News
Therapeutic iPod?
A reader notes that a a blog called GregHard.com has a tip on using your iPod to relieve anxiety, stress, and headaches.
“One way is to load some nice WAVE files of simulated brainwave frequencies onto your iPod. Some brainwave combos I have are Headache Treatments, Learning Aid (Studying and Subliminal), Self-Hypnosis, Sleep Inductions and Headache Treatments. It may seem silly, however science backs up many of these brainwave techniques as possible useful therapies, granted not for the long haul - if you have headaches a lot you may still need a head CT even if the headache brainwave works. And it won’t eliminate migraines.”
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1
*Sniff*
*Sniff*
Smells like pseudoscience.
Posted by MeshAir on April 19, 2004 at 4:46 PM (PDT)
2
bit torrents of any of the mentioned mp3s? samples naturally..
Posted by e6 on April 19, 2004 at 6:25 PM (PDT)
3
If you have headache, you really should try that.
If you really have headache, you really should try that.
Posted by Jussi Palo on April 19, 2004 at 9:58 PM (PDT)
4
Hrmm...sounds pretty interesting. I have a headache right now...maybe I should try it out?
Posted by Asian_N02 on April 20, 2004 at 3:02 AM (PDT)
5
i searched google for some generator for these types of files and got a few samples, but couldnt get them off my computer. just plugged in headphones while i was studying. it was cool :D
Posted by zeve on April 20, 2004 at 4:16 AM (PDT)
6
Yeah sounds like a good method to relax.
Posted by Kee-Lo on April 20, 2004 at 4:53 AM (PDT)
7
zeve, any links?
Posted by huggies on April 20, 2004 at 7:39 AM (PDT)
8
First off, I’m new to iPodLounge, so HELLO!
Second, there is a windows shareware one available here: http://www.bwgen.com
It is shareware (30 day trial), but in the ‘Wave’ menu, select ‘Play into .WAV file’, and you can save the WAV file to your iPod. But you should convert the WAV file into AAC or MP3, because the 30 sec (default size) WAV file is 300+ Mb.
Posted by PretzelFreak in USA on April 20, 2004 at 9:15 AM (PDT)
9
eerrr, 30 min, not 30 secs.
Posted by PretzelFreak in USA on April 20, 2004 at 9:18 AM (PDT)
10
i would imagine that converting them to aac or mp3 might possibly remove the effects as it seems to rely on exact replication of the freqencies
Posted by wes on April 20, 2004 at 12:58 PM (PDT)
11
nevermind:
Question: Does MP3 compression degrade the effects of binaural beats?
Answer: MP3 compression works by removing high-frequency components from the sound. Binaural beats are based on two slightly different tones that get mixed inside your brain. The tones can be, for example, 400 Hz and 410 Hz. When these are mixed together, the result is a 10 Hz binaural beat. Thus, there are no high-frequency components present, and MP3 compression has no degrading effect on the output. As long as the compression is applied to both left and right channels independently (i.e. compression does not mix them together), MP3 compression can be used on binaural beats without problem.
You can check the results of MP3 compression very easily: if you hear a continuous tone when listening to left and right channel separately, and a pulsating sound (binaural beat) when listening to them with headphones, the output is correct.
Posted by wes on April 20, 2004 at 1:14 PM (PDT)
12
Binaural beats fall into the category of Neurotherapy/Neurofeedback pseudoscience and this kind of attempted modification of brainwave frequencies has never been demonstrated to achieve anything beyond a placebo effect.
More here.
Posted by Quack Science on April 20, 2004 at 3:06 PM (PDT)
13
uh, no. EMDR is a well respected and well known treatment, practiced by many psychologists and psychiatrists alike. That link says nothing interesting or conclusive.
Posted by Dave on April 20, 2004 at 5:22 PM (PDT)
14
a mac version of that program?
Posted by Jim on April 21, 2004 at 6:59 AM (PDT)
15
Note, that it says that these practics are useless for only certain conditions, it dosent mention relaxation, or anything ese, so im auuming its all good. Ive also heard of cd’s that help woth sleep, much of the same stuff.
Posted by Luke on April 21, 2004 at 10:11 AM (PDT)
16
IS it just me or doesd it take an hour to intilize?
Posted by APPLE on April 21, 2004 at 11:20 AM (PDT)