The fork was connected to a tube that ran to the subject's ear.ĭove then placed a tuning fork on the other side of the room and ran a tube to the other ear.
Then, on one side of the room he placed a tuning fork. Of course, headphones weren’t available back then, so Dove conducted the following experiment to make his discovery:ĭove had his subject stand in a room.
The way in which binaural beats work was first discovered in 1839, by a Prussian physicist and meteorologist named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove.ĭove was a keen experimenter, and it was one of his experiments that would pave the way for exploration in the field of brainwave entrainment.
The Discovery of Binaural Beats Heinrich Willhelm Dove Indeed, in almost every ancient culture, repetitive beat formats have played an important role in wellbeing and prosperity.įor example: through the use of repetitive drumming and chanting, Tibetan monks, Native American shamans, Hindu healers, and master Yogis have been able to induce specific states of being for meditation, transcending consciousness, and healing.īinaural beats provide benefits in the same way, helping with deeper meditation, stress release, reduced anxiety, improved focus, better sleep, and more. This research supports the theories that suggest that the use of the drum by indigenous cultures in ritual and ceremony has specific neurophysiological effects and the ability to elicit temporary changes in brain wave activity, and thereby facilitates imagery and possible entry into an ASC (altered state of consciousness) ( 2). The pattern of the drumbeat as it relates to beats per second can be correlated with resulting temporary changes in brain wave frequency (cycles per second) and/or subjective experience, provided the drumming pattern is sustained for at least 13 – 15 minutes. This consistent beat induced a trance-like state for the tribe, due to the brain following along at a 4.5 beats-per-second brainwave frequency, which is a low Theta brainwave state, as you'll learn about later on. Interestingly, scientist Melinda Maxfield, PhD, conducted research on the drumbeats used during rituals of ancient cultures and found that they generally beat at a steady rate of 4.5 beats per second. But what they did know was that sound had powerful healing properties. Of course, in times past, societies didn't refer to music therapy, binaural beats, or brainwave entrainment of any kind. For example, the Chinese character for medicine includes the character for music ( 1). Even in language we see a connection between healing and music.The Native Americans and Africans used singing and chanting as part of their healing rituals.The ancient Greeks used music to ease stress, promote sleep, and soothe pain.History notes many examples of music used as medicine and therapy: The Ancient Benefits of Rhythm & RepetitionĪlthough the creation of binaural beats music has only been possible through technological advancement in the last 100 or so years, the use of this type of sound therapy dates back thousands of years.Īncient cultures were aware of how the brain could be entrained through sound repetition long before modern science was able to prove the process. We will also learn how binaural beats were discovered, how they work, and the scientific evidence for their effectiveness. In this article, we'll step back in time and look at some primitive forms of brainwave entrainment and music therapy. It is something that has been part of human societies for centuries. This theory is known as ‘Frequency Following Response' (FFR) a naturally occurring science that happens in the human brain.Įntraining the brain through sound isn't just a modern trend. The brain then follows along at this frequency and produces brainwaves of the same frequency. The resulting frequency, interpreted by the brain, is the mathematical difference between the two frequencies sent to the left and right ears. Upon hearing the two different frequencies, the brain interprets one consistent, rhythmic frequency, known as a binaural beat(s). A different sound (tone) frequency is sent to the left and right ears through headphones. The science behind binaural beats occurs naturally in the brain.
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