Binaural beats are a relatively new entrant in the world of brainwave entrainment. Although they have only been around for about five years, they have had a tremendous effect on many people. In fact, some users swear by them so much that they cannot do without them. It sounds easy enough, but does binaural beats really work? Can it be used as part of an overall program of stress relief or is it a sham?
The short answer is that yes, binaural beats do work and they can also reduce stress levels and improve anxiety levels. One blinded study reported that listening to binaural beats at the alpha range (both right and left) was correlated with a reduction in both stress and depression symptoms. The same study also found that those who listened to the beats were less anxious than those who did not. While this doesn't prove anything concrete, it does show that there is validity to the belief that they work. For most people, they can be used as part of a holistic approach to reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.
When using binaural beats, the mind and brainwaves are exposed to slightly different frequencies. This has the effect of slightly tricking the brain into perceiving these different frequencies as being the same. Because the brain processes these two frequencies as coming from different sources, it will believe that they are coming from the same source. This slight difference will allow the conscious mind to lower perceived levels of stress and anxiety. In addition to this trick, the two slightly different frequencies also produce a very strong frequency difference which further increases the effectiveness of the binaural beats. Click for more info on binaural beats and how they can help.
There is one drawback to using binaural beats however. It is the same drawback that is associated with any auditory illusion, or dream state trick: they are only working for the moment. In order for them to be effective, you need to keep listening during the whole session. This makes many people feel that they are not really helping their own brainwaves but simply tricking themselves into believing something that they are not really aware of. The way that this works is that the brain waves become so entranced with the tones, that their own brain waves cannot focus on anything else.
The trick is to keep listening during the whole session. The effect of binaural beats, however, only lasts for as long as you are listening. It's important, then, to ensure that you are not trying to listen to the tones while falling asleep, or while driving, or doing other activities where there is no radio. This is because if you fall asleep while the brain waves are distracted, you will find that your mood does not improve as much as it should. It is also important to ensure that you do not fall asleep while listening to the tones, because it is not a good idea to fall asleep while the brain waves are distracted. Falling asleep is a natural state of being, and you should therefore not expect that it should be any different when listening to the auditory illusion trick.
To get the best effect from Binaural beats, it is best to listen to them at around seven frequencies: the alpha, beta, theta, delta, theta burst, and theta pattern. The alpha and the beta patterns are the most natural for meditation and can be found within most music. Alpha is a state of consciousness that are relaxed and open, and the beta is a state of deep relaxation but awake. If you cannot find any music that has the said frequencies in it, try to listen to the sounds from nature. Try to listen to the waves from a waterfall, a bird song, or the beating of your heart. The ocean's waves, the sound of wind, and even crying can help you get the relaxation needed to meditate. Get a general overview of the topic by reading here: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats.