How Binaural Beats Work

The most common question I get – and, let me digress here, the most common question i get to the tune of hundreds of emails a day, dozens of phone calls, and a constant stream of instant messages, is: “how does it work?” I will now take some time to give you the scientific reason why binaural brainwaves are so powerful.When signals of two different frequencies are presented, one to each ear, the brain detects phase differences between these signals. “Under natural circumstances a detected phase difference would provide directional information. The brain processes this anomalous information differently when these phase differences are heard with stereo headphones or speakers. A perceptual integration of the two signals takes place, producing the sensation of a third “beat” frequency. The difference between the signals waxes and wanes as the two different input frequencies mesh in and out of phase. As a result of these constantly increasing and decreasing differences, an amplitude-modulated standing wave -the binaural beat- is heard. The binaural beat is perceived as a fluctuating rhythm at the frequency of the difference between the two auditory inputs. Evidence suggests that the binaural beats are generated in the brainstem’s superior olivary nucleus, the first site of contralateral integration in the auditory system (Oster, 1973). Studies also suggest that the frequency-following response originates from the inferior colliculus (Smith, Marsh, & Brown, 1975)” (Owens & Atwater, 1995). This activity is conducted to the cortex where it can be recorded by scalp electrodes.

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One Reply to “How Binaural Beats Work”

  1. Pingback: Quality Headphones Required | Binaural Blog

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