In sound therapy training, brainwave entrainment is one of the basic aspects that needs a close focus and full understanding. When discussing what brainwave entrainment is, we should remember that this is not a new modality known to humanity. Although working with sound as a medicinal tool was not always called sound therapy, ancient shamans and yogis understood the relationship between the rhythmic entrainment of music and altered states of mind. Drumming, rhythmic movements, and rhythmic breathwork were practiced to heal and to enter the realm of spirits.
Stable, periodic patterns are observed everywhere in nature, so we can use these observations when studying sound healing. Erratic rhythms offset the consistency necessary for entrainment to occur, hence they usually present problems for brainwave entrainment. However, the intentional use of erratic rhythms for a short period of time can help to unblock stagnant energy.
Communication between neurons within our brains is the root of all our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Brainwaves are the result of the synchronization of electrical impulses from neurons communicating with each other.
Brainwaves are a continuous spectrum of consciousness. They change according to our physical, mental, and emotional activity, and are divided into bandwidths, assigning to each wave specific characteristics from low mental activity to high. Any process that changes your perception, changes your brainwaves.
The brain operates in the full spectrum of brainwave frequencies all the time. The dominant frequency determines our mental state.
The dominance of slow brainwaves could be observed when we are tired, sluggish, or dreamy. The waves of higher frequencies are dominant when we feel hyper-alert.
The measuring unit to define brainwave frequency is Hertz. Brainwaves are commonly divided into bands describing slow, moderate, and fast modulations.
The following description is very broad – in real-life situations when brainwaves occur in different locations of the brain, they reflect various brain activities. Also, our brains show the presence of various brainwaves at the same time, however, you can learn about the activity of the brain by a pattern (wave) that is currently dominant.
Brainwaves can be measured with the help of the electroencephalogram (EEG). The EEG shows electrical activity at the brain surface. This activity appears on the screen of the EEG machine as waveforms of varying frequencies and amplitudes.
For more information about the topic, please consider visiting Sound Healing Certification Training.