Binaural beats are created when two tones of different frequencies are played separately into each ear through headphones, leading the brain to perceive a third tone—the binaural beat. The binaural beat is the difference between the two frequencies.
Used since the 1970s, binaural beats have become popular for promoting physical, mental, and emotional well-being. They are used therapeutically for improving sleep, enhancing focus and concentration, reducing anxiety, improving mood, managing pain, enhancing cognition, and for meditation and spiritual practices.
How Binaural Beats Differ From Other Sounds
Binaural beats are processed differently from regular sounds because they are not actual sound waves but an auditory phenomenon created by the brain.
Regular sounds are processed as physical sound waves entering the ears, then interpreted by the brain as a single auditory signal.
In addition, while regular sounds can indirectly influence emotions and cognitive states, binaural beats have been shown to directly influence brainwave patterns through brainwave entrainment, synchronizing the brain’s electrical activity with the frequency of the binaural beat.
Listening to music can elicit an emotional response based on various factors, such as connecting it to specific memories, moods, experiences, or cultural associations. For example, hearing a song your mother sang to you as a child might evoke feelings of calm, safety, and love as you associate it with those memories. The brain processes music through the auditory cortex and connects it with the limbic system, which is the part of the brain responsible for our emotions.
How Binaural Beats Work
The Monroe Institute, a nonprofit organization and education center that studies human consciousness, has used binaural beats for more than five decades.
Binaural beats work through a process called brainwave entrainment, also known as neural entrainment, Paul Citarella, executive vice president and chief technical officer of the Monroe Institute, told The Epoch Times.
He said that brainwave entrainment is “presenting some kind of rhythmic stimulus to your brain, and your brainwaves start to follow along.”
A simple example is a beating drum.
“If someone’s beating a drum, let’s say six times a second, what happens is, that sound is reaching your ears six times a second, and your brain—your neurons in your auditory cortex—are firing to receive that sound, or in response to that sound,“ Citarella said. ”And what happens is as you listen to that over time, the rest of your brain waves start to follow along to that rhythm.”
Other examples include rhythmic chanting and drumming, which go back to spiritual traditions through the ages, he said.
It’s also important to note that headphones are essential to experience binaural beats so that each ear can receive the different frequencies separately.
Brain Waves and Frequencies
There are five recognized
brainwave frequencies, and each corresponds to a different state, according to the
book “Introduction to EEG- and Speech-Based Emotion Recognition.” They are listed below (although slight discrepancies exist between each frequency depending on the source.)
- Delta (0.5–4 Hz): Sleep and dreaming
- Theta (4–8 Hz): Deeply relaxed, inward-focused
- Alpha (8–12 Hz): Very relaxed, passive attention
- Beta (12–35 Hz): Busy, active mind
- Gamma (35+ Hz): Problem solving, concentration
(Vallabh Soni/Shutterstock)
Improved Focus and Concentration
One of the most popular uses for binaural beats is to increase focus and concentration, which usually involves binaural beats in the beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–150 Hz) range of frequencies. Binaural beats in these ranges have been shown to improve focus, especially during tasks that require intense cognitive effort.
In a study published in PLOS ONE, 15 Hz binaural beats increased response accuracy and enhanced the efficiency of brain networks while participants were undergoing a visuospatial working memory task. Participants were shown an image they had to remember. Shortly after, they were shown a second image and had to specify if it matched the first one. Visuospatial working memory is the ability to remember what something looks like and where it is; it is important for tasks such as reading, writing, and math.
Results were measured by a brain wave test. While 15 Hz binaural beats increased accuracy in the participant’s responses and strengthened connections in the brain related to memory and attention, 5 and 10 Hz binaural beats had the opposite effect and decreased accuracy.
Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and tenured professor of neurobiology at Stanford School of Medicine, notes in the “Huberman Lab” podcast that multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown that 40 Hz binaural beats can improve focus and concentration due to increasing levels of dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain. Huberman has popularized the use of binaural beats, particularly for focus and concentration. These neurochemicals are associated with improved attention and memory.
In a 2023 meta-analysis of 15 studies, binaural beats were found to have beneficial effects on attention and memory.
However, not all studies have found beneficial effects using binaural beats to increase focus and attention. Conversely, a study of 179 university students found no “convincing evidence” that binaural beats improved focus and attention, thus more research is needed.
Improved Sleep
Binaural beats have garnered attention for their potential to improve sleep quality, alleviate anxiety, and reduce stress, and various studies have explored these benefits.
“It’s really great for helping people get better sleep. So, when you go to sleep, your brainwaves follow a certain pattern—you start by having more alpha brainwaves—and then you go through these different phases of sleep—and we can help that process with the entrainment,” Citarella said.
One study, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that listening to binaural beats at a delta frequency of 3 Hz increased delta brainwave activity, which is associated with deep sleep. This led to longer durations of stage three sleep, crucial for feeling refreshed and rested on waking.
A 2024 study examined the effects of binaural beats in 64 older Taiwanese adults with poor sleep quality in a long-term care facility. The study indicated that 14 days of binaural beats “significantly” improved sleep quality and depression.
Stress Reduction
Studies have shown that listening to binaural beats in the alpha frequency range can promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. A randomized controlled
trial of 411 men found that listening to 10 Hz beats significantly lowered stress levels and pain scores in preoperative patients compared to those who listened to classical music or silence.
In a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, South Korean researchers used a 6 Hz binaural beat (theta), which aligns with the brain’s activity in the beginning stage of sleep. They combined this beat with autonomous sensory meridian response sounds—a pleasant tingling sensation that originates in the scalp and neck and is experienced in response to different triggers or stimuli, such as a particular sound.
The researchers found that the combination of binaural beats and ASMR triggers helped to retain the advantages of binaural beats. Combining them in a specific ratio helped the brain get into a sleep state while keeping the listener relaxed.
Alleviating Anxiety
Anxiety reduction is another area where binaural beats have shown promise. Research indicates that binaural beats can help lower anxiety levels, especially when used in therapeutic settings.
For example, a study found that listening to binaural beats significantly reduced anxiety for patients before undergoing dental surgery compared to control groups.
Meditation
Binaural beats are also used to achieve deep states of meditation.
“People have studied meditators, and they exhibit different kinds of brainwaves in different states,” Citarella said. When people meditate, their brainwaves are generally in theta (between 4 and 8 Hz) and if you were trying to give someone an experience of deep meditation, you would target binaural beats in that range, he added. By targeting binaural beats in that range, you could potentially help people attain the benefits associated with meditation, such as reduced stress, improved sleep, and lower blood pressure.
What makes binaural beats helpful is that they guide people into meditative states more easily, Citarella said. You can get to these states with regular meditation, but developing a meditation practice takes significant time and energy that not everyone can commit to, he added.
Because binaural beats help you get to these states more quickly and reliably, it puts the health benefits of meditation within anyone’s reach, according to Citarella. “That’s what’s special about it,” he said.
The Healing Power of Sound
Jeffrey Thompson, a chiropractor, a musician, and the founder and director of the Center for Neuroacoustic Sound, has used sound frequencies, such as binaural beats, to promote healing and improve mental and physical health since the 1980s.
He uses binaural beats to entrain brainwaves to specific frequencies to achieve homeostasis in the autonomic nervous system, Thompson told The Epoch Times. He uses a machine that allows him to visualize heart rate variability in real time and an EEG machine that measures brainwaves of different frequencies in the brain.
Sound is special and unique, Thompson said, and he uses binaural beats to entrain the person’s brainwaves to a specific frequency, which directs the healing.
Other Considerations
While numerous studies show that binaural beats can be effective for various conditions, results can be mixed due to a variety of factors. Differences in the study design, how brainwave activity is recorded using EEG, and how data are analyzed can influence outcomes.
Differences in brainwave patterns and how frequently binaural beats are used also play a role in the effectiveness of binaural beats between individuals. Ultimately, more research is needed to fully understand binaural beats and validate their therapeutic effects.
Practical Tips
As with any new practice, you should consult a health care professional. There are some practical tips to help you get started.
- Use comfortable headphones to receive different frequencies in each ear.
- Find a quiet place to relax, unless using for focus during work or study.
- Choose your goal (relaxation, focus, sleep) and appropriate frequency (see chart above).
- Explore free or low-cost binaural beat apps and YouTube videos.
- Start slowly and be patient—effects may not be immediate.
- Experiment with different beats and frequencies to find what works for you.
- While generally safe, listen to your body and adjust if needed.
- Consult a professional for guidance on using binaural beats for specific conditions.
Binaural beats offer a low-cost, noninvasive method for potentially improving focus, health, and well-being. Whether your interest in binaural beats is for work, relaxation, or recovery, this auditory phenomenon invites us to tune in to the transformative power of sound.
