When school started, I noticed my stress levels increased seemingly every second. I felt trapped in my own home, even trapped in my own skin. These days, I find myself searching for things to reside in. I find myself searching for a better life. 

I tried guided meditation videos, but I couldn’t help but get lost in the speaker’s voice and drift to sleep. One day while on Youtube, I stumbled upon a section of videos. Common phrases amongst the video titles were binaural beats and frequency. They all claimed to fix certain aspects of your life including both mental and physical health. I clicked on a video entitled “Anxiety Relief” and decided to give it a try. I laid down and tried to relax my body as I had learned it was important from guided meditation. The second I clicked play, I felt a sudden sense of release and relaxation. I almost felt a sensation that I was sinking into my bed. My curiosity was the only thing that snapped me from this state. I snapped up to scroll further down on the page. Each song was equally as beautiful and calming. I smiled to myself as I realized I opened up my life to thousands of remedies. 

The science behind binaural beats is quite interesting in my opinion. When heard, certain frequencies can trigger sections of the brain causing a release of hormones. For instance, when triggered, the pineal gland causes the release of melatonin- our body’s sleep hormone. This creates the sensation of all around relaxation. 

Among many other things, binaural beats can also be used to study. The brain triggers focus points when certain gamma-wave frequencies are played. The most common gamma wave frequency for focus/study is 13-30 Hz. For personal experience with this frequency range, I felt not only a sense of heightened cognitive skills, but a sensation of alertness too. 

So how should one get started on their binaural beat journey? First off, I recommend reflecting on personal life factors and emotional patterns of oneself. Reflection is the most important way to understand and ground yourself. Once a factor or pattern has been identified, such as stress, focus on the issue at hand and remind yourself that you are targeting your issue to better yourself. This is ultimately a form of self care which should allow for self praise and positive affirmation. 

Next, try a fair amount of different videos as you may find some more effective than others. Start off by focusing your mind on the issue at hand, such as lack of attention or overwhelming stress. Next, set yourself up in a position where you are comfortable. Prepare your headspace to target what you came to accomplish. The most important thing about trying binaural beats is to be open to them. After all, it is science.

The combination of binaural beats and a good pair of headphones or earbuds is a combination hard to beat. With enough trial and error, binaural beats could change the way you perceive life.