Music has an undeniable power to make you feel more relaxed, more energetic or even more romantic. But there is a way to get even more out of listening to your favourite tracks, and that's by adding sound waves called binaural beats.
Ubrain is a digital app that does just that. By listening to Ubrain's beats you could feel more focused, more energised, more relaxed and even get you in the mood for sex - all while listening to your own music.
Ubrain
But what are binaural beats and how do they work? Our brains have a frequency, which depends on what we're doing at any specific time. When you're asleep, for instance, the frequency is around 4 Hertz (HZ), which scientists call Alpha brain wave. When you're focused or partying, it's between 20-30HZ, which is the frequency of Beta brain waves.
In simple terms, binaural beats broadcast specific frequencies to your brain, and your brain responds by generating waves of the same frequency. So if you're stressed and you want to wind down, by listening to binaural beats at the Alpha frequency you should feel more chilled. Similarly you could stimulate your brain to be more alert by playing it binaural beats at Beta frequencies. At least, that's the idea.
Psychologist Brigitte Forgeot has been working with binaural sound waves and has tested them on volunteers. The results, she says, suggest binaural sounds may "help you cope with stress, reduce anxiety and improve concentration and learning ability".
Ubrain offers more than 20 presets ranging from sleep to party. But the best part is you can listen to the beats alongside your own music - they can even be adjusted so they play in time with your tracks.
Download Ubrain for £2.99 (available for iPhone/Pod/Pad, Android phone and PC with Mac and PSP versions available soon).