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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We often hear the term “depression” in our daily conversations. The word is used either to describe the sense of feeling or the illness. People are more self conscious and health conscious now, and understand the severity and impact of depression on one’s life. This awareness has also contributed to the understanding that the illness is not one to be taken lightly nor cured easily with medication.
Understanding depression
Clinically the word “depression” defines a spectrum of psychological conditions which is characterized by decrease in mood, affect and other symptoms. Based on the severity of the illness, an individual’s daily functioning is impaired.
In order to treat an individual with depression, it is essential to evaluate the underlying cause of the illness. However this is complicated, as variety of factors may have contributed to the sickness. The factors may be psycho-social, neurological in nature or even hereditary. The individual may have faced a traumatic event like the death of a loved one or marital discord that might have led him to feel depressed.
It is for this very reason that the individual is taught strategies and various coping skills to understand their trigger factors, to control their outside environment and master their inner self.
BRAINWAVE ENTRAINMENT FOR DEPRESSION
The health sector is teeming with technologies, therapies and medications to combat the various diseases around us. One such development is the finding that brainwave entrainment can help an individual with depression.
After listening to the track frequently, one immediate benefit is the increased secretion of stimulatory chemicals like serotonin by the brain. These chemicals enhance an individual’s mood and the person feels happy. The brainwave entrainment track also causes the brain to generate alpha, theta and delta waves, which induces a state of deep relaxation in the people, who have decided to turn to this technology.
However the primary effect of the brainwave entrainment track is that it forms a bridge between one’s conscious and subconscious mind. This way an individual will gain insight about the causes of his depression and can work towards freeing his issues. This is similar to the benefits reaped by an individual who has had 10 years experience meditating. The difference is with brainwave entrainment; all you need is to listen to the track.
Therefore, brainwave entrainment can be considered as a holistic treatment for depression, as it provides relief neurologically, psychologically and allows the person to achieve a state of free thinking.
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.