Dr. Samar Zebian - This article is the third in a series on mediation and its effects on the brain.

Technologically induced meditation has been around for more than a century. One of the earliest forms of this technology is binaural beats. It is the basis for the numerous sound neurotechnologies on the market today.

Binaural beat technology is transmitted through a headset and involves presenting two slightly different tones to each ear. The tones need to be below 1000 hz and need to differ by at least 30 hz. The sounds presented to each ear are slightly out of phase with one another, however the brain automatically computes one sound which is equal in frequency to the difference between the frequencies delivered to each ear. Essentially the listener hears a single beat that has a pulsating quality and feels like its origins is in the head. If you are interested, you can google “binaural beat sound file” and try it out with headsets (it will not work without heatsets).

The brain does more than just blend the two sound waves. It is busy computing where the sound is coming from (sound localisation). The brain does this automatically and thus the listener just kicks back and listens. The process of sound localize is said to bring about entrainment-a synchrony between the binaural beat and brain wave activity. This synchrony is what makes “BlLISS” happen-first relaxation envelopes many listeners and then some report other altered states-feelings of open compassion, heightened attentional focus and deep relaxation.

Some researchers claim that the beats stimulate the superior olivary nucleus in the brain steam which controls basic vital life functions such as breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. Researchers hypothesize that brain stem stimulation, and the activation of areas involved in sound perception and localization bring about a change in brain wave patterns-namely more alpha waves which are typical of the relaxing brain. According to some, these brain fluctuations force the nervous system to reorganize itself or form new neural pathways which enable more efficient communication between the left and right hemisphere of the brain, or to be more technologically precise, greater synchronization between parts of the brain that previously were not in synchrony.

The neurotechnology industry makes at least three notable claims that are of interest to brain scientists: 1) technologically induced mediation is identical to non-technologically mediated meditation, 2) reaching a deep meditative state (a Zen state achievable by only experienced meditators) can happen in minutes, 3) technologically induced mediation gives you ALL the benefits of traditional meditative practice. The current state of research on binaural beats does not conclusively support any of these claims because most studies are poorly reported, contain methodological flaws and are not peer reviewed. Thus it will take time to validate these claims and check their generalizability.

Science is one means to help us be sure about things but it does take a very very long time to be scientifically sure. In the meantime, research subjects and users claim to be engaged in subjective experiences that seemed qualitatively identical to or indistinguishable from the heightened states attained by traditional techniques such as personality transformations, life-altering spiritual insights, and more.

As a cognitive scientist with a deep interest in how artifacts and cultural practices/rituals shape cognitive function, I would be very surprised if binaural beats produce the same type of meditative state as traditional meditative practices because the artifacts used and the practices enacted during the acquisition of a new skill leaves cognitive traces in the neurons, behaviorally and phenomenologically. I suspect that there will be differences in the meditative state, how the state is achieved (brain wise) and its consequences. However, what values we attach to this difference should be done in light of good research and not traditional ideas about how mediation ought to be performed. The potential of neurotechnologies is still to be discovered. One simple reason for this let’s-wait-and-see attitude is that if neurotechnologies do in fact work, even only partially or only for the short term, their applications are endless and widely accessible.  I will list just a few: 1) reducing anxiety in chronic pain suffers, test takers, surgery patients, 2) an alternative to psycho active drugs, 3) contribute to a reduction in aggression/violence among dangerous individuals, 4) facilitation of addiction treatments, 5) improve life-long learning, 6) promote compassion and peace in the hearts of individuals. If this is possible, and if technology can be ethically and effectively used for this purpose, than lets march on.