Music has always been something I’ve used to change my mood. In my drinking days, it tended to be heavy rock and blues, as it seemed to resonate with the darkness I felt during those years. Now that I’m sober, I tend to listen a lot more to house, as it aligns with a more upbeat, positive version of myself.
Since 2007, I have been on a journey to transform into a person who is significantly different from the drunk I once was. I’ve explored many different ways to enhance my recovery, and brainwave entrainment now plays a major role in my mental wellbeing.
I started practising Holosync meditation, a brainwave entrainment programme from Centerpointe Research Institute, in 2022. I have now nearly completed the first level, and I have to say the results I’ve experienced so far are astonishing. Anxiety, anger, brain fog, and other emotional flaws that held me back my entire life have all been dramatically reduced. I’m also beginning to feel a stronger sense of connection and feelings of ‘oneness’ that I struggled to experience with standard meditation.
In this article, I’m going to discuss what brainwave entrainment actually is, look at the research behind it, and explore how entrainment might be useful in addiction recovery and general wellbeing. I’ll also discuss my experiences of using Holosync meditation.
What Is Brainwave Entrainment?
Brainwave entrainment is the practice of using external stimuli, such as sounds, to encourage our brains to synchronise with those stimuli. Essentially, it’s about guiding your brain towards a particular state by giving it a rhythm to follow.
Entrainment itself is actually a principle from physics. It describes how two oscillating systems will synchronise when they’re exposed to each other over time.
Our brain is always active, producing electrical signals that we call brainwaves. These waves vary depending on our actions and feelings. When we’re alert, our brain tends to generate fast beta waves, while in a relaxed state it produces slower alpha waves. Alpha waves are often connected with meditation.
The history of using rhythmic stimuli to alter consciousness goes back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures worldwide have used drumming, chanting, and dancing to induce trance states.
But the modern scientific understanding of brainwave entrainment began in the mid-20th century, when researchers started using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity and noticed that brainwaves would often match the frequency of external stimuli.
The frequencies our brains operate at are measured in Hertz (Hz), or cycles per second:
- Delta waves (0.5-4 Hz): Deep sleep, healing, unconscious mind
- Theta waves (4-8 Hz): Deep relaxation, meditation, creativity
- Alpha waves (8-13 Hz): Relaxed alertness, calmness, present moment awareness
- Beta waves (13-30 Hz): Active thinking, focus, alertness
- Gamma waves (30-100 Hz): Higher cognitive processing, peak focus, expanded consciousness
How Does Brainwave Entrainment Work?
The key mechanism at work in brainwave entrainment is called the Frequency Following Response (FFR).
Your brain is remarkably adaptive and responsive to sensory input. When presented with a rhythmic stimulus like a pulsing sound, your neurons naturally begin to fire in synchrony with that rhythm.
There are several different methods that can create this entrainment effect:
Binaural Beats
Binaural beats work by playing two slightly different tones in each ear through headphones. For example, if your left ear hears a tone at 200 Hz and your right ear hears a tone at 205 Hz, your brain processes the difference between these – in this case, 5 Hz. This 5 Hz frequency, which doesn’t actually exist in the audio itself, is in the theta range and may help induce a deep meditative state.
Monaural Beats
Unlike binaural beats, monaural beats don’t require headphones because the beats are created before they reach your ears. Two tones are combined into a single sound with a rhythmic pulsing.
Isochronic Tones
These are single tones that turn on and off rapidly at regular intervals, creating distinct pulses of sound. Think of it like a rhythmic beeping. Many practitioners believe isochronic tones create the strongest entrainment effect because the contrast between sound and silence provides a more pronounced stimulus for the brain to follow.
Audio-Visual Entrainment (AVE)
This combines sound and flickering light at specific frequencies, often using specialised glasses with LED lights. The combination of auditory and visual stimuli may create a stronger entrainment effect than either stimulus alone.
When you expose your brain to these stimuli consistently, something interesting happens. The neural oscillations in your brain gradually shift to match the frequency being presented. This process isn’t instantaneous – it typically takes a few minutes for entrainment to fully establish itself.
Here’s a simple way to visualise how this works:
- Your brain is operating primarily in beta frequencies (13-30 Hz) because you’re feeling anxious or overthinking.
- You begin listening to an entrainment track designed to produce alpha waves (8-13 Hz).
- Initially, your brain continues its beta activity.
- After a few minutes, more and more neurons begin firing in sync with the alpha stimulus.
- Eventually, a significant portion of your brain activity shifts into the alpha range.
- You begin experiencing the subjective feeling of relaxed alertness associated with alpha states.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean ALL your brainwaves shift to the target frequency. Rather, there’s an increase in the power or amplitude of waves in that particular range. Your brain is complex and always has multiple frequencies happening simultaneously – entrainment just helps to emphasise certain frequencies over others.
Benefits of Brainwave Entrainment
When I first started using Holosync, I was looking for ways to help with a general sense of low-level anxiety that had always accompanied me, before and after getting sober. However, there are other benefits that I’m discovering after around 2 and a half years of practice.
Reduced Stress and Anxiety
I generally feel more relaxed these days. One area I really notice this is when I have work calls on Zoom. Before an important call I would feel butterflies in my stomach and I had a tendency to overthink leading to a feeling of mental exhaustion after the call.
All my life I have generally been someone of a nervous disposition, always overly concerned with what other people think of me. These days this is very rarely a problem for me and I have never felt so free from the bondage of over-analytical thinking.
For people in recovery, finding accessible ways to shift into more relaxed states without substances is incredibly valuable. Brainwave entrainment is one such tool – it’s portable and doesn’t require special equipment beyond headphones.
Increased Focus and Concentration
The time I spent drinking and drugging really impacted my ability to concentrate. Even in sobriety I felt I was still suffering from the harmful effects of my twenty-year use of cannabis and a plethora of Class A delights.
My use of brainwave entrainment in recent years has been a game changer in terms of my ability to focus. I notice this when I read – my mind doesn’t wander like it used to, even when I was reading a book I happened to enjoy.
I only wish I’d discovered Holosync in the early years of my sobriety, as it would have helped me by dispersing the cognitive fog that chaperones early recovery.
Enhanced Meditation and Mindfulness
I could write a whole article on this. Holosync for me, is like meditation on steroids.
Upon receiving a random email inviting me to a five-day trial, I was sceptical about its potential benefits. I viewed myself as an experienced meditator and was dubious, thinking it was a scam.
I tried the five-day trial, and the rest is history.
I only meditate the ‘traditional way’ when I don’t have time to do the full hour of Holosync. This rarely happens, as I make it a point to wake up early. The benefits I have already received, such as increased mindfulness, an expanded awareness, and profound feelings of connectedness, are things I want to experience more of.
Creativity and Problem-Solving
Although I’m certain that brainwave entrainment has made my mind clearer and increased my powers of concentration, the jury’s out on whether it has increased my powers of creativity and problem solving.
These traits are pretty difficult to measure objectively anyway.
Research suggests that brainwave states in the alpha-theta border have been associated with creative insights and “aha” moments. The research also points to the fact that the alpha-theta border reduced depression and anxiety in alcoholics.
This definitely resonates with my personal experience of brainwave entrainment. I very rarely feel down anymore, whereas the first 10 years of my recovery were peppered with frequent ‘black dog’ days.
Evidence and Exploration: The Research Landscape
A 2008 review published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine examined 20 studies on brainwave entrainment and found evidence for benefits in areas including:
- Pain reduction
- Headache relief
- Improved cognitive performance
- Reduced anxiety
- Improved behavioural problems
Another study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that a single session of alpha brainwave entrainment reduced anxiety in patients undergoing surgery.
When it comes to the question of whether or not brainwave entrainment has a positive impact on addiction recovery, there has been some preliminary research that indicates alpha-theta neurofeedback (a related but different approach) may help reduce drug cravings and improve treatment outcomes. While this isn’t exactly the same as entrainment, it involves similar principles.
However, we need to acknowledge the limitations of the current research:
- Many studies have small sample sizes, which makes it difficult to generalise the results.
- There’s a lack of standardisation in how entrainment is applied across studies.
- It’s difficult to create effective “placebos” for entrainment studies, making it challenging to control for the placebo effect.
Some critics argue that any benefits from brainwave entrainment could be explained by simple relaxation rather than specific frequency effects. Others point out that individual responses vary significantly – what works wonderfully for one person might do nothing for another.
From my own perspective however, my experimentation with brainwave entrainment through using Holosync, has been a game changer in improving my mental and emotional wellbeing.
From Theory to Practice: My Experience With Brainwave Entrainment
As I’ve already mentioned, I was initially sceptical about how listening to sounds could enhance my meditation practice. After 15 years of practising Zazen almost daily—which I consider the best thing I’ve done for my mental wellbeing since quitting alcohol—I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Sometimes, though, it pays to try something new despite our doubts!
My journey with Holosync since 2022 has been nothing short of mind-blowing. It’s reshaped my thinking in a way that feels like I’ve had an updated brain installed.
Here are some of the benefits I’ve experienced:
- Reduced Anger and Irritability: I used to have an uncontrollable temper that would flare up with little warning. Now, I’ve found that I have greater control over my reactions when someone provokes me.
- Diminished Social Anxiety: I’ve always felt awkward in social situations—a feeling that perhaps even led me to rely on alcohol. Nearly three years into using Holosync, I’m no longer anxious in social settings. I still avoid big gatherings and parties, but that’s simply because I don’t really enjoy them, not because I feel anxious or socially awkward.
- Enhanced Connectedness with Life: I used to feel trapped in my own head, overthinking everything. These days, I’m more attuned to the world around me. Walking down the street, I notice the birds, the rustle of wind in the trees, and feel the magical ‘essence’ of life all around.
- Profound Meditative Experiences: Just last week, I broke down in tears during a meditation session—not out of sadness, but from an overwhelming sense of joy and bliss. In that moment, everything in my life made sense, and I felt like my true purpose was gradually unfolding.
I should probably stop here, as I don’t want to come across as overly sentimental or suggest that Holosync—or any brainwave entrainment program—will yield the same results for everyone. I recognise that not everyone’s experience mirrors my own. My partner, for instance, tried Holosync for a month and found it uncomfortable, to the point of feeling extremely uneasy at times.
I’ve also encountered some unsettling feelings with Holosync. Whenever I progress to a new level, it’s as if I regress to how I felt 20 years ago—my anxiety returns, I become self-conscious, and experience low moods. Thankfully, these feelings typically subside after about a week, as I work through long-suppressed emotions that surface from my subconscious.
One of Holosync’s key benefits is that it has greatly expanded my awareness. However, with that expanded awareness comes a downside: confronting parts of the subconscious that I might have preferred to have left buried.
The Other Side: Criticisms and Controversies
No discussion of brainwave entrainment would be complete without addressing the criticisms and controversies surrounding it. As with many approaches in the wellbeing space, it’s important to maintain a balanced perspective.
One of the most common criticisms is that the benefits of brainwave entrainment might be entirely attributable to the placebo effect. The expectation that a particular audio track will help you relax or focus might be what’s actually creating the effect, rather than any actual brainwave synchronisation
To this, I’d say two things: firstly, the placebo effect is powerful and not something to dismiss – if listening to certain sounds helps you feel better, does it matter exactly how it works? Secondly, there is objective EEG evidence showing that brainwaves do indeed synchronise to rhythmic stimuli, suggesting there’s at least some non-placebo mechanism at work.
Another criticism comes from within the scientific community, where some researchers point out that the effects seen in laboratory settings with precise frequencies may not translate to commercial products. The specific frequencies, delivery methods, and individual brain differences all play a role in effectiveness.
There’s also the issue of overhyped claims. Some companies market entrainment products with promises of almost magical transformation— enlightenment, supernatural abilities, or dramatic life changes. These exaggerated claims do a disservice to the field and create unrealistic expectations.
Safety concerns occasionally arise as well. While audio entrainment is generally considered safe for most people, there are some who should approach with caution:
- People who have seizure disorders. Rhythmic stimuli can potentially trigger seizures in susceptible individuals
- Those with certain psychiatric conditions that might be aggravated by altered states
- People with pacemakers or other electrical implants (primarily a concern with electrical stimulation methods rather than audio)
- Children, whose brains are still developing and may respond differently than adult brains
As with any approach to wellbeing, I recommend maintaining a healthy scepticism without closing yourself off to potential benefits. Try it for yourself, notice your experience, and draw conclusions based on what actually happens for you rather than what’s claimed or criticised by others.
Your Journey to Enhanced Consciousness
Brainwave entrainment offers an intriguing pathway to exploring different states of consciousness in a relatively accessible way. While it’s not a panacea or magic bullet for wellbeing, it represents one potentially valuable practice in our recovery toolkit.
What I appreciate most about entrainment is its practicality. It doesn’t require special talents, years of practice, or dramatic lifestyle changes. It can be done at home with little cost, making it an accessible option for early recovery when resources are scarce.
The science suggests there are real neurophysiological effects at play, even while acknowledging that we don’t yet have the robust research base we might like. The subjective experiences of many users—including myself— point to benefits that range from subtle to profound.
Recovery isn’t just about abstaining from problematic substances or behaviours. That is just the very beginning. For me, recovery is an ongoing process of shedding the egoic layers that led me down a very dark path.
Brainwave entrainment represents one way to do this, offering a bridge between ancient practices of rhythmic trance induction and modern neuroscientific understanding.
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