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.
silent music for meditation | meditation and brain waves
For hundreds of years hypnosis has been used a medical aid and for pain relieve. Although it suffered a loss of credibility with the dawning of the scientific age it is science that is now once again reviving it!
Although for decades hypnosis was judged to be a stage act and only good for entertainment purposes it has now become a valid medical practice in most western countries. You can get hypnosis sessions free in the UK through their medical National Health Service and they use it to treat migraines, warts, asthma, IBS and other symptoms. They have also used hypnosis as an aesthetic during surgery. American researchers discovered that out of those who used hypnosis to quit smoking more than half were successful. In France hypnosis has been used to lower blood pressure.
Hypnosis has had much bad press over the years mostly due to Films, the media and television. When hypnosis is involved in a film plot it is rarely for good causes. Films such as the Manchurian Candidate, with its plot involving brain-washing, have done a lot of damage to the reputation of hypnosis. This has lead many people to believe that it can be used covertly as a tool for destruction whether that is, self destruction or the harm of another. Hypnosis cannot make a person commit a crime or go against their morale judgements or values at any time!
However, hypnosis can be used as a powerful and quick method for self change. As long as the subject is willing, almost any change is possible through the use of hypnosis.
Exactly how hypnosis works is not known at this time. However, the effects but psychological and physiological can be measured. Hypnosis creates a state of profound relaxation of mind and body while creating a mental state of heightened alertness and focus – called trance.
Hypnosis is a natural state that everyone experiences throughout their daily lives. When you read a good book, watch a movie that captures your attention, listen to an inspiring piece of music or just wander off into a day dream you are experiencing a form of trance.
While under the influence of hypnosis there are very real and measurable brainwave changes with corresponded changes in the body. A hypnotic state will change our everyday brainwaves form Beta to Alpha. Alpha is a state of relaxed focused attention and it during this state that impressions, suggestions or commands can be passed directly to the subconscious part of the mind. The hypnosis Alpha state also gives access to the subconscious mind and its vast storehouse of information. This makes hypnosis an excellent tool for psychological change and healing.
As the subconscious mind is responsible for the running of the body, its immune system and its healing this means hypnosis is a very powerful way of not only healing psychological wounds but also physical ones!
Harvard Medical School found in their researches that broken bones and surgical wounds heal at a faster rate in patients who undergo therapeutic hypnosis. Hypnotic subjects with broken bones proved to heal 3 weeks faster than those who received no hypnosis. In addition they had less inflammation, less pain and less scaring as a result of post-hypnotic suggestions!
Hypnosis has also been successfully used to treat psychological disorders due to its ability to reach deep-seated, emotional issues situated in the subconscious mind. As far back as 1958, The American Medical Association had approved hypnosis as a form of therapy – hypnotherapy. In 1961 the American Psychiatric Association followed suit.
Hypnosis is frequently used as a treatment for many different psychological symptoms such as depression, phobias, negative thinking and anxiety. It has also become a very popular self improvement tool because of its unique and efficient way of removing negative beliefs, thoughts and emotions and replacing them with positive ones. Its ability to program the mind with a goal has proved to be an extremely powerful way for achieving success.
As we progress in the age of technology and our scientific advances continue at an alarming rate we can only guess as to what else Hypnosis can do.
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.