Snack Hacks # 1 Binaural Beats 

Welcome to the snap hack folks. These are aimed at being short bite sized articles. They will present info on various hacks from nutrition, supplements and other related items that are easily assimilated into day to day life. 

What?

 At the root of all our thoughts, emotions and behaviors is the communication between neurons within our brains. These brainwaves are produced by synchronized electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating with each other.

 Different brainwaves induce different states of mind. Most can relate to being in “the zone” when trying to create an important essay or piece of work, or even in a deep state of relaxation when, for example, receiving a massage or having a hot bath.

 Now, although these states are often naturally occurring, is there a way to bypass this often slow process to get the mind ready for what we want to do, (he asks rhetorically)? You guessed it, there certainly is.

 How?

 Binaural beats my friend.

 A binaural beat is an auditory illusion perceived when two different pure-tone frequencies are played simultaneously. Both tones are played with frequencies lower than 1500 Hz, with less than a 40 Hz difference between them. Each tone is presented simultaneously through a different ear hense the experience only being possible through headphones.

 In an attempt tfor the brain to interprit the frequenciess, the listener will perceive the auditory illusion of a third tone, in addition to the two pure-tones presented to each ear. In doing so, as the two frequencies mesh in and out of phase, your brain creates its own third signal, the binaural beat, which is equal to the difference between the two frequencies.

 When your brain begins to resonate with the binaural beat, or “follow” the beat, this effect is called the Frequency Following Response. In a nutshell meaning that by changing the frequency up and down of the two tones, the listener can manipulate brain waves to enter states of sleep and deep relaxation through to focused concentration.

 Brainwaves are generally broken down into five main frequencies: Beta waves, Alpha waves, Theta waves, Delta waves and Gamma waves. Lets have a quick look at which is is good for what.

DELTA WAVES (.5 TO ‪3 HZ‬)

Delta brainwaves are slow, loud brainwaves (low frequency and deeply penetrating, like a drum beat). They are generated in deepest meditation and dreamless sleep.
THETA WAVES (3 TO ‪8 HZ‬)
Theta brainwaves occur most often in sleep but are also dominant in deep meditation. It acts as our gateway to learning and memory. In theta, our senses are withdrawn from the external world and focused on signals originating from within. It is that twilight state which we normally only experience fleetingly as we wake or drift off to sleep.
ALPHA WAVES (8 TO ‪12 HZ‬)
Alpha brainwaves are dominant during quietly flowing thoughts, and in some meditative states. Alpha is ‘the power of now’, being here, in the present. Alpha is the resting state for the brain. Alpha waves aid overall mental coordination, calmness, alertness, mind/body integration and learning.
BETA WAVES (12 TO 38 HZ)

Beta brainwaves dominate our normal waking state of consciousness when attention is directed towards cognitive tasks and the outside world. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, present when we are alert, attentive, engaged in problem solving, judgment, decision making, and engaged in focused mental activity.
GAMMA WAVES (38 TO 42 HZ)
Gamma brainwaves are the fastest of brain waves (high frequency, like a flute), and relate to simultaneous processing of information from different brain areas. It passes information rapidly, and as the most subtle of the brainwave frequencies, the mind has to be quiet to access it. Gamma was dismissed as ‘spare brain noise’ until researchers discovered it was highly active when in states of universal love, altruism, and the ‘higher virtues’. 
Where?
So there is plenty of places to access free binaural beats and hack these brain states. Aside from Youtube and SoundCloud, there are a number of free apps. Here is the classic pure binaural beats app, download and give a try…

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/binaural-pure-binaural-beats/id838752522?mt=8