Brainwave Entrainment has been around since the advent of meditation, using drumbeats and tones to help induce trance-like states. Only in the past few decades has it been discovered why a steady, rhythmic beat produces this state. And they gave it a name-Brainwave Entrainment.

In the same way that a guitar will vibrate when you lean it against a speaker, your brain picks up vibrations and synchronizes with them from the rhythmic tones you hear. This can be good or bad news.

The good news-If you are suffering from chronic fatigue, insomnia, some forms of depression, or just can't concentrate, Brainwave Entrainment can help. Listening to recorded sessions containing very precise rhythms helps you produce more of the type of brainwaves that are needed to combat these problems.

In most cases, there is a marked increase in retention rate. Studies done with struggling students showed higher grades, and better test results after sessions with Entrainment Soundtracks.

The names given to the different ranges of frequencies help to pinpoint possible remedies. Alpha, Beta, Theta and Delta are the most commonly used names for the ranges of frequencies. Delta refers to the range the brain emits when in deep meditation, or deep sleep, and they correspond with differing states of awareness, with Alpha being the most alert, awake and responsive.

Interestingly enough, the Theta range of frequencies is claimed to be the most receptive state, and also the range noted in excess in depression sufferers. Perhaps this can explain the constant inflection and sensitivity to criticism common in depression sufferers.

Experts craft sessions designed to increase the amount of Beta range frequencies to coax the brain to produce more Seratonin, which is the chemical responsible for a large number of depression cases. Similarly, the sessions designed for sleep induction are designed to begin in an ?Alert? range, and then slowly reduce the frequency until you are guided into a healthy, restful slumber.

If you are a caffeine addict, and would like to give up the java, without giving up the jolt, you could benefit from a session called ?caffeine replacement?. It does the exact opposite of the sleep induction sessions, ?guiding? you into an alert, awake state.

The field is just beginning to be explored and the possibilities are infinite. The pre-recorded sessions are being marketed. Most notably, The Holosync Solution, A series of "levels" of entrainment costing from $150 at the first level, to upwards of $300 for subsequent levels. Binaural beats is the staple of the Holosync program, and its loyal members swear by the improvements.

Monaural beats are simply the same idea (fluctuating tones, or rhythmic sounds, in recorded sessions at particular frequencies) except that headphones are not required for them to work. The soundtracks included with Transparent Corporation's products, specifically NeuroProgrammer2, offer sessions with binaural, and corresponding monaural beats at a fraction of the cost, and are fully customizable, allowing you to import your own mp3 files to use as background noise or music.

Another very effective type of Entrainment is Isochronic Tones. They offer a more intense experience, though it should be noted, any otherwise healthy adult can feel perfectly safe with brainwave entrainment. The only people who should not use brainwave entrainment are those prone to seizures, pregnant women, and anyone younger than 13 years of age.

If you don't fall into one of the above categories, though, you can expect to see monumental increases in intelligence, increased ability to process negative emotions or a higher stress threshold, better information retention, and the ability to concentrate and focus for longer periods of time.

Those who already have high IQ's may not experience quite as drastic an increase in intelligence as, say, someone with a learning disability. But for those with learning disabilities, Brainwave Entrainment could be a Godsend.

The bad news, there is one specific frequency that can cause you to soil yourself. I won't list it here, just in case some prankster wants to recreate the experiment of a theatre that played this particular frequency, and caused the entire audience to make a mess. Let's just hope the manufacturers of adult sanitary products don't decide to exploit that one.