Binaural Beats: What Are They And Do They Actually Work?

Binaural beats are indeed a fascinating and unusual idea that has grown in popularity in the last ten years. Even though they were originally used over a century ago, contemporary technology has only recently made them widely available to the overwhelming majority of the public.

It’s been proposed that incorporating the various variants of binaural beats into our lives can boost our mental health, improve the quality of our sleep, promote creativity and meditation, decrease stress and anxiety, boost learning, and even augment cognitive performance.

But, with such high claims, don’t you think their benefits are somewhat exaggerated? Do they truly work as they’ve been marketed to us? This article answers this question!

What Are Binaural Beats?

So, the premise of binaural beats might be somewhat confusing at first but stay with me for a while let’s dig a little deeper into the subject.

In simple terms, binaural beats are an imagined tone that the brain produces when it is concurrently presented with two frequencies (one for each ear).

The auditory system, after all, is continuously assessing the variations in tone vibrations in our environment. There’ll be a very tiny change in beats in both ears when two slightly distinct tones are received simultaneously through the separate ears. When the difference between the two tones is sufficiently small, the brain produces an auditory illusion (an illusionary sound) of another beating tone. And this auditory illusion helps us to understand binaural beats easily.

How Does A Binaural Beat Work?

The human brain is a highly complicated creature with billions of unique neurons spread over billions of cell types. To elaborate, neurons play a critical function in transmitting information in the form of electrical signals from one cell to the next.

A tiny quantity of electrical impulse is released when neurons ‘fire’ (or produce an ‘action potential’) piece of information. When these impulses are analyzed, they are expressed as brainwaves, which are created at different frequencies contingent on the prevailing condition.

Putting this into consideration, the greater the measured brainwave frequency, the more aware we become. Shorter brainwave frequencies, on the other hand, are usually associated with states of sleep or relaxation.

Early studies revealed that listening to particular tones (and thus producing a certain binaural beat) can alter the brainwave frequency.

A simple example of this is hearing to a 400Hz frequency in one ear and a 410Hz frequency in the other ear. This will result in a 10Hz binaural beat. The brain will then vibrate with the binaural beat, producing a 10Hz brainwave frequency.

Putting all of these into account, it appears reasonable that we’re using binaural beats to change our brain’s frequencies, enabling us to achieve some type of intended result (which depends on the beat’s frequency).

How Should I Use Binaural Beats?

With this at the back of your mind, you could be wondering how to incorporate binaural beats in your existing lifestyle, and the answer is pretty straightforward. First, invest in a nice pair of over-the-ear headphones; we have some suggestions here.

Certain firms provide binaural audio recordings that are tuned to specific frequencies. There’re several alternatives, some of which are excellent. Ennora is a fantastic alternative if you want a pre-packaged mix of recordings to assist you to reach specific goals (dreaming, lucid, sleep, etc.). The Unexplainable Store might well be a viable choice if you’re searching for an option that is iTunes-styled where you could pick and choose the recordings you like. (However, as you can see on this website, binaural beats are very understandable.)

These same businesses frequently create applications that you can download to your smartphone for quick access, rendering them very simple to incorporate into your existing lifestyle.

As an extra benefit, there’s an increasing body of knowledge that suggests particular frequencies have substantial connections with certain brainwaves. We may then utilize this knowledge to influence our frequency choice in line with our intended aim for using binaural beats.

Delta Waves (0.1Hz – 4 Hz)

Delta waves are the weakest or slowest binaural beats that can be imparted to the brain. These are the brainwaves that humans have while sleeping deeply and without dreaming. As a consequence, delta waves are frequently utilized to facilitate deep sleep amongst people suffering from insomnia and other medical conditions that makes falling asleep difficult.

Furthermore, allowing the brain to reach this delta wave region has been linked to increased release of serotonin, human growth hormone, and DHEA, as well as a decrease in the level of cortisol secretion.

This might help to enhance health and boost tissue repair while also lowering the rate of inflammation in the body.

Theta Waves (4 Hz – 8 Hz)

Theta brain waves are yet another class of sluggish brain waves. This is a normal condition that occurs during the initial sleep stages and is considered to lead to augmented creativity as well as profound relaxation.

As a result, several people use the theta brainwave in combination with meditation to enhance their meditation practice and increase sensations of peace and alertness.

These same people are thought to employ the theta wave to boost their creativity, which might help them achieve their most desired goals in a relatively shorter period.

Alpha Waves (8Hz -14 Hz)

alpha

Alpha waves are employed to create a condition that is both calm and attentive. Alpha waves are most commonly felt while doing mundane chores like gardening, showering, or light housekeeping when we are conscious but our winds are free to wander.

Alpha waves are considered to promote a calm state of attention that may help to increase learning (and that’s a big bonus) while also lowering stress levels. When compared to brainwaves with higher frequencies, this is considered to be associated with an improvement in inventiveness and general creativity.

Beta Waves (14Hz -30 Hz)

Beta waves are the most prevalent pattern of brainwaves. These brainwaves are generated when we’re completely sober, aware, and actively involved in a task.

The majority of our waking hours are spent in beta waves. The capacity to concentrate on environmental stimulation is considered to enhance while we’re in a beta wave, and it is also linked to problem-solving and analytical thinking. This improves our ability to deal with real-life circumstances that need both reasonable thought and logic.

Gamma Waves (30Hz -100 Hz)

Gamma waves are now considered to be the highest brainwaves that can be produced by the human brain, and have been linked to enhanced cognitive processes, substantially better perceptual abilities, highly augmented problem-solving capabilities, and improved memory recollection.

This suggests that we’ll be able to employ gamma waves to boost our efficiency, especially while undertaking logical operations that don’t need much creativity.

Individuals that spend a lot of time in the gamma state have been shown to have greater empathy than their peers, as well as superior intelligence and brain function.

Frequently Asked Questions

While we feel that binaural beats have a lot of benefits (and no obvious drawbacks), we’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries about how to use them and how safe they are.

As a consequence, we’ve compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions we’ve received concerning binaural beats. I believe this information would be useful to you!

Are binaural beats healthy for pregnant women?

Although there’s no proof to support that binaural beats are harmful to pregnant women, there’s also insufficient research to say that they are safe.

Due to this, we do not advocate utilizing binaural beats when pregnant – simply since it is preferable to be cautious than sorry (especially when it has to do with children).

I must also mention that certain people have suggested that using binaural beats while pregnant might trigger labor and contribute to preterm birth, but there is currently no proof from credible research to substantiate this.

Are binaural beats advised for infants?

There is no study to show that binaural beats are detrimental to children or newborns, just like the pregnancy situation, but there’s also no also evidence to back their usage.

Having said that, some experts in the field have suggested that using delta waves particularly (in both young children and newborns) might induce a deeper level of relaxation.

This is also said to enhance sleep length and quality, which is indeed a good thing – especially for kids who have trouble sleeping.

Is the validity of binaural beats a scientific reality?

While it is true that our post on binaural beats covers some of the studies on the subject, you may need additional resources.

Binaural beats have been subjected to a slew of studies since their wide acceptance by a large number of people globally studies, many of which have shown good outcomes. Binaural beats have been shown to increase cognition, reduce stress, promote sleep and relaxation, as well as improve cognitive function and creativity, according to the same study.

If you want to go deeper into the study, this professional review covers a huge amount of research articles in the field and is truly well deserving of your time and efforts.

Can binaural beats make your trip/get you high/cause hallucination?

This is a fascinating subject that people who are interested in alternative medicine and herbal treatments frequently ask.

Binaural rhythms have been shown to help with creativity and relaxation, as well as putting us in a pre-sleep state. By putting this into consideration, these emotions can help you meditate and daydream more effectively.

As a consequence, although binaural beats may not trigger us to hallucinate, they may enable our minds to stray and can substantially alter our emotions – a high that most would characterize to be natural.

Are binaural beats convenient for your ears?

Binaural beats are entirely safe in their most basic form, but when used with headphones, they expose us to certain risks.

Specifically, NIHL (Noise-Induced Hearing Loss).

Hearing loss caused by large or abrupt blasts of noise is referred to as noise-induced hearing loss. In light of this, binaural beats must be used in combination with headphones tuned at lower volumes to decrease the risk of having noise-induced hearing loss.

Are binaural beats efficacious while sleeping?

Although there has not been a lot of study on this issue, there’s some indication that being exposed to binaural beats on the lower end of the spectrum (like delta waves) while asleep might boost sleep quality.

This can help with recuperation as well as increase attentiveness all through the day.

How does a binaural beat help us fall asleep?

Just as stated, binaural beats can increase sleep quality, plus they can assist people to sleep better, as mentioned.

Our brainwave frequency generally dips below four hertz during stages of profound sleep and relaxation. This is a common event that aids with the sleep process.

We can decelerate our brain’s brainwave, recreating our sleep state, by employing binaural beats (with a particular focus on theta and delta waves) that imitate these frequencies. Not only will this make it reader falling asleep extremely easy, but it will also help us stay asleep all through the night.

Does binaural beat help you daydream?

Binaural beats are considered to have the ability to promote and improve daydreaming in certain individuals. For instance, the theta waves with a frequency between four to eight hertz have been linked to relaxation, creativity, and light sleep especially (the very same sleep type where we can recall experiencing our dreams).

Hence, hearing these precise sounds as you try to sleep can help to keep your brain in this condition and improve your dreaming. This will also help you to be conscious without falling further into a sleep state, which is necessary for daydreaming.

Can you study effectively while listening to binaural beats?

Of course, it is very possible. Binaural beats that activate the brain’s alpha wave (between eight to fourteen hertz) have been proven to create a relaxed state of concentration with improved attention. This may increase one’s capacity to learn and remember new knowledge. This means that binaural beats can indeed assist us in studying and improve the effectiveness of our studies.

Binaural beats: Are they evil, bad, demonic, satanic, or a sin against God and Christianity?

I’ll confess that I’m surprised at how frequently this inquiry arises. First and foremost, this should be directed to your pastor. Binaural beats, on the other hand, are purely scientific. It causes your brain to relax by playing one note in one of your ears and another note in the other.

I honestly cannot imagine any other circumstances in which listening to a certain sound frequency through headphones is considered a sin, but I am not a pastor.

What binaural beats are the most effective for anxiety?

There has been a lot of study on the effects of binaural beats on emotion, with a lot of it concentrating on anxiety. Be that as it may, studies have shown that listening to binaural beats that trigger theta waves inside the brain can reduce stress and improve mood. Hence, using the very same beat has been proven to significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in those who are vulnerable.

Are binaural beats good for healing?

This is a fascinating part of binaural beats that, in my opinion, deserves a lot of publicity. Binaural beats can help you relax while also improving your sleep quality and mood. As a result, it can improve the body’s ability to repair damaged tissues.

While it is true that the beats cannot in themselves stimulate tissue repair, they can assist in putting the body in a position where it is better suited to do so. This might result in faster healing periods and a higher rate of recovery than would have been the case in the absence of it.

Do binaural beats make people more intelligent?

Gamma waves, on the other hand, have been linked to enhanced cerebral activity, substantially improved perceptual abilities, dramatically enhanced problem-solving capabilities, and higher working memory than would have been possible without it.

As such, binaural beats may increase your aptitude to apply your understanding in certain situations, such as providing solutions to persistent problems or studying for exams.

With that said, they’ll only enable you to utilize current information and cannot provide you with new knowledge – as such they may not particularly make use of you as a genius, but they’d make you better at using your knowledge.

Can binaural beats alter your body?

The explanation for this is a little surprising. While binaural beats can’t affect our bodies precisely, generating higher-frequency brainwaves (using beta and gamma waves) may boost our body’s cell functions.

This could boost our metabolism, resulting in a modest rise in energy usage and, with time, furthering the possibility that weight loss would occur. That’s all very speculative, so we’ll need to do a lot more study before we can say with certainty.

Can binaural beats affect the color of your eyes?

Our eye color is mostly determined by our individual makeup, which is a significant component of our genetic constitution.

Regrettably, this implies that we can’t alter their appearance without extrinsic contacts or undergoing certain surgical procedures. While it is true that binaural beats are wonderful, they do not have the power to alter our genetic constitution (which is regrettably true).

Do binaural beats boost testosterone levels?

Although there’s no solid proof that binaural beats can boost testosterone levels, there have been links found between higher testosterone production and better sleep quality.

As a result, utilizing delta waves to augment your sleep quality could result in a heightened level of testosterone production, and this can have a variety of body and health benefits.

Do binaural beats boost estrogen levels?

There’s no proof that binaural beats can boost the levels of estrogen in the blood, just like testosterone, but by increasing sleep quality, we may observe a rise in our body’s estrogen levels.

Binaural beats may they unlock chakras?

The science world has a negative attitude toward the subject of chakras. As a result, there’s no evidence that binaural beats can open chakras (neither is there any evidence that chakras even exist in the first place).

Notwithstanding this, some spiritually-inclined people think that binaural beats could help with the opening of certain chakras, which can improve spirituality and meditation.

Can binaural beats alter your sex or sexuality? 

No way, why would anyone pose such a question? Surgery is the only way to change your sexuality or sexuality. And there’s no way in the world that binaural beats can do that for you.

Can binaural beats make you taller?

Sadly, the answer is a big no. Remember, this is pure science, not voodoo or mysticism. Height, like sex (and eye color), is mostly determined by your genetic constitution – things we do not have much control over.

Can binaural beats lead to headaches?

There’s some indication that hearing binaural beats of higher frequency (those that trigger beta and gamma waves) might cause a headache if used for an extended period.

As a result, we advise that you listen to these tracks in spurts, taking a break every forty minutes or so. Also, we advise that you try keeping the volume level relatively moderate to minimize any noise-related problems.

Conclusion

Notwithstanding their current widespread acceptance across the globe, binaural beats have been studied and used by some civilizations for more than a hundred years prior. They seem to have the ability to create a certain frame of mind, which might be beneficial, based on your objectives.

They can enhance sleep, boost creativity and inventiveness, augment learning, and even enhance productivity as a result of this – all of which are quite beneficial to us at various times.

If you’ve experienced binaural beats at any particular point in your life, please feel free to share them with us in the comments section below and we’ll respond as soon as possible.