Using Alpha Binaural Beats for Learning

Can binaural beats really help you learn better?

The short answer is yes, but to provide proof of this, we need to look at two things: firstly, the state of mind conducive to learning and memory improvement; and secondly, the capabilities of binaural beats and how they affect the brain.

How We Learn Best

The state most conducive to learning is a relaxed, centered and focused one unaffected by stress, anxiety or tiredness. We learn best when we have slept well, when our thoughts aren't distracted by external events and circumstances and when we are calm and emotionally balanced.

This state is at the heart of self-improvement in general, and is commonly referred to as the Alpha state – the brain state during which the body is relaxed and awake, fully focused on the outer world.

We know through personal experiences of exam study, language study and of working in new jobs that a scattered, distracted mind renders us unable to learn and be productive, yet you would think that because the Alpha state is entirely natural we'd be able to switch it on and off when required.

Sadly, however, this isn’t a state we are regularly able to access on demand, at least not without solid preparation of mind and body.

Another problem we face with the Alpha state is that it is susceptible to disruption on many levels, and therefore quite difficult to maintain.

For example, if we haven't slept well we are unable to concentrate for long periods of time, and if we have stress in our lives – which is quite the norm in the modern-day world – the mind is unable to absorb information due to mental distraction.

And so there are few times we are ever in the optimum learning zone, when our brainwaves are perfectly balanced with plenty of Alpha activity to aid learning: We are either too highly strung, somewhere high up in the Beta zone, or too lethargic somewhere down low in the Theta zone.

The Alpha brain state is also associated with stress-resistance, because it enables the brain to recuperate faster from fatigue and damage as a result of mental stress. In short it’s a good place to be; it’s the middle road of brainwave activity, the moderate path – which is why we refer to being in the Alpha state as being in the Zen Zone.

Alpha Binaural Beats for Learning

Binaural beats that entrain the brain to the Alpha state aid the learning process. The frequency following response process moves the brain into a state conducive to optimum learning, which enables you to study/work on demand – extremely useful for exam preparation and days when you feel too restless and distracted to work.

Oftentimes, however, we are able to concentrate but struggle to absorb information. This state is fine for tasks where we need only to work as we go, concentrating deeply in the moment without needing to retain large amounts of information, but not for tasks that require heavy information retention, such as language study and exam preparation.

There are times when we go through periods where we just cant seem to wake up enough to retain information, when we become forgetful and unable to memorise.

Such periods may occur during the winter months when we go into “hibernation mode”, when we feel demotivated, lethargic and uninspired. Such a state can also be triggered after enduring a stressful or emotional period.

Our testing has shown that when in this state, using a recording that combines high Alpha and low Beta frequencies works wonders at stimulating the brain into a fully awake, aware, centred and focused state conducive to memory retention. Our Super Brain Power recording is ideal for this purpose.

The Core Learning Benefits of Alpha Brainwaves

In summary here are the core learning benefits of alpha brainwaves:

• Alpha brainwaves awaken, relax and centre the mind.

• In the alpha state we are capable of learning, processing, memorising and recollecting large sums of information.

• Studies have shown that Alpha brainwaves are conducive to peak performance.

• Studies have shown that creative people have bursts of alpha brainwaves when they have inspiring ideas.

• Alpha brainwaves are said to reduce aging of the brain by enabling recuperation from fatigue and mental stress, and therefore enabling higher-level learning.

• The Alpha state is the state in which fears, bad habits, stress and anxiety are more easily controlled, paving a path for optimum learning.

• Alpha brainwaves make us feel calm, peaceful and comfortable in alien environments, a wholly positive state when taking exams or undertaking difficult tasks in unfamiliar places.

Start entraining your brainwaves to the Alpha state for maximum focus, concentration and productivity by listening to a sample of our Zen Focus meditation.