My usual morning routine is to lurch out of bed, barely-awake, staring around confused as I try to figure out where and who I am. Though this method works well, I’ve had an enlightening experience: One day, immediately upon waking, I drank a can of pop. Ah, my sweet friend caffeine.
I’m used to drinking pop mid-day. But this time, it happened in the morning. Not sure why. I think I meant to reach for my toothbrush and missed.
It was great. Within minutes, I was awake. My eyes were wide, taking in the wonders of what people call “morning”. I left for work on time, with no slouching or yawning. I could hear birds twittering, feel a warm breeze on my face, and I swear a squirrel winked at me.
One little shot of liquid energy literally changed my mind. It was noticeable and immediate. Chemicals surged through my bloodstream, affecting my brain, adjusting my physiology.
Some software, like “BrainWave Generator”, claims to do the same thing.
When you’re tired, energetic, creative or lethargic, these feelings can be identified by the brain’s electric impulses, as a measure of frequency.
BrainWave Generator makes fuzzy, static-filled noise containing “binaural beats”. Using “frequency following response”, your brain is supposed to mimic the frequencies it hears. So, put on a pair of headphones, listen to some funny noises, and suddenly you’re more alert and creative.
The software even claims to treat headaches, drug addiction and autism. Note the operative word “treat”. I can “treat” my headache by putting a waffle on my head, but unless something can be proved in a scientific setting, my syrupy solution has as much validity as the BrainWave Generator.
No, using “binaural beats” to attain a “frequency following response” has not been proven to work. This is a protoscience, not generally accepted by the scientific community.
For detail, I asked my sister, Monica Kaiser. She’s an authority, having attained something many of us lack: A biology degree.
When dealing with BrainWave Generator’s basic claims, Monica says, “It claims to cure headaches by altering brainwave frequency. Research suggests this isn’t possible. Headaches are caused by chemical or physical changes to the brain, typically due to factors of diet, exercise, rest, and psychological stress. Therefore, altering these factors is the way to reduce a headache.”
The theory behind BrainWave Generator and similar software is currently unproven. Monica says, “I have never seen proof that altering brainwave frequency is possible. It seems as though the real ‘magic’ of the BrainWave Generator is it’s a placebo and calms emotions by simply making you believe it alters your brain frequency.”
So now I’m tired again. What to do? I could listen to funny noises to cure me, trusting weird science to fix my problem. No. I’ll stick with what works, what’s scientifically proven: Sometimes there’s no substitute for a morning jog, an afternoon nap, or a trusty can of pop.