I read an article yesterday “debating” the difference between binaural beats and Hemi-Sync®, and it has been bothering me ever since. Never mind that the article was a one-sided sales pitch meant to funnel the reader into buying a product about which little is known; what most bothered me was that the article was based on false logic and gross misunderstandings of binaural beat technology and how it works. (To be fair, I also have an agenda: I have been creating Metamusic for the Monroe Institute since 1993, which is enhanced with Hemi-Sync®. There can be no doubt that I have a vested interest in clearing up the fallacies. And if you want to check out my Hemi-Sync CDs, then by all means do!)
In case you don’t know, binaural beats are a means to induce brainwave patterns through the use of sound. Brainwave frequencies are low: they are so low, in fact, that the range of human hearing doesn’t even allow for us to hear most brainwave frequencies directly, instead we have to trick the brain into hearing them. This “trick” is accomplished by simultaneously playing two tones of slightly different pitch in stereo. When the brain combines the two signals, it perceives a third frequency called a beat frequency.
A practical example of this “trick” would be to hear a 6.5 Hz Frontal Midline Theta frequency that is well below the range of human hearing. By playing a 100 Hz signal into the left ear and a 106.5 Hz signal into the right ear, your ears will not only hear those two frequencies, but your brain will also perceive the 6.5 Hz beat frequency. This can also be accomplished using other carrier frequencies such as 60 Hz and 66.5 Hz. What’s interesting is that the two sets of carrier frequencies will sound completely different in terms of pitch, but they will engage the same beat frequencies.
Now I am going to borrow a quote from the web page that has me so riled up:
So is the first example better than the second or visa versus? The only honest answer is we just don’t know. No one has done enough scientifically verifable testing to know for sure if there is any difference. At this point, I do not believe anyone can claim a superior product and I simply can not agree that Hemisync is the best product, so lets look a little deeper.
I will spare you the atrocities of spelling, grammar and logic perpetrated by the author and summarize the core conclusion of this “debate”: the only difference between Hemi-Sync and other binaural beats is that there is a difference between the carrier frequencies. This conclusion is simplistic and conveys a complete lack of understanding on the part of the author. In fact, any reasonably equipped yokel (any person with a spectrum analyzer, that is) can create a “scientifically verifable” test scenario to determine that the difference in sound has less to do with the pitch of the carrier frequency than the number of carrier frequencies and the selection of beat frequencies.
Effective binaural beat frequencies are not just simple tones with a single beat frequency: they are complex sets of frequencies designed by knowledgeable people to trigger very specific brain states. I am often amused when I see that binaural beats are routinely given away for free because just as routinely I find that they are overly simple tones that lack the complexity and depth of the well researched Hemi-Sync® technology.
In truth, Hemi-Sync® is more than just a trademarked brand of binaural beats; Hemi-Sync® is a technology that has been developed, studied and refined for decades. It is the tireless dedication to research into Hemi-Sync® technology that draws me to the Monroe Institute. What’s more, the research is supported by numerous independent studies, reports and articles. Who else can say their binaural beat technology is scientifically and clinically proven to be effective?
Photo by Clix
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your post. I agree that Hemisync is by far the most effective method to induce different states of consciousness. I do have two questions which need some clarifying. I hope you can help me out.
Firstly, I came down with a high fever while listening to the Hemi-Sync CDs. Bear in mind that I was trying to cram every CD into 1 week, so I was listening to it 6-8 hours a day. I felt so spaced out for the whole week. What might be causing this?
Secondly, if I burn the CDs into my mp3 player, just for the purpose of being able to have access to them wherever I go, will this distort the frequencies? Thanks
I know of no reason that binaural beat frequencies like Hemi-Sync® would cause fever. I am no doctor, but my guess is that maybe your immune system responded to the enhanced relaxation state as an opportunity to heal. Your experience is rare, to say the least.
Most people experience a physical response when listening to Hemi-Sync® and many feel a little spacey, light headed or expanded after a long term exposure to binaural beats. That’s normal, expected even. I have attended a few programs at the Monroe Institute and those are intense: although there are breaks, we spend 8 – 10 hours a day listening to binaural beats and with no problems.
As for your second question, that topic deserves a longer post, but until I write one, suffice to say that there is a good chance that creating CDs from MP3s will maintain the fidelity needed to perceive the binaural beat frequencies.