Unlocking the Potential of Binaural Beats: Effects on Mind and Body
Listening to audio with binaural beats may benefit your mental health and promote creativity and focus. But what exactly are binaural beats, and how do they work?
What are Binaural Beats?
Binaural beats are considered auditory illusions. 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 beat.
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).
For a binaural beat to work, the two tones have to have frequencies less than 1000 Hz, 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. 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. An incredibly widespread brain hacking tool is auditory brain stimulation, in particular binaural beats brain stimulation. In this case, a simple computer and a basic program for sound processing are sufficient to build a modulator. What is more, an audio file for brain stimulation can be placed on the Internet, e.g., on audio/video sharing platforms. In order to stimulate, a headset connected to a smartphone or computer will suffice.
How Binaural Beats Work
The phase-locking effect is mainly responsible for the mechanism of binaural beats. This phenomenon involves the neuron generating action potentials at well-defined phases of a periodic acoustic signal. Propagating in the nerve fibres of the auditory nerve, the action potentials encode temporal fine structure (TFS) information of the acoustic signal. Decoding the information contained in the TFS considerably supports the pitch perception process.
It can therefore be assumed that, due to the crossing of the neural pathways of the left and right ear, the action potentials in which the TFS information of the tones is contained interact and, consequently, the impression of binaural beats is created. It is hypothesized that the neural interaction effects produced in this way can influence/modify brainwave parameters in such a way that a beat frequency (the mismatch between the tones) synchronizes cortical oscillations and, consequently, can act supportively with respect to a given activity.
In order to do so, a beat frequency is selected so that it is close to (or equal to) the target brain wave frequencies. Thus, to support cognitive processes associated with beta waves, for example, binaural beats with a beat frequency in the range of 13 to 30 Hz are used (e.g., 240 Hz to the right ear and 255 Hz to the left ear in the case of 15 Hz binaural beats brain stimulation). To modulate brain activity close to meditation, on the other hand, the theta range is used (from 4 to 8 Hz, e.g., 240 Hz to the right ear and 245 Hz to the left ear in the case of 5 Hz binaural beats brain stimulation).
Brainwave Entrainment
When you listen to a sound with a certain frequency, your brain waves will synchronize with that frequency. The theory is that binaural beats can help create the frequency needed for your brain to create the same waves commonly experienced during a meditation practice. The use of binaural beats in this way is sometimes called brain wave entrainment technology.
Binaural beats between 1 and 30 Hz are alleged to create the same brain wave pattern that one would experience during meditation. Meditation is the practice of calming the mind and tuning down the number of random thoughts that pass through it. A regular meditation practice has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, slow down the rate of brain aging and memory loss, promote mental health, and lengthen attention span. Practicing meditation regularly can be quite difficult, so people have looked to technology for help.
Potential Benefits of Binaural Beats
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
How to Use Binaural Beats
All you need to experiment with binaural beats is a 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 via downloaded audio files to your mp3 player or mobile device. As mentioned earlier, for a binaural beat to work, the two tones have to have frequencies of less than 1000 Hz, and the difference between the two tones can’t be more than 30 Hz.
You can also decide which brain wave fits your desired state. In general:
- Binaural beats in the delta (1 to 4 Hz) range have been associated 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 relaxation, promote positivity, and decrease anxiety.
- Binaural beats in the beta frequencies (14 to 30 Hz) have been linked to increased concentration and alertness, problem-solving, and improved memory.
- Binaural beats of 40 Hz were found to be helpful in enhancing training and learning, according to a 2020 study.
When listening to binaural beats, it’s best to sit in a comfortable place free of distractions. Listening to the binaural beat audio for at least 30 minutes each day in your headphones ensures that the rhythm is entrained (has fallen into synchronization) throughout the brain. You can experiment with the length of time you listen to the binaural beats to find out what works for you. For example, if you’re experiencing high levels of anxiety or stress, you may want to listen to the audio for a full hour or longer. Remember, you must use headphones for binaural beats to work. You may also want to listen with your eyes closed.
Research and Studies
While most studies on the effects of binaural beats have been small, there are several that provide evidence that this auditory illusion does indeed have health benefits, especially related to anxiety, mood, and performance.
An older 2005 controlled study in roughly 100 people about to undergo surgery also found that binaural beats were able to significantly reduce pre-operative anxiety compared to similar audio without the binaural tones and no audio at all. In the study, anxiety levels were cut in half for people who listened to the binaural beat audio.
A 2007 uncontrolled study asked eight adults to listen to a binaural beat CD with delta (1 to 4 Hz) beat frequencies for 60 days straight. The results of the study found that listening to binaural beats for 60 days significantly reduced anxiety and increased the overall quality of life of these participants. Since the study was small, uncontrolled, and relied on patient surveys to collect data, larger studies will be needed to confirm these effects.
One larger 2011 randomized and controlled trial looked at the use of binaural beats in 291 patients admitted to the emergency department at a hospital. The researchers observed significant decreases in anxiety levels in patients exposed to audio with embedded binaural beats compared to those who listened to audio without binaural beats or no audio at all.
A 2019 study combined the effects of binaural beats and autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), a phenomenon of a relaxation response to certain audio or visual triggers. It was suggested that the combination of the two were more beneficial than either separately.
However, a 2015 review of studies found that most studies in this area are limited or contradictory, and that there’s evidence of diminishing impact over time. More research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and how they differ from monaural beats.
Safety and Precautions
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. Prolonged 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. Binaural beat technology could be a problem if you have epilepsy, so you should speak with your doctor before trying it.
More research is needed to see if there are any side effects to listening to binaural beats over a long period of time.
Conclusion
With several human studies to back up the health claims, binaural beats appear to be a potential tool in the fight against anxiety, stress, and negative mental states. Research has found that listening daily to audio with binaural beats may have positive effects on: anxiety, memory, mood, creativity, attention.
Learning to meditate isn’t always easy. Binaural beats won’t work for everyone, and they aren’t considered a cure for any particular condition.