WHAT ARE BINAURAL BEATS? HOW TO USE THEM.

What are binaural beats?

When you hear two tones, one in each ear, that are slightly different in frequency, your brain processes a beat at the difference of the frequencies. This is called a binaural beats.

binaural in British English

1. relating to, having, or hearing with both ears

2. employing two separate channels for recording or transmitting sound; so creating an impression of depth a binaural recording

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you’re listening to a sound in your left ear that’s at a frequency of 132 Hertz (Hz). And in your right ear, you’re listening to a sound that’s at a frequency of 121 Hz. Your brain, however, gradually falls into synchrony with the difference — or 11 Hz. Instead of hearing two different tones, you instead hear a tone at 11 Hz (in addition to the two tones given to each ear).

Binaural beats are considered auditory illusions. For a binaural beat to work, the two tones have to have frequencies less than 1000 HzTrusted Source, and the difference between the two tones can’t be more than 30 Hz. 

The tones also have to be listened to separately, one through each ear. It is therefore recommended to use headphones while listening to binaural audio. Binaural beats have been explored in music and are sometimes used to help tune instruments, such as pianos and organs. More recently, they have been connected to potential health benefits.

What health benefits are binaural audio claimed to have?

Binaural beats are claimed to induce the same mental state associated with a meditation practice, but much more quickly. In effect, binaural beats are said to:

• reduce anxiety
• increase focus and concentration
• lower stress
• increase relaxation
• foster positive moods
• promote creativity
• help manage pain

Meditation is the practice of calming the mind and tuning down the number of random thoughts that pass through it. Regular meditation practice has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, slow down the rate of brain aging and memory loss, promote emotional health, and lengthen attention span. Practicing meditation regularly can be quite difficult, so people have looked to technology for help.

How do you use binaural audio?

All you need to experiment with binaural beats is binaural beat audio and a pair of headphones or earbuds. You can easily find audio files of binaural beats online, such as on YouTube, or you can purchase CDs or download audio files directly to your mp3 player or another device. As mentioned earlier, for a binaural beat to work, the two tones have to have frequencies of less than 1000 HzTrusted Source, and the difference between the two tones can’t be more than 30 Hz.

It is always recommended to use headphones for listening to binaural beats. And benefits can be multiplied by using them while meditating.

Listening to binaural beats is also helpful while working at different frequencies.

There are 5 Types of Brain Waves

Neurons in your brain use electrical signals to create thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When neurons synchronize, this creates brain waves. Brain waves can be measured by a technique called electroencephalography (EEG). This technique involves electrodes put on the scalp to record electoral signals. 

Brain waves can range from low frequency to high amplitude and high frequency to low amplitude. The brain waves create binaural beats. This leads to different mental states which affect the brain in different ways.

You’ll need to decide which brainwave fits your desired state. In general:

• Binaural beats in the delta (1 to 4 Hz) range have been associated with trusted Sources with deep sleep and relaxation.
• Binaural beats in the theta (4 to 8 Hz) range are linked to REM sleep, reduced anxiety, relaxation, as well as meditative and creative states.
• Binaural beats in the alpha frequencies (8 to 13 Hz) are thought to encourage trusted Source relaxation, promote positivity, and decrease anxiety.
• Binaural beats in the lower beta frequencies (14 to 30 Hz) have been linkedTrusted Source to increased concentration and alertness, problem-solving, and improved memory.

Are there any side effects to listening to binaural beats?

There are no known side effects to listening to binaural beats, but you’ll want to make sure that the sound level coming through your headphones isn’t set too high. Lengthy exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss over time. This is roughly the level of noise produced by heavy traffic.

As many binaural audio are freely available, the reactions to the beats vary from one individual to another. Individuals need to experiment with different binary beats to find ones that suit them. The effectiveness of binaural beats depends on the listener. Some people will find the beats effective. Others might find them irritating and unproductive.

A different angle to this topic

Humans use music and rhythm as mood enhancers. Be it in social gatherings or late study nights, we use audio stimuli to set the “right mood” and improve our cognitive performance.

Indeed, monaural beats readily entrain the cortex to specific frequencies, and repetitive and rhythmic stimuli (such as mantras or tones) are widely used in contemplative and religious practices with positive physiological impact. It remains open questions whether the reported effects of binaural beats are due to 

(1) their asymmetrically driven rhythmicity (the binaural aspect is essential to their effectiveness), 

(2) their capability of entraining brain oscillations (as would also be the case with monaural beats), or 

(3) a placebo effect. 

Final Thoughts

Though not proved completely, the concept of binaural beats is relatable and I have been using it for a long time and hence recommend to my readers. I use non-paid youtube music. Links are given below. Hope you gained from this blog post. Do share with others so that they can experience this concept of binaural audio too. Also let me know your views you can comment or mail me : apurvalalranjan@gmail.com