Brainwave Technology

When I was a teenager my mom had some New Age magazines lying around ("Uh oh!"). Reading them I became tantalized by advertisements for some far-out technologies that could help "Turn you into Zen monk in 30 minutes or less," and other things of that sort. Ever since, I have been fascinated with technologies that offer the potential to elevate one's consciousness to higher levels of awareness, whether the goal was to find God-consciousness or just to feel something like a cool "head trip." Certainly, there is some flaky stuff out there, but I have been willing to try new things and not been too disappointed. The technology, which has been around for decades now, is largely safe for most people (except for those with seizure disorders, pacemakers, or epilepsy; such persons might have problems and should be very careful) and it's certainly safer than ingesting chemicals into the body, like LSD, heroin, pot, alcohol, etc.

The technology I would like to focus on in particular is called "brainwave entrainment." First a brief primer on brainwaves and why you would want to "entrain" them:

Centuries ago, humans discovered that certain conditions could induce hallucinatory states or changes of consciousness in the brain. From shamans "tripping out" in front of the flickering lights of a roaring fire, or winter travelers crossing an all-white field of snow experiencing a mental "blank out," some people have just known or discovered by accident that they could change their conscious awareness. Plus there are also the assortment of herbs, drugs, gases, liquids, natural and man-made, and so on, that can be consumed for similar results.

In our present era, science has studied the human brain and come up with some explanations for why and how such changes of consciousness take place. The brain is composed of a left and right hemisphere, both sides of which include some small, natural amounts of electricity coursing through the entire structure pretty much all the time. When you hear about people who are "brain dead" it usually means that the electrical energy in their brains has ceased to move. Thus, this electricity is very important to our existence and consciousness as fully aware beings. You have electricity moving in your brain right now as you're reading this (I hope).

Depending on what state of consciousness you are in, whether sleeping, dreaming, talking, studying for a test, solving puzzles, etc. your brain is constantly moving back and forth between very calm states of awareness (deep sleep) up to very high levels of functioning (intense mental focus or concentration or highly alert awareness). This is just part of the natural ebb and flow of the brain, day in and day out. Science has been able to measure this brain activity, our naturally-occurring electricity, through high-tech imaging instruments and sensors, measuring brainwaves from the lowest to the highest ranges (i.e. frequency) and come up with the following chart:

http://www.transparentcorp.com/products/np/brainwaves.php

Once you realize the importance of what all this means, the next step is to identify optimal brainwave frequencies that you can pursue depending on the goals that you set for yourself. There is clear scientific evidence (if that's important for you) showing how certain brainwave frequency ranges are better suited for improving one's learning ability. Other brainwave frequencies can help reduce one's feelings of stress or even help calm the symptoms of addictions. Still other brainwave patterns can tap into one's deepest levels of consciousness, the subconscious mind, and dream-like states. There is a wide range of possible uses for the technology. As a therapeutic or self-development tool, it could really revolutionize humanity and treat a huge variety of problems, whether mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. But most interesting to me is the use of such tools for the pursuit of God-consciousness, or the unitive experience of the mystic!

We live in exciting times! The technology I'm referring to is now fairly cheap and easy to get your hands on. Some types of it can even be downloaded for free from the Internet. The technology, generally called "brainwave entrainment" (or look up "binaural-beats" or "mind machines"), basically consists of a method whereby the brain is stimulated to mimic the frequency that you want to move it to. Say, for example, you're wide awake right now but you want to experience deep meditation instead. You need to slow down your brainwaves from your current waking consciousness to a slower meditative state. In order to "talk" to the brain and change the frequency, we need to stimulate it in some way, usually through the senses of hearing and/or eyesight. Thus there are devices called "light and sound machines" which use goggles delivering blinking lights to your closed eyelids and headphones creating beeping sounds in your ears. The frequency of the flashing light and beeping sound, pulsing continuously in a rhythm, actually causes your brain to mimic the frequency you are feeding it. By looking/listening into such devices from about 15 minutes to an hour, you can gradually move your brainwaves in any direction you want to go. You could speed it up or slow it down or keep it on a steady level. This mimicking effect of the brain is called the "frequency-following response." Don't worry: it is safe, trust me. Even when you're listening to your favorite music, for example, your brain is being effected by the speed of the music's rhythmic pulse, whether you were consciously aware of it or not. Your brain is constantly receiving stimulation from outside, thus explaining why some environments make you anxious or others make you feel peaceful. Just think of how much your brain experiences when watching a movie! But through the use of brainwave technology we can actively participate in directing our consciousness in any direction we want to go. We can explore our inner worlds!

Here are a few examples of the technology you can explore, from cheapest to most expensive (in US dollars). Your basic choice is between whether you want a simple, ready-made audio CD to just jump into instant meditation and brainwave exploration; or whether you want to experiment, learn how to make your own entrainment program using computer software, extra devices, teaching yourself over time, and figuring things out on your own.

BrainWave Generator (FREE)
Free download of software for building your own brainwave-entraining audio files. Probably the simplest way to get started. Few "bells and whistles," as the other following pre-packaged CDs might offer.
http://www.bwgen.com/

Center for Neuroacoustic Research ($16 and up)
A more serious, less commercial, avenue for purchasing brainwave entrainment audio CDs. I even found a box set of their CDs at a Half-Price Bookstore once for $5.00! Shop around!
http://neuroacoustic.com/

Immrama Institute ($35 and up)
I've heard good things about their Insight and Focus audio CDs. Just buy a CD and listen. The brainwave entrainment technology is embedded underneath soothing music or sounds.
http://www.immrama.org/

Transparent Corporation ($45 and up)
More advanced type of software that lets you build your own audio and/or visual entrainment experience, just using your computer. Create raw, simple binaural-beat sounds, or combine with background music or other sound effects. Integrate with light and sound machines. Teach yourself the software and the sky is the limit. It can also instantly generate entrainment programs for you, based on criteria you've given the software. I have Neuro-Programmer 2 and highly recommend it. Easy to use. Excellent help info and instructions included. Unlimited potential. Download their demo and try it. Their web site is also very informative!
http://www.transparentcorp.com/

Mind Machines ($90 and up)
Devices that provide both light and sound stimulation, or more. Some can be used in conjunction with the audio CDs and computer software listed above, to create your own sessions.
http://www.mindmachines.com/
http://www.mindmachine.com/

Holosync by Centerpointe (about $190 for first level (4-6 months); many more levels beyond)
I've had the most profound, illuminating experiences and growth with their CDs. At least order the free demo and try it out. They have a lot of slick advertising, which can be off-putting for some, but I know from experience that their technology really works. The brainwave entrainment technology is hidden behind "nature" sounds like rain, birds, and bells. Their system also provides clear guidance, support, and a path to follow. I am looking forward to about 20 years with their program and I know I will savor every second.
http://www.centerpointe.com/

Explore. Stay tuned. I will tell you about my experiences in future installments.