Sound, rhythm, tone, vibration, indeed music has been a part of the fabric of life of man for as long as history has been recorded. According to the "Musicological Analysis of the Neanderthal Flute", by Bob Fink, the earliest known instrument capable of playing specific notes may be the Neanderthal Flute, a hollowed out cave bear femur with four purposely placed holes, estimated to be between 43,000 and 82,000 years old. Why was early man compelled to begin fashioning such an instrument? A flute cannot secure food when you are hungry or keep you warm when you are cold or protect you from the claws of the saber toothed tiger. These were the primary concerns of our ancestors, yet at some point they took the time to create an instrument capable of playing a few simple notes. Why? Could it be just because the sound was pleasing and made them feel good? Most likely, yes. We can imagine that this simple instrument gave them an opportunity to disconnect from the stresses of ancient life such as being cold, being hungry or being eaten.

Today, modern man listens to music for much the same reasons - to disconnect from the negative feelings associated with our modern lifestyle and to catch some "good vibes." Music and sound can raise or lower your energy level, can bring us viscerally back to a tender moment, or bring up feelings of sadness even rage. The sounds of nature can make us feel more connected to our earth home and bring a sense of grounding and peace. Sound, in all its forms and complexities, is one of the most powerful tools that we have to shift our state of being. Prescription Audio uses four distinct and harmonious sound technologies to assist you in achieving the desired states of deep relaxation, heightened creativity, whole brain functioning, super learning, problem solving, greater focus, improved memory, reduced anxiety, and a more centered and balanced you.

As far back as 1839, a German researcher, H.W. Dove, discovered that the ability of human beings to accurately locate the source of a sound is due to the slight waveform phase difference that is created when sound enters one ear at a slightly different time than the other ear. Almost 150 years later Dr. Gerald Oster of Mt. Sinai Medical Center published a paper in the October 1973 issue of Scientific American. Titled "Auditory Beats in the Brain", the paper described how a specific brain wave frequency can be created when tones of different frequencies are presented independently into each ear such as when the listener is using headphones. What was really exciting about this discovery however was that Dr. Oster noted that the electrical brain wave activity would begin to match the frequency difference between the right ear tone and left ear tone. Dave Siever in his work titled "The Rediscovery of Audio-Visual Entrainment Technology" identifies this phenomenon as the frequency following response. Modern science has confirmed through electroencephalogram (EEG) readings that the brain vibrates at frequencies that change and can be measured. In addition to the capability of measuring these frequencies, scientists have been able to correspond the rate of the frequency to different states of awareness or consciousness.

Before we go any further in our understanding of this technology, let's take a look at how your brain functions and your body responds to different "states of consciousness." The electrical activity of the brain as measured and recorded by an EEG has identified four primary brain wave patterns: beta, alpha, theta and delta. Each is unique as to brain wave frequency measured in Hertz (Hz) or cycles per second, state of consciousness of the mind and measurable physiological changes. The chart below is a summary:

You can see from the physiological changes that occur at each brain wave frequency, why it is important to spend time in the lower frequencies of alpha, theta and delta. Unfortunately, the stress of modern life keeps us predominantly in the higher beta frequencies which are associated with cellular wear and tear. The unique combination of audio technologies used by Prescription Audio assists you in spending time in the lower health enhancing frequencies of alpha, theta and delta. As you listen to each journey, the frequency following response of your brain to the vibrations produced by the audio technology will gently encourage your brain to pick up a new relaxing rhythm. If the vibrational foot print of the journey is in the alpha range (just one level lower than normal awake alertness) for example, you will soon find yourself in the blissful relaxed state of a lazy summer afternoon in the hammock. Your eyes are closed but you are awake. You are fully aware of all that is around you, the neighbor mowing their lawn, children's voices, the gentle breeze, and all of it is perfectly tuned to your bliss! Imagine being able to recreate that virtually anywhere! You can thanks to Prescription Audio.