MagneticSounds.com

With the economy in the doldrums and people being stressed out with financial problems insomnia is on the increase. So I just want to let you know that I have updated the Sleep Sound insomnia audios. If you are interested in more than simple brainwave entrainment to help you sleep you may like to try the Sleep Sound program. There are two 50 to 60 minute audios in the program and one 25 minute meditation/relaxation audio.

The meditation audio is included because daily meditation has been shown in lots of studies to reduce anxiety and stress and to help a person become calmer. It can help reduce blood pressure and other symptoms of stress so is well worth doing.

Anxiety and stress is a prime cause of insomnia and so daily meditation is a very helpful strategy for anyone who can't sleep. That is why I have included this meditation audio in the Sleep Sound program.  If you can't sleep why not give it a try?

The meditation audio is very easy to use. You simply find some time in your day when you can be quiet and undisturbed. Switch on your player and relax with eyes closed. That is all you need to do!

There are several good books on this practice if you should wish to learn more. One of the best is 'The Relaxation Response' by Herbert Benson MD.

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.

Well I haven't had time to do anything new here just lately. I have been flat out with domestic things and I am trying to live a more healthy life. That means not staying up half the night working on the computer. I am also trying to remember to take enough exercise. I am bad at that even though I know it makes me feel better when I do it.

If you are feeling the stress of the Holiday season you might like to buy yourself the calming sessions or the Meditation. Those will keep your blood pressure down over Christmas. You could even make a New Year's resolution to meditate every day in 2009. It will make a huge difference to your peace of mind and to your health. Keep a journal noting how you feel and after 12 months you will be able to look back and really see what a difference it has made. It would be a gift to yourself.

Talking of working from home I just read that people who work from home are missing the companionship they got before they were self employed. They have started a group thing where solo workers can go to work . Does that make sense? I mean they all work together in one building, which the group rents, and share facilities and have some company as they work.

You know that sounds quite attractive to me. I wonder if I might start a group here where I live. When I was employed I must admit I wanted to get away from people some of the time! You know how it is. But I do miss the company – we are social creatures after all.

This week I have been doing some online shopping for my overseas family. Here is a good site for toys in case you are looking for toy ideas for Christmas. It describes and gives links for the top 10 most popular toys this year. I love shopping online. It is so much easier and they gift wrap and post for me. I almost feel guilty for not working hard enough on my gifts!

Liz

PS your comments are welcome and they don't have to be about my audios.