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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The brain consists of billions of brain cells known as neurons. These neurons “talk to each other” using electrical signals. The resulting electrical activity caused by all the neurons sending signals to each other is commonly referred to as a “brainwave pattern” since it looks like a wave.
Scientists have discovered that the different brainwave patterns correspond to different mental states. For example, the brainwave patterns of an excited person will be different from those of a calm person. Likewise, the brainwave patterns of a person with a specific health problem such as high blood pressure, will be different than those of a healthy person not experiencing such a condition.
Furthermore, research has proven that a person’s brainwave patterns can be changed from one state to another. By producing the desired brainwave frequencies, a person’s emotional and mental state can therefore be influenced. You can induce a calm state. You can induce an excited state.
So how exactly is this done? This is where the principle of “entrainment” comes in. Entrainment in physics terms is where electrical systems and cycles “synchronize” naturally with each other to run more efficiently. As an example, if you were to place two pendulums side by side, both swinging randomly, you will notice that by the end of the day, they will both swing exactly the same way and at the same frequency.
While entrainment has for years been used in astronomy, physics, chemistry, and other electrical processes, the most exciting breakthrough yet is its application to the brain – brainwave patterns can be altered.
It is now known that many of our brain’s electrical systems work the exact same way as in the pendulum example given above. You will notice that when you spend many hours in the same room with a certain individual, your brainwave patterns become similar to the other person’s and your thoughts and behaviours start to match each other. This is a very common example of one brain being “entrained” by another that is nearby. There are many more examples of this in our everyday lives, but the important thing is that “entrainment” is a powerful force that has the ability to not only affect your behaviour, but also your physical body as well.
One way of doing this is by using sound. When the brain “hears” a consistent and repeating sound pattern, it automatically “synchronizes” or “entrains” its electrical patterns to match the sound that it’s hearing. In this way, we are able to effectively alter a person’s brainwave pattern and “state” by choosing the “sounds” that the brain hears. This discovery truly is an important breakthrough and one that will forever change the way many current problems are approached.
And that is Mind Optimization Science 101 đ
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 brainâs âfrequency followingâ response, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given beat.
This âfrequency followingâ 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 âentrainâ 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, âmind-trippingâ, 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 personâs starting position, entrainment can be rather âhit and missâ.
If brainwave entrainment leaves you with unwanted side-effects (see below) or discomfort, youâre 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 brainâs strengths and weaknesses are, and see what (if any) brainwaves could use some encouragement.