Binaural Beats Technology Help Beat Productivity Time Wasters
I live and work in a busy house.
We usually have a surfeit of children and other distractions, so concentration can be a real issue.
To complicate matters, I am the sort of person who is easily distracted from the number one priority. I need
help to be fully productive when I’m working so I followed a colleague’s suggestion and looked into binaural
recordings. To my surprise binaural recordings have provided an answer for me. The Immrama Institute has
released a 2-disk CD set entitled “Focus” that uses binaural technology to enhance your levels
of focus, clarity and concentration. The effect, for me, has been astounding.
So, what is binaural recording? Basically it involves making recordings with the stereo microphones positioned
as if they were your ears. Sometimes they actually use a dummy head with a microphone positioned in each
ear. The effect, when you play back the recordings through headphones, is true 3D sound. You can actually
sense the up, down, left, right, backwards and forwards movements.
Binaural recording has obvious applications like Virtual Reality gaming but why should it be so useful in
programming your mind to be more focused? Well, scientific research has discovered that the minds of highly
creative, successful and creative individuals share a common pattern. The way their neural pathways fire
when triggered by the stimulus to concentrate more organized than you will find in, for example, children
with Affective Attention Disorder (ADD). The rest of us have brainwave patterns in varying states of chaos
somewhere between these two extremes.
The Immrama Institute has discovered that playing “harmonically layered binaural frequencies” beneath
a soothing white noise will regiment those playful synapses in your mind. “Focus” is basically
two CDs filled with the sound of rain. Not just any rain but natural rain recorded in “several locations
within the US”. The underlying binaural beats, far from being drowned out by the sound of rain, are
actually enhanced. The binaural beats on the “Focus” CDs are specially designed to trigger targeted
brainwave states and patterns that enhance clarity and concentration. Beats to improve mental and emotional
well-being or to boost sleep and physical health or to reduce stress have also been developed and can be
found on the Immrama Institute’s “Insight” CD.
You’ll need some patience when using “Focus”. This is not the psychological equivalent of light
switch. The CDs are used more to train your mind than to make an overnight conversion.
There is an unfortunate downside for us 21st Century gadget geeks. These recordings don’t work very well if
you convert them into MP3 format for your iPod. The clipping and compressing technology used to produce MP3
tracks has a detrimental effect on the binaural beats. You will only get the best effects using high quality
headphones with a Hi-fi CD player.
You might ask why they use the sound of rain on the CDs. The reason is pretty straightforward. Of course,
you could play binaural beats beneath any restful sound but we are a pretty diverse population when it comes
to taste. The Immrama Institute would need to produce a hundred titles to match the variety of music genres
that exist today. My own opinion is that it rains pretty frequently where I live anyway, so my mind is attuned
to ignoring it. They couldn’t have chosen a better neutral sound.
“Is it safe?” I hear you scream, “Am I being brainwashed?” Simply put, it is as safe as
houses and yes you are probably being brainwashed but in a nice way. The Immrama Institute claim that binaural
sounds are safe and effective for use with children, which is good news for my 12 year-old who can’t sit
still and concentrate on his homework. Their only warning is that epileptics and anyone who has a history
of seizures should avoid using binaural beats as the repetitive nature of the sounds could trigger an episode.
As you might expect the relaxing and “zoning” effect could be dangerous if you listen while driving
or operating dangerous machinery.
With a name that sounds very like some middle-eastern sect, the Immrama Institute (formerly Awakened Minds
Inc.) is, in fact, not religiously connected at all. Immrama is a word that means “journey of self-discovery” which
is what this organization is dedicated to. The Immrama Institute produce products that will help you to realize
your infinite potential. They declare that they exist to provide methods for their customers to seek wisdom,
inner strength and deeper knowledge.
“Focus” is an impressive tool. The audio technology used on these two CDs has so many applications
and has even been heralded by the biomedical engineering authorities. They predict that such neuro-pathway
exercisers can delay (for decades) the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Personally, I’d like to avoid brain dysfunction when I’m older but right now I’m thankful that the “Focus” CDs
are not just some experimental curiosity. They really are a practical way to improve concentration and focus.
An essential in life with three pre-teens roaring around the house!
Review by Mike Kay
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