What Are Binaural Beats and How Can They Improve Brain Function?

What Are Binaural Beats and How Can They Improve Brain Function?

You may have heard of binaural beats and wondered what they are. In
essence, binaural beats are sound frequencies that can be used as a way to
produce the types of brainwaves needed to complete different tasks. Used in
meditation and other healing modalities, binaural beats are much more than
pretty music. They can be a powerful mechanism to improve your brain
function.
What Are Binaural Beats?
Scientists have long known that music can have a positive effect on brain
function, but binaural beats are a relatively new phenomenon. The term
‘binaural beats’ actually describes the sensations that your brain perceives
when you listen through headphones to two different tones that are very close
in pitch, simultaneously. The beat is heard as if the two sounds combine.
This is important for the brain, as processing binaural beats is one of the few
activities where both hemispheres of the brain work synchronically to produce
a particular result. The brain can only hear one tone at a time, so both
hemispheres work to produce one tone out of the two that are coming in
through each ear.
What Effect do Binaural Beats have on the Brain?
Research has shown that listening to binaural beats has a similar effect to
meditation. Binaural beats can have a powerful effect on your brain, helping
you quickly achieve states of deep relaxation, increased concentration,
improved sleep, and enhanced memory. And they do this by merely altering
the frequencies of your brainwaves.
Different sound frequencies encourage different brainwaves. By listening to
binaural beats, we alter our brainwaves to produce the cognitive functions we
need at the time:

Gamma waves—Stimulate the brain during higher processing tasks and
cognitive functioning to improve learning, memory, and information
processing (40 Hz to 100 Hz frequency).
Beta waves—Inspire conscious focus, improved memory, problem-solving,
critical thinking, writing, reading, and socialization (12 Hz to 40 Hz frequency).
Alpha waves—Bridge the gap between conscious thinking and the
subconscious mind. They promote calmness, deep relaxation, positivity, and
decrease anxiety (8 Hz to 12 Hz frequency).
Theta waves—Enhance creativity, emotional connection, intuition, relaxation,
and restorative REM sleep (4 Hz to 8 Hz frequency).
Delta waves—Motivate improved Immune system, natural healing, deep,
restorative sleep (0 Hz to 4 Hz frequency).

What’s the Best Way to Try Binaural Beats?
To start exploring the potential of binaural beats, you will need a set of stereo
headphones and a device that plays music, like your smartphone. You usually
only need to listen for 15-30 minutes to achieve the brainwave state you
desire. Don’t combine binaural beats therapy with other activities, especially
not while driving or operating machinery. You can find a wide variety of free
and low-cost binaural beats soundtracks online to use them while studying,
creating, or preparing for sleep.