“Brainwave Entrainment” is the process of changing your brain’s electrical activity to match a form of sound or light stimulation.  In order to entrain brain waves, people usually use binaural beats, isochronic tones, monaural beats, or in other cases, a mind-machine.  Light goggles can be utilized for light stimulation, though this method is typically not as effective as sound stimulation.  A combination of light and sound entrainment can also be used.

Every time your brain is stimulated, it produces a corresponding electrical response (changes your brain wave activity to align with that specific stimulus frequency).  For example, if an isochronic tone was played at 10 Hz and you sat near speakers to listen for awhile, your brainwave activity would shift to come in alignment with the 10 Hz Alpha frequency.  You would likely begin to feel more relaxed, comfortable and less stressed.  Similarly, if you entrained a frequency of 20 Hz Beta (e.g. brainwaves that make 20 cycles per second), you would begin to have more anxious energy and get more excited.

Brainwave Entrainment Can Occur Naturally

Brainwave entrainment can occur naturally too. For example:  If you were around a person playing a drum steadily – maintaining a steady rhythm – your brainwaves would entrain to match that frequency.  If he was beating the drum at around 7 Hz (or 7 cycles per second), you would begin to feel deeply relaxed and may reach a very different state of awareness, also called an “altered state of consciousness.”  Each time your brain’s electrical activity comes in alignment with the rhythm of a sound (via your ears) or flashing light (via your eyes), this is called brainwave entrainment.  The ability for your brain to match the sound or light frequency that you are exposed to is called the “Frequency Following Response.”

What Is “Frequency Following Response?”

Frequency Following Response is helpful because it allows you to manipulate your brainwaves with brainwave entrainment technology in order to help you reach the state of awareness that you want to experience.  If you want to relax, you can play some Alpha Brainwave Entrainment tones.  If you want to have more energy, you can play some Beta Brainwave Entrainment frequencies.

If you’d like to have a nice deep session of meditation, you can entrain to Theta Brainwaves.  The point is that you can reach whatever state of awareness you want with this entrainment technology.  (SIDE NOTE: For more information about mental states you can entrain to, check out the Brainwave Frequency Chart Listing).  You can entrain your brainwaves to help you:  improve your focus, tap your inner creativity, go deeper into meditation, be more relaxed and less anxious, and even to help you overcome depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit problems.

Brainwave Entrainment Technology Research

Brainwave Entrainment has been extensively researched for over 50 years, and there have been no documented problems with the technology.  It probably makes you wonder why this technology isn’t more popular.  Why haven’t you heard about brainwave entrainment before?

The answer is simple:  It doesn’t get promoted due to the fact that most people are looking for a “new pill” to cure their problems.  Since people are looking to find a new medication for every single one of their problems, the big pharmaceuticals promote their new pills like crazy.  What happens?  People looking for a new form of treatment or “new fix,” test out a new drug instead of taking the time to target the root of their problems which originates in their brain waves.

Even though there is plenty of phenomenal research about brainwave entrainment, people are way too skeptical and don’t understand the science behind the process – therefore assuming it can’t possibly work and not even giving it a chance.  With that said, many professionals including: psychotherapists, psychologists, and mental health clinicians are discovering how great this brainwave entrainment technology actually works.

If you head to the recommended products section of this website, you can get a free 30 day trial of at least 2 of the top 3 brainwave entrainment products listed.  There’s absolutely zero risk that comes with testing brainwave entrainment out for yourself.  The facts indicate that brainwave entrainment is clearly one of the most powerful mind development tools ever to be invented.

How To Increase Your Alpha Brain Waves:

• Utilizing Brainwave Entrainment Technology – Brainwave Entrainment is one of the most powerful methods on this list for tuning into your alpha brain waves.  I have recommended a list of the best brainwave entrainment programs – several of which you can test out for 30 Days before purchasing a copy.  All brainwave entrainment involves is listening to a specific tone through your speakers or headphones and allowing your brain wave state to match the audio stimulus.
  

• Start a Meditation Routine – Meditation will get you into the alpha brainwave state fairly quickly after some practice (provided you know what your doing).  If you make meditation a daily practice or start up a routine, you will be able to tap into that alpha state.  The nice thing about meditation is that it’s free and very effective.  However, I do not think it is as effective as the combination of meditation with brainwave entrainment.  So even if you are meditating, consider trying it with entrainment software.  I like using brainwave entrainment software with meditation because you can control the exact frequency to which you access during your meditation.  It will also help you access alpha waves more quickly and more profoundly than it would if you used only meditation.

• Hypnotizing Yourself – Yes, it’s possible to hypnotize yourself.  Many people are misguided in understanding self-hypnosis – which involves relaxing your body and listening to recorded suggestions to positively program your mind.  You are in full control the entire time (e.g. you cannot be forced to do something against your will).  The goal of self-hypnosis is to target the lower brainwave ranges (i.e. alpha and theta) and feed your brain with helpful patterns of thinking.  Hypnosis-Downloads has a wealth of great self-hypnosis sessions to try.
  

• Closed-Eyes Visualization – Each and every time that you shut your eyes and attempt to visualize, your alpha brain waves profoundly increase.  If you are able to focus on pictures in your mind or using your imagination to create pictures, you know what it’s like to access alpha brain waves.  As with meditation, I prefer to utilize brainwave entrainment software to help me create a more vivid visualization.
  

• Yoga, Yoga, Yoga – Though I don’t personally practice Yoga, it is another way to boost your alpha waves.  If you are feeling relaxed while practicing your yoga, then you know what it’s like to increase your alpha brain wave activity.  I’m not sure if I’d want to use brainwave entrainment while doing yoga – after all those poses can get pretty complicated ridiculous.
  

• Deep-Breathing Exercises – Utilizing deep-breathing exercises is a quick way to tap into your alpha brain wave range.  Do a Google search and look up some deep breathing exercises.  Not only will deep-breathing amp up your alpha levels, it has been found to increase your brain’s oxygen level.
  

• Guided Relaxation – This exercise is very similar to that of self-hypnosis; I happen to prefer self-hypnosis.  Basically, you listen to a soothing recording of a voice guiding you into deep relaxation and by the time the recording ends, you feel refreshed and relaxed.  The relaxing feeling that results is a result of an increase in your alpha brain waves.

• Laying Under the Sun, Sitting in a Sauna, Hot-Tub – If you have ever gotten drowsy laying under the sun at the beach with your eyes closed, then you know what your alpha brain waves feel like; amazingly relaxing.  The same feeling of relaxation can result when you sit in a sauna or a hot-tub for awhile.  They cause your body to relax, and your brain waves usually follow; shifting to the alpha range.
  

• Turn on the Television – If you are an avid T.V. junkie, your brain has produced its share of alpha brain waves.  After less than 1 minute of watching the tube, your brain’s alpha waves kick in.  However, in comparison to other methods on the list, the increase in alpha waves as a result of your T.V. watching is not very significant let alone helpful.  It’s not an option I recommend pursuing in order to increase your alpha waves due to the fact that they are more erratic than from utilizing other listed methods – which will put you in a full, more profound alpha brainwave state.

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**Should everyone increase their Alpha Brain Waves?

Increasing Alpha Brain Waves may not be optimal for everyone, I recommend that you read the 2 articles below to get a better understanding about Alpha waves before increasing yours:

1. Alpha Brain Waves: Definition, Functions, & Benefits
2. Too Many Alpha Brain Waves Can Cause Problems