| Do you have any additive behaviours? Although | | | | distracted by stray thoughts and the unending |
| many people associate addiction with the 'junkie | | | | chatter of the 'monkey mind' that most of us live |
| rolling in the gutter' stereotype, most addicts aren't | | | | with. Fortunately, brainwave entrainment can make it |
| like this. Rather they are perfectly normal, | | | | easier for you. |
| respectable members of society who happen to be | | | | Brainwave entrainment and addiction |
| struggling with some degree of dependency on an | | | | If you're not already familiar with it, brainwave |
| undesirable substance or behaviour pattern. | | | | entrainment basically involves using a stimulus of a |
| This type of addiction is extremely common, and we | | | | specific frequency - such as a sound recording - in |
| can become addicted to just about anything that | | | | order to encourage the brain to match its brainwave |
| makes us feel good. Cigarettes, alcohol, shopping, | | | | production to the same frequency. By doing this, you |
| caffeine, and sugar are common examples. After a | | | | may be able to enter different mental states at will. |
| while however, the good feeling (which is caused by | | | | For example, if you listen to sounds which are |
| dopamine production in the brain) wears off, and the | | | | designed to stimulate the brain to produce alpha |
| addict needs to keep returning to the addictive | | | | brainwaves (8 - 12Hz), it is easier to achieve the |
| behaviour in order to get another 'fix'. Eventually, the | | | | kinds of relaxed, happy feelings that are |
| behaviour must be repeated simply in order to feel | | | | characteristic of the alpha state. In other words, the |
| normal. | | | | brain 'entrains to', or synchronises with the frequency |
| If the addicted person tries to go cold turkey, a | | | | of the sounds it hears - a phenomenon known as the |
| number of unpleasant physical and mental symptoms | | | | frequency following response. |
| will normally be experienced, as the brain and body | | | | We saw that the visualisation process can be helpful |
| go through the withdrawal process. In order to | | | | in overcoming addictions, and that this process |
| overcome addiction successfully, it's necessary to find | | | | requires a state of deep relaxation and focus. |
| a way of sticking with your resolution to quit as you | | | | Brainwave entrainment is useful because it can help |
| endure this process. One way of doing this is to enlist | | | | you to achieve this state with a lot less effort than it |
| the power of visualisation - i.e., to practice seeing | | | | takes to learn meditation or other mind control |
| yourself as already having successfully beaten your | | | | techniques. |
| addiction. | | | | One great thing about this approach is that it's totally |
| Beating addictions from within | | | | natural, and can be used to complement any other |
| This might sound rather airy fairy and inconsequential, | | | | addiction therapies you might also be undertaking, |
| but it can actually be a very powerful process, | | | | such as 12 step groups etc. |
| because it involves changing your entire perception of | | | | Choosing a brainwave entrainment recording for |
| yourself. Once a new self-image is 'installed' in the | | | | overcoming addiction |
| brain, it's much easier to behave in accordance with | | | | Sound-based brainwave synchronisation techniques |
| that, even if you're going through withdrawal | | | | fall into three categories: binaural beats, monaural |
| symptoms that would otherwise pull you back | | | | beats and isochronic tones. All work very well, |
| towards your addiction. | | | | although isochronic tones are generally agreed to be |
| The key is to make the visualization so strong and | | | | the most powerful, as they usually have a more |
| powerful that it overrides everything else. To do this, | | | | efficient entrainment effect. |
| you basically need to be able to relax deeply, and to | | | | Whichever type you use, the recording should take |
| sustain your focus while visualising, so your new | | | | you down through the alpha and theta (5 - 8 Hz) |
| self-image becomes imprinted on the subconscious | | | | ranges, so you become very deeply relaxed, making |
| mind. | | | | your visualisations more effective. It'll probably be |
| If you've never meditated or visualised before, this | | | | necessary to keep using the recording regularly, until |
| can be challenging, as you're likely to become | | | | your new self-concept is firmly imprinted. |