There are a lot of programs out there that have integrated binaural beats into audio to enhance and ease the practice of meditation. But even though these systems have become so popular, it should still yield us to question, are binaural beats dangerous?

To find out if binaural beats can be dangerous, we need to understand what binaural beats are in the first place.

Binaural beats are artificial tones that create a particular stimuli for the brain. First discovered in 1839, these beats gained popularity in the 20th century because of the influence they were believed to have on certain states of the mind. It was thought these tones could expedite relaxation and meditation, making these levels of consciousness easier to achieve.

Binaural beats begin with auditory impulses below 1000 Hz. Let’s say one ear is introduced to a tone measuring 500 Hz. In the other ear, a tone measuring 510 Hz, giving us a difference at 10 Hz. At 10 Hz, also known as alpha waves, the frequency difference between the two ears is the same as the frequency our brains are working at when we are at a restful state, relaxed, similar to the moment when we are first falling asleep.

These tones can be manipulated in different ways to change the frequency, therefore influencing our minds frequency, also called brain entrainment. (I’ll get to that soon).

Now lets say one ear is hearing a tone at 500 Hz and the other is at 505 Hz. This is a difference of 5 Hz. Theta brain waves are 4-7 Hz and are associated with deep meditation and creativity, so these tones influence the brain to correspond with these same frequencies through, again, brain entrainment.

To be effective, the difference in frequency between the two tones is below 30 Hz, different tone levels having different effects on the mind. Anything higher, we can distinguish between the two beats and hear them separately, rendering the process ineffective.

So, what is brain entrainment? The best explanation I've come across is using tuning forks as an example. When you strike a tuning fork, it resonates. Move that tuning fork close to a second, and that second tuning fork will resonate at the same frequency.

The same concept is applied to the mind. When we hear these frequencies, our mind resonates the same frequency, bringing on the effects associated with that frequency.

Our brain already operates in these frequencies that are introduced by binaural beats to cause a particular effect. These effects are already produced by normal operations of the mind. So, are binaural beats dangerous? Not in my opinion.