A Brief Introduction to Binaural Beats
So you may have heard information about binaural beats and the advantages they can have for people, such as weight loss assistance, increased learning, enhanced creativity, and lucid dreaming. But where exactly did binaural beats come from, what are they, and are they useful?
In the year 1839, a person by the name of Heinrich Wilhelm Dove identified the curious phenomenon of binaural beats. When different auditory impulses (“tones”) are delivered to both ears at the same time but are slightly different in frequency, the frequency difference in the Hz (hertz, or cycles per second) will be presented as what is referred to as a “binaural beat.”
There are multiple ways this beat could be perceived. In order to achieve a 10 Hz binaural beat, two different tones are required to be delivered to each ear. One tone, for example, would be delivered at 150 Hz to one ear, and another at 160 Hz in the other. The result is a difference of 10 Hz, which creates the “beat” that is perceived.
Due to the frequency of each of these tones and their subtle differences (keep in mind, hertz is the number of cycles per second), your ears do not actually perceive this difference in the two sounds. What does “hear” the difference is the superior olivary nucleus of each brain hemisphere, which then delivers information to the brain stem. These responses are actually coming from the brain stem, which then cause the hemispheres of the brain to sync with the opposite side.
Measured benefits have been found using binaural beats in hospitals and other environments in the recuperation process, as a replacement for pain medicine, as a way to stabilize blood pressure, and other benefits. Mostly, this has been promoted and marketed by an organization called The Monroe Institute. As a result, binaural beats are used quite a bit since they have shown benefits on a large scale.
Three tapes were given out to prove or disprove this hypothesis in 1999. The study, conducted by Anesthesia, took subjects that were involved in a number of procedures, gave them a tape with a recording called “Hemisync,” a classical music recording, or simply a blank tape. Each of the subjects were also given a drug called fentanyl, which is utilized in the treatment of chronic pain. The individuals requiring less fentanyl were those subjects not listening to the classical music recording, or the blank tape, but the subjects listening to the Hemisync tape.
Luckily, a study that was done has been released that explains to the public that binaural beats can truly be a benefit to those who choose to utilize them. For additional information, please refer to the study “Hemispheric Synchronized Sounds and Intraoperative Anesthetic Requirements.
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