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More and more people are discovering the benefits of binaural beats;
Spiritual enthusiasts are using this soundwave technology to relax, meditate, gain more clarity, or aid lucid dreaming.
The science behind binaural beats is simple.
For lucid dreamers, binaural beats are a highly effective aid to get you into the deep, relaxed state of mind that’s so essential.
Sounds great, right?
But, that begs the vital question:
Are binaural beats safe to use?
And are there any side effects?
Keep reading, and you’ll discover:
Are binaural beats safe to use?
What are the side effects of binaural beats?
Can binaural beats damage your brain?
Binaural beats warnings
Do binaural beats actually work?
How to use binaural beats for lucid dreaming
Final Q&A
Conclusion
1. Are binaural beats safe to use?
The first question that most people have after learning about binaural beats. Before we answer it, however, it’s essential to know one thing.
Without headphones, binaural beats won’t work.
This is because the specific sound waves need to be played into each ear independently. Therefore, if you want to use binaural beats, use headphones.
So, back to the question at hand. Yes, binaural beats are safe to use for most people.
Although having said that, you need to consider the following:
If you listen to anything using headphones, you’re introducing sound directly into the ears.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re listening to binaural beats, music or podcasts, you should never play anything too loud. The last thing you want to do is make yourself deaf!
2. What are the side effects of binaural beats?
When you take medicine, you always want to know about the side effects. There are so many great benefits of binaural beats.
So, it’s more than natural to wonder if there are some drawbacks or side effects.
However…
There are no clearly proven negative side effects when it comes to listening to binaural beats.
The only two things you need to be aware of are:
Listening to any sound at or above 85 decibels for lengthy periods can lead to hearing loss. So, try to keep control over the volume buttons.
If you don’t have any way to measure decibels, then try and use your judgment. 85 decibels is more or less the level of noise produced by heavy traffic.
It’s recommended that people who have epilepsy should avoid binaural beats. We’ll come back to this shortly.
The truth is that more research will be required over time to prove definitively whether or not there are any issues with binaural beats.
3. Can binaural beats damage your brain?
It’s true that binaural beats can change the state of mind you’re in.
How?
When you introduce two different wavelengths into each ear, your brain picks up on the difference in wavelength, and this is what leads to “brainwave entrainment.”
Does altering the state of your brain leads to brain damage?
There is no known evidence to suggest that binaural beats damage the brain in any way.
4. Binaural beats warnings
Apart from limiting the volume, are there any other warnings when it comes to binaural beats?
There needs to be a lot more scientific research to give us a better understanding.
However, if you fall into one of the following groups of people, it’s recommended that you avoid binaural beats altogether (or at least discuss with a doctor beforehand):
If you suffer from seizures. When you experience a change in brain waves, it could increase your probability of having a seizure.
If you have a heart condition or use a pacemaker.
If you suffer from any mental or phycological disorder
If you’re taking tranquilizers
If you’re under the age of 18. A child’s brain still has a lot of development to go; it’s wise to avoid binaural beats.
If you are a pregnant women, since it’s suggested that binaural beats have the potential to stimulate labor
If you’re driving or operating machinery, then it’s best to avoid binaural beats
(as their relaxing nature can lead to you losing concentration on the task at hand and elevate the risk of an accident)
Again, if you’re in any doubt, then talk to a qualified healthcare professional.
And, just because you’re a healthy person who doesn’t fall into any of the above categories, you should still be sensible.
Use binaural beats in moderation (once or twice a day should be sufficient) and if you find yourself having headaches, for example, then hold back a bit.
5. Do binaural beats actually work?
There are all sorts of claims as to what binaural beats can do for you. The best way to find out whether or not binaural beats actually work is to try them out yourself.
Try listening to some binaural beats alpha waves (find some free samples in our article). Listen on stereo headphones while lying down comfortably and allow yourself to get into a relaxed state.
Alpha waves are the brain wave frequencies associated with relaxation. After listening for a few minutes, ask yourself:
How do you feel?… Are you feeling relaxed?… Are binaural beats working for you?
There have also been several studies to suggest they work. For example:
- A study was carried out with eight adults who listened to binaural beats over 60 consecutive days.
The participants filled out questionnaires before and after the 60 days.
The study showed that listening to binaural beats went a long way to reducing anxiety and improving the overall quality of life.
- Another study was carried out with hospital patients who were admitted to the emergency department.
Some patients were given audio with embedded binaural beats, whereas some were given sound without binaural beats.
Those that listened to binaural beats were found to have much less anxiety as the ones that listened to the standard audio.
6. How to use binaural beats for lucid dreaming
If you’ve never practiced (or even tried) lucid dreaming before, then it’s best to learn a thing or two about what’s needed for lucid dreaming beforehand.
Understanding (and practicing) reality checks, as well as keeping your dream journal, are essentials to getting you to lucid dream.
So, what role do binaural beats play in the grand scheme of things?
Binaural beats will help you attain a relaxed state of mind. They can have a hypnotic, calming, and trancelike effect, where you’re still sufficiently focused and have complete control over your thoughts.
To use binaural beats for lucid dreaming, follow these steps:
1) Get comfortable
– Lay down and ensure you’re in a comfortable position. A comfy mattress or soft couch will make all the difference.
2) Start listening
– Listen to your binaural beats recording with headphones. Ideally, you want to use delta wave binaural beats (between 4Hz – 8hz).
3) Relax yourself
– It doesn’t matter whether you focus on your breathing, the sounds that you’re listening to, or whatever. Just ensure your stresses are evaporating into thin air as your mind and body relaxes.
4) Combine with a visualization or affirmation technique
– After a while, you will hopefully find yourself in a very tranquil, yet slightly focused state. What this means is that, while you’re incredibly relaxed, you’ll still have power over your thoughts.
5) Visualization
Now is the time to employ a visualization technique, or repeat (in your mind) an affirmation over and over again.
An example of a good affirmation would be “I’m becoming aware of my dreams.”
6) Further lucid dreaming technique
Now you’ve set everything up, you can use your desired lucid dreaming technique, such as the WILD or DILD.
Binaural beats are very versatile and can be used when you go to bed at night or when you’re waking up early during your REM phase of sleep.
For example, if you like using the WILD technique, you can start listening to them after your early alarm wakes you up.
Check our second guide on How to lucid dream with binaural beats!
7. FAQ
I’m new to binaural beats, how to start?
– Don’t jump to the advanced binaural beats tracks, but try to explore the gentle tracks, that are for beginners.
Do that for the first week or two. Just give some time to your brain to get used to the beats, and to slowly and gradually move to more sophisticated brainwave entertainment.
What’s more, feel free to check some FREE SAMPLES in our article here.
Is it a good idea to put the volume too high?
– Putting the volume too high won’t speed the process, and you won’t feel the effects of the beats faster.
So, instead of risking to damage your ears, set the volume just enough so you can hear it.
For how long you should listen to the binaural beats?
– As mentioned before, if you are a beginner, you shouldn’t go crazy with it and play it all night long or for 5 hours.
The recommended time we would suggest is to listen to the brainwave entertainment for not more than 60-90 minutes, at least at the beginning.
8. Conclusion
So now that we’ve confirmed that binaural beats are, for the majority of people, safe to use, is there anything else you need to know?
First of all, you must be in the right frame of mind for them to work.
If you’re listening to alpha wave binaural beats with some relaxing music, but you’re stressing out about all the things you have to do tomorrow…
then binaural beats aren’t going to have the desired effect.
Also, if you want to lucid dream, then don’t expect a miracle from binaural beats. Lucid dreaming generally takes a bit of practice and a bit of patience.
Just continue to:
– improve your dream recall
– fill in your dream journal every day
– perform a lot of reality checks
– keep practicing your chosen technique
You’ll find that binaural beats can be an excellent aid for getting you in the right lucid dreaming state of mind.
First of all I wanted to thank you for the article, I found it very interesting, but I have a very important question … How do you listen to frequencies from 4 to 8 Hz with a headset? I am a sound technician and I can assure you that there is no headset on the market that reproduces those frequencies. These are sub-bass frequencies and can only be reproduced with equipment of considerable size and cost. Thanks ????
The term “beats” is the clue… a beat frequency is one that arises from the addition and subtraction between the two fundamental frequencies being linearly “mixed” or, more accurately, “combined”. You can also think about standing waves in a small pool. As a new wave moves forward from a steady source of disturbance, in the center or the pool, and a reflection wave bouncing back off the wall, or reflected back to the source, meet at some point along the way… these two wave fronts commingle; some combine positively (creating peaks higher than either original) or negatively (producing troughs or valleys). In sound, as you know, the waves are air movement in waves and our ears convert these to electrical waves to be interpreted by our brain. This combining, or beating, of two frequencies together can sometimes be sensed, felt or heard in your car if you open the back window just a bit while the opposite front window is cracked too… the passenger compartment becomes a resonant chamber and the air fronts combine additively and produce a thumping sound (entire stores sometimes resonate disturbingly loudly if one of many supply fans are not balanced properly). Our brain too, it seems, provides that resonance function. A 1Khz tone in one transducer (your left ear for instance) and a 1050hz tone in the other (right ear) beat together and produce sum =2.05Khz (the tall waves) and difference =50hz (the deep troughs). You will predominantly hear the high pitched tone, but it will “warble” at 50hz and you can detect those amplitude changes. Musicians tune their instruments with each other by eliminating the beating when two notes get closer and closer together.
The tones I’ve listened to, so far, seem to be using lower fundamental starting tones so that the sum component is still in the “low bass” region of hearing and the difference component becomes the “sensation” of that sub-audible tone. It is felt, more than heard and I believe the brain responds by matching the beat with a rhythm it already uses or in essence it begins marching in step with a familiar tune. It is trying to tune its strings to a note the scale.
I hope that makes some sense…
as typing on a cellphone has never been a strong skill of mine. It doesn’t help that I’m also probably dreaming right now…it is a hour past my “practice” time and I’m past due for a reality check! 🙂
Peace and good luck on your journey…