The use of sound such as in the form of a guided meditation may be helpful because they generally ‘guide’ you through the steps of meditation with a speaker who uses a calm nearly monotone voice to facilitate a relaxed state. Other sounds could also be that of nature such as waves breaking against a shore, raindrops, a rushing stream or seagulls. By listening and focusing in on these nature sounds, we can find ourselves becoming more relaxed.

Other recorded sounds can be sounds that are meant to produce changes in brainwaves, not unlike the biofeedback machines used years before. In biofeedback training, people had to use bulky equipment, such as a head dress that wired you up to an electroencephalograph, a machine that measures brainwaves. The brainwaves were associated with certain sounds and while you attempt to change the waves, you knew you were successful by the sound heard, or the sounds were produced on a video monitor that allowed you to change the waves by watching. With new technology in the form of DVD’s, CD’s and tapes, all you need to do is to plug in earphones and listen.

With new technology, sounds can be used on CD’s, tapes, MP3 players etc that will change your brainwaves without a lot of effort. These sounds are masked by music or some other sound that is heard on a conscious level, but the sound needed for changing brainwaves is relegated to the subconscious, which will help you to relax and change your behavior and positively enrich your life.

In other sound recordings, the tones used to affect brainwaves are subsonic, that is below the threshold of human hearing. These tones will coax the brainwaves from using beta waves, the waves associated with alertness to theta range, a more relaxed state. You may hear a low humming sound in the background, which are the tones used to affect brainwaves.

The term used for changing brainwaves by sound is brain synchronization, combining the use of both the right and left hemispheres of your brain to work in conjunction with each other. As you relax and listen to these recordings, the brainwave activity will increase and become more coherent and you will be relaxed but alert.

Using sound for increasing brain function is not new. Pagan cultures often used sound to help to affect mood and induce a trance-like state by the use of music, drums or chanting.

The use of sound to find balance in your life can be achieved by the use of musical harmonics and certain sound frequencies. The use of affirmations in recordings has the effect of going directly to the subconscious which can help in reducing negative self talk and behavior.