Neural Hardware

Binaural Beats

An auditory illusion created by playing two slightly different frequencies in each ear; the brain "perceives" the difference as a third, pulsing tone.

Binaural Beats are created by playing two slightly different frequencies (e.g., 100 Hz in the left ear, 104 Hz in the right). The brain perceives the difference (4 Hz) as a third, "phantom" beat. They are used for entrainment toward theta, alpha, or other states.

Key Points

  • Stereo required — each ear must receive a different frequency
  • Frequency-following — the perceived beat may influence dominant EEG frequency
  • State shifting — different beat frequencies target different states (e.g., 4 Hz for theta)

In ONDA Life

The Neural Entrainment article covers binaural beats and closed-loop neural sync protocols.