Brainwave entrainment is a method to stimulate the brain into entering a specific state by using a pulsing sound, light, or electromagnetic field. The pulses elicit the brain’s ‘frequency following’ response, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given beat.
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What lifestyle changes can you make to improve your health and wellbeing? Here are some ideas:
If you are sick, the chances are it is caused or exacerbated by environmental or nutritional factors. If this is the case then it makes sense to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins and take steps to improve the quality of your diet. It is frightening, but we are continuously bombarded with poisons in the air we breathe, fertilisers, electromagnetic smog from mobile phones and wireless networks etc. Processed foods contain legal poisons, including colourings and preservatives etc. We breathe in chemicals sprayed from so called “air fresheners” and absorb household toxins applied directly to our skin from cosmetics and sunscreens. Profits, not your health are often the prime consideration of corporations. A quick search on the Internet will soon reveal the true nature of the Corporation! Green alternatives are available and these are well worth checking out. They may cost a little more, but your health and wellbeing are worth it. There are many books available that reveal the true extent of the chemicals we are exposed to. You will no longer wonder why there is so much sickness in the world.
Other considerations include quality sleep, relaxation, appropriate exercise, laughter, forgiveness and an appreciation of nature. Also, spending less time in front of the TV will improve the quality of your lifestyle and open up more possibilities. Television “flicker rate” is designed to alter our brainwaves and to make us more compliant. Reliance on television for news gives us a skewed view of the world. In other words, we are being “dumbed down”.
For real news seek out the alternative media and read stories written by real investigative journalists. Of course, when you are sitting at home watching television you are not exercising, appreciating the world around you or doing other things beneficial to your health. “Couch Potatoes” are not known to be the healthiest people in the world. There are some great things on the box but we should be selective about what we watch. What would you do, individually, or as a family, if you suffered a power cut for a week? Maybe you would communicate with others, walk, play games or do other things to entertain or educate yourself.
We live in a sleep sick society. We are awake long after the sun sets and our natural body rhythms are confused by artificial lights and unusual working hours. Most of us are afflicted by the effects of sleep debt, both mentally and physically. This is the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep. Many of us are walking around like zombies, in need of sleep, not operating at our full potential. We are so used to this state that we don’t even recognise this. James Gleick in his book Faster (1999) said ” The mere presence of an alarm clock implies sleep deprivation, and what bedroom lacks an alarm clock?” Try to sleep when your body tells you to and wake up naturally without the aid of an alarm clock. We have a lot of demands placed on us so we need to prioritise and manage our time more efficiently. Whenever you can, grab some time for a siesta in the afternoons. This is a great way to recharge your batteries.
When you feel stressed try to relax. There are many options open to you, from gentle exercise, Tai Chi, hot baths, meditation, a walk in the forest or just enjoying what you are doing when you have to do it. Make your chores fun. If it has to be done, it has to be done so you might as well enjoy it. Easy to say, I know. By the way, did you know that laughter is a good medicine? Think about how you feel when you are watching your favourite comedy. Do you have a warm, lighthearted feeling when you laugh? Laughter is therapeutic. Just the act of laughing, even if there is nothing to laugh at, releases those feelgood chemicals called endorphins. Just pick a discreet place to laugh out loud if it’s not obvious what you are laughing at. You wouldn’t want to be locked up!
Whatever you do to improve your quality of life be sure to enjoy it. If it’s dietary changes there are many options and the same goes for exercise. Nothing should be a chore. We all like different foods, exercise styles and laugh at different things. We are individuals after all!
Brainwave entrainment is a method to stimulate the brain into entering a specific state by using a pulsing sound, light, or electromagnetic field. The pulses elicit the brain? ?requency following?response, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given beat.
This ?requency following?response of brainwave entrainment can be seen in action with those prone to epilepsy. If a strobe flashes at their seizure frequency, the brain will ?ntrain?to the flashing light, resulting in a seizure.
On the positive side, this same mechanism is commonly used to induce many brainwave states; such as a trance, enhanced focus, relaxation, meditation or sleep induction. The brainwave entrainment effectively pushes the entire brain into a certain state.
Brainwave entrainment works for almost everyone. It is a great way to lead your mind into states that you might usually have difficulty reaching, allowing you to experience what those states feel like.
THE HYPE
There is a lot of marketing hype around brainwave entrainment. It is sold with promises of increasing IQ, promoting weight loss, ?ind-tripping? enhancing creativity, concentration, inducing spiritual states and more.
While these claims are not entirely true, they are not altogether false either. In practice, the claims are based on an overly-simplistic view of how the brain and the brainwaves function.
THE RUB
People are very seldom deficient in a certain brainwave type in all areas of their brain. Usually the distribution is much spottier, with an excess in one area and a deficiency in another.
We are all different, especially when it comes to the distribution of our brainwaves. Boosting a certain brainwave state may be beneficial for one person, and emotionally uncomfortable for another. Without knowing each person? starting position, entrainment can be rather ?it and miss?
If brainwave entrainment leaves you with unwanted side-effects (see below) or discomfort, you?e probably encouraging a range of brainwaves that are already excessive in some area of your brain. The way around this is to get a brain map to see what your brain? strengths and weaknesses are, and see what (if any) brainwaves could use some encouragement.