Stress Management by Brainwave Entrainment

By Cerise Demers


There is a neuro-scientific technology available today, that has been used successfully by the medical-scientific community for over the past 70 years, in the area of healing, and it is called brainwave entrainment.This neuro-technological tool, is specifically designed, portable, convenient, and very effective in the areas of self-healing, cognitive function improvement, augmentation with traditional psychological therapies, the stimulation of hormones and pain relievers, and the enhancement of relaxation, making it the panacea for today's stressed-out, busy lifestyle.

Stress is the product of a body's unfavorable and undesirable responses to the said stimuli that keep on accumulating in the subconscious mind. These responses exhibit themselves in our behavior at an unexpected moment in the unforeseeable future and become the source of further generation of negativity in our subconscious psyche.In addition to the unintentional collection of negative influences in our psyche, most people tend to intensify the effect by intentionally suppressing their emotions based on the idea that expression of emotions is a weakness and is frowned upon in our current societal paradigm. As a result, a profound effect is produced leading to an overstressed life.So what can be the remedy for this prevailing predicament? Based on the described phenomena, latest technological advancement has led us to tackle the problem directly at its root i.e. the subconscious mind.Brainwave entrainment is a technique that can be used to soothe the subconscious mind and neurological activity going on in form of brainwaves. Beta brainwaves have highest wave frequency and usual daily activities including mental and physical activities and interactions occur in beta state. Whenever high magnitudes of beta frequencies are detected, it represent state of restlessness and stress and at significantly higher electrical activity in brain, the frenzied beta brainwaves cause distracted and inattentive state of mind which requires to be mellowed down to lower frequency ranges of alpha or theta for a relaxed consciousness.The easiest way to lower the electrical frequency of the brain from beta to alpha and theta state is meditation with closed eyes and deep breathing. But it can also be achieved quickly by synchronizing brainwaves through external stimuli of beats and pulses of light or sound through Frequency Following Response (FFR) of brain. The FFR causes our natural disturbed brainwaves to lower down and synch up harmoniously producing a sense of relief,tranquility and relaxation. Thus, brainwave entrainment makes it easy to be stress free with no efforts except listening to entrainment audio for half an hour a day. A must try for every stressed soul!

You know what music is? God's little reminder that there's something else besides us in this universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, every where, even the stars...The music is all around you, all you have to do is listen." All physical matter is in a state of vibration. Most of us don't perceive the vibratory reality of the universe, or hear the sound. But it is there nonetheless. Those who have perceived this vibratory reality have called it by various names. Some call this primordial music of the universe the "music of the spheres". Some call it "Aum" or "Om" and try to align themselves with it by years of meditation practice. Others call it shabd or audible life stream, the song Divine, the Word of God through which and by which all things were created.The one truth behind the many different religions is that of "hearing" (not necessarily with the physical ears) the cosmic sound and following it back to the Source. A truly happy, meaningful life is the result of focusing our energy on the cosmic sound of music while living our lives on earth. This is the same as living our lives on earth while our mind is tuned into a higher level of consciousness than that of our normal day to day mindset. From this level of higher consciousness (divine consciousness, cosmic consciousness, Christ consciousness, Messiah consciousness) where we are in tune with the inner music we naturally flow in tune with the eternal love (deeper than mere human emotional love), and wisdom (intuitive guidance), and our life reflects the unique musical song we are at the core of our being. This inner music, sound current, energy, or vibration is the source of a truly spiritual life of which religious superiority or mere ethical living is a cheesy imitation (but that is another subject).

Our very nature at its core is a unique musical melody, as well as a spark of endless divine light, but our lives often reflect otherwise because we are not in tune with the inner whisper, the inner love, the inner energy and Spirit. The real "inner music" is vibrating throughout all creation, through all subtle levels, right up to the pure realms of Spirit which is our true home.Although nothing can replace the cosmic sound and the genuine life changing benefits that come with it as it is intuitively perceived through our spiritual senses, nevertheless there are sounds made with technology which can be used as tools for starting us on this path of change and transformation. The technology I am speaking about is is called brainwave entrainment which is best exemplified in what are called light and sound machines which are devices used for entraining the brain to certain frequency levels by means of light and sound. Below I expound upon the "sound" aspect of this technology in the form of ambient music embedded with Binaural Beats, Monaural Beats and Isochronic tones.The main emphasis of this website is that of experiencing inner healing and freedom through listening to binaural beats, monaural beats, and isochronic tones mixed in with soothing slow tempo ambient music, nature sounds, bells and chimes and so on. It is music for healing the body, mind and emotions, and also for freeing ones soul from the confines of three dimensional existence. The emphasis is not so much on lyrics and style as it is on experiencing the benefits from the background tones and frequencies which are embedded in the music. Different frequencies have been proven to enhance brain power, heal emotions, and, in some cases, free ones spirit to sore into altered states of consciousness.

To understand how binaural beats, monaural beats, and isochronic tones can improve your overall well-being at a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level a basic understanding of the electrochemical functions of the brain is necessary. Our brain is made up of billions of brain cells or neurons which use electricity to communicate with one another. The combination of millions of neurons sending signals all at the same time produces an enormous amount of electrical activity in the brain. This activity can be detected and mapped using EEG devices. Such mapping shows that the brain is emitting specific frequency brainwave patterns that relate directly to different mental processes all the way from wide awake and highly focused (beta) to deep, dreamless sleep (delta).Following are the 4 most common brainwave classifications as revealed by EEG devices. The brain is a dynamic, living organ. During these dominant patterns, other frequencies still exist and there is no exact, single frequency that our brain operates on.Frequency range Name Usually associated with:13 to 40 Hz Beta waves Active, busy or anxious thinking and active concentration. Throughout the day our brains are in the beta range. At this level we are active, busy, and all our emotional responses are at this level whether we are depressed, irritable, angry, happy, glad, full of energy etc.7 to 13 Hz Alpha waves When we begin to relax or begin to get drowsy, but are still awake and conscious (maybe at pre-sleep) we are said to be at the alpha level.4 to 7 Hz Theta waves Dreams, deep meditation, hypnosis.Defining Binaural Beats, Monaural Betas, and Isochronic Beats.Binaural Beats - Binaural beats require headphones if you want to see results. Binaural Beats work by broadcasting two separate frequencies in each ear. For example, if you want to tune your brain to a 7 Hz frequency, you could play 200 Hz in your right ear, and 207 Hz in your left ear. The brain will compensate for the difference between the two and produce a third tone that will be exactly 7 Hz. This will result in your brain frequency being lowered to the theta level of 7 Hz.Monaural Beats - Monaural beats are the opposite of binaural beats because the input is the same in each ear therefore you don't need headphones but good speakers are always a plus. In the case of monaural beats the sound is the same on each side whether you use headphones or speakers, but the volume must be tuned precisely (not too loud and not too low) for the beats to be effective.

Isochronic Tones - These are sharper sounding than monaural beats thus they are more powerful in their effect on the brain and are believed to be the most effective of the three.Binaural beats, monaural beats and isochronic tones by themselves are not very pleasant to listen to. This obstacle is overcome by embedding these beats/tones into soothing ambient music, nature sounds, the sounds of bells or chimes and so on.Is Most Brainwave Entrainment Music Dull And Monotonous? One thing you will notice right away about most brainwave music is it's usually made up of slow tempo ambient music, or new age meditation music, and sometimes classical orchestra music. And it is sometimes embedded with background noises such as static noises (white noise, brown noise, pink noise), or with nature sounds like that of birds, waves/ocean, rain, wind, thunderstorms, and also bells, chimes, flutes, and so on. In every case the important part of the music is the background beats (whether binaural beats, monaural beats, or isochronic beats) which need to be perceived by the brain throughout the recording otherwise it will be ineffective. All the other added stuff (ambient music, nature sounds, bells, chimes etc.) is only for the sake of making the background beats pleasant to listen too. If the music is very fast pace, such as in rock or pop music, or too loud the background binaural, monaural or isochronic beats are drowned out and not effective in entraining the brain.

It takes 8 to 10 minutes to begin entraining. Because binaural beats don't entrain the thalamus, most of its effectiveness is in dissociation, making them good for meditative states, altering subconscious messages, and pain.MONAURAL BEATS-two tones are combined to create a perceivable beat, are played in each channel, resulting in a stronger stimulus because they mix together before they reach the ear. This form of entrainment is stronger than binaural beats but can be altered by outside noise interference.ISOCHRONIC TONES-the strongest, most effective entrainment uses pulsing tones to synchronize the brain to a desired frequency. The process is automatic and requires no particular effort or focus from the user. Distinct sharp tones are introduced to the brain, which the brain easily follows, causing a strong entrainment. Tones entrain in the thalamus and are very effective for deep meditative states, mild relaxation, high level stimulation, and cognitive enhancement because they cause the brain to form new neural networks. The entrainment effects are fast and permanent.

After several months of regular daily use of the same brainwave recording your mind gets accustomed to the stimuli and it becomes 2nd nature, giving the impression that the recording doesn't work anymore. The reason is your mind is strengthened in once neglected areas as new neural pathways are created and adjusted to the recording. Working your mind with brainwave recordings is similar to working your muscles. After a time a certain muscle, for example, no longer seems to be receiving any benefit from the same exercise which initially seemed very effective. The reason is the exercise served its purpose in bringing the muscle to its present much more healthy condition. The only way to add additional benefit to that muscle is to change the exercise around a little. This will produce long-term benefits. Likewise your mind gets stronger with time as you listen to brainwave recordings, but it reaches a point where a particular recording which once seemed so effective appears to be doing nothing anymore. However, if the recording is changed around a little it will produce additional, long-term results. And just as having a variety in your exercise routine, and even a variety in your diet, is better for your body. So likewise you will receive long-term benefit, and a more balanced mind, by listening to a variety of brainwave entrainment recordings.For this reason some companies sell several CD recordings contained in one program with specific instructions on when to listen to certain recordings, and for how long, before switching to the next level of recordings. They do it this way so you receive the optimal benefits the recordings offer. And just as it is not a good idea to stuff yourself with a variety of different foods at once, or to exercise too much all at once, so likewise it is good to start with one level of recordings, giving your mind time to adjust to that recording before moving to the next level.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment