires which people hide from themselves in the waking state. These desires then surface during the sleep state.

Freud believed that such unexpressed wants were symbolically represented in the dream state in order that a person could express them in a safe way.

There are mystical schools of thought that suggest dreams are your entrance to other worlds or links to past lives!

Many different ancient cultures have tended to have different views and tackled the question why do people dream in different ways. For instance, Aborigines, have very different views. They believe that the dream state is actually reality and when they are awake they are experiencing an illusion.

Why do people dream is a very difficult question to answer I’m afraid to say.

We do know that a dream happens when someone goes into a deep sleep where the brain displays theta brainwaves. The conscious mind may remain inactive during sleep but the subconscious mind is far from inactive. During dreams a person will show this by displaying REM or rapid eye movement.

So why do you have dreams?

Fundamentally dreams are concepts that get expressed while sleeping. Dreams can show structure or show chaos. If you hold true to the Freudian explanation of dreaming and his answer to why dreams occur then you can work out what they mean with a good dream analysis book.

Whatever the answer is to why do people dream you should also be aware of another special type of dream that is voluntary. I am, of course, talking about lucid dreams. Some people can deliberately wake-up in their dreams. When this happens it is a relatively simple task to control the dream and change it into anything you want. This is a fantasy experience and feels like real life. You can transform anyone, experience or any thing and go wherever you want. What’s more research shows that anyone can learn how to do it!

Why do people dream? Hopefully I have given you some intellectual food for thought and hopefully you will continue to ask yourself why you dream until you get an answer that satisfies 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.

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.
meditation music | meditation training
I was recently back in Joshua Tree, California, for the 7th Annual Joshua Tree Music Festival, where I have participated as a volunteer since the first one of these fantastic music festivals. I was excited to hear that Jef Stott would be performing twice at the event. First was his performance with his group the Embarka Sound Project, and then the next day he performed with Jossi Fine, an incredible bass player and World Musician himself. Both shows were amazing, blending sounds of the Middle East and West. Jef is a true World musician, and while the Oud is his main “axe”, he can tear it up on several instruments. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Jef after the second show. I found his story fascinating. He has a very diverse background in music, being a musical anthropologist, and has collaborated with and produced many talented musicians.

We had a short interview. Here is Part One:

>I’m here with Producer/Composer Jef Stott, who just finished a great set with Yossi Fine. You also performed last night with the Embarka Sound System with Hooman. What’s it like performing with and producing artists with such different styles and backgrounds?

“Well, for me performing with artists from around the world is what I am all about. Each person brings with them a sensitivity and orientation to their culture that is expressed through their music. You can learn a lot about someone and their heritage by playing with them. Even people from different regions within the same county have different takes on the same melody. Regional differences instead of national ones, smaller more subtle shifts. Plus most lines on maps are arbitrary anyway. Also there is the concept of time, many people from different areas are playing music that is a key or a doorway into a different way of life. One when we were not so rushed and multitasking all the time. Often I will look up from a nice long jam session and like 3 or 4 hours have passed and it seemed 45 minutes. And to bring it full circle, I feel like this music is looking to the future, where new combinations are tried out to see what fits. The global fusion music movement is the future forward music, where folks from around the world are going to start pushing back with really hot beats and these ancient gorgeous melodies. we are already seeing it now in India, Brazil Egypt etc…makes the blues or rock and roll seem pretty flat.”

>What is your musical background? What instruments have you studied/ play?

“I started playing acoustic guitar in junior high. Moved quickly onto the electric and became a lead guitarist in heavy metal bands by the time I was 15. I was playing rock clubs in LA when I was a teenager. Then discovered Eno, Peter Gabriel, the Clash and the whole world music explosion that happened in the 80’s. Then after a while discovered the oud, became sort of a sufi for a while, moved to SF, put out a bunch of albums, got a couple of degrees and here we are. Now I can say I play the following- string instruments acoustic/electric guitar, bass, oud, saz, cumbus, yali tambur (turkish), santoor/hammered dulcimer (persian) mandolin, banjo etc percussion all arabic percussion- darbuka, riqq, tarr, bendir daff (Iran) drum kit djembe conga etc. I’m a decent keyboard player and I also play harmonium and melodica in the dub jams.”

>How did last year’s release of Saracen change things for you as far as your overall exposure? I imagine the world tour was amazing?

“Yes definitely. Signing on with Six degrees has been a goal of mine for many years. I approached them back on ’99 with the Stellamara project, of which I was a founder, and we were in negotiations and things got weird with the band internally and we all split up for a while. But I maintained my connection with the Label and here we are 10 years later… So Six Degrees really put me on the map and I am grateful. The experiences I have had in the past 2 years have been a dream, sharing the stage with some of my heroes, Gaudi, Makyo, Karsh, Cheb I Sabbah etc…I feel like I am a peer of these artists now and it feels good. The dates in Miami and Tokyo, Vancouver, Taipei, all of it has been amazing. So many stories…”

>You have an incredible depth in your knowledge of music, Jef, having studied it anthropologically, as well as having collaborated and produced so many great musicians, such as Yossi right here at Joshua Tree Music Festival. How has the Global Electronica movement grown? Do you think its growing in popularity in the States?

“I think it is slowly moving forward, but the US is pretty insular and self centered, it is a rock town, electronica is still marginalized although I have heard rumors that disco is going to take over hip hop in the coming years… Folks don’t know how to process this music sometimes. the rest of the world is so interconnected. I mean France and Morocco are neighbors right? The flow is more fluid else where, here it is this big corporate umbrella called America. That is why I moved to San Francisco from L.A. where I was born, I wanted more connectivity on a street level I think the movement is growing,. many of the best producers live here, ickodemus, Zeb, Chehab etc…but there is not that much work for us. We have to travel constantly to stay busy. The festival circuit is really growing and that is great. I heard the line up at J Tree Fest was really global this year, and that is a good thing. Also the global music is really well suited to outdoor festivals as it carries with it a built in sense of festival purpose and ritual. The origins of all this fusion music is rooted in street parties and ceremonies from around the world, so the purpose of the music is in line with the aim of many people who come out to a festival like Joshua Tree, to reconnect with the earth, the people, the spirits.”

>What are your plans for the future (musically)?

“Well, I am just now finishing up a masters degree in multimedia and that has kept me pretty busy for the last 6 months or so. Our thesis project is a biofeedback installation using brainwaves and biosensors to control audio/visual media. There is a website up that has more info at subtlebody.info I am actually really itching to get back in the studio and write new material. I feel like I am at one of those nodes where everything begins again, the cycle is complete. That is when you say “what the @#$% am I gonna do now?” The material on Saracen was stuff I had been playing live for a while and I am really ready for new stuff. I think the next batch of tracks in gonna be on the deeper side and not so concerned with following the BPM or DJ trends of the moment. Things are so fickle that way. This approach may cost me some gigs, but I need to be true to myself and work with what ever comes out So it looking like more lush deep soundscapes with strong beats and deep melodies, which all sounds good to me.”

BIOGRAPHY

“Jef Stott’s first full-length offers a powerhouse mix of electronic and Middle Eastern music that hits on all cylinders. Not only does Stott know his Middle Eastern music, he’s an outstanding producer and musician, with respect for what’s before him.”

-From BILLBOARD Magazine

Currently signed to Six Degrees Records, Jef is releasing SARACEN, his full length debut solo album in Spring 2008. His sound is a powerful fusion of the traditions of the Middle East with breaks, dub and electro. As a producer performer and composer, he has released albums with Stellamara, Lumin, the debut from young Arabic rock/electronica sensation MC RAI as well as several remixes including Azam Ali, Cemali, Atash, among others. He toured extensively with appearances in Japan, Canada Turkey, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. As a musical anthropologist, he has studied with master musicians from Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iran and Turkey which led him to become accomplished on several traditional stringed and percussion instruments of the Middle East. His work has been released on several record labels including Universal,EMI, Six Degrees, Hearts of Space, Triloka and City of Tribes.” Jef lives and works in San Francisco, California. Learn more about Jef Stott at http://www.jefstott.com.
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.

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.
theta state | binaural beats headphones
I was diagnosed with severe and clinical depression in 1991 and prescribed the antidepressant medication, Imipramine. Imipramine is a tricyclic which is a selectivenorepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSNI) and, to a lesser extent, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The theory is that a major cause of clinical depression is an insufficient amount of one or more neurotransmitters floating freely in the brain, serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine.

I say theory, because, as far as I know, no one has ever been able to measure the amount of free-floating neurotransmitters in a live human brain in order to determine a baseline and from that determine whether or not a person suffering from clinical depression is lacking a sufficient amount of one or more of the neurotransmitters. So, doctors and pharmaceutical companies have been experimenting for years. They’ve been using clinical depressed people as guinea pigs. They design medication that blocks these neurotransmitters from binding with neuroreceptors, thereby keeping them floating in the brain and then say to us, “Try this; see if it works.”

Well, their ‘studies” say that it does. For some people. But not for all. Then they say, “Try this one and see if it works.” And for some that seems to work. However, recent studies have shown that earlier studies were probably flawed. Any given medication seems to work for about 1/3 of the subjects. Trying a second or a third medication brings this up to about 50%. But, half to two thirds of those reporting a significant positive effect also report the same when given a placebo (sugar pill). So, at best, anti-depressant medications help about 25% of those suffering from clinical depression and probably only about 10%, those who suffer from the most severe cases of depression.

But what the heck, right? May as well give it a shot. Except for the side-effects. Every single anti-depressant that I’ve tried has had side-effects. Some are bearable, such as dry mouth, and some are just plain unacceptable, especially if the anti-depressant effects are not helping, especially if a placebo would help you just as much.

Since I was first prescribed Imipramine, I have tried many different anti-depressant medications. Some have seemed to help a little in the sense that they have prevented the “feeling of dread” that permeated my every waking moment (and my dreams as well), but none have ever given me a sense of overall well-being.

Every single one of them have had side-effects; at least one side-effect for each med was intolerable. The first med I tried was Imipramine. In one sense, it was a godsend because it allowed me to sleep. One of my major symptoms was that I would toss and turn for hours and hours, never actually falling into a deep sleep. Then I would be tired during the day, sometimes getting a little sleep but most often continuing to toss and turn. Almost immediately Imipramine allowed me to sleep at night.

But what were the side effects? First of all, I put on a ton of weight, most of it around my midriff. That wouldn’t have been so bad if it had been spread out as I was always skinny but it concentrated around my stomach and I doubt that anything looks worse than a skinny man with a huge gut. Not to me anyway. Secondly, I noticed that I had a constant low-grade pain syndrome in pretty much every part of my body. It appears that Imipramine caused me to come down with a case of fibromyalgia. When I eventually stopped taking Imipramine, this disappeared. And, thirdly, the most devastating side-effect of them all (for me at least): it caused erectile dysfunction. At the time I was still a fairly young man (40s) associating with a number of lovely young college coeds and that side effect was destroying my social life. Absolutely unacceptable!

So I tried other anti-depressants. I tried Prozac. This induced a murderous rage in me. I’d sit in front of the TV watching the news and want to jump inside the TV and beat the hell out of someone who was ‘offending” me. I tried Wellbutrin which caused me to come down with a serious case of the tremors and made me feel as though I was about to have a heart attack or a stroke. I tried a lot of medications that seemed to have no effect at all, including no serious side-effect so I can’t tell you which of these did what. Among these were Effexor, Paxil, Zoloft, and Cymbalta.

And then I was prescribed Celexa. This seemed to work pretty well with no serious side-effects. Later, when it first came out, I was prescribed with Lexapro, which seemed to work even better. For a while. After a time, I began to oversleep. I used to sleep an average of 7 ½ hours a day. After taking Celexa and then Lexapro for a while, I couldn’t get up with any less than 9 hours sleep. Then I’d get tired after a few hours of being up and need a 2-3 hour nap. When I got a new insurance provider, they wouldn’t pay for Lexapro and so I was prescribed a generic version of Celexa and my sleeping problem got even worse. Some days I was so sleepy I’d stay in bed all day and all night. It took me about a year to make the connection as I had moved to a much higher altitude and thought that might be the problem.

I had gone to my mental health provider about my sleeping problem and he suggested that we might add Wellbutrin to my prescriptions because it tended to energize people. As I mentioned above, this caused serious side effects so I quit taking it. I was also so fed up with the ineffectiveness of pharmaceuticals as well as side effects that I decided to wean myself off Celexa a well.

Miracle! After about 10 days of decreasing the dosage of Celexa, I started getting up after 7 ½ hours. I still needed a nap in the middle of the day but only for about 40 minutes. So now I’m free of the side-effects of anti-depressant medication but what am I to do about the depression?

So I’m free of anti-depressant medications after almost twenty years. Free of the side-effects that have negatively impacted my life. But I’m still clinically depressed. That negatively impacts my life as well. So do I have to trade the drowsiness that Celexa causes which makes me sleep all day for the intense agony that deep depression causes in me? Fortunately not. There is another way. And it’s been working for me.

While searching on the Internet for information of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (I’m a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist), I ran across a site than markets brainwave training software. (This software is not only for relieving clinical depression; that’s just one of over 20 issues it addresses).

Research indicates that imbalances in the amplitude, the strength, of specific brainwaves can be a cause for depression. Not for everybody; but for some. There are three specific imbalances that have been identified:

1: Low levels of Alpha and Theta brainwaves. This tends to cause insomnia in people as well as anxiety.

2. Low levels of Beta. This tends to cause lethargy in people. Being tired all the time. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

3. An imbalance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. A dominating right brain causes people to be overly emotional, taking events too seriously, which can lead to depression.

There’s quite a lot of peer-reviewed studied available about this phenomenon. I’d like to quote some of that for you but the rules here at Ezine @rticles limit the amount of other people’s works that can be quoted. If you’d like a list of books and peer-reviewed articles to read, send me an email and I’ll send that list to 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.