Brainwave synchronization

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Brainwave synchronization is the practice to entrain one's brainwaves to a desired frequency, by means of a periodic stimulus with corresponding frequency. The stimulus can be aural as in the case of binaural beats, or visual, as with a Dreamachine, or a combination of the two with a mind machine.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Brainwave synchronization, also called brainwave entrainment, is concerned with frequency following response, a naturally occuring phenomenon in which similar frequencies tend to synchronize with each other. Brainwave synchronization with binaural beats is said to help synchronize the two hemispheres, hence most famous incarnation of this example, Hemi-Sync (by Monroe Institute). Brainwave synchronization has many, early, and often, social manifestations. A drum circle, chanting, as well as staring at a fire, were ways that our ancestors partook in the phenomenon. Crowds at a rock concert, a deep conversation, and being "on the same page" also serve to illustrate how brainwaves can "tune" to certain frequencies. Much is not known about brainwaves and less about their entrainment, and most research is done by private institutions (like the one above) to make and sell these self-help CDs. Brainwave Synchronization is known to exist; but the effectiveness and amount of control is not yet "down to a science".

It is also a private case of functional brain connectivity concept, whereas functional connectivity is defined as the temporal correlation between spatially-remote neurophysiological events, expressed as deviation from statistical independence (temporal correlation) across these events in distributed neuronal groups and areas, which produce the brainwaves (for the recent review see Fingelkurts An.A., Fingelkurts Al.A., Kähkönen S. Functional connectivity in the brain – is it an elusive concept? Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2005, 28(8):827-836). As the authors have stated, "the functional brain connectivity has become one of the most influential concepts in modern cognitive neuroscience, especially given the current shift in emphasis from studies of functional segregation to studies of functional integration."

[edit] Binaural beats

Main article: Binaural beats

Brainwave synchronization (entrainment) may be achieved when audio signals are introduced to the brain causing a response directly related to the frequency of the signal introduced, called binaural beats. Two tones close in frequency generate a beat frequency at the difference of the frequencies, which is generally subsonic. For example, a 500 Hz tone and 510 Hz tone will produce a subsonic 10 Hz tone, roughly in the middle of the alpha range. The resulting subsonic tone may affect the state of mind of the subject as with the program I-Doser. The "carrier frequency" (i.e. the 500 Hz in the example above), is also said by some to affect the quality of the transformative experience[citation needed]. Holosync's brainwave entrainment program emphasizes the progressive lowering of the carrier frequencies, for instance.

Although some studies have reported that these frequencies do provide help in treating certain medical conditions, [1] there is not a wide acceptance by the medical community to adopt the practice of brainwave synchronization for emotional/mental disorders. The fixed, constant frequency of the synchronization is less helpful than techniques such as classical neurofeedback or learning meditation, which naturally generate brain wave frequencies that differ from person to person and may vary from minute to minute.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The Clinical Guide to Light and Sound, Thomas Budzynski, Ph.D.

[edit] External links

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