It seems the world is getting smaller, but our stress levels are getting higher. We now are not limited to working a regular job schedule, we can take our work home. We are bombarded with requests from social networks to engage ourselves in online interactive games, and we carry devices along with us everywhere that connect us to the outside world via text and the Internet. Although the premise of all this is to make our lives easier it puts a great deal of stress on us because there seems to be no time to relax.

There are a number of ways we can combat all this pressure to communicate. We can make a schedule where we turn off our gadgets and take time to depressurize. That can be done through exercise, which will help our circulation of blood and oxygen to the brain. We can take up a hobby or participate in a sport. Or, do as some people have done and take up yoga, meditation or hook up your headphones and relax to “binaural beats.”

What are binaural beats? They are the holistic approach to anti-depressants. Audio tones played at a slightly different tone variation for each ear (binaural means “both ears”) allow our minds to de-clutter, lighten our mood, awaken our creativity and boost memory.

A calming effect takes place as two low frequencies connect in the brain to form a beat. You sink deep into a state of relaxation, allowing your brain a change to catch up with all that it has taken in, and much like when we are asleep at night, takes our short-term memories and turn them into long-term memory, or dump them.  When your brain is relaxed your ability to remember is enhanced and you are able to absorb lessons learned.

You get the best effect from binaural beats through stereo headphones, but it is possible to listen through stereo loudspeakers.

Heinrich Wilhelm Dove discovered binaural beats in 1839, but then they were just considered a “scientific curiosity.” It wasn’t until a researcher named Gerald Oster published an article called “Auditory Beats in the Brain” in Scientific American in 1973 that psychiatrists started to use the process to induce meditation, relaxation and other mental states. Oster envisioned binaural beats as a useful tool for hundreds of different uses, such as diagnosing neurological conditions, and hearing impairments.

Binaural beat stimulation has been used to induce different states of consciousness, and numerous studies as to the effects of these stimuli on relaxation, focus, attention, and memory enhancement have been positively received. Beats have been documented to relate to dealing with the things around you (special perceptions); understanding what you hear (stereo auditory recognition); and the ways in which your brain processes signals and information. 

Therapists have successfully used binaural beats in the treatment of alcoholism and other addictions, as well as treat patients for such conditions as sleep deprivation and phobias through the use of biofeedback. Some hospitals even use beats to take some of the fears from patients who are about to undergo surgery.

Research has found that binaural beats help in self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques, can improve mental focus and concentration, which can aid students in getting better grades, and adults with their ability to increase memory capacity.

It’s always good to get some exercise and change your eating habits to become physically and mentally healthier, but there is no need to make drastic changes in your life in order to take the stress off. Check into binaural beats. It is quicker than learning meditation or yoga, but the effect is the same.

My name is Ron White, and I am a memory-training expert, memory keynote speaker, and two-time USA Memory Champion. I highly recommend you sit back and relax with the sounds of binaural beats in our head. It’s almost like a mind cleansing, and you will be amazed at how calm, relaxed and free you will feel – and more open to improving your memory capacity.

 

 

 

Sources:

Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats

Binaural Beats – http://www.i-dose.us/

Binaural Journeys – video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLieLAAulo8&feature=related ; website: http://binauraljourneys.com

Binaural Beats: Digital Drugs by Brian Dunning – http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4147

Mind Control Binaural by Aaron Foreman – http://binauralbeats.org/

Brain Athlete – Are Binaural Beats Digital Drugs?: http://brainathlete.com