Brainwave states explained

Your brain runs at different speeds depending on what you are doing. Those speeds are measured in hertz, meaning cycles per second. When your neurons fire around 40 times per second you are in gamma. When they slow to about 4 times per second you are in deep rest.

The app produces these states through the frequency following effect. It plays one tone in your left ear and a slightly different tone in your right. The two meet in your brain and the difference between them is the frequency your brain begins to follow. Play 50 Hz on one side and 46 Hz on the other and the difference is 4 Hz, which is theta.

The exact numbers matter less than the gap between them. 54 and 50 produces the same 4 Hz difference as 46 and 42.

Delta, roughly 0.5 to 4 Hz. Deep sleep and physical recovery. The slowest state.

Theta, roughly 4 to 8 Hz. Drowsiness, deep meditation, the edge of sleep, creative drift.

Alpha, roughly 8 to 12 Hz. Calm alertness. Relaxed but awake. Good for reading, light work, and winding down without falling asleep.

Beta, roughly 12 to 30 Hz. Active thinking, problem solving, engaged conversation.

Gamma, roughly 30 to 100 Hz. Peak cognition and flow. The state associated with heavy mental load.

Balance. A preset aimed at internal coherence rather than a single named state.

Tap a state to start it. Use the left and right sliders to shift emphasis toward one side. Tap reset to zero everything out.