Gamma Brainwaves have been recorded as the fastest brainwave frequencies that a human can reach. Ranging from about 40 Hz – 70 Hz (though some can reach upwards of 100 Hz called Hypergamma), this state is said to be rare and associated with optimal states of consciousness. An overall sense of compassion and love for others, a new sense of spiritual awareness, self-control, happiness, and increased intelligence are just some of the effects that are said to be associated with Gamma Brainwaves. It’s thought by many researchers that this is the state of harmonization – it brings together all thought forms of the brain to a synchronized state.
Gamma brainwaves are still relatively unknown to the scientific community due to the fact that our current instrumental technology has difficulty recording these frequencies. Also, on a normal day-to-day basis, the average human never reaches this high of frequency range so in order to record Gamma they must either find experienced meditators who can access it, or attempt to induce this state with tools such as binaural beats and other forms of entrainment.
In 2004 a researcher known as Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the university’s new $10 million W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior, conducted a study on two groups of people – Tibetan Buddhist Monks who have spent years training and meditating everyday and a group of inexperienced meditators. After conducting this experiment he said, “What we found is that the longtime practitioners showed brain activation on a scale we have never seen before.”
Davidson, who was mostly interested in studying the effects of Gamma frequencies, claimed in his latest findings when studying meditation — which he published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — that mental training through meditation can change the inner workings and circuitry of the brain. This took the findings of neuroplasticity in a whole new direction.
Both the Monks and inexperienced meditators were asked to focus on unconditional compassion as this does not require focusing on a certain object, memories or thoughts, but rather a state of existence. Davidson found that the trained monks brainwaves acted significantly different than those who were inexperienced volunteers. The most important findings of the experiment showed that the electrodes in the monks showed a much greater activation of fast-moving and unusually powerful Gamma waves, and found that the movement of the frequencies through the brain was far better organized and coordinated than in the volunteers.
So it has been proven that with discipline and practice performing meditation, it is much easier to reach these higher states of resonation. But do Gamma binaural beats work to influence the average person to reach this higher state in less experienced meditators?
From my own personal experience I would have to say I do not believe that they work. I have tried various recordings from different sources and none of them have seem to have much effect on me. But of course these recordings affect each person differently so here’s a raw 15 minute recording at the 44 Hz frequency range for you to try yourself:
As most people have told me they don’t feel much affects from the recording either. A slight change in focus and perspective, but nothing too dramatic. I think that it’s too difficult for binaural beats to influence our brain to reach this high of resonation as this is not a range we are used to functioning on a normal basis and so it takes a lot more effort and training.
For those that want to experience what the state of consciousness in the Gamma range feels like, there is no shortcut to achieving this. As Mr. Davidsons’ experiments have shown though, If we stay persistent and dedicated to our meditation practices, then we will effectively be training our brains each day to enter this state more and more often.