#brainwave entrainment

After over a decade of persistence and dedication, my labor of love, "Bodhi in the Brain," has finally come to fruition. This milestone marks the first of the 13 books I aim to write and publish in my lifetime, leaving 12 more compelling journeys to undertake. With a heart full of gratitude, I invite you all to join me on this journey and send your good luck wishes my way.

I am eternally grateful to everyone who contributed to this project. A special thanks to the participants of the Yinnergy meditation program for their invaluable feedback and testimonials, the talented artists who breathed life into the book through stunning design and captivating photography, and the diligent researchers and formatters who ensured every detail was perfect.

Lastly, but certainly not least, my profound gratitude goes to my editor, Nathalie Delorme, for her unwavering support and expertise. Thank you, Nathalie, for encouraging me to weave this story and for your meticulous editing.

Here's to the road ahead - may it be filled with creativity, inspiration, and a whole lot of writing!

Adding a special note of gratitude for Keda Edwards Pierre, who graciously penned the foreword for "Bodhi in the Brain". Her eloquent words provide a beautiful introduction to the journey readers are about to embark on. Thank you, Keda, for enriching the book with your wisdom.

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A big part of the research in my lab focuses on how rhythmic sensory stimulation can influence brain function, a process known as sensory entrainment. For example, presenting light flashes and pulses of white noise about 5 times a second (a frequency known as theta, which is linked to memory processes) can improve learning in lab studies. Other labs have shown that entrainment at different frequencies can deepen sleep and may even reduce the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain. An exciting thing about this technology is that because it’s so noninvasive, it has the potential for easy use in daily life. Could we perhaps make a wearable that lets you entrain theta oscillations while sitting in class, to help you remember the material better? Or entrains slow oscillations at night to boost your sleep?

The current systems we use in the lab entrain brainwaves through pulses of light and rhythmic white noise. But there’s another potential way to do it: using vibrations applied to the skin, which is already possible with many wearable devices. Because entrainment happens as a result of the brain processing stimuli, there’s every reason to think that a wearable vibration device should provide an easy, non-intrusive way of influencing brain activity. To test this, I recorded some of my brainwaves while using an OpenHaptic stimulator attached to my ankle. I tested entrainment at two frequencies: theta at 5 Hz (associated with memory) and alpha at 10 Hz (associated with relaxation and mind-wandering).  To measure the effects, I recorded EEG using a Muse headset while I listened to audiobooks with my eyes closed. Results To look at how stimulation affected brain activity, I computed the power spectrum of the EEG--a graph which shows how much brain activity is present at each frequency. I compared the EEG from all of the “vibration on” periods to the EEG during the baseline periods, where stimulation was turned off. These graphs are shown below.When alpha stimulation was on (green line), I saw more alpha oscillations than it was off (gray line). The alpha stimulation also appeared to reduce the amount of theta oscillations between 4 and 8 Hz

The Muse has four independent sensors, and breaking down the data by electrode location it’s clear that there’s two things going on: alpha entrainment mostly increased alpha oscillations over the frontal areas, and mostly suppressed theta oscillations over the posterior areas (directly behind the ear)

The data for theta stimulation is similar--stimulation increased power in the broad theta band (4-8 Hz), peaking at around 7 Hz. Unlike alpha, the increases were most pronounced on the rear sensors.

Update 2/26 I also recorded some data in a similar protocol using a Fitbit Sense with 7 H stimulation. Much like with the OpenHaptic, we see a clear peak at the entrainment frequency--which suggests that commercial wearables can also be used for this kind of entrainment!

Conclusions

I think this is a pretty interesting proof of concept for sensory entrainment with a wearable device--suggesting that an unobtrusive, wrist-or ankle worn device can increase brain oscillations at targeted frequencies.

This also suggests that wearable devices might be help to produce some of the behavioral and health benefits associated with brainwave entrainment--such as increasing learning ability with theta stimulation. However, this is something that will still have to be tested, as stimulation with a wearable device is not exactly the same as the stimulation protocols used in labs.

Our brain is made up of millions of neurons that work together in a certain way to send electrical signals to transmit information. They are called waves because when they are looked at from an EEG machine, these signals take on a wave-like format. 

There are five basic types of brain waves and alpha brain waves represent one pattern from them. Brain waves basically range from very slow to very fast and alpha waves fall in the middle. Alpha waves are produced when someone is awake but not concentrating on anything specific.  

What are Alpha Brain Waves?

Alpha Waves measure between 8 and 12 HZ, the state occurs when someone feels relaxed or reached a state of mindfulness. Which is why these waves are mainly experienced when anyone does activities like meditation or any stress-relieving activities. Research confirms that alpha waves link to the flow state and being in a fully immersed state of energized focus.

Alpha waves play an important role in brain activity and alpha state helps us to:

Relaxed focus

Decompress stress

Constructive thinking

Accelerated learning

Flow state

What Are the Benefits of Alpha Waves?

You may be thinking why alpha waves are so important in our life. Alpha brain waves take you to the state of rest that can lower your stress levels and help you feel calmer. One of the key benefits of increased alpha waves is that it helps to improve performance. It helps us to focus precisely and be more productive. Boosting your alpha waves also increases your creativity levels. In a study of 20 healthy participants, researchers found evidence that they could trigger creativity amongst participants enhancing alpha waves alternating current stimulation waves of the frontal cortex. 

Alpha states help us minimize the sensory input and clears the mine from unwanted thoughts. The biofeedback of alpha waves is used as a tool for treating anxiety and depression. It has the ability to access the relaxation response which is beneficial to mind and body. And alpha waves are not responsive only during a stressed period but at any time required. 

It is also said that alpha waves are the most rhythmic waves produced by the brain, so with an increased alpha wave you are more likely to pay attention to your inner experience rather than focusing on anything else. 

Another key benefit of alpha waves is that it helps to lower the heart rate, blood pressure and sweating. With a deeper relaxation of muscle the digestive system functions better and an increase in the percentage of oxygen and blood flowing to the brain, improving the overall condition of your mind and body. 

The Bottom Line

Human brain is always going through some type of electrical activity. The electrical waves completely depend on what you’re doing and how you are doing. When alpha waves are dominant, you’re likely in a state of wakeful relaxation.

Brain Hemisphere Synchronization – Binaural Beats – Meditation

NEW VERSION: Headphones are recommended. Please take the time to properly set your volume to a comfortable level. For optimal results, you should listen to this while resting with your eyes closed. There are many potential benefits, but the primary intentions for this video is to: — Build new neural pathways and strengthen existing ones — Stimulate, synchronize and synergize both brain…

I use binaural beats often. This a a great article about them; short and sweet! 

Isochronic tones are an emerging brain entrainment technology that are reportedly helping many people improve their cognitive performance, enhance states of meditation, decrease anxiety and stress etc. This relatively new field can be compared with other effective brain entrainment tools such as binaural beats. Isochronic tones and other brain entrainment technologies help to rapidly alter your brainwave state to produce certain desired results. Different patterns and frequencies are emitted to incite your brain to produce either enhanced levels of gamma, alpha, beta, theta, or delta brain waves, each with their own unique benefits.  

The concept of isochronic tones was first presented by Thomas Budzynski in the Journal of Neurotherapy in 1999. Dr. Budzynski conducted a case study with eight college students to test his theory.. His work has spread, making isochronic tones one of the fastest growing brain entrainment technologies for meditators, individuals seeking peak performance, or people who are simply seeking to improve their cognitive health and reduce anxiety.

In the simplest sense, an isochronic tone is actually just a single tone that is being rapidly turned on and off in particular patterns, designed for inducing different brainwave states. In between each tone, there is absolutely no sound being produced. There is just a single unchanging tone that is produced; what is unique is the rapid volume change of the tone. It goes from 0 to 100 and then back again in volume in an evenly spaced way. The distinctive pulses are designed to rapidly alter your brain activity.

What are the benefits of isochronic tones?

Binaural beats and isochronic tones have the same aim and benefits. For more Information check out my previous post about binaural beats:  https://pureselfvibe.tumblr.com/post/181459851131/binaural-beats-unlock-your-hidden-potential

Isochronic Tones Vs. Binaural Beats

One of the main advantages of isochronic tones over binaural beats is that they do not require the use of headphones. Binaural beats must be listened to with headphones so that the binaural frequencies are interpreted by the brain in such a way that the entrainment process is effective. With isochronics, only one tone is played, but it is turned on and off again in a repeated pattern. For this reason, some people argue that isochronic tones are more effective than binaural beats because they rely on a simpler auditory processing function.  However, many people say the effects are more pronounced when using headphones, which would makes sense considering that one would need to be properly aligned with a speaker to fully benefit.

Isochronic disadvantages

The pulsating nature of isochronic tones can be distracting and somewhat annoying. Unfortunately this can't be resolved, because unlike binaural beats, isochronic tones need to be audible at a proper volume for the entrainment to work.

The frequency composition of the binaural beats track can be turned down very low to the point of a feint hum and still be effective (but not as affective as listening to it in pure form and proper volume).

Are isochronic tones and binaural beats as effective when combined with music?

You can get benefits from them when they are combined with music, but listening to isochronic tones and binaural beats without music produces a much stronger effect. So binaural beats and isochronic tones are most effective if you listen to them in pure form without any music.

Do you want to try it out?

If you want to try it out, you can subscribe to the SoundHealing Channel on YouTube, this Channel will provide you with pure binaural beats and isochronic tones. Subscribers can also request videos.

Here is an example Video with isochronic tones and binaural beats: