Binaural Beats

Binaural Beats

There are many unexplained phenomena in paranormal and spiritual study. One such phenomenon, “Binaural Beats” has been investigated thoroughly by the CIA and the Monroe Institute, (amongst other credible researchers).

There have been claims this phenomenon can be used to improve people’s moods, help people with learning difficulties to concentrate, and even claims it can lead to different states of consciousness, much like the use of drugs LSD.
Further claims suggest that spiritual enlightenment can be obtained through the use of binaural beats, Astral Travel, Chakra Stimulation, Chi energy, Lucid Dreaming and telepathy are all claimed to be gained, at least temporarily, through the listening of certain “tones.

So, what are Binaural Beats? 

German experimenter, H.W. Dove first discovered binaural beats in 1839.

 Two tones (sound waves) that are very close in frequency (but not exactly the same), are played separately into each ear (one tone in the left ear, the other separately in the right ear). The resulting effect the listener hears is a single tone that varies in amplitude, but is equal to the frequency difference between the two original tones.

 Through various studies, it has been claimed that binaural beats influence on electrical stimulation within the brain. Studies via EEG have shown that the effect may affect states of consciousness.

Various studies have claimed that binaural beats can be used to stop migraines, boost creativity, help prolong concentration and alter the mood. 

The effect has also been dubbed a “digital drug” as some scientist claim similar effects to hallucinogens can be obtained in some people, using the right tones.

 There are claims that the CIA studies into binaural beats were aimed at mind control techniques. Some conspiracy theory claimants believe that binaural beats are subliminally hidden in modern music, and with today wave of headphone-wearing young people, they are unwittingly being led consumerism through the hidden tones. 

 On the opposite side of the argument, sceptics point to the power of suggestion as one cause of the claimed brain activity cited by the Monroe Institute. A Japanese study found great variabilities in results, and concluded, that, although the cerebral cortex may contain more activity whilst listening, the frequency does probably not cause the brain activity itself. (Journal of Neurophysiology 2006)

Whether Binaural Beats can do what it is claimed, some ghost hunting teams are beginning to use the phenomena to help with their ghost hunting investigations. They begin with a meditative session of Binaural Beats to help “open their senses” before entering the location, in the hope that the frequency attunement will lend to gathering paranormal evidence. 

 While there is no real reason the “beats” will help bring about paranormal evidence, it most certainly can induce an internal environment that leads to “personal experience”, and for some, personal experience is becoming more important than the collection of possible paranormal phenomena and that’s ok. 

So ghost hunters looking to try something different, why not give it a go and see what happens, and if you do have an experience that you feel is significant, head to the “Eidolon Paranormal” Facebook page and tell us about it!

https://www.facebook.com/EidolonParanormal/?fref=ts

Further reading from the Monroe Institute:

Accessing Anomalous States of Consciousness with a Binaural Beat Technology https://www.monroeinstitute.org/article/3001

Using Binaural Beats to Enhance Attention

https://www.monroeinstitute.org/article/3356

Binaural Auditory Beats Affect Vigilance Performance & Mood

https://www.monroeinstitute.org/article/2664

Binaural Beats Examples: http://healingbeats.com/play.html

Sample: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/71/Binbeat_sample.ogg

Binaural Beats experiences (forum): http://www.diydharma.org/keywords/binaural-beats

Bibliography

Binaural Auditory Beats Affect Vigilance Performance & Mood | The Monroe Institute. 2017. Binaural Auditory Beats Affect Vigilance Performance & Mood | The Monroe Institute. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.monroeinstitute.org/article/2664. [Accessed 02 March 2017].

Dunning B, 2009, Binaural beats digital drugs, Skeptoid Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena, viewed 2 March 2017, https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4147

Free Binaural beats: This is your brain on binaural beats - sound meditation. 2017. Free Binaural beats: This is your brain on binaural beats - sound meditation. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2008/09/this-is-your-brain-on-binaural-beats/. [Accessed 02 March 2017].

Karino S & Yumoto M & Itoh K & Uno A & Yamakawa K & Sekimoto S & Kaga K, 2006, Neuromagnetic responses to binaural beat in human cerebral cortex, Journal of Neurophysiology, viewed 2 March 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16790592?ordinalpos=8&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Reedjik, SA & Bolders, A & Hommel, B, 2013, The impact of binaural beats on creativity, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, viewed 2 Mar 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3827550/

Perception & the Paranormal: Top Down Processing

Perception: Top Down Processing

At any given time whilst investigating the paranormal our senses are exposed to a limitless amount of sensations. Sounds, smells, sights, textures, light and darkness, touch, all flooding your central nervous system and brain which then must process all these events at once, to give you what you perceive as reality.
 We can break these systems down to two essential processes;

 Sensation; what we are feeling through our senses.

Perception; how our brain deals with the sensory input and then make sense of the input information.

In general, these two terms, when put together, are referred to as Processing.

In psychology, there are generally two types of processing, Schema-Driven (Top Down Processing) and Data-Driven (Bottom Up Processing). In this article, we are looking only at Top-Down Processing as a perception that may lead a paranormal investigator to perceive an anomalous event as “paranormal” when it is a natural event misinterpreted by pre-conceived notions or biases.
 Many paranormal events can be explained by various cognitive mechanisms such as fantasy. The way we analyse statistical probabilities and anecdotal evidence can also lead us to draw faulty conclusions when it comes to anomalous events.

An example of this is demonstrated live by Professor Chris French of the Anomalistic Psychological Research Unit at Goldsmiths College, University of London. In his demonstration, Professor French plays a recording of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”” in reverse.
 The recording makes no sense in reverse and sounds like garbled words. It is not until Prof. French puts forward what other people think is being said within the reverse recording, that listeners begin to hear the same phrases that he has suggested.
 This is common in the paranormal community with EVP recordings – without the text suggesting the words in an EVP video, people will hear all kinds of different words or sounds, but once it has the context of words added, people will almost always hear the words suggested.
 

We often experienced a variation of on ghost tours we hosted. People would come to the tour hyped up (we referred to it as “hypersensitive”) expecting to see, feel, hear or be touched by a “ghost”. The slightest change in temperature, a creek of a floorboard or something that is easily explainable, these people, through no fault of their own, other than the hype (and “legend Tripping”) would believe the interaction was paranormal in nature – when, clearly, to myself and my wife, it was not.
 This is an excellent example of a schema-driven process, the experiencer is processing information based on prior knowledge and influence, and making a fantasy inspired conclusion on a misperception.

Top-Down Processing: The brain is at the top of the cognitive processes, therefore thought comes before perceptions, such as the senses like touch, sight etc. using contextual information in pattern recognition.
 An example of this is understanding difficult to read handwriting. It is easier to understand a complete sentence due to the context of the words around it, rather than the individual words with no context.

Bottom-Up Processing: Simply put, this is the processing of information in the reverse of Top Down Processing.  The body reacts first, causing emotion, which triggers the brains cognitive process, engaging thought, then action. You may be a Bottom-up processor if your understanding of concepts begins with the ideas behind a concept, then working your way up to the main idea of a concept.

The Necker Cube:

The ambiguity of perception is best explained with the example of The Necker Cube. When you stare at the crosses on the cube the orientation can suddenly change, or 'flip'.

It is argued that the object appears to ‘flip’ because the brain creates two plausible propositions for the orientation of the object and it, therefore, cannot decide between the two options.

There is no change in sensory input, therefore the perception of distance must be set downward by prevailing perceptual hypothesis of what is near and what is far – top down processing.  

The Stroop Effect, named after its discoverer, J. Ridley Stroop who discovered the phenomenon in the 1930s, is a classic example of Top-Down Processing.

The Stroop Effect contains several colours written as words, but printed in a different colour than the word read. So, for instance, the word “blue” might be written in green text, the word “Pink” might be written in the colour yellow.

The idea here is to say the colour of the word, but not say the word itself – so for our previous examples, the correct answers would be “green” and “yellow”. When reaction times are calculated, people are much slower at saying the correct colour when the colour and word are different.

Want to test your skills with the Stroop Effect – go here: https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/java/timesc.html

Written and researched by Allen Tiller © 2017

Bibliography

2017. Top-Down Processing: Examples & Definition - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com. [ONLINE] Available at: http://study.com/academy/lesson/top-down-processing-examples-definition-quiz.html. [Accessed 22 February 2017].

Bottom-Up Processing definition | Psychology Glossary | alleydog.com. 2017. Bottom-Up Processing definition | Psychology Glossary | alleydog.com. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Bottom-Up%20Processing. [Accessed 22 February 2017].

Classics in the History of Psychology -- Stroop (1935). 2017. Classics in the History of Psychology -- Stroop (1935). [ONLINE] Available at: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Stroop/. [Accessed 22 February 2017].

Cognitive Mechanisms. 2017. Cognitive Mechanisms. [ONLINE] Available at: http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/cognitive_mechanisms.htm. [Accessed 22 February 2017].

Neuroscience For Kids - stroop effect . 2017. Neuroscience For Kids - stroop effect . [ONLINE] Available at: https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html. [Accessed 22 February 2017].


Sincero, SM, 2013. Top-Down VS Bottom-Up Processing. [ONLINE] Available at: https://explorable.com/top-down-vs-bottom-up-processing. [Accessed 22 February 2017].

Watt, Caroline; Wiseman, Richard. The Journal of Parapsychology; Durham66.4 (Dec 2002): 371-385.