Brainwave Entrainment

[opethfeldt]

Anyone have any experience with brainwave entrainment? I've been dabbling in it for the past couple years and I do find it to be useful to wind down and subjectively reduce cortisol. I'd like to hear other's experiences.

 

[Milena]

I used to have a machine until a few years ago when someone borrowed, broke and failed to replace it. I loved it apart from one bad trip when I was 'trapped in an underground disco' - not fun,
A friend in his 20's complained to me he could only get to sleep by playing rock music and leaving it on all night - his girlfriend was not happy with this so he was getting some poor sleep. I told him he needed to borrow my machine and that would sort him out. He was immensely skeptical and didn't believe me a bit but decided to try it out. He started on a simple programme programme with the binaural beat little earphones in and the glasses with 4 red leds - woke up (after starting at 8pm) at 8am fully clothed having slept through the night. He went straight out and bought a machine.
The unit was similar to this Mind Machines Brainwave Entrainment Mind Power Neurofeedback
I saw mine advertised in a Running magazine.
I think you can binaural beats pretty much free on youtube but not the light entrainment

 

[opethfeldt]

I used to have a machine until a few years ago when someone borrowed, broke and failed to replace it. I loved it apart from one bad trip when I was 'trapped in an underground disco' - not fun,
A friend in his 20's complained to me he could only get to sleep by playing rock music and leaving it on all night - his girlfriend was not happy with this so he was getting some poor sleep. I told him he needed to borrow my machine and that would sort him out. He was immensely skeptical and didn't believe me a bit but decided to try it out. He started on a simple programme programme with the binaural beat little earphones in and the glasses with 4 red leds - woke up (after starting at 8pm) at 8am fully clothed having slept through the night. He went straight out and bought a machine.
The unit was similar to this Mind Machines Brainwave Entrainment Mind Power Neurofeedback
I saw mine advertised in a Running magazine.
I think you can binaural beats pretty much free on youtube but not the light entrainment

I have no experience with light entrainment. I typically use isochronic tones for entrainment and they seem to work very well. Within about 5-8 minutes I feel the effects. The effects seem to last about 2 or 3 hours as well. I've never actually stuck with it for any extended period of time but I'm going to try making it a nightly habit. I've been using 7.83hz for relaxation and really enjoy it. After, I typically listen to music as the sun goes down and it's about as blissful as you could imagine.

 

[Milena]

I have no experience with light entrainment. I typically use isochronic tones for entrainment and they seem to work very well. Within about 5-8 minutes I feel the effects. The effects seem to last about 2 or 3 hours as well. I've never actually stuck with it for any extended period of time but I'm going to try making it a nightly habit. I've been using 7.83hz for relaxation and really enjoy it. After, I typically listen to music as the sun goes down and it's about as blissful as you could imagine.

Light entrainment is quite cool. You can go into a sort of play mode (I can't remember if it was mainly Alpha, Beta or Theta waves) and see a myriad of colours from just the red leds.

 

[Milena]

This is the machine I had (late 80's, early 90's model, though)
http://thetatechnologies.com/mindseye/

 

[lollipop]

I like this company's product. Even if you do not buy into all their "spiritual" associations, the way they created their brain entrainments is solid and interesting. I use their non guided foundation 2 series, mostly portal.

Sacred Acoustics | brainwave entrainment, meditation, binaural beats

 

[whodathunkit]

Hey @opethfeldt, where do you get your tone files?

 

[opethfeldt]

Hey @opethfeldt, where do you get your tone files?

Hey. I use a program called Neuro Programmer 3. I just use basic isochronic tones. It's a very easy to use and comprehensive program. If you can think of an idea for a session, you can probably make it.

 

[x-ray peat]

I wonder if there are any long term studies on this. It sounds promising but I wonder if there may be long term issues with being continually induced into a dissociative state. The movie Altered States comes to mind.

 

[opethfeldt]

I wonder if there are any long term studies on this. It sounds promising but I wonder if there may be long term issues with being continually induced into a dissociative state.

It accomplishes the same thing as deep meditation. I don't think there's any safety concerns about that. It's obviously not something you want to use while driving or when you need to be focused, but I don't think there are any dangers associated with it. The only other problem I could see someone having is if they used high frequencies near bed. This could cause sleep issues. Overall, I find entrainment to be quite helpful. It's certainly not a silver bullet but it gets me into a relaxed state after a stressful day in a way I couldn't accomplish without years of practice if I were to do traditional meditation. I have no doubts that if you put years into meditation, you would get more benefits than brainwave entrainment, but it's still better than nothing.

 

[lollipop]

@x-ray peat I have never noticed any sort of disassociation. Mainly relaxed alertness. Actually quite the opposite of disassociation.

 

[x-ray peat]

@opethfeldt , @lisaferraro
Thanks, it seems very interesting and I will have to look more into it. If you google dissociation and brain wave entrainment you get a lot of articles on that effect. Again I am not saying that this technology is dangerous, but I think there is a lot to this and one should be careful with anything that claims to rewire the brain. As an example, one article mentioned that if one is prone to dissociation then beta waves would be more helpful to better connect to your body. Delta and theta waves may not be so good for someone like that.

 

[lollipop]

Hi @x-ray peat, good mention of applying caution to anything not just brain related, think hormones, steroids, etc. Good advice.

The one I use does not keep you in theta or delta - they are steps, and then attempts gamma where actually people who were having spiritual experiences were measured in. It is a relaxed super alert above beta. Truth is to reach any state other than beta needs the person's acceptance and allowance. It doesn't really work on a friend of mine. He doesn't want any other state than beta. He listens and nothing happens. Also, those machines/software that create the waves allow for wide range of fine tuning.

 

[x-ray peat]

Hi @x-ray peat, good mention of applying caution to anything not just brain related, think hormones, steroids, etc. Good advice.

The one I use does not keep you in theta or delta - they are steps, and then attempts gamma where actually people who were having spiritual experiences were measured in. It is a relaxed super alert above beta. Truth is to reach any state other than beta needs the person's acceptance and allowance. It doesn't really work on a friend of mine. He doesn't want any other state than beta. He listens and nothing happens. Also, those machines/software that create the waves allow for wide range of fine tuning.

Thanks again. This is a very interesting technology that I want to explore some more. Good to hear that you have had a good experience with it.

 

[BibleBeliever]

Trying to find research on binaural beats.
Have tried listening to many different ones as I research online.

This one so far appears to induce the most effects: strange warmth in the face, a very strong burning hunger in the stomach; desire to lift heavy weights.
Could be other variables or even placebo, but still interesting:

 

[David PS]

I use an audio tape (with headphones) for gamma meditation brainwave entrainment. https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Medita...50861&sr=8-2&keywords=gamma+meditation+system

Youtube is a great place to test drive the audio tape and to find other sources. gamma meditation system - YouTube

 

[David PS]

Another brainwave entrainment method that I use is slow deep breathing. It is not easy to stay focused. I use Youtube as a crutch. One effect of slow deep breathing is to tone the vagus nerve and reduce blood pressure.
For slow breathing to work, it needs to be done daily for several month to get the full benefit. The video that I like best is a 6 Breaths Per Minute - YouTube It is best to have an Adblocker when watching this video.

I sit in front of a red brooder light and I use this video as a timer to measure the duration of my morning light session.

 

[lollipop]

I sit in front of a red brooder light and I use this video as a timer to measure the duration of my morning light session.

Good idea. I also second your thoughts on slower breathing and the 6 breaths per minute is good. The only thing I would add is let your mind watch the breath entering the nostrils and go to the lungs and then back again from lungs out through the nostrils and suddenly you also have a mindfulness practice.

 

[BibleBeliever]

Anyone have any links on any studies on this stuff?

 

[David PS]

The only thing I would add is let your mind watch the breath entering the nostrils and go to the lungs and then back again from lungs out through the nostrils and suddenly you also have a mindfulness practice.

Thanks Lisa. My habit is to follow the expansion of of my diaphragm for 5 seconds during my inhalation and then follow its relaxation for 5 seconds during exhalation. My aim is for a smooth inhalation and exhalation so that I am not adding any extra stress. I use the video much like a piano student uses a metronome to keep true to the rhythm of the 6 breaths per minute. My slow breathing habit may inherently be a mindfulness practice.

Epigenetic changes are associated with ones habits. I like to think of my slow breathing practice as a habit with my genome responding accordingly. I sometimes include a So-Hum meditation with a long silent sooo during my inhalation and a huuumm during exhalation. But So-Hum is not yet part of my habit.

Have a happy Thanksgiving holiday.