How binaural beats work: the sounds said to tune our moods, boost productivity, lower stress. The science is shaky, doctor says
- ‘Brain-tuning frequencies’ known as binaural beats are gaining credence as a tool to encourage mindfulness, boost productivity and even relieve stress
- While the scientific evidence for their beneficial effects is slim, doctors agree exposure to binaural beats can create changes in the brain’s degree of arousal

That sound can have an effect on our emotional and mental state should not come as any surprise.
We know inherently that certain sounds can make us more relaxed, or more productive. That’s why we put on classical music while we work, why it is easier to go to sleep to the sounds of the ocean than, say, a construction site and why lifts play smooth jazz instead of heavy metal.
But, as our understanding of the brain becomes more and more sophisticated, it is becoming clear that there is more to it.

These “brain-tuning frequencies” are known as binaural beats, and they have been gaining credence in the New Age and wellness communities as tools to encourage mindfulness, boost productivity and even soothe patients facing high-anxiety situations – like treatment for life-threatening diseases.
Of course, where the wellness community is involved, there is money to be made. Now, practitioners and sound engineers are crafting and selling their own bespoke soundscapes, whose frequencies have been carefully modulated to suit any specific therapeutic need or mindfulness requirement.