If you were to introduce two tones of different frequency into each ear, you could create binaural beats. For example, playing a tone with a frequency of 100Hz in one ear and playing a tone with a frequency of 114Hz in the other ear, will force the brain to determine the phase difference between the two wavelengths of each tone. We naturally do this to determine directional information.
A binaural beat is created when the signals integrate. Your brain will perceive a beat of 14Hz. Depending on the frequency of the phase difference it can sound like a wave or beat. If the frequency is low, it will sound more like a wave. If the frequency is higher is can sound like a very fast beat.
Binaural beats Audio files can only be used with stereo headphones. Speakers cannot be used since the tones would mix in the air and produce more of a monaural beat. Those types of beats are usable in brainwave entrainment (bwe), however if the Audio files in meant for binaural beats, that's how it should be used.
When first listening to binaural beats, your brain will need to adjust and you may hear a warbling like sound. If the tones are too loud it can easily cause headaches. In fact, you can set the tone so low, that you cannot knowingly hear them, however, the brain does have the ability to perceive infrasonic sounds.
There is a lot of controversy over whether or not binaural beats can be used for brain-wave entrainment. According to Dr. Gerald Oster binaural beats can be used to produce beats from as little as 0.235Hz to as high as 26.25Hz. Oster also concluded that binaural beats would be insufficient for brainwave entrainment because the depth of the beat is only around 3 decibels or 1/10 the volume of a whisper.
Many companies use binaural beats as the basis for their products such as The Monroe Institute (Hemi-Sync), I-Doser, and Centerpointe (Holosync). The beats are usually mixed with noise, music, ambiance, or guided instructions.
There are alternative Audio methods that are more efficient that binaural beats, such as monaural beats, isochronic tones, cross-feed modulation, low-pass filter modulation, pitch modulation and auto-pan modulation. Each method has its own place and limitations. We use a combination of methods to get the best out of each session.
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