Everyday Activities That Produce Different Brainwaves To Improve The Mind And Body

The brainwaves produced by our brain can benefit us greatly in many different ways, as we have previously discussed in numerous blogposts before. But did you know that normal, everyday activities can also produce these beneficial brainwaves? There are many different activities that produce different brainwaves, and knowing what they are and how to perform them can benefit your mind and body greatly!

Gamma Waves – the highest frequency brainwaves, Gamma Waves that improve creativity, speech, and learning, and overall perception. Below are sample activities that can produce these waves.

1.)    Learning or speaking in a different language - conversing in a different language with people who know the language more than you can produce gamma waves. In addition, the process of learning a new language can also produce gamma waves.
2.)    Conceptualizing ideas – whether it’s for work or school, or simply imagining ideas, the process itself can produce gamma waves.
3.)    Recalling memories or looking at photo albums – taking a trip down memory lane can also produce gamma waves, and in turn actually increase memory recall (both the quality of the recall and the speed)
4.)    Meditation – deep meditation also produces gamma waves.
5.)    Active perception – the process of being very aware of your surroundings and self also produces gamma waves.

Beta Waves – the normal brainwave pattern produced during a normal day, whose domains include proper mental functioning, emotional control, mental capacity, alertness, and concentration.

1.)    Learning a new skill, repetition – focusing on learning a new skill, whether physical or mental, can produce beta waves which in turn will improve the ability to learn new skills. It is important to practice these skills repeatedly.
2.)    Playing mental games – playing chess, checkers, scrabble, or any other mental game that requires tremendous focus as well as problem solving can produce beta waves.
3.)    Read a book (mentally, or out loud) – the act of reading requires focus as well as understanding and learning. Any book that you are not previously aware of is the best, although reading a book you’ve read before is also an option.
4.)    Studying – the act of studying itself produces beta waves. It can be anything from studying an academic lesson or topic to studying human behavior as observed in public. Any form of studying requires focus and concentration and can produce beta waves.
5.)    Meditation – meditation variants that require a lot of focus on a particular object or activity can produce beta waves.

Alpha Waves – the brainwave pattern that is associated with relaxation while awake, feeling peace of mind and overall calm, alpha waves also govern abstract creativity (one that is not connected to logic) and is often the reason why people can think out of the box. This is also the wave that is most dominant when lucid dreaming, and the brainwave most associated with stress and anxiety reduction.

1.)    Close your eyes – the very simple act of closing your eyes produces Alpha Waves. This is why people who are trying to find solutions to problems or situations often find themselves closing their eyes when they are engaged in deep thought. How many times have you found an answer to a situation by simply closing your eyes and thinking? Right?
2.)    Engaging in artful pursuits – painting, sculpting, drawing, or any other form of arts and crafts that require free thought (no need to focus too much, just create) can produce alpha waves, especially when the mind is encouraged to run wild.
3.)    Performing a skill you’re good at – skills or activities that you have a high skill level in performing also produces alpha waves. In fact, when performing this skill is done at the best of ways, it is because the mind has produced a surge of alpha waves.
4.)    Be in a relaxing situation – whether it’s a massage, playing with puppies, or just sleeping after a long day.
5.)    Meditation – relaxing meditation varieties can produce alpha waves.

Theta Waves – can be considered the “super wave”, this brainwave pattern influences many different domains of the mind, from memory to emotions to creativity to relaxation and more. Producing theta waves then causes overall improvement for the persion.

1.)    Zen meditation – one of the most effective ways of producing theta waves, zen meditation requires a number of different things done in conjunction with one another; freeing the mind of logic or emptying it entirely (often associated with alpha waves), focusing on breath and posture (beta waves), and relaxing to an almost sleep state (alpha and gamma waves.) This is why zen meditation has a lot of benefits.
2.)    Playing recall and recognition games – charades, puzzles, and boggle/scrabble are good games to produce theta waves.
3.)    Engage in relaxing, creative pursuits that require effort – painting by numbers, Sudoku, and playing action and strategy video games are all good activities to produce the super wave.

Choosing to do these activities can definitely enhance your brainwave production and in turn improve your mind and body. But don’t forget that these activities are enhanced even further by listening to binaural beats tracks. A full playlist of tracks that stimulates all these brainwaves can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQV40q_WSGWcHtkGEV3HTLJzMd0DoJ6WA

One track from this playlist is a binaural beats track for creativity that uses both alpha and theta waves can be found here:

Related Posts:

Mind Over Matter: How To Use Meditation For Addiction And Cravings   

How To Maximize The Benefits Of Binaural Beats 

The Super Wave: Benefits Of Theta Brainwaves And Meditation 

Dreaming With Delta: What Are Delta Waves And What Are Its Benefits? 

Be Better With Beta: The Benefits Of Beta Waves 

All You Need To Know About Alpha Brainwaves

 

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The Beginner's Guide To Astral Projection (Part 1)

We have previously discussed astral projection and the silver cord in previous blog posts, but there are still many things that need to be tackled to even begin trying to fully comprehend the concepts of astral projection. And here is a very quick beginner's guide to astral projection that anyone can read and learn from.

What is astral projection?

To put it simply, as the name implies, it is the process of projecting your astral self out of your body, to explore the world or the astral plane, and be free of any physical bonds. Once outside the physical body, the astral body can experience and perform many different things, like flight, visions of worlds unknown, and meeting spiritual and astral beings.

When you astral project, your astral body will be tethered to your physical body by the silver cord, a lifeline of sorts that allows you to come back when it is time. Learn more about the astral plane and the silver cord in our previous post here.

What are the basics of astral projection?

There are a number of critical components for astral projection that need to be dealt with in order to experience it, and anyone who wants to try astral projection for the first time must be fully aware of them.

1. Belief and desire – before even attempting the process itself, one must have the proper desire to astral project, and a certain level of belief that it can be done. This is where it gets tricky with skeptics and believers, with skeptics claiming that astral projection is hogwash, despite numerous accounts of believers and practitioners having experienced it already. If you believe that it is all crockery, even with the desire to have your skepticism broken, it will be very difficult to astral project. On some degree, there has to be a level of “faith” that astral projection is possible, as it requires a fundamental belief in the presence of an astral body, an astral plane, and the metaphysical world which is not normally seen. This is the first hurdle.
2. Concentration and relaxation – these two elements go hand in hand despite being somewhat different from one another. Relaxation is clearing one's mind of any negative emotions and thoughts, while concentration is making sure you are able to focus on certain things without giving in to distractions. Both are key elements in astral projection, and being strong in both aids in pulling the astral body out of the physical much easier. There are many ways to be able to relax and concentrate, as we have detailed in previous blog posts regarding meditation and lucid dreaming, but some of the basics include using a binaural beats track, having the right environment and surroundings, performing a proper mantra, and visualizing.
3. Separation – this is the final element in astral projection, as this is when the astral body breaks free of the physical body and is able to travel beyond physical boundaries. This final step is the most critical, and the most difficult, as it heavily relies on the first 2 elements. Any doubt, any fear, any loss of relaxation or concentration and the separation procedure may be interrupted, or even outright become unreachable for that session. We will discuss the details of separation in the next part of the beginner's guide to astral projection, but what you need to remember is the precursor of separation: a buzzing or vibrating feeling where you can feel like you're breaking free off your skin. If you have felt this while sleeping without even knowing what astral projection is, you might have unknowingly started the process naturally! Once the vibrations begin and takes hold of you, this is when you can “peel off” or “roll over” or “pull away” (terms we will go into detail in the follow up post) and begin your astral projection journey!

Study these three basic components, and use our blog to be able to fully understand them. Once you're ready, go to part 2 of our beginner's guide to astral projection and let's break down the step by step process needed. Also, don't forget to prepare a binaural beats track for astral projection, like this one, to get yourself ready! 

Related articles:

Meditation Improves Business Productivity
Meditation for Physical Performance
4 Kinds Of Meditation That Will Bring Your Business To The Next Level
Group Meditation Is The Untapped Team Building Activity To Increase ProductivityTranscending Barriers: Explaining The Religious Ties And Answering The Supposed Dangers Of Meditation 

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Meditation Improves Business Productivity

Many people often associate meditation with spirituality, finding inner peace and achieving nirvana, and only done by those following a certain religion, or a practitioner of a far-eastern martial art. It is so old fashioned, that it’s something that no one in the modern world has time for, right? Well that couldn’t be further from the truth, because science has shown that meditation has its place in modern society, and one such place is, as we will be discussing, so unlikely that those not in the know might not even expect it: Business.


What is meditation?

Depending on your source, meditation may have different meanings. But each has one thing in common. Meditation is a state of mind wherein it is emptied of whatever may trouble or disturb you, to pause and be at peace with oneself and be calm. Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not an action: it is a state of mind and awareness; often we can see someone trimming some plants, doing calligraphy, or some other similar act, and still be meditating just the same as someone who is in a lotus position in a garden. But the latter is the common image and way of performing meditation.


How does it help me in business/work?

The main benefits of meditation for business, both for employer and employee are very valuable. In fact, meditation, as it was discovered by the Harvard Business School, and INSEAD, Europe’s top business school, is one of the two most effective business tools for executives and employees (the other being intuition.) Meditation affects the individual, going up to the team, and all the way to the entire business organization, all the while positively influencing each branch to bring overall results.

Meditation actually helps solve the four key components for a successful business, namely:

1. Coming up with, and adhering to a clear vision of the business’ goals
2. To be inspired and innovative in the way they provide their product or service to the market
3. Proper leadership
4. Solid teamwork

And it does so by doing the following:


Benefits of meditation

1. Stress relief – one of the things that can bog down a person’s productivity the most is stress. Stress caused by overworking, or anxiety about deadlines, can compound the problems further, bogging down the business engine even more. And stress can actually affect the person physically, causing loss of energy, slower thinking, and even other health issues. Meditation relieves stress and rejuvenates the mind to be able to do what needs to be done.
2. Improved focus and creativity – stress in work is caused by many things, and one of these is being unable to solve problems. Meditation helps this by calming the mind down, emptying it of unnecessary thoughts, and allowing the person to be mentally and emotionally well enough to focus on the problems at hand. Being creative allows the members of the business to be able to solve problems faster and more efficiently, leading to success which will provide boosts in morale and lead to even more solutions being thought of.
3. Better mental and physical health – the rigors of work and the stress that it causes can affect a person’s mental and physical well-being, from anxiety and insomnia to heart ailments and complications. Some employees have even been known to develop clinical depression! This can cause problems at work ranging from inability to achieve targets, to absences, to bad relationships with co-workers, which all lead to loss of productivity. Meditation calms the mind down, resets the heart rate to a healthier level, and reduces the risks of physical and mental problems. 
4. Better employee teamwork and relationships – staff members who meditate, whether individually or together, become more calm and easier to work with, due to their relaxed, peaceful state. This leads to better teamwork, which is critical in any business venture. Not only that, a good demeanor leads to people respecting each other better, with employers being able to trust their employees and employees being more motivated to deliver for their employers. 

What’s the science behind this?

Some may think that this is nothing more than some new-age idea embraced by some businesses as a fad. But rest assured that, if big companies like Google use it, there is a science behind it. And there is!

Our previous blog posts talked about brainwave patterns and the benefits of brainwave therapy like binaural beats. There’re Alpha Waves, which govern the brain’s cognitive, creative, and problem solving abilities, Beta Waves, which govern the brain’s focus, fight or flight response, and logic, and Delta Waves, which control the body’s healing capabilities and involuntary processes (like heart rate and breathing.)

Being able to produce the said brainwaves in the right amounts and right combinations will allow the mind to reap all of its benefits, and one way to do this is… yes, meditation.


Basics of meditation

There are many ways to meditate, and we will discuss the different methods in a future post soon, but for now, here are some basics to get you started.

First, find a plane surface you can sit straight on. Close your eyes, try to relax, and breathe slowly, in and out. To help empty your mind, focus on your own breathing, and nothing else. If you get distracted or are unable to focus, block it out, and keep your focus on your breathing. Do this for as long as needed until you feel better and relieved.

To increase your chances of being able to focus, the venue is important. If you have your own office at work, lock the doors, put a no disturb sign, close the blinds, and sit on the floor. If you don’t, find a room in the workplace where you can be alone, and do the same. If you’re a business owner, devoting a room for meditation can help your employees do this.

And finally, using binaural beats for meditation to motivate and success definitely helps. Try to listen to this track and it will definitely make you more relaxed and focused on your meditation.

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Binaural Beats For Athletic Performance

When people hear binaural beats, oftentimes they associate it with just the mind and how it can relieve stress and help with lucid dreaming. However, as we have discussed before with how binaural beats work, affecting the mind can have a direct impact on the body. And it is these effects that many coaches and athletes are benefiting from for their athletic capabilities.

There have been numerous studies about binaural beats and athletics, but here’s an example: The American Journal of Human Biology has shown that binaural stimulation caused a group of healthy adults to have an increase in their maximal aerobic physical performance in a graded treadmill workout, after a 15 minute quick listening session, versus the control group who did not listen to anything. The study then labeled this process as an “entertainment-enhanced warm-up” which many athletes can do prior to their training or game performance.

But how exactly does this work? The answer lies in the brainwave targets of the binaural beats.








Alpha Waves For Amazing Performance

We have previously spoken about Alpha Waves and its effects to the mind, namely how it helps with relaxation and keeping both the mind and body calm. At first glance, it may seem quite counterintuitive to think that mind and body relaxation can help with the rush and intensity of athletics. But in reality, this is exactly what differentiates good athletes, from great athletes.

Sports scientists have discovered that Alpha Waves are produced in massive bursts by athletes just before they are about to perform a move at maximum efficiency yielding maximum results. In numerous studies, everyone from basketball players to golf players produced bursts of Alpha Waves before they took their best shots, often associated with the Alpha Waves letting the body relax and move as the athletes were trained to do, without any excess muscles tensing up and ruining the motion or any stray thought making them do unnecessary movements.

As well, because Alpha Waves can awaken the brain’s ability to “super learn”, training for new skills and getting better at existing ones becomes much better.

Increasing your Alpha Waves via binaural beats that specifically target to increase it can make your mind enter that “zen” zone faster and easier, which makes training and performance much easier and yield faster gains.


Beta Waves For Better Focus

The effects of Beta Waves are associated with focus and critical thinking, on the flight-or-fight response, as we have discussed here. It is what governs our brain when we are awake and highly active. You can imagine by that statement how beneficial it will be for athletes and sportspeople.

That’s because Beta Waves can greatly increase an athlete’s cognitive abilities, both in training, and in game time. In training, Beta Waves helps the athletes keep focus on the lessons that need to be learned, to not quit because the mind is not distracted by other things, and to help absorb as much of the knowledge and training done during the time. During game time, Beta Waves can help the athlete’s cognitive thinking, assess the ever-changing situations of a game, and come up with the moves that need to be done in order to win.

In short, Beta Waves make the athlete as sharp as they could be, yielding better results.


Delta Waves For The Details

The effects of Delta Waves govern deep sleep and healing, but it also affects the autonomic nervous system that controls the involuntary, automatic functions of the body’s various organs. This includes the heartbeat, breathing, lubrication of and the focus of the eyes, perspiration, delivery of oxygen to muscles and removal of toxins, and so on.

Having these functions perform at peak condition will allow the athlete to perform at peak condition as well. When even one of this functions lag behind, such as perspiration’s temperature control function, or an irregular heartbeat, the athlete’s performance suffers. In fact, some studies have shown that an irregular delta wave pattern in athletes can cause the heart to show symptoms of weakness, even if the athletes themselves have good physical condition.

In addition, Delta Waves are able to help the body recover and heal after a good day of training or competing, done during the healing that occurs during deep sleep. This is an essential part of maintaining peak condition and performance.


Gamma Waves And Theta Waves For The Game

We have yet to discuss in detail what gamma waves and theta waves are (we will do so in a future blog post) but essentially, Gamma Waves, the highest frequencies our brains can achieve, occurs even way beyond the Beta Wave stage, resulting in being even more highly alert and focused, and is associated with assimilation of new, detailed information and skills.

Known to ‘bind the senses’ in that due to its laser focus benefits, all the senses can work in conjunction to each other, and allows all areas of the brain to communicate properly, Gamma Waves also yield “eureka moments” when it comes to skill learning and performance.
When an athlete gets to realize that crucial detail that was missing to make their performance transcend goodness, to greatness, that is due to Gamma Waves.

Theta Waves are akin to Alpha Waves, in that it helps with creativity and out of the box thinking. For athletes, this allows them to come up with alternative solutions to problems and achieving goals. Ever saw a basketball player perform a shot so unorthodox, so unique, that it made you go “What the heck?!” That may be due to Theta Waves.

Overall, binaural beats and their brainwave therapy can help athletes achieve specific performance goals, when listened to regularly and as part of their training. Listen to this binaural beats track for workouts and gain the same benefits received by top athletes!

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Dreaming With Delta: What Are Delta Waves And What Are Its Benefits?

Brainwave therapy is the main purpose of binaural beats and brainwave entertainment, using specific brainwaves to induce benefits and promote feelings of wellness and mental health. We have previously talked about brainwaves, specifically, what Alpha Waves and Beta Waves are and what are their benefits. Next up, let’s talk about Delta Waves!

What are Delta Waves?

Discovered in the early 1900s by a man named W. Grey Walter, Delta Waves are associated with the very deepest levels of sleep, relaxation, and peace of mind.

Operating at a frequency range of 0-4Hz (the slowest of all the brainwaves), Delta Waves are what cause sleep to be restorative, which allow the person to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. It is also important for the healing process –through the release of various hormones during sleep-, and is what controls many of the body’s unconscious functions, like the heartbeat, digestion, breathing, and many other things we don’t often think about, but actually need.  As such, it is also associated with loss of consciousness and physical awareness.


Benefits of Delta Waves

1. Deep sleep and healing – the main benefit of Delta Waves is allowing the person to get a good night’s sleep, which allows the body to heal itself and rest and revitalize the mind. Without it, a person will wake up feeling lethargic and weak instead of recharged. In some cases, Delta Waves even help slow down the aging process, through the production of hormones like DHEA and melatonin, which affects the skin, bodily functions, and overall well-being. It also helps produce natural human growth hormone by the pituitary gland, which also helps restore the body (and for athletes and people who love to workout, reap the benefits of the day’s efforts), as well as improve the immune system to further protect the body from sickness and illness.
2. Regular bodily functions – Delta Waves control all of the body’s activities that we are not conscious of. Proper heartbeat, proper kidney functioning, proper liver functioning, proper breathing, proper digestion, etc. Having a good dose of Delta Waves makes sure that everything is in-sync and of good working order. And this is important. Because while we can stop ourselves from tripping over something and avoiding injury, we have no control of how kidneys go and function. So we are relying on our body to simply function well. 
3. Increase in empathy and intuition – a good production of Delta Waves allows the person to care more and empathize more with people, generally leading to being more receptive to their problems and being more willing and fulfilled to help them. It also helps to further accept and understand other people’s emotions, relate to their problems, and think of ways to help. Included in this is an increase in one’s intuition, which in scientific terms is the body’s natural response to certain events or activities. Intuition allows the person to tap into the body’s natural capabilities and the mind’s expectations, thus allowing for better decision making when it comes to “trusting your gut.”

Those are the main benefits of Delta Waves. But like with anything, too much can be a disadvantage as well. Having too much Delta Waves can cause people to lose focus; remember, Delta Waves are associated with relaxation and sleep, so having too much may cause the person to have difficulty retaining information or focusing on the task at hand. This is commonly associated with various learning disabilities and even ADHD in people and kids.
So the solution here is to produce just enough Delta Waves!

How To Get Good Delta Waves

One natural way to regulate your Delta Waves (that is, get a good amount, not too much, not too little) is through meditation. Specifically, deep meditation. While this can be quite a task to do, it is a very good method. We will be discussing different meditation techniques in a separate blog post.

Another is through listening to binaural beats. We have already discussed how binaural beats work, and there are binaural beats tracks for deep sleep using delta waves that you can listen to, like this one!

Be Better With Beta: The Benefits Of Beta Waves

In the past we discussed how binaural beats work, by affecting brainwaves and stimulating the mind to achieve specific mental, emotional, and even physical results. There are a number of brainwaves that can be affected, and we already shown what the benefits of alpha waves are, and now we’re going to see another brainwave pattern: beta waves.

What are Beta Waves?

Beta waves are officially classified as the frequency range of human brain activity between 12.5 and 35-40Hz, which is the range associated when the brain is conscious or awake. These waves are connected to the mind being active or working, and connected to being focused and sharp, as well as critical thinking.  They are also associated with the flight-or-fight response, which is responsible for what happens when we are faced with an anxious or threat-induced choice, which synergizes well with Beta Waves also being responsible for being very alert.

They are actually divided into three (3) classifications: Low Beta (12-15Hz), which is when the mind is in a quiet and focused mode, Mid-Range Beta (15-20Hz), which is when the mind is moving at a higher and faster pace, bordering on anxiety, and High Beta (20-35/40Hz) which is when the mind is experiencing stress, anxiety, dread.

Beta Waves are the brainwaves we experience the most in our lives, as many of our day-to-day activities require conscious effort to perform, especially when it comes to work, school, recreational activities, and even household chores. 

Some Differences and Similarities Between Alpha and Beta

In general, Beta Waves are associated with conscious effort and thinking, which is in contrast to Alpha Waves that are associated with relaxation and subconscious effort. Whereas Alpha Waves allow your body to perform in an almost “zen” like fashion, that is, without thinking, Beta Waves make your body perform better if it requires a lot of thinking and concentration. 

For example, while an athlete may have a sudden burst of Alpha Waves right before performing an amazing shot, a master welder will have a steady flow of Beta Waves in order to create a perfect weld that may mean the difference between life and death.

Another key difference between Beta Waves and Alpha Waves, is that Beta Waves are associated with logic, whereas Alpha Waves are associated with creativity. Both can be used for problem solving purposes, but with different approaches.

Both Alpha and Beta waves however can work in synergy with one another. For instance, a MMA fighter may rely on sudden bursts of Alpha Waves when his body naturally throws punches and kicks, but also on Beta Waves in order to make decisions on where to hit, how to maneuver, and when to run or attack.

In fact, a healthy mind is one that has a healthy balance of Alpha and Beta waves!

Benefits of Beta Waves

As mentioned above, Beta Waves are associated with concentration, logical thinking, and focus. And so the main benefits are related to those as well.

1.) Concentration and focus – Beta Waves allow people to be able to concentrate more, to drown out distractions and focus on the tasks that need to be done. When you need a steady hand and a sharp mind, Beta Waves are for you.

In addition, research has shown that improving Beta Waves also helps against ADD, helping kids to focus rather than have their attention diverted so easily. 

2.) Sharper thinking – Beta Waves make thinking faster, better, and more realistic. Information in the brain is accessed much faster, allowing for speedier decision making, and because Beta Waves improve logical thinking, any decisions made will be much more grounded in realism rather than the fantastic.

3.) Higher mental endurance – Like any machine or body part, the brain can get worn out and tired when it is worked too much. Beta Waves help in this by making the mind stronger and therefore last longer, allowing you to focus and concentrate and perform for extended periods of time, and can mean the difference between success and failure.

4.) Enhanced learning – Similar to Alpha Waves, Beta Waves can also increase learning, done on top of increasing concentration.

How To Increase Beta Waves

Activities that require mental focus and concentration are good ways to increase Beta Waves. 

Reading books is one way, in particular, books with compelling information or stories. The more that it forces your mind to exert effort, the better.

Playing mind games that require logic and critical thinking also helps increase good Beta Wave production. Chess, for example, not only forces the mind to be focused to succeed, but also to engage in logical and critical thinking that requires the person to be two or three steps ahead.

And then there's the use of binaural beats, which influences the mind by being in-sync with good Beta Wave frequencies and helping the brain reap its benefits. Listen to this binaural beats track for fitness that helps you keep focused and at the same time keeps you calm yet active. And don't forget to visit our binaural beats music library for more tracks and albums for all your brainwave enhancing needs.

Bitrates And Binaural Beats: Why Does It Matter?

There are many methods to make the mind feel and act better, but of all these, one method stands out as one of the best, fastest, and most consistent way: listening to binaural beats. We’ve discussed how binaural beats work in a previous blog post, explaining how the varying tone that enter each ear cause the brain to produce a third tone, which is what the binaural beat is. But is it really just as simple as that? Does this mean that as long as you’re hearing one tone in one ear, and one in the other, that’s it?
Not exactly. Because when it comes to the effectiveness of binaural beats, sound quality is key, and because of that, the track bitrate matters.

What Is Bitrate?

Simply put, bitrate is the amount of data that is processed by a system over a specific period of time. When it comes to audio files, like a binaural beats track, bitrate is currently measured (we say currently because as technology progresses, the measurement may change!) in kilobytes per second, or “kbps.” You’ve probably encountered this before already, looking at downloadable MP3 files on services like iTunes, where each track is usually accompanied by its bitrate (anywhere between 64kbps to 320kbps and beyond.)

This means every second of the track you hear delivers a specified amount of data to your ears. And this is very important, especially when it comes to the file format of the binaural beats you are listening to.

File Compression

Most commonly, audio files you will encounter online is in MP3 or MP4 format, compressed formats that allow for easy transfer and storage of files. When the compression process happens, there is a certain frequency and data loss, which will vary depending on the quality of the MP3/MP4 converter used.

It becomes even worse when a file, which has already been compressed, will be compressed again, to further save on space and make it easy to transfer. This usually happens in online retailers when, a file that is supposed to be uploaded as a lossless (no compression) format is instead uploaded in a compressed MP3 format already.  The online retailer usually automatically compresses the file into MP3 format, resulting in a double compression process, sometimes even reaching even more depending on how many channels the file has to pass through before it reaches your hands.

And finally, once a file is compressed, it cannot be “decompressed” or increased in quality. So it is irreversible!

Why Quality And Bitrate Matters

You might be wondering: “as long as it enters my ears, it should work, right?” Low sound quality is okay for songs or audio books, but not binaural beats. The effectiveness of a binaural beats track is dependent on the clarity of the frequency waves that are delivered by the recording. To keep the binaural track intact, the audio file must keep its integrity from the master file all the way to the final file you listen to, and this is where compression comes into play. A file that is compressed wrong, or compressed too much, results in frequency loss that may cause the binaural track to be less effective, or not be effective at all due to the frequency being changed too much!

And it won’t matter if your gear is of the best quality either. Having the best headphones and yet a tainted and compressed binaural beats track will still not yield the best results, as there is less data for you to listen to in the first place.

Sometimes, sources will claim to have high bit rates, only for you to hear it and feel like it is sub-par. This is usually when the compressed track (say, at 128kbps bitrate) is “decompressed” or upgraded to a higher amount (say, 192kbps.) Remember, it is not a reversible process, so always beware!

What Can You Do?

The solution to getting the best quality binaural beats track with proper information.
First, know your sources. If a track is found in a general audio file distribution website, chances are it has been compressed beyond the control of the original maker. So try to find the best sources, and if possible, go straight to the manufacturer.

Second, make sure to test the tracks or albums first. If you are about to buy a binaural beats track, and the sample is low, or there’s not even a sample at all, skip it!

And finally, don’t take any less than 192kbps from lossless to compressed format.

At Brainwave Power Music, our binaural beats tracks are high quality stereo level which ensures the effectiveness of the frequencies producing the binaural beats. Listen to a sample binaural beats track for creativity played back in high definition on YouTube, and visit our binaural beats library to listen to more high quality tracks!

Is Lucid Dreaming Dangerous?

Lucid dreaming is one of the most amazing experiences one can ever have. We have discussed how to prepare for lucid dreaming, and what to expect when lucid dreaming, with the latter including an insight on possibly encountering sleep paralysis, and how to deal with it should it happen. Sleep paralysis can be a frightening experience, and while it does not pose any physical danger, many people are turned off from trying lucid dreaming because of it. In fact, many people are fearful of lucid dreaming because of all its alleged risks, some of which are even claimed to be fatal. But is lucid dreaming really dangerous?

No. From a physical and physiological standpoint, lucid dreaming is not dangerous.

In fact, some scientific experts have shown that lucid dreaming (more specifically, lucid nightmares) is a very good way to help people deal with their own fears, and is a good treatment for regular nightmares. Being in control of dreams gives people the capability to be more confident in facing their fears, because despite experiencing terror, the phrase “this is just a dream, nothing will hurt me” is ingrained in the dreamer, and will allow them to face their terrors in safety, thus conditioning their mind and having that carry over in their waking lives.

Having said that however, there are some concerns that people often raise and need to be addressed.

Here are 3 of the most concerning.

Lucid Dreaming Concerns

1.) Death in the dream – One of the most terrifying and controversial concerns is about what happens when you die in your lucid dream. Many claim that dying in a lucid dream causes you to die for real, or stay in a “lucid dream limbo” where you can be asleep for days, weeks, or even months, and if you eventually wake up, a long time would have passed and you wouldn’t even know it.

This is false. Dying can happen in dreams; have you not died in a non-lucid dream before, only to wake up in yet another dream, or wake up entirely? That’s precisely what will happen. Granted, dying in a lucid dream may truly be a terrifying experience, with everything being very vivid, but the dream itself will not physically kill you. Oftentimes, claims that people who have died in their sleep was due to dying in their dreams have turned out to be false as autopsies would often reveal other causes of death.

This is when the dreamer’s physical factors come into play. People with a pre-existing condition, especially heart problems, may suffer from side-effects, the same side-effects one may feel with actual traumatic fear when they are awake, like tightening of the chest or shortness of breath.  It is these conditions that may cause physical effects, not the dream itself.

There is also a concern about astral projection and what happens when the silver cord is cut, but this is an entirely different topic and will be discussed in a future article.

2.) Dissociation and blurring the lines of dreams and reality – Lucid dreaming can be very vivid, and can feel very real. Some people claim that doing lucid dreams blurs the lines between what’s real and what’s not, and may cause people to experience dissociation and being unable to live normally, having different expectations from the real world. This is a legitimate concern but one that is easily addressed by being well-informed and well-practiced.

The issue arises when people who have had no ability to remember their dreams before are all of a sudden thrust into remembering dreams due to lucid dreaming, and now have memories that they previously never had upon waking up.

One way to keep the distinction between dreams and reality is keeping a dream journal, which we discussed in a previous blog post. When a dreamer is unsure about what is real and what is not, consulting the dream journal can help. And in time, and with regulated exposure to lucid dreaming, distinguishing dreams from reality will be easier and easier.

But for the most part, people with an average, healthy mental constitution will almost always be able to distinguish memories from dreams and those from reality very easily.

3.) Dream addiction – Another concern is that people may end up wanting to just sleep their lives away and spend most of their time in lucid dreams. This is because of the amazing and fantastic possibilities of lucid dreaming, one that may be used as an “escape” from reality similar to how drugs are used by addicts.

There is a problem with this, because the body cannot always physically continuously sleep that long and that frequently. The body can only have a limited time of REM sleep (roughly around 100 minutes), which is something that most people do not exceed. Remember, dream sleep is different from regular sleep, and just because you will sleep for 8 hours a day, doesn’t mean you’ll dream for the same amount. And once your body has gotten its required sleep, it will be very hard to go back to sleep again, let alone go and get REM sleep again.

There are other concerns about lucid dreaming, those that are more controversial and supernatural, which we will tackle in a future blog post.

As with everything, the best way to deal with concerns about lucid dreaming is through proper information and proper training. Don’t plunge head on into lucid dreaming without studying it properly, and preparing yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Check out our blog for information about lucid dreams, as well as listen to this binaural beats track for studying that can help you learn properly.

As well, visit our binaural beats music library for more albums and tracks!

Related links: 
How to prepare your room for lucid dreaming 
What to expect from lucid dreaming
How to deal with sleep paralysis
Keeping a dream journal

All You Need To Know About Alpha Brainwaves

In a previous post, we discussed what binaural beats are and how they work. You can read the details by visiting that blog post, but the summary of it is binaural beats affect the brain by being in the same frequency as certain brainwaves, which then causes certain effects depending on what kind of brainwave pattern is simulated. And of all these brainwaves, one in particular stands out for being very beneficial overall: Alpha Waves.

What are Alpha Waves?

Discovered in 1929 by a man named Hans Berger, Alpha Waves are brainwaves that are in the 8-13 Hz (some sources claim 8-12) and are called such because it is the first brainwave pattern discovered, with “alpha” being the first letter in the Greek alphabet. Alpha Waves are produced when your brain and body are relaxed and at peace, and is a characteristic of being relaxed yet alert at the same time (we'll get more into this later.) As well, Alpha Waves aren't just the result of being relaxed, they can cause relaxation as well. However, Alpha Waves aren't just those things.

Benefits of Alpha Waves

Science has shown that Alpha Waves are a factor in a person's creative capabilities and even athletic capacity. This is is because when Alpha Waves are produced, the body and mind calm down and relax, which reduces stress and thus reduces the effort it takes for the mind and body to function.

Think of it like learning a new skill for the first time. Performing that skill, say, throwing a basketball for the first time, fills your mind with stress due to nervousness or being unsure what to do and tenses your body's muscles as it is not used to doing the activity. Over time, as more practice comes in and both the mind and the body get used to doing it, it can relax more and make the movement more fluid and efficient, making your mind and body relaxed but alert when it needs to perform the skill (as mentioned above.)

The same effect is done by Alpha Waves. Science has discovered that people who are able to produce large bursts of Alpha Waves can come up with creative ideas and solutions faster and on the fly, and perform better physically, than those who do not. Sports scientists have discovered that elite athletes produce large bursts of Alpha Waves just before they take their best shots, whether in basketball, golf, archery, boxing, and so on, and that consistent training by novice athletes eventually made them produce bursts of Alpha Waves as well when they perform. As well, it was discovered that exposure to Alpha Waves tended to produce an increase in performance; the Alpha Waves were produced via meditation, massage, and other relaxing methods.

And the relaxing benefits of Alpha Waves don't stop there. As mentioned earlier, cognitive capabilities, creativity, and problem solving abilities all increase with Alpha Waves; this works by engaging both hemispheres of the brain as opposed to just one or the other. Alpha Waves also improves your immune system and have been discovered to have a link to the speed of recovery from sickness and ailments, and protect from stress.

Finally, Alpha Waves have been connected to the brain's natural ability to “super learn”, which is when your brain can retain, and then recall, more information than normal. Similar to increasing creativity and learning, this is because Alpha Waves integrate the two hemispheres together and allow them to communicate seamlessly.

How to produce Alpha Waves

One of the most common ways to produce Alpha Waves is through meditation and relaxation. Some people do this through simply meditation and listening to relaxing music, while others do this through doing their hobbies, like painting, sculpting, reading a book, even sporting activities like taking freethrows, going to the driving range, or any light physical activity. Yoga is another physical activity that makes people produce Alpha Waves when done regularly, and is the reason why many people are doing this lately, to relieve stress and relax.

But by far one of the fastest ways to generate Alpha Waves is through the use of binaural beats. Binaural beats that are in the same frequency as Alpha Waves stimulate the brain and give the benefits of Alpha Waves at an accelerated rate, and listening to it regularly will regularly yield results.

So improve your Alpha Waves now! Start by listening to this binaural beats track for Alpha Waves here, and visit our binaural beats music library for more tracks and albums!

What Are Binaural Beats? How Does It Affect You?

A while back we wrote a guide on how to prepare for lucid dreaming, more specifically, how to prepare your room and your environment to be able to do lucid dreams. In that guide we included everything from how to control lighting and sounds, and mentioned one specific thing that can help open your mind for lucid dreaming: listen to binaural beats. In fact, at the end of every blog post, we offer binaural beats tracks from our music library that you can listen to. But what exactly are binaural beats? And how can it affect the mind in preparation for lucid dreaming?

Binaural beats

Discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, binaural beats, as defined by Wikipedia, “are auditory processing artifacts, or apparent sounds, caused by specific physical stimuli” that can help induce relaxation, meditation, and creativity.

This is done is by playing two tones or signals of varying frequencies, one in each ear. The brain then receives both tones and detects the differences between the two, and then processes the difference to create its own third signal, which is what's defined as the binaural beat. This third signal, which contain low frequency pulses, affect the mind and do anything from simply relax the person to improve their cognitive abilities and their mental awareness.

That's because a binaural beat will cause the brain to resonate to, or “follow the beat” of the third signal, and when it resonates at certain ranges, the brain activity is affected and changes. This effect, called the “Frequency Following Response”, was discovered by biophysicist Gerald Oster and actually helped in the development of the use of auditory or sound stimulation to improve brain function.

How it works and its benefits

Our brain's activities are classified into “brainwave patterns”, which is how the electrical signal of brain activity appears when it is detected by an EEG. When the binaural beat is within the range of a certain brainwave pattern, it causes the brain to be affected according to what each brainwave pattern is known for. We will discuss in detail each specific brainwave pattern in a future blog post, but for now, here are the general descriptions:

Gamma Waves (40 Hz and up) – gamma waves are associated with mental capacity, perception, problem solving skills.

Beta Waves (14-39 Hz) – beta waves are related to capacity to concentrate, cognitive skills, mental alertness.

Alpha Waves (7-13.9 Hz) - alpha waves are associated with relaxation (being in the pre-sleep/pre-wakening stage), and are seen during meditation sessions. This is also indicative of trances, and when superlearning is occurring.

Theta Waves (4-6.9 Hz) – theta waves are seen during dreaming or REM sleep and during the hypnagogic state, and during very deep meditation when the brain is accessing the unconscious mind. Involved in creativity increases, behavioral modification, and memory.

Delta (.1-3.9Hz) – delta waves are seen during dreamless sleep and is associated with loss of body awareness.

Through meditation and other mental techniques, a person can reach different brainwave patterns for the desired effect, but using binaural beats to aid in this is a more stable and consistent way to change the brainwave activity, thus achieving the benefits much faster and much more reliably.

How to use binaural beats

Before loading up a binaural beats track, it is highly suggested that a good pair of earphones or headphones are ready to be used. This directs each of the two primary tones or signals properly to each ear, allowing the brain to hear the binaural beat properly.

Next, make sure to also be in a relaxing place. For instance, is not advisable to listen to a binaural beats track while driving, lifting heavy equipment, or doing any physical activity even if it commuting home from work (although it is not really forbidden to do so.) We advise to take extra precautions if you do so wish to listen to relaxing binaural beat tracks, as these alter the brainwave state.

The best time to listen to binaural beats is during bedtime to aid in lucid dreaming, power naps, or even just a quick relaxation or meditation session.

And finally, while the binaural beats can certainly help in relaxing the mind, it is important for the listener to do their part as well, by emptying their mind and allowing the binaural beat to do its work without any mental interruption or obstacle. Breathing techniques, lack of other distractions like mobile phone notifications, and many other methods can be employed to do this.

Tips on how to use binaural beats to their fullest will be discussed in a future blog post, so stay tuned!

For now, listen to this binaural beats track for relaxation that uses alpha frequencies to keep you calm and improve peace of mind. 

And don't forget to visit our binaural beats music library for more tracks and albums here: http://www.brainwavepowermusic.com/the-music-store