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Binaural beats are not brainwave entrainment. They are one method of achieving brainwave entrainment but not the only one. Many people think that binaural beats are the same thing as brainwave entrainment and that without them brainwave entrainment cannot be achieved. This is completely untrue.

I sometimes get emails from people who have bought my brainwave entrainment downloads or CDs indignantly telling me I am not using the technology of entrainment. This because I say headphones are not required to listen to my downloads.  Headphones are required for binaural beats and that is all these folk have heard about before.

So let me dispel this myth about  binaural beats and explain why they are not what I use. Binaural beats are created by playing two different sounds- one in the right ear and one in the left. The difference between the hz of these two sounds is the entrainment rhythm. That is why headphones are needed to get the entrainment effect.

But this is just one way to create the beat that entrains brainwaves, and scientific studies have shown that it it isn't the most effective method. You can entrain the brain with a drum beat at the right rhythm and loudness; tribal ceremonies may have used this method to induce certain states. This is called a monaural beat.

My audios mainly use isochronic beats which have been shown in studies to be more effective than binaural or monaural beats. Isochronic beats are created when two different sounds combine outside, rather than inside, the brain. They require stereo but can be listened to without headphones.  For insomnia this can often be much more comfortable than having to wear headphones in bed.

I do use binaural beats sometimes because some of my MP3 downloads use harmonic box which is a mix of monaural and binaural beats. This can be very effective.

I hope that clears up some misconceptions about brainwave entrainment and binaural beats.

Don't be taken in by subliminal message tapes and CDs, subliminal messages do not work.

"It all seems to have started with a 1957 marketing agent named James Vicary, who claimed to have increased popcorn sales by 58% and Coke sales by 18% in a New Jersey movie theater by flashing the messages "Drink Coca-Cola" and "Hungry - Eat Popcorn." Although it was later admitted by Vicary to be a fabricated study, this hoax is to this day still mentioned as proof of the effectiveness of subliminal messages. You can find it mentioned in subliminal message products all over the world, including numerous computer applications, even though nobody has ever reproduced the results claimed by Mr. Vicary. The belief in subliminal messages probably reached its peak in 1974 when the FCC banned subliminal messages from advertising, probably more as a response to public paranoia than anything else. One survey showed that 68% of the public believed in subliminal messages.

The January 1991 issue of the University of California, Berkeley, noted that double blind tests have consistently shown that subliminal tapes fail to produce their claimed effects. There is also no evidence that subliminal messages actually affect behavior. In a separate study, Timothy E. Moore showed that subliminal tapes didn't even meet the minimal criteria for perception. He concluded that it is highly unlikely that they have any effect at all, much less a significant effect on behavior or thought patterns.”

Reference: Glendon College, York University. Subliminal Self-help Auditory Tapes: An Empirical Test of Perceptual Consequences.

Someone was asking me recently whether brainwave entrainment could help people who have ADHD. I don't think that it is well known but BWE can be very useful for helping to overcome adhd

When you have ADHD  the brain produces pulses more slowly than expected and the right brain and left brain are unbalanced. By listening every day to an audio that has been specially made for this condition a balance can be created between the right and left brain hemispheres. (This is sometimes known as hemi sync.) The entrainment also speeds up the brain's activity if it is slower than normal.

But it is very important to have a professional diagnosis of ADHD. The National Institute of Mental Health information page on ADHD and says:

The principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These symptoms appear early in a child’s life. Because many normal children may have these symptoms, but at a low level, or the symptoms may be caused by another disorder, it is important that the child receive a thorough examination and appropriate diagnosis by a well-qualified professional. Read more on the ADHD 

 Only use the ADHD brainwave entrainment audio  for a child if you have first consulted a physician about using it. For an adult who has been diagnosed as having the condition the program may be very helpful and will not cause harm.

Please let me know if you want any particular kind of self healing or self motivation sessions. I am about ready to make some more self help mp3 sessions so if there is anything you really want please ask. You know you can leave your responses by clicking on the "comments" link at the top of each post.