What I would like to talk about in this article is more about what I found out during my time at university.
As I got closer to finishing my degree (with better than distinction average might I boast!?) I really desired to pursue a career in neuroscience research.
I already knew what my first project was going to be.
I wanted to look into this binaural beat technology for myself, scientifically, in a professional laboratory.
So I set about looking up academic journals for articles that supported the theories I wanted to investigate.
At that point in time there were few studies conducted on meditation, and even less on binaural beats, but they all seemed to agree that it did in fact create changes in brainwave states.
They also seemed to agree that the effect was apparent throughout the entire brain, a process known as hemispheric synchronisation.
As I looked further into that terminology I discovered something that would change my focus completely.
As you probably already know, the brain is divided into two halves, called hemispheres.
Each side has its individual roles to play, and they operate somewhat independently from each other.
They are connected by a thin sheath of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum.
What you probably didn't know is that each side seems to generate separate brain wave states.
In fact, the various regions of the brain can each have different level of arousal, as indicated by the power of the differing brainwave frequencies.
Something else that you probably don't know, and I definitely didn't, was that this asynchrony in brainwave patterns is said to be implicated in mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
I was SHOCKED! My mind starting ticking.
I started thinking that if meditation, in any form, can improve this hemispheric synchronisation, then it may be able to help treat depression and anxiety.
This is what I wanted to investigate.
Unfortunately, as there were only few studies conducted on this, and due to the ethical implications of experimenting on human beings, my project idea was rejected.
But I was able to further investigate the relationship between depression and anxiety, and hemispheric synchronisation.
Now I was unable to complete that research, but with the few people that I did test, there certainly seemed to be some relationship between peoples levels of anxiety or depression, and the level of hemispheric asynchrony.
I also made a very exciting discovery whilst testing one of my subjects.
I was testing this lady, a staff member of UTS, and I was keenly watching the tracings appearing on the computer screen.
I saw something quite strange, something I had not seen on any of my previous volunteers.
I could see that certain corresponding regions from the left and right hemispheres were oscillating in almost perfect symmetry! I was stunned as I continued to watch the screen.
When the test was over I asked her whether or not she meditated.
She told me that she had been meditating for a number of years.
To me that confirmed everything I had studied and believed to be true..
So now my question to you is do you meditate? If not why not? Any form of relaxation would be extremely beneficial to everyone.
If you can learn how to meditate, the benefits would be even greater.
If you were to combine that with the powerful Holosync soundtracks that Centerpointe produce it could help to magnify those benefits even further.