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Binaural Beats and Lucid Dreaming

In the past, we’ve written on binaural beats; how they work, why they’re useful, and how they are used in SonicTonic. If you haven’t had the chance to read the article yet, check it out here! 

It turns out that on top of helping you focus, relax, and sleep – depending on the frequency that is tuned into – binaural beats can also help with lucid dreaming! Lucid dreaming is the art of dreaming consciously; to be aware of your dream whilst it is happening and so to be able to consciously direct your actions whilst still asleep. 

Lucid dreaming can be very helpful for creativity, problem solving and even has therapeutic benefits as it can be an effective way of confronting phobias and anxieties. Anything is possible in a dream and when lucid, you can use the boundless options offered by dreaming to experiment, practice and resolve things from real life. 

Check out this website if you’re curious about lucid dreaming and read this article to find out how binaural beats can be used as an aid for lucid dreaming! 

Then, head over to the App or Play store and download SonicTonic to experience binaural beats today! They are available for free! 

 

French version below:

Les battements binauraux et les rêves lucide 

Nous avons écrit sur les battements binauraux ; comment ils fonctionnent, pourquoi ils sont utiles et comment ils sont utilisés dans SonicTonic. Si vous n’avez pas encore eu l’occasion de lire l’article, cliquez ici ! 

Il s’avère qu’en plus de vous aider à vous concentrer, à vous détendre et à dormir – selon la fréquence utilisé – les battements binauraux peuvent aussi vous aider à faire des rêves lucides ! Le rêve lucide est l’art de rêver consciemment. D’être conscient de son rêve pendant qu’il se réalise et de pouvoir ainsi diriger consciemment ses actions pendant son sommeil. 

Le rêve lucide peut être très utile pour la créativité, la résolution de problèmes et même avoir des bienfaits thérapeutiques car il peut être un moyen efficace de faire face à des phobies et anxiétés. Tout est possible dans un rêve et lorsque vous êtes lucide, vous pouvez utiliser les options illimitées offertes par le rêve pour expérimenter, pratiquer et résoudre des choses de la vie réelle. 

Si vous voulez en savoir plus sur les rêves lucide, visitez ce site et lisez cet article pour découvrir comment les battements binauraux peuvent être utilisés pour avoir des rêves lucide ! 

Ensuite, rendez-vous sur l’App ou Play Store et téléchargez SonicTonic pour découvrir les battements binauraux dès aujourd’hui ! Ils sont disponibles gratuitement ! 

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What are Binaural Beats and how do they work?

One of the ingredients used in SonicTonic is Binaural Beats, but what are these and how do they work?

What are Binaural Beats?

Binaural beats are sounds that are heard in the left and right ear as two slightly different frequency tones, yet perceived as one. So the binaural auditory beat that a person hears is the difference in frequency between the left and the right ear. Binaural beats are always lower than 1000 hertz (Hz) as it is at these frequencies that the brain detects the binaural beat.

For example, if the left ear registers a tone at 440 Hz and the right at 430 Hz (preferably with headphones) the binaural beat that is heard by the brain is the difference between the two frequencies — 10 Hz.

A number of studies have proven that listening to Binaural Beats can influence brainwaves and that the brain will synchronize to the frequency given by the Binaural Beats, which is why they’re used in the Receptive Sound Therapy in SonicTonic.

The effects on the brain, or “Brainwave entrainment” can be measured when a large number of neurons in the brain, send small electro-chemical signals to each other. These can be detected and visualized on an electroencephalogram (EEG).

How do Binaural Beats work?

There are a number of studies that have investigated the effect of Binaural Beats on the human body – both on cognitive processes, e.g. creativity, memory, and physical aspects, such as pain.

They can help with memory…

A study by Prof. T. Ortis investigated the effect of Binaural Beats on memory performance. As part of the experiment, twenty subjects were asked to remember incoherent words and then recite them back from memory.

During the study, which was conducted over a 15-day period, they heard various acoustic signals: Binaural Beats of 5Hz and 13Hz and white noise, respectively. The results showed a significantly positive effect as for those exposed twice a day to 15 minutes of 5Hz Binaural Beats.

… boost creativity

At Leiden University in the Netherlands, an experiment explored the connection between Binaural Beats and creativity. In the study, 24 subjects performed 3 experiments per day: In the first, they were stimulated with a Binaural Beat using an Alpha frequency of 10 Hz, in the second with a Binaural Beat using a Gamma frequency of 40 Hz and in the third with a non-binaural, constant tone of 340Hz as a control situation.

The order of the three experiments varied from participant to participant. At the beginning of the experiment, the participants were stimulated with one of the three sound sources, and then, while the audio signal was on, they were given various tasks that required creative thinking.

In one part of the experiment, the researchers looked at divergent thinking, so tasks were set to test this, e.g. participants were asked to list as many uses of a specific household item as possible in a given period of time.

The second part of the task involved the study of convergent thinking. Participants were given the task of finding a word that can be linked to the three others, such as combining“super” with ’market’, ‘star’ and ‘hero’.

The study found that stimulation with Binaural Beats, regardless of frequency, positively affected divergent thinking.

…reduce anxiety

The prospect of surgery often leaves patients feeling anxious. This can be explained by the loss of control, the unfamiliar environment, along with the perceived risk of the procedure. Dr. Padmanabhan and his colleagues investigated the influence of Binaural Beats on the feelings of anxiety experienced before an upcoming operation. The study was conducted at the Sunderland Royal Hospital over a 6-month period with a total of 108 patients who were awaiting surgery under general anaesthesia.

About 45-60 minutes before surgery, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire to help them understand their subjective anxiety. Thereafter, each participant had one of the following randomly-triggered actions:

  • A Binaural Beat embedded in a soundtrack was played to them
  • A soundtrack without a Binaural Beat was played to them, or
  • No audio file was played to them (the Participants were allowed to read or watch TV, for example).

Participants were then asked to complete the same questionnaire again. The result was a significant reduction in the levels of anxiety for those who had listened to Binaural Beats.

…reduce pain

A study by Dr. Donna D. Zampi investigated whether Binaural Beats can be used effectively to relieve chronic pain. To this end, 36 patients who were suffering from various types of chronic pain were divided into two groups. One group listened to Binaural Beats at 6Hz for 20 minutes on 14 consecutive days, while the other group listened to a non-binaural tone of 300Hz as placebo. Subsequently, the groups were changed for the next 14 days. As a result, it could be proven that the perceived pain could be significantly lowered by listening to Binaural Beats.

It is safe to say, it is scientifically proven that Binaural Beats can positively influence various cognitive and physical processes, such as memory, creativity, fear or pain. Many listeners perceive Binaural Beats to be more pleasant when they are embedded in music as opposed to listening to pure sine waves.

With SonicTonic you can do both, so if you would like to see the effects of Binaural Beats for yourself, download the app and try out them out today.

 

 

Sources

[1] Chaieb, Leila et al: Auditory beat stimulation and its effects on cognition and mood states, In: Frontiers in
Psychatry 6:70 (2015)
[2] Oster, Gerald: Auditory beats in the brain, In: Scientific American 229 (1973), S. 94-102
[3] Ortis, T.: Impact of auditory stimulation at a frequency of 5Hz in verbal memory, In: Actas Esp Psiquitar (2008) 36(6):
307-13
[4] Reedijk, Susan et al: The impact of binaural beats on creativity, In: Frontiers in human neuroscience (2013) 7:786
[5] Padmanabhan, R. et al: A prospective, randomised, controlled study examining binaural beat audio and preoperative
anxiety in patients undergoing general anaesthesia for day case surgery, In: Anaesthesia (2005) 60:9:874-7
[6] Zampi, Donna D.: Efficacy of Theta Binaural Beats for the Treatment of Chronic Pain, In: Alternative Therapies in
Health & Medicine, Jan/Feb2016, Vol. 22 Issue 1, p32-38. 7p.
[7] Berger, Hans: Über das Elektrenkephalogramm des Menschen, In: Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten 87,
1929, S. 527-570
[8] Heraz, A.; Frasson, C.: Predicting the three major dimensions of the learner’s Emotions from Brainwaves,
In: International Journal of Computer Science Vol. 2 No. 3, 187-193
[9] Mori, T.; Kai, S.: Noise-Induced Entrainment and Stochastic Resonance in Human Brain Waves, In: Physical Review
Letters, Vol. 88 No. 21 (2002)
[10] Thaut, M. H.: Neural basis of rhythmic timing networks in the human brain, In: Annals of the New York Academy of
Sciences, Band 999, November 2003, S. 364–373
[11] Dobie, R.A et al.: Binaural interaction in human auditory evoked potentials, In: Electroencephalography and clinical
neurophysiology, Bd.49(3-4), S. 303–313
[12] Christine Beauchene1, Nicole Abaid2, Rosalyn Moran3, Rachel A. Diana4, Alexander Leonessa1: The Effect of
Binaural Beats on Visuospatial Working Memory and Cortical Connectivity
Based on a German posting by musicfox.com

 

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Binaural Beats – the basics

Binaural Beats are used to synchronize brainwaves to achieve a specific mental state.

This process of Auditory Bilateral Stimulation is the rhythmic alternation of sonic activation between the left and the right brain hemispheres, resulting in an energy transfer that is known as Brainwave Entrainment. Binaural Beats are able to produce specific effects such as inducing sleep, relaxation, and energizing. They do this by creating signals at the same frequency as the brainwaves of the desired mental state, causing them to resonate and to synchronize.

In practice, a tone is played over headphones and tuned slightly differently in each ear. The difference between the two tones generates the so-called “beat” (oscillation) which causes a measurable change in brain activity.

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The Different Frequency Ranges In Comparison

Content:
Braincells, also called neurons use electricity to communicate with each other. Medical equipment like an EEG are able to measure these electric brainwaves.
Those graphs shown by the EEG are called Brain Waves Patterns because of its cyclic,wave-like nature.There are 4 different Categories of Brain Wave Patterns.
brain-waves-gif

“Most of us live the majority of our lives in a state of primarily beta brain waves – aroused, alert, concentrated, but also somewhat stressed.”

The Alpha Brain Wave Pattern is an ideal condition for us to learn new Information like new languages, analyze complex situations or for example improve focus and performance in athletics. The “decreased electrical activity in the brain can lead to significant increases in feel-good brain chemicals like endorphins, noroepinephrine and dopamine.”

When you focus on something like meditation, your breath or a prayer the electrical patterns in your brain slow down and relax “and the amplitude of your brain-waves generally stabilizes in the alpha wave range.”
To get the same effect you can use the Brainwave entrainment method that causes your brainwaves to change its EGG frequency towards the frequency of a dominant external stimulus, such as binaural beats.
“The way that these work is that two tones close in frequency generate a beat frequency at the difference of the frequencies.”
For example: a 315 Hz audio tone and 325 Hz will produce a 10 Hz binaural beat, which is in the middle of the alpha brain wave range.

Interview with expert Dr. Jeffrey Thompson: Transcript

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The Beginning Of The Binaural Beats

Writer: Gerald Oster
Source: The Scientific American (Source www.brainisohertz.it)

Content:
Despite the many that state Gerald Oster invented binaural beat brainwave entrainment, this document (painstakingly recreated by Brainisohertz) puts the record right. It gives a pretty good explanation of the basic concept of binaural beats before it goes into detail.

g-oster-auditory-beats-in-the-brain-2
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In 60 Days To Stress-Relief And Better Life Quality

Writer: Helané Wahbeh, N.D., Carlo Calabrese, N.D., and Heather Zwickey, Ph.D.
Source: The journal of alternative and complementary medicine (2006) Volume 13, Number 1, 2007, pp. 25–32

Content:
Binaural beats are existent in a variety of frequency ranges. This study focused on the delta frequency, which is a very low frequency (0 – 4 Hz). Although this frequency is not as “useful” as the alpha ranges, the scientist still discovered improved life quality and a reduction of anxiety in their patients’ physical and psychological data. In addition to the other study is this further evidence of the positive effect of this tonic.

Stress-Relief
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While You Perform: Change Your Mood With Binaural Beats!

Writer: James D. Lane, Stefan J. Kasian, Justin E. Owens and Gail R. Marsh*
Source: Journal of Physiology & Behavior (1998) Vol. 63, No. 2, pp. 249–252

Content:
This study tested 180 participants on theta/delta and beta frequency ranges. While the different frequency ranges had different effects on the listeners, the overall conclusion of this paper is the verification of a successful usage of binaural beats to change focus and mood while performing cognitive tasks.

binaural-auditory-beats-affect-vigilance-performance-and-mood
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Anxiety Relief From Binaural Beats Reported In Several Scientific Studies

Writer: Leila Chaieb, Elke Caroline Wilpert, Thomas P. Reber and Juergen Fell. Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Germany
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry. Published 12.05.2015 (found on epileptologie-bonn.de)

Content:
Several independent studies on the effects of Binaural Beats all report the same: Binaural Beats are able to reduce the feeling of anxiety. This is great news for sufferers, but It is important that the sound files are of the best quality and technically able to function properly. The user has no way of knowing if correct frequency are being heard or if, in fact. the Binaural Beats are even in stereo, which is a prerequisite for Binaural Beats to have any effect whatsoever! Binaural Beats be obtained from a trusted source.
Several studies consistently report a diminishing impact of binaural-beat stimulation on anxiety levels.

chaiebetal_front_psychiatry_2015-2
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