Headphones for Monroe's Hemi-Sync

[voyager13]

This is from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemi-Sync):

"In 2002, a University of Virginia presentation at the Society for Psychophysiologial Research demonstrated that EEG changes did not occur when the standard electromagnetic headphones of Monroe's setup were replaced by air conduction headphones connected to a remote transducer by rubber tubes, suggesting that the basis for the entrainment effects is electromagnetic rather than acoustical in nature."

Unfortunately, it is not referenced.

What type of headphones do you use? Do you get good results with small noise-isolating earphones?   

[Bordmb]

I use Beats by Dre: Tour edition earbuds.
I'm not sure if they are electromagnetic or not, but they seem to do the trick.

[Lionheart]

 I use some top quality "Skullcandy" earbuds. I really like clarity and quality sound while listening to my Binaural Beat/Isochronic Sounds.

[Pauli2]

If the sound at any stage makes you fall asleep, your head phones work.

[Szaxx]

Hi,
Before thinking of an electromagnetic phenomenon the intensity of the field needs to be very high with an extremely fast rise and fall time. Headphones are not going to supply this amount of power without the voice coils being ejected to meet in the centre of your brain. Thats the amount of power required. Dont try it or you will make one lasting projection with no way back lol.

[Xanth]

ANY "stereo" headphones.

It doesn't matter.  You simply need to get a left and a right channel (stereo).

[voyager13]

Szaxx, nice post! lol

Thank you, guys. Your answers were helpful.

[KarmicBeats]

I tend to question that study as cultures throughout history have been using drum beats to enter meditative states.  The EEG changes can be seen even when there are no binaural or ischronic beats used at all.  They are just an aid that helps get you there faster.

I suspect a test like that would get those results with people who were not mediators at all and who were just listening to the beats and not meditating.

[Stookie_]

I heard an interview with Robert Bruce a while back where he said it had been proven years ago that binaurals work even without stereo sound, but the gimmick of needing separate stereo channels had been marketed for so long people stick with it. I've never been able to find this information outside of that interview though.

[zareste]

Hah, so the electromagnetic headphones became orgone generators with the beats applied. No wonder it worked so well for Monroe but not so much the rest of us.

[Szaxx]

Hi,
An orgone bed base,
Im repeating old statements from ( maybe) Reich.
Take several layers of dry flat wood and place between each a metal sheet. 21 comes to mind. This is a larger version of an experimental orgone accumulator where they placed upon it a piece of fresh steak. This piece being too large hung over and down the sides. The end result was the meat on top stayed fresh much longer than an identical piece on a standard dinner plate apart from where it hung over the side of the accumulator. This edge rotted far faster than the test steak. It brings to mind assuming contact with the sheets of metal an electrolytic effect. If however no contact was made, most probable due to steak being somewhat rigid, a directional energy flow along the sides absorbs orgone energy into the accumulator in this direction. Anything alive will be stripped of life and die prematurely.
Interesting idea, not so good if you have to pour yourself out of bed in the morning.
Imagine, my back feels great but my legs and arms dangling last night are now on the floor and stink rotten lol.

[Pauli2]

I heard an interview with Robert Bruce a while back where he said it had been proven years ago that binaurals work even without stereo sound, but the gimmick of needing separate stereo channels had been marketed for so long people stick with it. I've never been able to find this information outside of that interview though.

In this video clip Skip Atwater explains why binaural beats have a slight edge
over monaraul beats, and why it's slightly better with stereo head phones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcLxE2-tNpo

But as you said, beating a shaman drum, producing monaraul beats will also work.
Anyway binaural beats or other are training wheels, one day they are not needed.
The early (non-binaural) FFR also works according to Monroe, but binaural beats
have a slight edge over those other sound techniques.

Only real weakness with binaural beats are that they can't produce gamma brain waves,
as they are out of the frequency range. But the new SAM will do gamma too.

Edit: fixed broken link.

[voyager13]

Pauli2, good links! Thank you!

[KarmicBeats]

Only real weakness with binaural beats are that they can't produce gamma brain waves,
as they are out of the frequency range. But the new SAM will do gamma too.

Edit: fixed broken link.

I don't think binaural beats are needed for gamma waves as they are within the range of human hearing and therefore can just be played.

I have a video for focus and study at my youtube channel and it has a 40Hz gamma whih is good for sychronizing brain activity.

40Hz is to low a frequency for many people to hear (especially if you are over 30).  However there is more to hearing than that.  I use the 40Hz as a base frequency for a an isochronic pulse of 18Hz. Done this way the 40Hz is perfectly audible.

For frequencies higher than that and you can just use them as base frequencies for either binaural or isochronic pulses.

[Szaxx]

Hi,
If you cant hear 40HZ then youre deaf.
Nearly everyone can. 20 HZ to 20 KHZ is accepted as the normal frequency range.
The top end changes with age. Id struggle to hear 18KHZ but have absolutely no problem with 15 HZ.
Being on the wrong side of 50 this is natural. I can hear a bee fart 100 miles away too.
The sensitivity doesn't change just the top end.
I own equipment capable of testing this too.

[Pauli2]

If you cant hear 40HZ then youre deaf.

Can be the result of illness as well, some sickness can reduce the hearing of the low frequencies.

Id struggle to hear 18KHZ but have absolutely no problem with 15 HZ.

15 Hz is low. How have you verified that it really is that frequency?

[Szaxx]

Hi,
I've not checked in a couple of years but the signal generator set on sine wave connected to a digital frequency meter (8 digit) calibrated at 10 MHZ +- 30 HZ displayed the results clearly. It wasn't at 10 dB as the rolloff of the headset was at 18 HZ so the power into this would have been a little higher to compensate.
I have trouble with my vision at times related to what I eat so my hearing is very good.
The average person can hear 20HZ easily according to the data. So its no mean feat. At very low levels this base frequency climbs dramatically the same said for the top end.
As a guide the mains frequency is 50 HZ in the U.K. and 60 HZ in America.
In the outer extremes of Russia its at 30HZ due to quarter wave impedance matching problems on the transmission line. The rest of the world is similar the UK or USA.
We all hear the hum on speakers if you touch the input terminal, assuming no medical problems etc.

[KarmicBeats]

I was referring to the fact that you have to up the volume to hear it.

I took a 50Hz sine wave and adjusted the volume to speaking voice lever or so and then moved the frequency down to 40Hz it became inaudible until I cranked up the volume.

[Bedeekin]

That SAM looks like you'll need a decent pair of HD headphones to get the most out of it.

[Szaxx]

Hi,
Agreed on the headphone need changing.
Spend a couple of hundred and you'll hear the difference...
As far as low sounds go a study was done where a group or two of unsuspecting people were told of ghostly activities withon a building. One group were sent on a trip through and wrote down their experiences. Another group sent on the identical trip had sound waves at 5HZ playing. This second group unable to percieve the sound, mostly all reported a spooky and scary experience. Near this played infrasound.
Crazy isn't it.