Types of Brainwave Entrainment Techniques
Self-Help Techniques for Brainwave EntrainmentIf you think about it, brain wave entrainment is simply slowing down the frequency of your brain waves.
It’s definitely not rocket science. The problem is, as with most things in life, knowing how to do something is very different from actually doing it. And that’s where self help techniques for brain wave entrainment come in. In this article, you’re going to learn the various different techniques and ways of slowing down your brainwaves, as well as the pros and cons of each different method. So, let's find out about the various different methods of brain wave entrainment: Natural Techniques for Brain Wave EntrainmentAs I’ve mentioned earlier in the brain wave entrainment article, you can naturally entrain or slow down your brain waves just by staring at an open fireplace, relaxing and listening to relaxing music or nature sounds (rain drops, ocean waves, etc.).
However, chilling out, listening to relaxing music or taking a hot bath is actually more of an indirect method of going to a slower brain wave state. I mean, you do these kind of things to chill out and relax, not really to entrain your brainwaves, right? It's also a relatively inefficient way of doing so. If you want to synchronize your brainwaves in a more structured manner, there are other more effective techniques of doing so. Monks and religious people have been using meditation as a form of mental training for centuries. And the reason is that it works (although it may take many years of practice to fully master.) The problem with meditation is that it does have a relatively steep learning curve, especially the traditional type. For example, if I tell you NOT to think about monkeys, what’s the 1st thing that comes to your mind? See how difficult it is. Trying to “still your thoughts” can be rather challenging, especially if you’ve got an active mind. Other natural techniques of slowing down your brain waves include the the Release Technique (Read the review here), the Silva Method (Read the Review here), creative visualization and even hypnosis. The disadvantage of “natural brainwave entrainment techniques” is that they do require a little bit of time and effort to master. You do need to discipline your thoughts and that takes some minimal effort, regardless of whichever technique you use. Like everything else in life, the more you practice these techniques, the better you become. Just like riding a bicycle, once you’ve learnt how to do it, it’s a skill that you’ll always have, whenever and wherever. Audio CDs for Brainwave EntrainmentAnother popular entrainment method is by using audio CDs. This method usually uses a technique called binaural beats, and requires the use of stereo headphones (I’ll explain why in a moment). The advantage of using audio CDs for brainwave entrainment is that you can use them immediately without going through a course or study program. Just pop them into the CD player, put on your stereo earphones and off you go! In fact, there are lots of self-help audio programs online which claim to be able to help you meditate deeply, improve your help, boost your energy, get rich quick, subliminal messages, blah-blah-blah... You have to be careful here. If the claims are too outlandish, i.e. get rich quick, get the girl/guy of your dreams, improve your sex life, etc. etc., then it’s probably too good to be true. Properly encoded audio CDs, like Holosync CDs from the Centerpointe Research Institute, are very effective in brainwave entrainment. I’ve also done up a review of Holosync here including advantages and disadvantages, so if you’re interested, you can check it out. Audio CDs from less-reputable companies are, well, let’s just say you’re better off staring at a candle... If you want to understand more about Brainwaves and the Science Behind the Power of the Mind so that you don't get taken in by attractive advertisement and marketing pitches, download a How They WorkThe secret of brain wave entrainment using sound is by using binaural beats (I'll discuss binaural beats in detail in the next chapter but I’ll briefly cover the main points here). They’re quite easy to replicate on audio CDs and even on the pc itself. That’s why Binaural Beats are one of the most popular techniques used in self-help audio CDs. Binaural beats occur when you listen to two carrier tones of slightly different frequencies in each ear. Say, for example, you listen to a frequency tone of 300 Hz in the left ear only, and project another tone of 310 Hz into the right ear. As a result, your brain combines these two tones into a single tone (the scientific term is "amplitude modulated standing wave") of 10 Hz. What happens is that you’ll hear a single pulsing tone of 10 Hz that has a "wah-wah" sound and rhythm. Actually, you can only "hear" these binaural beats in your mind only. Binaural beats are sub-sonic sounds (Another scientific word for "below the level of human hearing". The human ear can only hear sounds between about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.). The binaural beats are only "perceived" in your mind and not actually heard. I mean, obviously you can’t hear a tone with a frequency of only 10 Hz, right?
By changing the frequency difference between the two tones, you’ll be able to choose which brain wave frequency you want to entrain to. This enables you to change your brain wave state from Beta to Alpha (7-14 Hz), Theta (3.5-7 Hz) or even a combination of brainwave patterns. Usually, the binaural beats in self-help products are "hidden" or "masked" behind another sound wave, usually the sound of ocean waves, rain-drops, other sounds of nature or new age music. This makes it a lot more pleasant to hear (Check out the Beginner's Tip below & you'll understand why...)
One of the best brainwave entrainment programs around is the Holosync program by the Centerpointe Research Institute. If you're interested, sign up for a FR-EE Holosync demo CD here. I've also written a review on Holosync, so do check it out if you're interested in my experience using this product. Brain Wave Entrainment with Light & Sound MachinesPsychologists, researchers and hypnotists have used this knowledge to put their clients into a deep relaxed, peaceful and trance-like state. It wasn't long before someone decided to commercialize this knowledge. In 1958, a researcher named Sidney Schneider developed the first Brain Wave Synchronizer. Today, they're more commonly known as Mind Machines or Light & Sound Machines. You can easily buy these Light & Sound Machines from self help companies. People who’ve used Light & Sound machines for brainwave entrainment have told me that they were able to quickly get into a very deep, relaxed and peaceful state, much faster than using just self help audio products. Frankly, I’m not surprised. Many people are visually-oriented (meaning that they rely more on their sight than their other senses) so a series of flickering lights & sound at the same time should be able to quickly put them into the desired brain wave state. However, Light & Sound machines aren’t for everyone. The use of these flickering lights can cause epilepsy or seizure in some people. If you have any history of anything like that, you should consult your physician first before using light & sound machines.
Personally, I don’t fancy using Light & Sound machines for brainwave entrainment. There’re just too many wires and switches, connecting the goggles and headphones to the control-box. It’s also rather inconvenient as there’s a lot of equipment to set-up every time you want to do some brainwave entrainment. But then again, that’s just me. Light & Sound machines are proven to work and are just as effective as normal audio brainwave entrainment products for some people.
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