Brain Matters S11.E11: What Happens To Your Brain When You Listen To Binaural Beats?

[00:00:00] Speaker A: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show hosts or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation please call 911 or go to your nearest emerg. [00:00:40] Speaker B: It's 6 o'clock in time again for Brain Matters, the official radio show of the UA Counseling Center. We are broadcasting from the campus of the University of Alabama. Good evening. My name is Dr. B.J. guenther and I'm the host of the show along with my colleague and producer Kathryn Howell. And in case you don't know, this show is about mental and physical health issues that affect college students and in particular UA students. So you can listen to us each Tuesday night at 6pm on 90.7 FM or you can listen online at WVUAFM UA. Edu. You can also download some apps that we're on. One that I like is MyTuner radio app and just type in WVUAFM 90.7 and you'll get our shows there. Also, I've got the shows planned out and scheduled and confirmed all the way until I think after, maybe the week after spring break. And so if you are listening and you have any ideas for upcoming show topics, email those to me@brain mattersradiobuafm ua edu and I'll consider using your show topic. We only do shows in the fall and the spring. We don't do shows in the summer. So we still need some help with show topics to fill out the rest of this semester. I keep a running list. Katherine helps me and we do show. Sometimes we redo topics and get more specific. Like for instance, we can redo depression. I think it's a good, good. I think it's a good idea to talk about depression, anxiety test, anxiety, stress management, even sleep every year at least. And we can kind of tweak that. But if you are listening and you haven't heard a topic that we've covered in the I don't know. We've been doing this show since 2013. If we haven't covered it, please email that topic idea to me. Again, it's Brain MattersRadioJuAFM UA EDU and like I said, I'll consider using any topic. No topic is really off limits. Tonight's Topic is an interesting. I was just telling our guests that I have no idea about this topic, which is I guess a little bit unusual since this is a college mental health show and I work at a college counseling center. And I feel like most of the topics we broach, I kind of feel like I'm a little bit familiar with this is foreign to me. It is what happens to your brain when you listen to binaural beats. And I hope I said that right, Brian. When you're anxious or unfocused or sleep deprived, you'll do almost anything to soothe your brain and your body. For many people, whether it's to calm down and settle in or lock in and focus, music and sound are the way they get there. Binaural beats were first identified by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, a meteorologist, which was shocking to me. A meteorologist who primarily focused on weather and climate in the mid 19th century and more than 100 years later, Dr. Gerald Oster published the first scientific paper on the subject in 1973. So that is fascinating to me. Hopefully we'll find out a little more about why meteorology was involved at all. My guest tonight is Brian Taylor. Brian is the senior director of audiology for Signia and an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin. [00:03:55] Speaker C: Welcome, B.J. it's great to be with you. [00:03:58] Speaker B: Thank you so much. So, okay, the end introduction. Do you know what, what it has to do, what binaural beats have to do with meteorology? [00:04:08] Speaker C: I really don't know. It's a good question. It probably has something to do with the phenomenon with, with thunder or something with the water. Because in nature there are some instances where you get some natural occurrences of this binaural beats phenomenon. [00:04:27] Speaker B: Yeah. And also some of the sound machines. I didn't think about that. You know, a lot of the sound machines are the sound apps that people use to help them sleep is, you're right, is like a thunderstorm or rain. That's interesting. And I didn't put that together. Tell the listeners a little bit more about yourself. Was that an accurate introduction? [00:04:47] Speaker C: Yes, B.J. it was. I am an audiologist. Audiologists are trained, academically trained to diagnose and manage, treat hearing loss, usually age related hearing loss. We typically fit hearing aids. We also work with people that have balance disorders. Audiologists have eight years of academic training, four years undergraduate, four years towards a doctorate degree. So I've been an audiologist for about 30, 35 years, worked clinically. I work in industry now. Signia is a hearing aid manufacturer. [00:05:29] Speaker B: What about, you know, when we were talking just before the show, you mentioned, like this topic has picked up speed a little bit. First of all, what are binaural beats? And you know, how were they first identified? [00:05:44] Speaker C: Well, like we talked about, they're probably were identified in nature as this. They're an auditory illusion or an auditory phenomenon. And really all it is is two very slightly different tones differ in frequency. So one is a little bit, we're talking really very little perceptual difference in tone, high pitch, low pitched between two sounds. And you really notice it when you have earbuds on or headphones. If one, if so, let's say you have a 400 Hz tone in one ear and a 405 tone Hertz tone in the other ear. It'll create the illusion of a single sound that almost sort of like vibrates. It's kind of hard to describe, but you can definitely hear that. And those, anyway, those, those binaural beats, those auditory illusions, there's some data out there that say that they alter brainwave activity through something called entrainment, which is where your brain waves align with that frequency of the two binaural beats when they're combined. [00:06:56] Speaker B: Oh my, this is getting in depth. I mean, you know, I read a couple of articles before. I always like to research a little bit. And so some of this sounds a little familiar, what you're talking about, the, the illusion that is a little bit surprising to me. So basically, are you saying that you're hearing some, you're, you think you're hearing something. You're really not. [00:07:19] Speaker C: Well, you're, that you're. Your two ears. This is called just, again, to throw another term, term at you. It's called, it's called dichotic listening, which is you have one sound in one ear, one sound in the other ear, and they're basically mixed in the central auditory pathway or in the brain. So you hear each sound differently in your ear, but the way they're perceived in the brain is this third tone. So two tones mixed together and you hear one, that kind of, that's where the beating comes from. The simple way to experiment with this is go to your smartphone, go to the app store, download any number of, go to. Just type in binaural beats and you'll see all kinds of examples, free examples of what they sound like. [00:08:10] Speaker B: Is everyone able to hear that? Do you know what I mean? [00:08:15] Speaker C: As far as I know, yes. I think it's, I think what, what's interesting is that some people benefit from listening to these binaural Beats, that's the interesting thing. So you may, you may hear them and not really experience any benefit. But a lot of people, I don't know the exact number, I think it's fairly high. Do notice that these binaural beats help with anxiety, with focus, they improve focus, they help you with sleep. Some people use them for pain relief, some people use them for try to improve their memory and their concentration. Some people use them during meditation. So they have a lot of different potential benefits. [00:09:06] Speaker B: What about. Have you ever had patients and I know, probably in your 35 years. You said 35 years? [00:09:12] Speaker C: Yeah, pretty close. [00:09:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Have you ever had anyone with. Do you have. Do you treat people with traumatic brain injuries or some kind of hearing injury, you know, like a high fever and they've lost their hearing or they've had an accident and they've had a traumatic brain injury? Do you treat that? [00:09:33] Speaker C: Well, if it's a traumatic brain injury, I would probably refer them to somebody that specializes in that. [00:09:40] Speaker B: Okay. [00:09:42] Speaker C: I can think of a lot of individuals that have been in the military that have had traumatic brain injuries that have affected their hearing. So there's audiologists that specialize in that. The typical patient that I see have age related hearing loss. They have tinnitus and they might have some of these other behaviors or emotional states that are kind of negative, that might affect their concentration, might affect them sleeping. And that's where I would introduce binaural beats as maybe a secondary or supplemental form of treatment. [00:10:19] Speaker B: You know, you mentioned brain waves and one of these articles that I read, it was from WebMD actually, about EEG used. Brainwaves can be measured by a technique called EEG. You know, it's just like, I guess it's just the electrodes on your scalp. Do you do that or have you ever seen that? Do you know how to read one of those? [00:10:47] Speaker C: Well, the kind of brain waves that, that are impacted by binaural beats, audiologists typically do not measure those. [00:10:55] Speaker B: Okay. [00:10:56] Speaker C: Those are EEGs. So just as a little bit of a sidebar here, audiologists do engage in electrophysiologic measures. They usually measure what's called the auditory brainstem response, which is you can measure the status of somebody's hearing looking at how it track travels through the auditory brainstem. And that in fact, that's one way that we detect acoustic tumors. And it's also a way that we can measure an infant's hearing indirectly by looking at the status of this auditory brainstem response. The brain waves that you're referring to, BJ are in the Cortex, and those are usually measured by somebody like a neurologist. Yeah. But I do know that there are different brain waves that are associated with different types of binaural beats that might. So, for example, there's something called delta waves that are associated with sleep. Beta waves are associated with concentration. Alpha waves are associated with relaxation and listening effort. And the idea behind binaural beats is you can tune the, the, the sounds to try to influence one of those waves that I just described. [00:12:16] Speaker B: Yeah, I read something about those in these articles and it get to me, you know, because I'm not an audiologist or a neurologist, it gets very confusing. It can be a little bit overwhelming when you read about it to understand sometimes, you know. [00:12:34] Speaker C: So, yeah, it is. I agree. [00:12:36] Speaker B: It sounds like a hard topic, but I don't think, you know, most people, they just want some kind of relief depending on what their issue is, you know. [00:12:46] Speaker C: Exactly. [00:12:47] Speaker B: Especially with college students. You know, they come in here and they. I tell people all the time, I feel like many, many college students come in here and the first thing they're going to talk about is sleep problems. That, that'll get them in here quicker than some other issues. We might end up talking about the other issues, you know, but the sleep, sometimes when they are out of syn, their sleep, they can't make it right and they don't know what to do about it. Do you think binaural beats would be like, would that be like one thing you would suggest? [00:13:19] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, my take would be that sleep deprivation is a complicated situation and it's always good to get an evaluation or get an opinion from a physician or some other specialist in that area. But that said, I think the great thing about binaural beats is there's very few, if any, side effects. There's really no downside to trying these. I mean, in the literature they report maybe some mild discomfort, some irritability. I mean, in rare cases. I mean, extremely rare cases. Based on how my reading of, of the, of the research is that somebody could make their, it could make their anxiety a little bit worse or they could even be a little bit confused, but those are incredibly rare cases. So my point is there's very little downside to trying these things. And if you have a smartphone and you have a pair of earbuds or circumoral headphones, the kind over your ears, there's no shortage of free apps that have these binaural beats. So it's worth a try, I think. [00:14:20] Speaker B: And it sounds like it's personal you know, like it's personal to what your preference may be. Like you mentioned it could possibly cause a little more anxiety in some individuals, but that's probably because it just didn't hit right, you know, with them. And they. They could find their own personalized binaural beats. [00:14:38] Speaker C: Yeah, and I think just based on my own experience with the. With binaural beats, you have to. You can't be multitasking when you use these. Like, you can't be on your phone reading or watching a video and then having binaural beats going on in the background. It's a meditative kind of a practice where you have to sit still for 10 or 15 minutes, listen to the beats, or just sit back. Not really listen, just play the beats. And it's almost kind of mesmerizing in a sense, when you find one that sounds good to you. [00:15:06] Speaker B: Hold that thought, because the email question that I'm looking at right now touches on that. So let's take a break, and then when we come back, I'll read the email and you can answer it on the air. If you'll hang on just a minute. You're listening to brain matters on 90.7 the Capstone. [00:15:32] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency. [00:16:13] Speaker B: Hey, you're back listening to brain matters on 90.7 the Capstone. I'm BJ Gunther, and we're talking tonight about what happens to your brain when you are listening to binaural beats. And if you don't know what binaural beats is, we have audiologist Brian Taylor. And Brian, are you a doctor? Am I referring to you incorrectly? [00:16:32] Speaker C: Well, I have a doctorate in audiology. [00:16:34] Speaker B: Yes. You're Dr. Brian Taylor. Sorry. Sorry about that. [00:16:38] Speaker C: I don't like to be so formal, but that's okay. Yeah, well, I am a doctor. [00:16:41] Speaker B: You know, he. Brian identified. Talk to. He's been talking in the first segment about what binaural beats are, and we were leading into. You know, you have to kind of find what your preference is. Like, what hits you. Right. What helps you relax. Or whatever your issue is, it can help you focus. It can just be meditative, like you mentioned. But one of the email questions that I'm looking at right now is about hypnosis. Are binaural beats used to hypnotize someone? [00:17:13] Speaker C: I mean, I don't know the answer to that. Yeah. My guess is maybe there's probably somebody out there that's tried to do that. [00:17:20] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's. If it's mesmerizing, I guess maybe it could be. And I think some people maybe fear that. I don't know. But, you know, everything I read also, like you mentioned before, the break is there are minimal to no side effects of listening. You can always control that by turning it off, too. You know? [00:17:44] Speaker C: Exactly. I mean, it's just a couple of sounds that you're playing, and you play them at a low level, so you don't play them in an. You can't do any damage to your hearing. [00:17:54] Speaker B: Have you ever recommended any of your patients use this in particular, like for something you mentioned? Is it. How do you pronounce it? Tinnitus. Tinnitus. [00:18:05] Speaker C: Either way is okay. [00:18:06] Speaker B: Potato patata. Have you ever suggested that for anyone or have you ever had a patient that. That did help? Tinnitus? Tinnitus, by the way, is ringing in the ears, right? [00:18:19] Speaker C: Yes. If you have. If a person is feeling anxious because of the tinnitus, or they're having trouble sleeping or focusing because of it, or they're distracted by it. It's one of those recommendations that you. Along with, like, tabletop sound generation machines that we rec. Try this for a period of time and see if it helps you. And I do have patients that, you know, years back had tried this and it did work. [00:18:48] Speaker B: Wow. [00:18:51] Speaker C: The relief that they were looking for didn't. It didn't. So it's important to note that it doesn't. It doesn't cure the tinnitus. It doesn't get rid of the tinnitus, but it helps a person more effectively cope with it. [00:19:02] Speaker B: Does it drown it out? [00:19:04] Speaker C: I think it takes. It distracts you from it. [00:19:06] Speaker B: Okay. [00:19:07] Speaker C: It's probably the best way to explain it. [00:19:10] Speaker B: Another question, and we've kind of touched on this. Are binaural beats effective form of treatment for sleep disorders? [00:19:18] Speaker C: Well, they're one approach that does help. I mean, if you look at the literature in this area, it's pretty mixed. There are a few studies that say that it does improve sleep. There are other studies that say maybe not so much. So, you know, it's one of Those things where it really hasn't been studied that much. And some of the studies, I think are not really well designed. So again, I think for an individual out there who might be suffering from sleep deprivation and, you know, they want to try something, this might be worth a try. [00:19:48] Speaker B: Yeah. It's not going to really hurt you, you know. [00:19:51] Speaker C: Right, right. Exactly. [00:19:52] Speaker B: What I've seen. Does it really, you know, in the article that you were quoted in and how I got your name and your information was off the verywellmind.com website. It was the article what happens to your brain when you listen to Vi barrel beats. And they mention in there a few playlists. So there must be people who've created these playlists, I guess, on Spotify or Pandora or something. [00:20:22] Speaker C: I do know that. I know that there are many on Spotify. I think that you go to Spotify, put in binaural beats for sleep, mineral beats for concentration, and you'll have different lists. And some of those are. They sort of mix the binaural beats with other sort of background music. If you go to the App Store at Apple, I know that there's also dozens of different ones, many of them you have to subscribe to, but there are some that are free. The one that, if you. There's one, I think just called Binaural Beats, that's free and it's got a couple of sliders on the, on the app. So you can go in and you can adjust the frequency and the intensity and the, the. The type of binaural beat. [00:21:09] Speaker B: Basically, it's like you're sliders in your own binaural. [00:21:12] Speaker C: Yeah. And that's a nice way to kind of experiment with them. And it'll show you as you slide, as you move up the sliders, it goes from binaural beats for sleep to concentration to relaxation. [00:21:23] Speaker B: Does it matter? You know, you mentioned the different types of. Oh, I don't know what they're called. Like gamma delta. What is that called? Brain waves. [00:21:33] Speaker C: Yeah, different types of brain waves. Right. [00:21:35] Speaker B: Does it matter? Maybe you've already said this, but does the different brain waves hit the different things that you're trying to create? Like for instance, if I have a student who is having problems with attention, is like our delta waves better than, you know, used for that. And if they go to an app, should they search for, you know, that kind of specifics? [00:22:02] Speaker C: I think yes, if you have. So, for example, if you have. Delta waves are associated with deep sleep, so you'd want to find a binaural beat that is effective for Delta waves. And I think that that's the beauty of apps these days is sort of built in. You just say binaural beats for sleeping and you'll. It'll direct you primarily to delta waves or binaural beats with delt for delta waves. [00:22:28] Speaker B: Why do you think. You know. I'm sorry, go ahead. [00:22:32] Speaker C: No, no, go ahead. [00:22:33] Speaker B: Why do you think that it's picking up a little more speed, this topic is now. [00:22:39] Speaker C: Well, I think that a couple reasons. Number the big reason is everybody has a phone and everybody has earbuds. Yeah, you can't. Without earbuds. You don't really get the phenomenon of binaural beats. You have to have the sounds directed into both ears. And that's really difficult to achieve with loudspeakers or in nature. So you need the combination of the smartphone and the earbuds. And then I think the other reason is some of these conditions sort of the byproduct of living in modern society. We're all plugged in pretty much 24 hours a day. And sleep deprivation, concentration, those kinds of things, loss of focus are all becoming, I think, more prevalent. So people are searching for solutions. And then it's really easy these days to go onto YouTube or any other place. Social media. There's no shortage of videos. Yeah, yeah. Experts, you know, some probably more expert than others that are trying to, you know, help people. [00:23:43] Speaker B: It's weird to me that I have never had a student inquire about it or even utilize it. You know, sometimes they'll come in and they'll even give me ideas of some apps or they'll give me ideas of. Of, you know, some. Maybe some people that they've listened to, you know, who have written books or whatever. But I've never had a student mentioned binaural beats. It's fascinating to me. [00:24:08] Speaker C: Yeah, that is interesting. I think, you know, five years from now that'll probably be not the case, but we're sort of the beginning of this becoming, might think a more popular time. [00:24:20] Speaker B: Let's take our next break, and then when we come back, I want to talk a little bit about some of the research on memory because I think that could also help the students I see and just college students in general. So we'll be right back. We're going to take a break here. You're listening to brain matters on 90.7. The capstone. [00:24:50] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. This show is not a substitute for professional counseling, and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you Feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. Company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. [00:25:31] Speaker B: Hey, you're back listening to brain matters on 90.7 the Capstone. I'm BJ Gunther and our topic tonight is binaural beads. And if you don't know what that is, is, it's basically. I hope I can define this and get the gist of it. It's basically sounds that you can find in an app or maybe on YouTube even probably that can help you with certain functions like, you know, memory, I hope, memory, sleep, anxiety, et cetera. And I don't know if I've defined that correctly. My guest is Dr. Brian Taylor. He's an audiologist who been talking about this for the last 30 minutes or so. And if you have, by the way, before I forget, if you have ideas for upcoming topics for the show, email those to me@brain mattersradiovuafm.ua.edu and I'll consider using your show topic. But before the break, we were talking about how to, you know, how to access binaural beats. It's very simple, free apps, but you. The key really is to have the earbuds or the earphones. Like, it doesn't really work just to sit at your desk and listen to them on the computer necessarily, does it? [00:26:48] Speaker C: Exactly. You need to have sound directed into both ears, really. [00:26:51] Speaker B: Okay, that. I didn't read that in any of the articles that I read. Like, they don't give that specific recommendation. So that's important. [00:26:59] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:27:00] Speaker B: What about memory? Does it help? Would you ever use this with an older person who is having maybe some problems recalling memory? Is there any kind of negative or positive effects on that? [00:27:14] Speaker C: That's a great question. I haven't seen any studies that would show, you know, I think that it, I think that it's. It would probably be a stretch to say that it would help with somebody that's experiencing memory issues or cognitive decline. I mean, I can't say that definitively because I haven't seen any studies in that area, but somebody who is maybe a little bit forgetful having trouble focusing, that might be, you know, again, there's no downside, so why not try it? [00:27:48] Speaker B: Yeah, I didn't, I didn't come across any research with like Aging. Aging adults. I did a little bit on memory recall, but I don't know what that was in reference to necessarily. It didn't mention, like college students or trying to, you know, memorize something for a test. I don't know if that would be something that. [00:28:10] Speaker C: Yeah, that's where I think. I think that's where I've dabbled with them. And I think it's hard to say if they work. It might be a placebo kind of an effect. But I think one way to experiment with them is to. Right before you want to study that, say, the next couple hours you're going to study. So 10 minutes before you start studying, put everything aside, put your earbuds on, find some binaural beats and just sit there quietly, close your eyes, play the binaural beats for 10 solid minutes, and then go study. I do think that it helps with focus. [00:28:45] Speaker B: Do you. You mentioned just a minute ago about not being able. What was it? Not being able to. It wasn't good to listen to something in the background. Did you say that? [00:28:58] Speaker C: Well, I think that some of the binaural beats apps that are out there have other kinds of. I call it new age music. You know, those fractal kinds of tones kind of playing in the background. With the binaural beats, you still get the binaural beats. They just have some other things going on. [00:29:18] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that would be. I don't think that would be effective with somebody who, say, has attention deficit disorder. [00:29:25] Speaker C: Right. I guess. [00:29:25] Speaker B: I mean, I don't have proof. [00:29:27] Speaker C: But, you know, the thing that's interesting to me, I think, is that if you just take 10 minutes and don't do anything and just sit quietly and play binaural beats. Is it the binaural beats or is it just sitting quietly for 10 minutes? That's the, the deciding factor that helps with concentration or focus. It could be just sitting there quietly for 10 minutes. So the binaural beats, maybe that's an added bonus if you have those on in the background. But, you know. [00:29:53] Speaker B: Huh. Well, you know, we, we, we said, really most of everything I read said there's no side effects. But I did, I did see one article. I'm going to mention this and be the devil's advocate. I did see one article that mentioned binaural beats linked to some increased depression. Did you. Have you read anything about that or do you know anything about that? [00:30:19] Speaker C: I am not familiar with that. But I mean, that's why it's important to, you know, evaluate these things with some skepticism and to have some questions. I'd have to look at the study to know how they came to that conclusion. [00:30:32] Speaker B: I know this isn't specific, it's just listing basic side effects. And you mentioned the possibility of a little anxiety confusion. So one of the articles mentioned confusion. I don't know that. What that, I don't know how that was, would. I don't know how that would manifest, you know. [00:30:50] Speaker C: Well, I think it would be. My guess would be that it's a little bit of a strange phenomenon when you first listen to it. And maybe when you turn the, the sound off, it makes you a little bit confused or disoriented maybe for a period of time. [00:31:07] Speaker B: Does it matter how loud it is? Like how much the volume is up? [00:31:12] Speaker C: I think they want. I think they. You listen to it at a softer, a comfortable level. The ones I'm familiar with always instruct you to keep the volume at a low or, you know, moderate level. [00:31:24] Speaker B: What do you think? What, what would you say to people who are skeptical? You know, because I know there's people who are. I was skeptical until I. Yeah, I know. [00:31:35] Speaker C: I share, I share your skepticism. I think it's good to be skeptical. I think, do your homework, Try it for a while. You know, try it in a way that's fair. You know, you got to set aside time and you have to listen for, I think 10 minutes or so for a few days and see. It depends, of course, on what you're trying to accomplish. Are you trying to improve sleep? Are you trying to improve conversation? You know, and like for sleep? I think there's so many other factors, like you can't expect binaural beats to work if you're drinking a couple of cups of coffee at 5:00 in the afternoon. [00:32:08] Speaker B: Oh my gosh, yes. [00:32:10] Speaker C: So there's other common sense things that have to. That, that factor in. [00:32:14] Speaker B: Here we are on a college campus. So you know how that. [00:32:17] Speaker C: Exactly. Yeah. So. [00:32:19] Speaker B: But I think I might bring this up to some of my students just to see what they think about it, see if they know about it. You know, the students I saw today, I didn't mention what the topic was going to be for the show today. And I think in the next week or so before it actually airs, I'd like to see what their opinions are and if they would try it, just to see what they think. Especially the students who are dealing with anxiety. [00:32:46] Speaker C: Yeah, no, I think it's great. I think that. I think college students are the ideal cohort to try something like this with because of the issues that those individuals have to cope with. [00:32:58] Speaker B: Well, and it's a good alternative to medication, too, because so many students don't want to try. They're not at that point yet. They don't want to try medication. Medication is always an option. I know, but I think this is a really unique alternative to that. [00:33:15] Speaker C: Sure. You know, I agree. I think that especially somebody who is looking for an edge when it comes to trying to improve concentration and focus. You know, the fact there's no downside, you know, for the most part, makes it. [00:33:31] Speaker B: And it's. I mean, you can literally do it anywhere. You could be in the library and do it. [00:33:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:33:36] Speaker B: You know, you can be in your dorm room or in the room with your roommate and nobody would know. Really? [00:33:42] Speaker C: Yeah. Just, you know, close your eyes and put your earbuds in, and away you go. Right. [00:33:48] Speaker B: Let's take our last break. When we come back, let's talk about some resources for listeners. Okay. You're listening to brain matters on 90.7 the capstone. We'll be right back. [00:34:07] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa. This show is not a substitute for professional counseling, and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. [00:34:47] Speaker B: Hey, you're back listening to brain matters on 90.7 the Capstone. I'm BJ Guenther. We're talking tonight about what happens to your brain when you're listening to binaural beats. And binaural beats are brainwaves, really. They affect your brain waves. It's how you listen to certain beats. I'm doing a very poor job of defining this. Dr. Taylor, can you help me out again? [00:35:12] Speaker C: Yeah, well, sure. [00:35:13] Speaker B: I mean, it's really hard to pinpoint what they are. [00:35:16] Speaker C: I would just say they're part of this. They're auditory illusions. Auditory phenomenon. Sounds that are very similar, that are played separately into each ear, that create a beating phenomenon that you hear when they're played together. [00:35:31] Speaker B: Thank you. When you say auditory illusions, at first you're thinking about, like, hallucinations. You know, that's the first thing that comes to your mind. Oh, my gosh. [00:35:39] Speaker C: Not hallucinating. [00:35:40] Speaker B: This has to do with drugs. No, it has nothing to do with drugs. But you are able to manipulate, you know, like we were talking about early on in the show, you are able to manipulate what kind of sounds you want to. There's different types of Binaural Beats, so you're able to kind of manipulate that and choose what is your preference. [00:36:02] Speaker C: Right. And the beauty is you don't have to overthink all the different types of brain waves. You can just find the apps that have it kind of built in. [00:36:10] Speaker B: Yeah, it'll do it naturally. Speaking of apps, let's talk about some resources. Do you know any. We've mentioned apps. We've mentioned playlists. Do you know of any specific that you would suggest that you've actually used? [00:36:23] Speaker C: I. The one that I've used is the simplest, and it's free. I think it's literally called Binaural Beats. [00:36:30] Speaker B: Okay. [00:36:31] Speaker C: But if you go into. If you go into your App Store, Apple App Store, and you type in Binaural Beats, it'll give you dozens of options. And the one that's labeled Binaural Beats is the one that I use. I. I don't have my phone in front of me, so I don't. I may be. I think that's right. But they have all kinds of other, you know, similar sounding. [00:36:52] Speaker B: And they're mostly free. [00:36:53] Speaker C: Yeah, some of them are. Yeah. Yeah, some of them are. Have a free couple of. One that you can use. Others, it's a subscription that we have access to a bigger menu. They're all pretty much the same. [00:37:05] Speaker B: Do you know. And you may not. I don't want to put you on the spot. Do you know if any of these popular apps like Headspace or Calm or Luna, do you know if they utilize Binaural Beats? [00:37:17] Speaker C: I don't know that off the top of my head, but my guess is that at least a. A couple of the ones that you mentioned probably have that built in somewhere. [00:37:23] Speaker B: I would think so, too. And I just thought about that. The article that I referenced you in, verywellmind.com. how did they locate you? How did. How did you get that gig? That was. You were quoted a few times in there. [00:37:38] Speaker C: Well, I guess I work for a large hearing aid manufacturer who has a PR agency that's maybe part of it. I also do a lot of writing. [00:37:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:51] Speaker C: And I edit a. I edited a professional journal, so my name is out there and people know that I write and often ask me to contribute something here and there. [00:38:04] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, I. I imagine, like we mentioned before the break, I imagine this is Going to get more popular and you're going to be contacted maybe. Maybe like I contacted you. But I think it's gonna. I think it, you know, I feel like with this age group, like the college age person, they're kind of. Look, this sounds really bad to say, but they're almost kind of looking for quick strategies. I don't want to say gimmicks, but they are, you know. And so I feel like this might be a really good fit. [00:38:40] Speaker C: I think that's a great point. I think that's a great point. I think we all in this day and age live pret. Harried lives. People are, you know, quite busy and this is a great, you know, sort of easy thing to. To try. [00:38:56] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And it's. To me, it sounds kind of fun. I haven't tried it. I should have tried it before the show because I usually try to do that, but I'm gonna try it tonight. [00:39:05] Speaker C: Yeah, it is, it is. It is kind of fun to try. I agree. [00:39:08] Speaker B: And see what's out there, you know? [00:39:10] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:39:11] Speaker B: Because I know. I've heard these. Yes. And didn't know that it would be categorized as binaural beats. [00:39:17] Speaker C: Yep, yep. You'll see when you start listening. It's, it's, it's. I think it. It's fun to listen to. It's kind of soothing in a way when you find the. When you get the one. That's right. [00:39:31] Speaker B: I'm thinking of like 80s bands, like New age type bands like their Peshma. You know, those kind of bands probably use binaural beats. [00:39:43] Speaker C: They had some sublim little binaural beats. [00:39:45] Speaker B: Maybe that's so strange. I could go off on a tangent on 80s. Thank you. Thank you so much for being on the show. I'm gonna wrap it up now because I know you've got to go. But I really appreciate it. This was interesting and it's fascinating to me. This is how you can manipulate your brain waves. It's just amazing. [00:40:04] Speaker C: Yeah. I appreciate your enthusiasm, bj. It's been a pleasure to talk to you. [00:40:08] Speaker B: This is great. It goes by fast, you know it goes by fast. [00:40:10] Speaker C: It sure does. All right, well, I gotta run. [00:40:13] Speaker B: No problem. [00:40:14] Speaker C: Thanks for having me on. [00:40:15] Speaker B: Bye. Bye. [00:40:15] Speaker C: All right, bye. Bye. [00:40:16] Speaker B: Don't forget, our shows are recorded and podcasted On Apple Podcasts, audioboom.com and Voices UA Edu. Just type in Brain Matters and you'll find some of our past shows. There's also a link to Voices UA Edu on the counseling center's website and that's at Counseling ua Edu. I like to thank the people who've made our show possible. And first up is our executive director here at the counseling center, Dr. Greg Vanderbilt Wall, of course, my producer and my colleague Katherine Howell, my other colleagues at the counseling center, and Kathryn Ratshworth, who does a fantastic job of editing our show every week, the WVUA staff, who I know help, and my guest tonight, Dr. Brian Taylor. Don't forget, we're on the same time next week and our show topic will be I think this is a pertinent topic. I probably should have done this in the fall, but it's I survived my freshman year in college. Now what? Maybe this is a good topic to kind of end the spring semester. So this is good. I survived my freshman year in college. Now what? So join us next week. We're here at the same place, same time. Thanks again for listening and good night. [00:41:29] Speaker A: This show was not intended as a substitute for professional counseling. Further, the views, opinions and conclusions expressed by the show hosts or their guests are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Alabama, its officers or trustees. Any views, opinions or conclusions shared on the show do not create a relationship between the host or any guest and any listener, and such a relationship should never be inferred. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, please contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective county's crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.