Awakened Minds CD review

[Lasher]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for your review.
I just received my CD yesterday, and played track one before heading out to work.

First a little background.  I've never experienced a conscious OBE that I can remember.  20 years ago, I tried to have one while reading the Monroe books.  I experienced powerful vibrations and a certain "looseness" within my body, but that was the extent of it.

Recently, I've been reading Astral Dynamics and this bb, but I have not yet seriously tried to project.

Yesterday morning I listened to Track One on the Awakened Minds CD just for a meditation session.
After a few minutes of rain and gurgling drips, I definitely felt my mind go to a place of deep meditation.  I decided that I will definitely try using it daily for a while.

The weird thing happened when I went to bed last night.
I was lying on my side with my wife spooning me, and every time I started to drift off to sleep I got that "looseness" feeling again, like my astral body was slowly moving within my physical body.  Everytime I would recognize this it would stop.  Every time I would start to drift off again it would return.  

This was all spontaneous, so I'm wondering if it was related to my use of the cd.

Anyway, I'll post any new developments.

Lasher

[goingslow]

That sounds very promising.

Frank,

This seems a good place to ask.  Are the effects of this type of CD similiar to the Gateway CD's?  I dont really mean which are better so much as do they do basically the same thing?

Thanks for the review.  Im going to order mine today.. the "white noise" ones are good but after a while they kinda hurt my ears.

[Nick]

Hi Frank,

I've been using the awakened minds cd for a couple of weeks now. Initially, the rainfall did seem a bit too much, so I adjusted the sound level to a comfortable one. After a few sessions, I began to not be bothered by the rainfall anymore. It took a little getting used to at first, but now I find it rather pleasant.

As to my astral phasing, I have to first say I am still a novice. However, I have had some great sessions with the cd. That is, I get to those Focus levels where I'm seeing the swirling colors and patterns, and hearing occassional sounds. Then, at times a sense of movement, and an image may appear, for example. I mention all this because with the awakened minds cd there is no voice that pops in and disturbs me while all this is going on. Further, the deeper I get in a session, the less obtrusive the rainfall is. That is, it fades into the background, if you know what I mean.

So my evaluation at this point is: I like the cd. I plan on continuing to use this cd over the hemi-sync predominately because it has no voice, only the rainfall.

Thanks for starting this thread. By the way, my original post about this cd was done about a month ago and is probably consigned to the forum back pages by now.

Very best,

[DOA]

There are several CD's out there is this the same as the Holo-Sync cd called the Immersion?  This also has heavy rain fall.  I also founs some by Dane Scott called ultra meditation.  They have Ultra meditations like 1 thru 5.  I know number three is suppose to be delta which is suposidly where you obe.  
I was listening to the Delta cd and I fell asleep and woke from a dream and I could  tell the vibrations had just passed I had that feeling.  But I also had the feeling that the vibrations were in my tounge.  It literally felt like my tounge was missing.  I swallowed and felt my tounge and watched it and then it felt like it disappeared again.  
Last night I was listening to the CD again and it was the first time that night listening and I could tell the vibrations were close but I just couldnt get them.   One thing I am starting to learn is it takes more time to preview these things.  I use to try for a week or 2 at most and if I had no response then Id try something else.  But I am realizeing that it can take several months on one thing to get results...


DOA

[Frank]

quote:Originally posted by DOA

and if I had no response then Id try something else.  But I am realizeing that it can take several months on one thing to get results...
DOA

Yes, for most of us who were not born with any kind of real talent for this, unfortunately that does appear to be the case. Problem is, this topic is not something you can just throw money at and it comes quicker. Like paying extra for next-day delivery and such like.

Yours,
Frank

[DOA]

I would like to order some OBE's to go.  Have them delivered tonight and everynight right before bed time.  Oh and I'd like a side order of Lucid dreams as well.  And if the Delivery boy isnt late I'll give him a big tip....[8D]





DOA

[jason]

the monroe institute also has a series of cds (hemi-sync).

has anyone tried these?

I would like to know what people think of them.especially  "tribal journeys","spirits journey","the visit","transcendence"etc,etc...

[Noxerus]

.

[TheJza]

I just received the CD and listened to track 1. I actually liked the rain sound and didn't find it distracting. But, then again, I have always found real rain to be very relaxing. I have never been able to "phase" before, and even went to TMI to do the Gateway Voyage. I will be listening to this cd regularly and report back any findings.

[Frank]

quote:Originally posted by goingslow

This seems a good place to ask.  Are the effects of this type of CD similiar to the Gateway CD's?  I dont really mean which are better so much as do they do basically the same thing?

Sorry for the delay in responding as I wanted to try the rainfall CD for a few days more to try and gauge the differences (if any).

So far the results have been inconclusive. Plus, I have a basic concern with the rainfall approach. If, as the promoters say, the sounds of rainfall "mask" the binaural frequencies then how on earth can we hear them?

Yours,
Frank

[Nick]

quote: Originally posted by Frank                                  

So far the results have been inconclusive. Plus, I have a basic concern with the rainfall approach. If, as the promoters say, the sounds of rainfall "mask" the binaural frequencies then how on earth can we hear them?

That's a good question. I was wondering the same thing about my experiences with that CD. On the other hand, there is a company called Brain Sync that carries a line of inexpensive CD's where you can still somewhat hear the tones. Recently, I've been listening to a Delta wave CD of theirs. The tones are masked, but not completely, by a new age type music. The CD (called Sound Sleep) tends to put me in too deep I think, so I'm sort of losing the "mind awake" part of the process. I should have known by the title. So I just sent for their Deep Meditation CD which has all the tones on it, i.e., Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta frequencies with music. Their advertisement for this particular CD states in part: "Binaural beat frequencies, harmonically layered with rich, resonant music..."


The other CD of theirs that looks interesting from the write up is one called Brain Power, in which they claim: "Listeners report this program was particularly helpful in boosting intuition and other forms of extrasensory perception." The nice part about these CDs is they only cost $14.95 (USD) and so, if the CD isn't quite for you, no big loss. They have a website, as I indicated, it is:
http://www.brainsync.com/default.asp

Very best,

[Serenity1]

Hi,[]
finding the voice in the Wave1 annoying just when I'm getting aquainted with a feeling/state, then zap -gone[V]!  am interested in trying The Awakened Mind cd but it is cost prohibitive for me (apx $100 au$)presently. Any possibility it might be put in the File Library for one to borrow[]

[Frank]

Harvey: In a sense that is also one of the benefits. In that it doesn't just teach you how to achieve a particular state... you have to achieve it in a particular time.

Yours,
Frank

[Nick]

This is a follow-up to my last post here. Today I received the Brain Sync Deep Meditation CD. The insert states the following: "Deep Meditation delivers a unique combination of brain wave frequencies to produce an extraordinary mind-awake/body-asleep state. The music delivers a gradual progression of tones that resonate with the seven energy centers in the body..."

The difference between this cd and the other Brain Sync cd entitled Sound Sleep is that the Deep Meditation cd has a combination of frequencies whereas the other is all Delta. Each cd cost $14.95 (USD) by the way.

In any event, the experimentation continues on. I'll report back after a reasonable period of time with my impressions as to which one (if any) works best as a primer.

Very best,

[goingslow]

Im tempted to get deep meditation now.. but im going to cool it for a while and just listen to the brain power one and the ones I have.

Its like being in a candy store with all these CD's.  Especially after you get results with one of them.

[Nick]

goingslow,

You are absolutely right about it being like a candy store. Wisdom finally kicked in and I'm going to cool it with the cd buying as well.

The important thing I need to remember is that the cd is nice to start with, and I do feel there is a definite effect with these binaural frequencies, especially theta and delta. With so many different cds and competing companies though, it gets a bit confusing.

However, all my astral phasing experiences have come after the cd has ended. So I need to also remember that point and basically start off with the cd as a primer, then move on without it.


Frank,

I will be looking forward to what you have to say when you have had some time to use the awakened minds cd for a while.


Very best,

[christuone]

hi, frank.   i recently purchased the awakenedminds cd.   there are 3 tracks.  have you been listening to all 3 straight through or repeating a specific track?  
thanks much,  nick

[Frank]

There are 3 tracks but I haven't yet fathomed the difference between them. They all sound the same to me.

I wondered if anyone could provide some input on the "masking" aspect. The promoters say the binaural tones are masked by the sound of rainfall. And, yes, listening to the CD you would have to agree. So how on earth could they be heard? And if they cannot be heard, then how can they possibly have any effect?

Yours,
Frank

[Lasher]

I have used the Awakened Minds CD a few times.  If I listen closely, I can hear the tones.  They are in the background, behind the rain, but they are definitely audible.  

So far I have only really had time to listen to track one.  It helps me to reach a deep meditative state fairly quickly.  I suppose it could be just a placebo effect.  I don't think it is, though.  Either way, it works.

Lasher

[goingslow]

Frank,

This is just speculation, but i think it would be possible for you to not hear the sounds but they are still effecting your brain.

I think what they do is mask the way your ear interprets the sound.  In a way its like subliminal messages.. you dont consciously "hear" the messages but they reach your brain and are interpreted by your brain.. just not as conscious sound.  So even though your brain is hearing the rainfalls and that is what you "hear" the other frequencies are very much there.. you just aren't interpreting them as noise.  Instead maybe just vibration...but the frequencies ARE getting to the brain.

Thats one possibility anyway.

[christuone]

frank,  i agree with you so far.   difficult for me to tell any difference between tracks one , and two.  probably will give three a try in a few days.
off the subject and i apologize.  today using track 2 to move consciousness from behind the eyes, and then to a visualized pyramid "in the mind"... you've mentioned this technique in other posts.     my question is :  when you move from "behind the eyes" are you placing your consciousness to a point in front of say the brow chakra, or are you moving it inwards to where some call the amygdala area.   i've been placing the visual to the point "outside" and beyond the third eye area, and wondered if i had your thought backwards?      thanks

[coral1]

Hi Frank

I remember reading that when the Monroe people were designing the Hemi-Synch tapes they found that they were more effective when the biaurnal sounds were combined with a certain ammount of "white noise".I`ll try to find the specific reference and post it here.I hope I can find it.My memory is more like a seive these days than the the steel trap it once was.

Happy Trails

[coral1]

Hi Frank

This is from Patricia Leva`s book Traveling The Interstate of Conciousness.She`s quoting Skip Atwater who`s the Director of Research at TMI.  
"The perception of a binaural beat is,for example,said to be heightened by the addition of pink noise to the carrier signal,so pink noise is often used as background. Music,relaxation,exercises,
guided images,and verbal suggestion have all been used to enhance the state-changing effects of the binaural beat."
I guess the rain on Awakened Minds would be some pink noise.I`m beginning to like the rain more than some of the goofy music they play on Gateway.

Happy Trails

[DOA]

There is another thread that says Delta is the state you go obe from?  Which is correct theta or delta?


DOA

[Frank]

A few weeks back I ordered the Awakened Minds CD from here: http://www.awakenedminds.com/

This idea came about from a discussion on another post, which I cannot now find so I've started another thread.

As you can see, the website publishes all the usual hype and fantastic claims normally associated with these (so called) mind expanding products. At "only" 35 USD plus postage, price-wise it's towards the lower end of the scale. Even so, it's a heck of a lot to pay for a shiny piece of plastic.

So what about those claims?

Well, they claim that within every individual there is the potential for "ultimate consciousness". Quite what is meant by that I simply cannot fathom. But they do go on to say their audio technology is a proven method for awakening that potential. So I guess I am destined to find out.

The CD looks and feels very ordinary. Which was surprising as, given the claims made for it, I'd expect it to be hot to the touch. The accompanying documentation was basic. There was all the usual blurb like don't listen while operating machinery, and so on. Plus, you get a short list of hints and tips which follow along the similar lines to that published on the website.

The sound you hear is exactly like heavy rain. Initially, my mind found this rather annoying to the extent where I almost switched the thing off and consigned it to the bin. Listening to rainfall is very much like listening to white noise, only rain is far more interesting. So the idea of having rainfall masking the binaural side of things I think is a good one.

However, in my opinion, what they have done is tried to be a tad too realistic rain-wise. Not only do you hear it veritably teeming with rain, but you hear all this water gurgling and dripping too. Unfortunately, my mind began reacting to it as if it were literally happening; even to the point of anticipating lightning and accompanying thunderclaps.

After a few sessions my mind got the message that it wasn't literally raining, but was still a tad confused by it all. It was only my curiosity about the nature or state of "ultimate consciousness" which gave me impetus to resist the urge to bin it.

However, this morning something happened.

After about 10 or 15 minutes I found myself having these little blank moments. These are familiar little nulls in consciousness I often get before something interesting, projection-wise is set to happen. So things took their familiar course and I ended up projecting to the Astral as per usual and, on my return, the track had finished playing.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell whether the CD played any part in this. At present, I'm of the opinion my mind learnt to overcome the irritation caused by the sound of the rainfall and simply projected as usual. But there were a few differences looking back.

The imagery I normally perceive at the Focus-12 state came about quicker, and *much* more strongly and than usual. Plus there were a few other more subtle differences which are hard to explain; but were a definite deviation from what I now recongnise as my normal projection experience.

I suppose, ideally, we need someone who has had little success to try it each morning for a reasonable length of time. Myself, I'm going to continue with it for at least another two weeks to see what (if anything) happens.

Yours,
Frank

PS
Nick, you also have the CD if memory serves me correct. How is it going?