bayloude

Warriors,

do you have any experience meditating with binaural CDs?

Or even better, which one would you recommend and why? I did my own little research. Hemi-sync Gateway Experience (18 CDs) and Lifeflow (10 CDs) cost approximately the same, holosync (also about 10 or more CDs) is much more expensive.

As far as I understand, Gateway Experience is a set of guided meditations which train the listener to achieve states they call Focus 10, Focus 15, and so on. What is important, passive listening to the tracks is not enough. Users may have some benefit if only they actualy perform excercises. In this sense, listening to GE should be active.

But holosync and lifeflow tracks are entrainment sounds only. Both use the same strategy - they lower the entrainment frequency in succesive steps. By listening to CDs without falling asleep the user is trained to stay alert first in alpha and next in theta states for say, half an hour or more. It looks like passive listening.

I wonder if passive listening to holosync or lifeflow can give the same benefits as active listening to GE.

X

You should check out Holothink.

You'll get better results from remaining
conscious, however the brain still receives
the sounds and entrains to the state.

Now, a good program (like Holothink) will
include spikes in a higher state to pull you
back out of sleep.

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gr8tocre8

I've tried both holosync and lifeflow, and lifeflow wins, hands down. It is amazing - download their free demo and see for yourself!

Heather Vale

Binaural Beats don't work as well as Isochronic Tones.

I heavily researched a free report on the topic... you can get it here:
Harmonic Healing Brainwave Entrainment

You can also listen to a free sample on one of the pages there.

cheers
Heather

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Ralf Skirr

The goals of these programs are very different.

The Gateway series trains your for access to the F10, F12 etc. states to achieve specific goals like extrasensory perception, out of body experiences, communication with ...uhm...spirit entities. etc. etc.

That is different from 'simple' brain entrainment for relaxing states, or peak performance states, creativity states and so on.

So the question which program to chose depends on your goal.

Ralf

bayloude

Your remark is quite correct. It is true, that the goal of Gateway series is something more than entrainment only. However, they use tools which seems to be very effective in the sense that one is trained to get into Focus 10 and others very quickly. I don't know to which brain frequency F 10 or F12 or F15 correspond, but these foci should be somewhere in alpha or theta range. The advantage I see here is the possibility to learn how to get into 'deep mind states' almost instantly and without help of any entrainment CD.

So my question is if somebody can confirm this opinion due to his/her own experience.

Hilary

Might I suggest that before you buy *any* CD sets you take a look at the range of products from Transparent Corp?

Transparent Products - Software, Audio CDs, Accessories (Light/Sound Devices, EEG Units, etc)

Basically, they make software that allows you to create your own brainwave entrainment CDs/mp3s, using your own choice of background sounds/ music, suggestions recorded in your own voice, and so on. The website is cram full of helpful information that they could easily be selling. There are presets for beginners, and advanced options for professionals - including to create sessions or products to sell, if you get the commercial license. And there is a 90 day guarantee, which is much much longer than you need to experience good results.

No affiliation - just a happy owner of NeuroProgrammer 2.

I Ching with Clarity

Ralf Skirr

I can confirm that the gateway series does have excercises to achieve what you mention. But since these states are taught related to the energy and out of body goals I would consider it a waste of time to go through the gateway series to entrain a few specific states.

I'm pretty sure there are programs that are focused to do exactly that.
Plus: See my next post. :-)

Actually as long as you use the program they are entrainment CDs. An important point is that they tell you not to rely on the CD but to learn to access the state yourself, after some practise even without the CD. They do this by relating the state to counting up the numbers that correspond to the state. So F10 is light relaxation, F12 is deeper relaxation, F15 is totally spaced out. :-) (Not the institutes wording but my own.)

It should be the goal of every entrainment program that the user learns to access the state without the CD.

For those with NLP knowledge: it's simple anchoring. The gateway series uses the counting of numbers as auditory anchor and the kinesthetics of the relaxing feeling in the body as kinesthetic anchor. Both together later help to access the trained state without aid of the CD. From 1 to 10 you relate to relaxation in specific body parts. From 11 upwards you relate to your internal representation of expanded mind states.

Ralf

Ralf Skirr

I own several of their programs and can recommend them.

It is however only for those who are really enthusiastic about the topic. Otherwise you're better off buying a CD set that meets your goals.

Using the transparent software is more for those who love to write their own affirmations and experiment with lots of different brain entrainment settings. If you're one of those guys go get the software, it's great.

If you have a clearly defined state you want to entrain it might be easier to buy a CD that is produced to do exactly that, for example a CD for creativity, or one for deep relaxation etc.

Ralf

bayloude

The idea here is not to go through the all gateway series, but to use only those tracks which train the listener to access F10, F12 states and so on. Maybye it would be a waste of money but possibly not a waste of time.

Exactly. The simplest way how to learn it would be 'passive listening' to entrainment CDs like holosync or lifeflow. Lifeflow (Project Meditation) seems to be popular now. Perhaps some lifeflow user could confirm if listening to the CD for a long time say several months eventually makes possible to access the same state also without the CD.

bayloude

I believe that relaxation CDs may be efficient in inducing relaxation state. But I wonder if one can trust that some 'creative CD' really induce creativity. Do you think that CDs for creativity really help to be more creative? Is there some real science behind?

jimmylegs

I purchased some brain sync cd's a few weeks ago. It seems like this is a reputable company and its founder, Kelly Howell, has a pretty good biography. I listened to these 2 CDs for 2 weeks, alternating every other night. They were great, but now after 2 weeks I am experiencing extreme "upheaval" as the Holosync company would describe it. I think that this has to do with these 2 CD's being deep theta wave soundtracks. Anyway, I'm semi-freaking out. The symptoms appear to be alleviating somewhat, but nonetheless I'm done with this technology. All change must come from ourselves; nothing from the outside is ever permanenet, be it drugs, other people's opinions, or binaural beat technology. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

tommyfocus

I totally agree. What are you trying to achieve??? Out of body experiences?? Go with the Gateway program. Want to go down to alpha or theta?? If you want to get down to alpha to do some Silva Mind Control style programming, then holosync would do the job. I am not familiar with lifeflow so I can't comment on that. However, I have been using brain entrainment cd for over 20 years and from my experience it takes multiple listening/doing to go to level (alpha) or deeper at will. Again, it all depends on your goals. After you have condition your self over a period of days, then you can faithfully stay awake at the different levels. How I learn to stay aware at what is called the alpha level is to go to this level 3 times a day, for 20 minutes per session. I also practice going to level when I was wanting in line, in the grocery store, stuck in traffic (eyes open of course), and even when using the bathroom. I wanted to be able to go to level at will. I did this for 100 days straight. Then I wanted to go to theta, which is 3-7 cps. Since I have yet to buy an eeg to objectively calibrate that my brainwaves are indeed in theta, I use the complete loss of awareness of my body, as one distinction. I tend to enter a dream like stage. If I lose control, I often find myself in a lucid dream. While entertaining, my purpose is not to dream, thereby produce hallucinations, but to remain aware and "go" after my particular goal. This is very difficult to do but it can be done. Ken Wilber can enter theta with his eyes open!!!
Again make your buying decision based on what your goals are.

bayloude

This is very interesting.

What is your trigger you use to induce alpha state when not listening to entrainment CD? Is it counting or something else? Or is it just your 'memory trace' of your alpha state experience?

tommyfocus

Because I do this every single day, I can easily get to alpha. I also have set an anchor (when I put my three fingers together) to go to my level. If you have the Silva method, then do the drill none stop for 4 months straight. Go beyond the typical "21" days mentality. It takes way longer than 21 days to "lock" a skill into your neurology.

bayloude

Thank you for your answer. You seem to be quite an experienced meditator. May I have some questions? You said you had been using brain entrainment CDs for over 20 years. Can you tell which one of them worked best for you?

Yours and Ralf's advice is to choose Gateway program if only my goal is out of body experience and similar. Do you think this goal can be really achieved by listening to Gateway Experience series? Or maybe you have even tried Gateway program and have your own experience? As for me, I am not able to take stories like SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA RETRIEVAL seriously.

My goal is to be able to get to alpha and deeper by will. I consider this ability as a very usefull skill. It has many uses. Deep relaxation, healing, meditation, or programming myself. Lucid dreaming or out of body may be good for fun but have no deeper meaning for me. You seem to have similar goals so your experiences are very interesting for me.