[kev]

I know it sounds hokey, but is the science behind so-called "brainwave entrainment" legit? I have done some searching, and I have found some very legitimate-looking programs (like neuroprogrammer) and also some very scammy-looking websites that promise too much and overhype their products. So what's the verdict? Does it work or is it just placebo? And if it does work, what downloads are the best?

I did take the free trial of neuroprogrammer 2 and had some mixed results. I didn't always follow the instructions though and would often mix up the sessions, maybe a little too erratically. I wanted more time with it, but I couldn't find a way to renew without paying for it.

Are the isochronic tones alone enough to help, or is more sophisticated biofeedback equipment necessary?

 

[lars]

you can test some of the out on youtube they have ten minute tracks of that kind of stuff

a lot of it relaxes me for the ten minutes and about ten minutes later i'm back in another state of mind so i think its important to link it to something when u are doing the brainwave entrainment.

 

[StrangeSpirit]

I don't really know much about this, but just wanted to mention that I've heard people complaining about side effects from using those brain-wave programs. You may want to look into it.

 

[socially inept]

I know it sounds hokey, but is the science behind so-called "brainwave entrainment" legit? I have done some searching, and I have found some very legitimate-looking programs (like neuroprogrammer) and also some very scammy-looking websites that promise too much and overhype their products. So what's the verdict? Does it work or is it just placebo? And if it does work, what downloads are the best?

I did take the free trial of neuroprogrammer 2 and had some mixed results. I didn't always follow the instructions though and would often mix up the sessions, maybe a little too erratically. I wanted more time with it, but I couldn't find a way to renew without paying for it.

Are the isochronic tones alone enough to help, or is more sophisticated biofeedback equipment necessary?

i dotn know what it is that you are talking about but i do know a bit about brain waves

when you brain waves are at a certain state , i think its called theta, you can access your subconcious mind. when you have acess to the subconicous you can permanently change habits, thoughts and beleifs .

you can asccess the theta state by using simple relaxation techniques

thinkrightnow acesses the theta stae and then changes your thouhts and beleifs for you

have a look at it

 

[bowlingpins]

^ You are in a "theta state" every time you sleep. Light sleep or stage 2 sleep (about 30 min. after you have fallen asleep, probably) is associated with theta waves. I don't know if there is anything special about this stage but I haven't done any reading other than the basic stuff so idk.

OP, I think brainwave programming is nothing more than a gimmick. Brain waves sound cutting edge and companies are exploiting this, infact brain waves are just as ordinary as pulse rate or blood pressure. They are basically what you get when add all of the electrical activity in the brain.

For example, a person when awake and alert has many regions in the brain that are active, the brain cells are firing every which way. There is a lot of interference and noise, this noise is seen as the alpha waves (high frequency, low amplitude waves - looks like noise).

When a person is in deep sleep, most of the brain is quiet and slow waves from the deeper regions of the brain get to the surface w/o getting distorted. These are picked up in an EEG as slow waves. The slow waves are the delta waves (low freq. high amp. waves).

The theta waves are an intermediate.

 

[kev]

Thanks for the input.

I am still undecided about whether these isochronic tones are actually helpful for me. The fact that there are side effects for some people tends to make me think they actually do something, so you do have to be a little cautious.

In the meantime, I have found a site with free downloads and am giving it a try. The tones are custom made and some are experimental. I think the sleep tones are somewhat helpful. Even white noise can be helpful for some people, but I think the tones can be even more helpful. Some people swear by it. However, you have to have the right attitude about it. The idea is to make meditation easier for beginners. Eventually, the goal is to be able to control your state of mind through breathing and relaxation without even using the tones. It takes time though, and I am nowhere near that point.

Use this site at your own risk. I can't verify that they actually work for everyone, only that they help some people. Listening to the wrong tones can worsen symptoms of anxiety (for example the higher frequency tones). The lower frequency tones can also worsen depression, so it is wise to be careful.

http://www.iso-tones.com/tones.html

 

[Zeeshan]

Just got into brain entrainment again, after years, and taking it seriously this time, and today my mood is static