What Is Brain Entrainment?

Any sound or light stimulus which pulsates at a certain rhythm, will cause the brain to synchronise its own brain waves to that rhythm.

This means, you can induce a deep sleep by listening and seeing pulses of sound and light which beat at a rate 1 Hz to 4 Hz (delta). Hertz are how many beats per second.

Or induce a semi-hypnotic, deep meditation state by pulses of 4 to 7 Hz (theta).

Or a gentle relaxation by pulses of 8 to 12 Hz (alpha).

Or an alert, conscious reasoning state by 12 to 40 Hz (beta).

What Are The Benefits of Brain Entrainment?

Depending on what your needs are – whether you tend to be highly stressed and anxious, you will benefit by inducing slower brain waves to bring calm and relaxation.

many people or children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) find it hard to focus, and will benefit by inducing higher beta brain waves to improve their concentration and focus.

For a depressed person, h/she will also benefit by higher brain waves in the beta range to ‘perk up’ their mental state of being.

Recent studies are showing that gamma brain waves (between 40 – 70 hz) is very helpful for people with dementia or altzeimer’s disease.

Here is a list of different conditions which can benefit from brain wave entrainment.

• Pain relief
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Depression
• Learning
• Insomnia
• ADHD
• Meditation and hypnosis aid

What Device is Used?

Brain entrainment devices are plentiful.

Sound therapy or light/colour therapy can be used to synchronise brain waves. Each sound and light on their own are effective. However when both sound and light are combined together, such as with audio-visual brain entrainment devices, the effect is highly enhanced.

Sound therapy uses methods such as as binural beats, pulsed isochronic background beats or trance music with drum beats, such as shamanic drumming.

Colour light therapy uses pulsed beats of flashing lights at certain rates to entrain the brain. Generally, pulsing light tends to be more influential on the brain as nearly 80 percent of information taken to the brain is of visual nature.

Some systems, such as the Mind Alive audiovisual Entrainment system or the Photon Stimulator, uses ‘sharp’ (square wave) pulses, which offers gives strong and quick results. Other systems such the Sensora colour / sound therapy system uses more subtle wave forms which, are gentler on the brain, easing the brain to entrain. The subtler systems are easier for people who have a sensitivity to flashing lights.

Mind Alive System

The Mind Alive is Canadian made and boasts quality research gained on the use of this system, including for pain relief, ADD/ADHD, anxiety and depression, hypertension, insomnia, TMJ and dental issues, fibromyalia and S.A.D.

Mind Alive system offers several features, including choice of colours, regulation of both volume of sound and intensity of lights, heartbeat backing audio, ability to connect to specific self-hypnotic audios or affirmations, glasses to enhance study and reading and cranial electro-stimulation (CES) using microcurrent therapy.

I find this system particularly useful to take clients through a spoken guided imagery healing journey while they are using a theta hypnotic brainwave.

It is also useful to administer while someone receives an acupuncture session, to enhance the effects.

Sensora Colour / Sound Therapy

The Sensora therapy system includes colour, surround sound plus vibrations (in chair) combined all together in gentle wave forms to entrain the body and brain. It is a subtle and highly enjoyable experience.

Brain Entrainment for Self-Hypnosis

Brain entrainment can be a tool to assist getting in to hypnotic state easily, effectively and quickly.

Once in this state (usually theta brainwaves), a personalised audio recording can be used to feed messages deep in to the subconscious mind.

The audio can contain personal affirmations or guided imagery for self healing.

Alternatively, a therapist can ‘talk through’ a method to help release previous challenging experiences to help neutralise the emotional charge quickly and easily.