A Brief Introduction to Binaural Beats

So you may have encountered information about binaural beats and the advantages they can have on individuals, such as relaxation, enhanced learning, enhanced creativity, and stress relief. But where exactly did binaural beats come from, how are they used, and are they worth looking into?

Binaural beats occur when two varying auditory impulses, also referred to as "tones," are given to both ears at the same time. Each of these tones are different in frequency, with the difference measured in Hertz (Hz). Heinrich Wilhelm Dove was the first individual to discover these occurrences back in 1839.

For example, if you took a tone of 200 Hz and delivered it in the right ear, and a tone of 190 Hz and delivered it to the left ear, there is a variation of 10 Hz. This 10 Hz would be perceived as a single binaural beat.

These "beats" that are created will allow the left and right sides of the brain to synchronize with each other. These beats are not actually heard by the ears; they are experienced by the brain only. The areas of the brain which the perceived responses are delivered from are parts of the brain stem, which come from the superior olivary nucleus of each of the brain's hemispheres.

The Monroe Institute is an established organization that heavily markets this as a method of treatment. Using binaural beats has achieved such benefits including a reduced need for pain medicine, expedient recuperation, stabilized blood pressure, and more. This was tested by using this method in hospitals and other various areas of medicine. Because of this, the use of binaural beats has been tested over a significant portion of people.

To prove this concept, a study was done in 1999 by Anesthesia that conducted a trial utilizing binaural beats. Three tapes were used by subjects: an audio tape with classical music, a blank tape, and another with a product known as "Hemisync." What was found was the users utilizing Hemisync needed less fentanyl (which is typically used to treat chronic breakthrough pain, otherwise referred to as chronic pain) when measured against the subjects that were using the blank tape or the tape with the recording of classical music. These subjects were a very diverse group, with all of them undergoing a varied number of procedures.

Explaining that the effectiveness of binaural beats can be measured does help this (sometimes misunderstood) method. "Hemispheric Synchronized Sounds and Intraoperative Anesthetic Requirements" was finished and truly helped the promotion by explaining to the world that binaural beats are a benefit to the people that listen to them.