Does Brainwave Entrainment Damage Your Brain
Does Brainwave Entrainment Damage Your Brain
Brainwave
Entrainment
Damage Your Brain?
By Matt Clarkson & Kevin Schoeninger
Of course, if youd just like to share something special and powerful with friends
and family, feel free to do that as well!
Matt Clarkson and Kevin Schoeninger. Brought to you by The Mind-Body Training Company
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Does
Brainwave
Entrainment
Damage Your Brain?
You may have heard about the wonders of Brainwave Entrainment Technology (BET).
Its touted to
help you meditate like a monk, tap your inner genius, heal your emotional wounds, and manifest what
you truly desire. And its all so darn simple and effortless! All you have to do is put on a set of
headphones and let the technology work its magic. Who wouldnt want that?
However, here at The Mind-Body Training Company, weve had serious reservations about promoting
any products or programs that contain BET. Weve had concerns about how this technology is marketed
and how safe it really is. This has led us to turn down countless promotional opportunities and
partnerships. Now that the technology has been with us for many years, we feel its time to set the
record straight. In this report, Id like to tell you the truth about this technology and what our position
is on the various programs you see on the market these days.
First, lets define what we mean by BET. Then, well define the alternative practice that were best
known for recommending to our communitymeditation. By seeing how these compare and differ, I
hope to give you insight into both practices.
So, what is BET technology and how does it work?
I found a nice articulation of BET on Unexplainable.net. Heres what they have to say on the most wellknown of these technologies called binaural beats:
Binaural Beats work by broadcasting two separate frequencies in each ear. For example, if you
wanted to tune your brain to a 7 Hz frequency, you could play 200 Hz in your right ear, and 207
Hz in your left ear. The brain will compensate for the difference between the two and produce
a third tone that will be exactly 7 Hz. This will result in your brain frequency being raised or
lowered, and tuned to the desired operating stage.
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To utilize this technology, you listen to the binaural beats technology through a set of stereo
headphones. You use stereo headphones so that a different frequency can be played in each ear.
The possible benefits of using binaural beats include:
deep relaxation,
release of tension,
super learning,
enhanced memory,
heightened creativity,
improved concentration,
From this list of benefits, BET sounds like a cure-alland a lot like the benefits of meditation. Its true,
these are benefits you can also expect from meditation practice. So whats the difference?
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By following these steps you develop the following internal skills of being able to:
observe and accept yourself and your inner physical, emotional, and mental processes without
judgment,
actively relax,
breathe deeply,
align your posture,
release negative emotions,
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You develop these inner skills in a natural and holistic way, as your body is ready and able. Because you
are using your natural abilities and focusing on cues in your own body, heart, mind, and spirit, the
process unfolds as your system is ready to expand.
Because of this, the process proceeds safely and naturally, at exactly the right pace and timing for your
present need. You release subconscious tensions, heal wounds, and expand your awareness and ability
as you are able to handle these things. At some point, you begin to experience the whole process is
being guided by a higher wisdom within you. Meditation develops your ability to discern your Inner
Guidance and follow its prompting. You find yourself just knowing what is best for you in any situation
and automatically doing the best thing, something Deepak Chopra calls spontaneous right action.
Like any set of skills though, meditation does take time, practice, and effort. It also gives you rewards
and benefits that you cannot get without those efforts and the development of those skills.
When you cultivate the skills of meditation, it is empowering.
You know that you can do this at any time because youve learned how to do it yourself. Even with just
a little practice, you have gained a certain level of mastery in the physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual aspects of your being. You have learned how to focus your attention, regulate your thoughts,
feelings, and inner experiences, and sense guidance from the deeper currents of your being. Now, you
can take these skills and apply them to anything that you desire to express, grow, and manifest in your
life. Thats empowering!
Understanding what meditation is and what BET is, Im sure you can see the difference. BET is not
meditation. Meditation is an active and natural process that is guided from within you by your present
needs. BET is a passive, technological process that is guided by a specific programmed frequency or set
of frequencies toward specific goals. So, once you throw out the idea that BET is meditation, the
question becomes. . .
Is BET damaging and under what circumstances can it be beneficial?
Well, it turns out that many people have had phenomenal results with BET. For example, entrainment
in the 8-12 Hz Alpha range is associated with light relaxation, creativity, and super-learning; while
deeper entrainment in the 3-8 Hz Theta range is associated with enhanced creativity, deeper
subconscious processing, and emotional healing. Ever have problems manifesting what you want or
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getting your affirmations to take hold? The Theta range is the ideal state for super-effective
programming of the subconscious mind!
On the other hand, there are also those who have felt damaged by BET, especially those who go for
even deeper levels. At the Delta levels (1-3 Hz), some people have reported physical tremors,
overwhelm by subconscious images, and intense agitation as a result of overusing BET technology.
Entrainment in the deeper levels, especially prolonged periods of time in Delta, may leave you
susceptible to these negative results and, therefore, should be used with appropriate caution.
So, what determines which way it will go for you? How can you gain the benefits while avoiding the
risks of this powerful technology?
For any type of BET program you might pursue, the key is to self-monitor how you are doing as you go.
This all comes back to a key skill of mind-body training: Self-Observation/Inner Discernment. If you feel
edgy or irritable, you may have had enough BET for the moment. Your brain may have received enough
stimulation to produce a positive adaptation and it needs some time to integrate that. Take a break and
come back to it once your brain has had a rest.
Think of BET like having a brain workout, and at the deeper Delta patterns, a sense of self or identity
workout! If you are just starting to workout, your body only needs a little exercise and then it needs
time to adapt to that before you are ready for more. If you want to increase your workout time and/or
intensity, you should do so gradually, allowing for adequate rest and recovery between sessions, so your
body will get stronger and fitter. If you do too much too soon, and/or if you dont allow enough time for
recovery, your body will start to breakdown and get injured. We find the same is true for your brain
with BET.
At the lighter Alpha levels, BET can help you downshift into a calmer, more relaxed state of mind that
promotes healing and super-learning. At Theta levels, you can tap into a more creative and receptive
state that is ideal for re-programming or attracting the more positive experiences that you want in
your life. At the deeper Delta levels, it can (and will) challenge your concept of Self and who you think
you are. The positive side of this is that many of the negative aspects of ego will begin to fall away, i.e.
your story of your suffering self, as well as many dysfunctional patterns of thought, feeling, and
behavior. Good thing, right?
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On the other hand, some report that this kind of intensive practice in the deep-Delta range has caused a
loss of mental-emotional stability and self-confidence in day-to-day life. Of course, every person is
different and thats why we always say trust your Inner Guidance. Whats clear though is that this
kind of reality-changing practice should not be undertaken lightly! If you choose this deep-Delta path at
progressively higher and higher intensity frequencies, we feel it is wise to go carefully. Keep contact
with your Inner Guidance at all times and have appropriate support structures in place from the start.
Many BET programs work in a much more gentle and holistic way.
BET at the lighter Theta and Alpha levels is generally a much smoother, easier, and even fun path. Used
in conjunction with affirmations, positive images, and creative visualization, it can be wonderful for
raising your vibration and helping you resonate with what you truly desire. It can also prime and
program your brain circuits so you more readily manifest and experience what you want in your real life.
As a tool for manifesting what you desire, we find BET is a tool well worth exploring! Heres one of the
best tools weve found for doing that using the gentler Theta levels:
http://www.mindbodytrainingcompany.com/recommends/bet-manifesting.htm
So, to summarize, used wisely, BET can be a wonderfully effective tool in your mind-body training
toolkit. As with any self-growth practice, its important that you accept full responsibility for what you
do, keep contact with your Inner Guidance and allow that to lead the way. Extra care should be taken
that you dont overdo it, especially at the deeper Delta levels. Listen to your Inner Guidance. Always
allow enough time for recovery and integration.
One thing is for sure: we do not recommend that BET replace active, self-initiated, natural processes
such as daily meditation, prayer, and conscious relaxation. It is important that your mind-body practice
on the whole be about developing inner skills that make you the master, not a slave of the technology.
If you rely only on things outside yourself to get the results you want, then youre missing out!
Mind-body training is ultimately about growing in empowerment, and the way to do this is to actively
practice inner skills that become yours forever.
That said, BET can be used to break through personal limits, resolve specific issues, and put your brain in
a state that is conducive to creativity and positive reprogramming. In other words, BET is a great tool
when you use it consciously and wisely. Use your mind-body training skills to stay present with what is
going on inside you as you use BET and allow your Inner Guidance to lead your way. If youre interested
in exploring BET to help you rapidly manifest exactly what you desire in your life, heres a great program
we recommend:
http://www.mindbodytrainingcompany.com/recommends/bet-manifesting.htm
Matt Clarkson and Kevin Schoeninger. Brought to you by The Mind-Body Training Company
All rights reserved.