How often can I use Binaural Beats?

You can use binaural beats daily. I recommend starting with 3 sessions a day. You can increase this to 4-5 as you feel comfortable.

There's no optimal amount as such. Just be sensible and don't go listening to 5 hours straight.

Which tracks should I use?

Consider your goals and build a routine around those goals. For example, you might be looking for:

• Better sleep
• Less anxiety
• Increased focus/productivity
• Deeper meditation sessions
• Memory improvement
• Induce lucid dreaming

Buy tracks based around these goals to develop your routine.

What does your daily routine look like?

I have an in-depth post on this here, but just quickly: I might start the day with Spiritual Awakening, then listen to Flow State while I work during the morning. In the afternoon maybe Zen Focus, in the evening Stress Release, then Deep Sleep before bed.

My only rule is no Delta wave tracks during the day (unless I'm not working and fancy doing something a little trippy/sleepy), and no Beta tracks before bed (high frequency brainwaves are not what you want when trying to sleep).

Do I need headphones for binaural beats?

To get the full benefits you need to use headphones.

This is because of the way binaural beats work.

One frequency is sent to the left ear, and one to the right ear. The brain then takes these two frequencies and interprets a third frequency, which is the mathematical difference between the two. The brain then follows along at that frequency. This is called ‘Frequency Following Response'.

For example:

• Left ear: 280 Hertz
• Right ear: 292 Hertz
• Resulting frequency: 12 Hz (alpha)

Simple.

What if I don't wear headphones?

You will still benefit from the relaxing and healing qualities of the music, but the brainwave entrainment will not happen.

BBM, for example, tune many of their tracks to the ancient solfeggio scale. This scale is said to have healing properties at certain frequencies, and some of those tuning frequencies are delightful to listen to, even without headphones.

So in short: yes, I do sometimes listen without headphones but to get the full effect you will need headphones.

Should I sit or lie down, or do whatever I like?

It depends on the track. Do what is conducive to the outcome. So if you are listening to a track for Deep Meditation you should sit or lie down. You should find a quiet space, free of distraction and turn off your phone.

But if you are listening to a track designed to help you focus you could carry on reading, writing, painting, working on the computer, etc.

In a nutshell, it is pointless listening to a sleep track while on an exercise bike – you'll be pulling the brain in two different directions.

What's is Binaural Beats Meditation?

You've probably come across this term in numerous articles and videos. It was coined and trademarked by the company of the same name, who are the most popular producer of this type of music.; though others tend to piggyback on the brand to promote their own creations.

The term emerged because at certain frequencies, particularly in the Theta state, binaural beats are able to induce a meditative like state very quickly. So it is essentially a form of meditation, and many meditators use the music.

Moreover, the cumulative benefits are the same as for those who meditate regularly: better sleep, improved focus, less anxiety, pain relief, etc.

How long does it take binaural beats to work?

The majority of people feel a shift in mental state within 15 minutes of first listening. Most will see notable change in the way they think and feel in the specific areas of entrainment within a week of regular use.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that this is a natural music therapy and results will vary between different people depending on the severity of the negative behavior you are trying to correct.

The benefits are cumulative, and having a regular listening routine will produce the best results.

How long do the effects last?

Think of this in a similar way to meditation. After a meditation session you feel re-centred and calmer, more present and positive. You carry this disposition with you into your day and your work and your interactions with other people.

Of course, something can throw you off balance and change your state of mind, but with regular meditation you adopt this disposition on a more permanent basis.

So again, while you will most probably feel great after a listening session, the medium and long-term results come from regular use.

Can you become immune to the effects?

The human body is very adaptable and, if we take recreational drugs and prescription medication as examples, we know that the body does get used to and become resistant to the effects over time and this is why people need to take higher doses.

So yes, after a while you may find that the effects aren't as pronounced. In this respect, I suggest taking a break every now and again, or at the very least mixing up your routine and using different tracks designed for different purposes.

Is listening to binaural beats safe?

As I said previously, this is a natural music therapy and you are simply listening to sound frequencies. You hear different frequencies every day in the natural world and through the technology you use and the music you listen to.

The key difference here is that specific frequencies are being played for a sustained period of time. So the only risk of listening is excessive headphone use.

When using closed back headphones in particular, which lock the sound in and can often be quite tight around the ears, listening for more than two or three hours at a time may make you feel uncomfortable or possibly give you a headache.

Well produced binaural beats music should be pleasant to listen to and not cause any adverse effects.

Can binaural beats make me taller, richer, etc?

I know there's a lot of wild claims on the Internet, particularly on some of those YouTube videos, but please be realistic.

While there is some evidence to show that meditation music therapy stimulates the release of certain hormones, there is no evidence that listening to any type of music can make you taller or physically more attractive, or help you win the lottery.

That being said, if you can develop a more positive, less anxious, more productive and highly focused mindset, then you are likely to attract more opportunity in your life and get closer to filling your potential. In turn this could bring greater prosperity to your life.

Why do binaural beats downloads cost more?

Generally you can expect to pay somewhere between $8 and $15 for a download from a store.

The tracks are usually at least 30 minutes long (often 1 hour), and sometimes you get more than one version, depending on the package – which dictates the cost. You can usually get deals on multiple purchases.

There are binaural beats tracks on streaming services but generally you don't know what you're listening to. There is a lack of information about the product: what frequencies are used, the best way to use the track, and any research information to back up the claims being made about efficacy.

The problem with the streaming services and YouTube in particular is that many amateur bedroom productions are being put out simply to make quick streams/views (money). So you don't know what you are buying or listening to and there is just a general lack of transparency about the music.

Some tracks come as guided meditations, like some of the iAwake stuff by Joseph Kao, and some may have subliminal affirmations embedded in the track. So there's generally more value involved.

The files also tend to be of higher quality than the music files you would download from iTunes or other online services, coming in .wav or 320 Kbps .mp3.

There is also the added benefit of being able to download the track from a web store and then sharing it among any of your devices, rather than being restricted to one service.

You also have the guarantee that if you lose the file due to changing phone or computer, or your hard drive goes down, you can contact the company and get a new copy, or simply log into your account and download it again.

Why should I listen to you?

Ha. Good question. Well, I've been while listening to this music for near on 15 years. I'm also involved in music production myself, as a sound engineer, so I know a fair bit about the way sound works, music therapy and tech stuff in general.

But hey, I'm just an enthusiast, so feel free to make your own mind up :).

What binaural beats do you recommend for beginners?

You can see my top recommendations here.

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