What is Meditation?
Meditation has been around for thousands of years, and is interwoven throughout the different cultures and religions of the world, so trying to use one definition to keep everyone happy is a challenge!
But we have to make a start, so we describe Meditation as ‘A mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the reflexive ‘thinking’ mind and into a deeper state of relaxation.This is the desire, or process of Meditation.
It is widely recognized that there are many forms of Meditation, and many different ways to Meditate, even though many techniques have similar goals. With Celtic Whispers we offer through our Celtic Meditations a unique path to god, spirit or the divine source of creation, and it can be used in conjunction with any of the nature based spiritualities or mainstream religions. It is wrong to say that one Meditation Technique / path is better than another, because you are judging a person’s journey, and you don’t know from where they have come.
‘There are many paths to God.’ Their path is perfect for them, as yours is for you.
The benefits have been ‘felt’ for thousands of years, and include: Stress Reduction, Reduced Rumination, Boosts to Working Memory, Enhanced Focus, Less Emotional Reactivity, Increased Cognitive Flexibility and Relationship Satisfaction.
But now Science has evolved to ‘Prove’ what is actually happening, and recent scientific breakthroughs have given us a fascinating insight into the mystery of the human brain.
What is the Science Behind Meditation?
Your brain, which is a continual hive of electrical signals, alternates between four different states, Alpha, Beta. Theta, Delta. It is also possible to reach a fifth state called Gamma for Higher Cognitive Processing and Transcedental states.
The frequency of the electrical impulses in your brain are continually changing to match your worldly experience.
Think of the different intensities, or focus needed for driving in traffic or reading under a tree; taking a bath or having an argument. Every situation you encounter requires a different brain function.
You experience Beta brain-wave patterns for engaging activities. Driving, working, planning…
The top end of this Beta range is reached during periods of stress or anxiety.
The chemicals released from the brain when in this state are necessary for us to function, but prolonged, repeated or continual exposure has dire health effects. Beta is necessary – but small bursts are preferred.
Alpha brain wave patterns are produced when you are relaxed and your brain activity has slowed. You are most likely in an Alpha state when watching television, reading a book, or just before falling asleep.
Theta brain waves patterns are most commonly encountered within dreams, but are also related to moments of deep insight or revelation. Theta waves are found in Meditation/Deep relaxation, Creativity and REM sleep.
The Delta state is the slowest brain wave pattern. It occurs in deep, or dreamless sleep. It is only in this state when the brain releases many beneficial hormones (such as Human Growth Hormone) which helps to heal the body.Children spend more time than adults in this Delta State. It is necessary for their bodies to grow and to handle great physical changes.
As we age, we work longer, have more demands on our time, and usually sleep less.The result is that we spend far less time in this Delta state. Without reaching the Delta state, our body does not give itself the care it needs. This has the effect of speeding the aging process, and can lead to a decline in our health. But the good news is that Science has caught up, and now we know we can enter the Delta state while in Meditation. Our Potions category in Celtic Whispers contains a series Celtic Meditations containing binaural beat soundscapes.
What Meditation technique should I use?
Celtic Whispers is unique in that it offers a variety of different experiences for users. We recommend starting your journey into Celtic Meditation with our (Awakening) track as it teaches you the one constant found across all meditation practices, how to focus on your breath.
For beginners our Guided meditations (Elixirs) are a great meditation starter for beginners, as you mind can focus on the story.
From there you can move to Binaural Beats (Potions) as these are an effective way of developing a deeper Meditation practice and calming the “Monkey Mind” which cause so many people to give up in the early days of their Spiritual enlightenment.
No matter what technique you choose We encourage you to explore the doors that open before you to learn through experience, so you can decide for yourself which of the many techniques offer the best improvements for your life, your health and your happiness.
Some of the most common Meditation techniques include:
Concentrating on your Breath is a great place to start. You can consciously notice the movement of the air moving in and out of your nostrils, or you can count the breath in various ways. (See Awakening track)
Mindfulness is cultivating awareness of your inner experiences; such as bodily sensations, feelings, thoughts and memories. With this meditation technique you simply observe without any judgement.
Emptying the Mind is what many beginners believe needs to happen for them to be meditating correctly. The truth is that this is just one technique of many. Allow your mind to clear and ‘float’, gently pushing aside any stray thoughts, or allowing thoughts to float in and out of awareness like clouds moving across the sky.
Focusing your attention on an Object, (but not necessarily your thoughts), on a shape, sound or texture of an object, such as a flower, a candle flame, or a spiritually significant picture can assist you to create stillness in your mind.
Movement and Meditation is more common than you might think. A physical technique like yoga or tai chi helps to still the mind by coordinating the breath and the body with gentle movement.
Using a Mantra incorporates repeating a word or phrase over and over. This can occur aloud or silently, sometimes timed with the breath, to focus the attention and release different energies that benefit our bodies and minds.
What are the Benefits of Meditation?
The benefits of Meditation which have been ‘felt’ for thousands of years include: Stress Reduction, Reduced Rumination, Boosts to Working Memory, Enhanced Focus, Less Emotional Reactivity, Increased Cognitive Flexibility and Relationship Satisfaction.
Independent of religion or belief, or even the method used to enter a meditative state; the benefits to the mind and body are universal, and all those who have meditated throughout history have ‘felt’ these benefits.
But more than that: Meditation also provides an opportunity to connect with your true self, your spiritual purpose and what is known as the universal knowledge. It is common to experience great insights or revelations, and to think of a solutions to problems in your life, your community and the world at large.
Meditation is the act, or practice, of moving beyond conscious thought, into a greater state of relaxation,
a ancient tonic for the the Mind, Body and Spirit.
Let our magical Celtic meditations be your light in the darkness, when all other lights have gone out.
Further Reading on Meditation and Mindfulness:
What are Chakras?
The word “chakra” from Sanskrit translates to “wheel” or “disk,” but references a spiritual energy center within the human body, of which there are seven along the spine, and through the neck and the crown of your head. The Chakra system originated in India between 1500 and 500 BC in the oldest text called the Vedas. The Vedas are the earliest Sanskrit literary records and the most ancient scriptures of Hinduism.
As for the purpose of the seven Chakras? They each correspond to specific organs as well as physical, emotional, psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being and influence all areas of your life. Within these Chakras is ‘Prana,’ or the ultimate pure healing energy, that’s all around us and within us, to keep us healthy, happy and vibrant.
While there isn’t much Western scientific evidence that translates spiritual energy into physical manifestations, the study of the seven Chakras and chakra alignment, whether it be through meditation, reiki, or yoga is rooted in the belief is that “when the Chakras are open and aligned, our energy is constantly free-flowing, allowing prana to flow through them.
The Seven Chakra’s include: The root chakra; The sacral chakra; The solar plexus chakra; The heart chakra; The throat chakra; The third-eye chakra; and The crown chakra. We’re delighted to annouce we will be soon be adding a selection of Chakra themed Celtic Meditations. This never seen before variant on the Eastern Chakras uses Celtic Cauldrons to activate your Chakras in a paired Spiral format rather than a linear format.
Please see this short you tube video for a cartoon explainer of how Chakras work:
What are the Solfeggio frequencies?
Solfeggio frequencies make up the ancient 6-tone scale thought to have been used in sacred music, including the beautiful and well-known Gregorian Chants. Each Solfeggio tone is comprised of a frequency required to balance your energy and keep your body, mind and spirit in perfect harmony. While not classed specifically as Celtic Meditations we have no doubt the Solfeggio frequencies are a suitable addition to Celtic Whispers.
The main six Solfeggio frequencies are:
- 396 Hz – Liberating Guilt and Fear.
- 417 Hz – Undoing Situations and Facilitating Change.
- 528 Hz – Transformation and Miracles (DNA Repair)
- 639 Hz – Connecting/Relationships.
- 741 Hz – Expression/Solutions.
- 852 Hz – Returning to Spiritual Order.
What is Lucid Dreaming?
Lucid dreaming was first discovered by Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik Van Eeden.
Eeden’s research demonstrated that during lucid dreaming the dreamer was able to manipulate their experiences within the dream environment.
More recent scientific studies have closely analyzed the phenomenon and properly defined the measurable differences from being awake and typical REM sleep:
Lucid dreaming constitutes a hybrid state of consciousness with definable and measurable differences from waking and from REM sleep, particularly in frontal areas.
Lucid dreaming is basically becoming self-aware during a dream.
Typically when we dream we have no control over the actions we make or those of others. It is like being a fly on the wall; we are watching ourselves play a role in the dream. But when we lucid dream we can take control of the actor, so to speak.
To lucid dream, we need to be in a sleep state but remain aware. It sounds complicated, but actually most of us will experience at least one accidental episode in a lifetime – so it is very possible to achieve.
If you have ever experienced sleep paralysis, you have probably lucid dreamed, or at least have been close. We hope you will enjoy our own unique Celtic Meditation blend of Sleep and Dream tracks.
What is Astral Travel?
Astral Projection is the practice of leaving your physical body behind and traveling in your ‘astral body’ to another dimension (world).
We’ve included as a free download our Ultimate Astral Projection manual, a guide to help you understand exactly what astral projection is, how to cultivate a mind state conducive to astral projection, and how this music helps you achieve astral projection.
Using this technique, you will learn how to stimulate and open your third eye, and subsequently open the astral gateway which enables you to release your consciousness from the physical world and enter the astral plane.
The guide explains what to expect, how to cope with the unexpected, the best times to project and how to distinguish the dream world from the astral plane.
If you want to travel the astral plane, this unique Celtic Meditation is your ticket to an alternative dimension!
What are Binaural Beats?
In Celtic Whispers we offer a powerful series of nature infused Celtic Meditations inspired by Binaural Beats. But what are Binaural Beats?
Binaural beats were first discovered in 1839 by a Prussian physicist and meteorologist named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, but it wasn’t until 1973 that biophysicist Doctor Gerald Oster brought the technology into mainstream awareness in a paper called ‘Auditory Beats in the Brain’ (Scientific American, 1973).
What most people don’t realize is that although the creation of binaural beats music has only been possible through technological advancement in the last 100 or so years, the use of this natural science dates back thousands of years.
Ancient cultures were aware of how the brain could be entrained through sound repetition well before modern science was able to prove the process.
Now of course, in times past, societies didn’t refer to this science as binaural beats, but what they did know was that consistent, rhythmic sound had extremely powerful healing and spiritual benefits.
Scientist Melinda Maxfield, PhD, conducted research on the drumbeats used during rituals of ancient cultures and found that they generally beat at a steady rate of 4.5 beats per second.
This consistent beat induces a trance-like state for the tribe, due to the brain shifting into a 4.5 beats-per-second brainwave frequency, which is a low Theta brainwave state.
Indeed, in almost every ancient culture, repetitive beat formats have played an important role in wellbeing and prosperity. For example: through the use of repetitive drumming and chanting, Tibetan monks, Native American shamans, Hindu healers and master Yogis have been able to induce specific brainwave states for transcending consciousness, healing, concentration and spiritual growth.
To digress a tad, and bring in some modern research:
Andrew Newberg, neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of “How God Changes Your Brain”, discovered that while we are deep in prayer or meditation, activity in our parietal lobes drops to almost nothing.
The parietal lobe is responsible for sensory awareness and orients us in the world. Newberg believes that the drop in activity during meditation and prayer explains that sense of oneness we feel with the universe when engaged in these focused activities.
Forty five years on, and after much research by scientists and sound engineers all over the world, the science of binaural beats(brainwave entrainment) is now used by people all over the world to entrain the brain into different states that contribute to stress relief, focus, aiding sleep, pain relief and much more.
Why are the Binaural Beats louder on some tracks?
This is dependent on the composition and the way the music is mixed. By design, on some meditations you may hear the hum of the binaural beats (the frequencies laid underneath the track) louder than on others.
On some Celtic meditations such as Blissful Sleep, it may be mixed deliberately low so as to be not as intrusive, and on others such as Kundalini Awakening it may be more prominent to enhance the intensity of the desired state.
Regardless of the approach to each meditation track, our intention is always to create beautiful musical compositions that are harmonious and pleasurable to listen to.
What is the Science Behind Binaural Beats?
The word binaural means “having or relating to two ears”. This represents the process, which works by simultaneously sending a marginally different sound frequency to each ear through headphones.
Brainwave entrainment happens inside the brain, and is caused by a physiological response. Upon hearing two tones of different frequencies – sent simultaneously to the left and right ears – the brain perceives a third tone based on the mathematical difference between the two frequencies.
The brain then follows along at the new frequency and produces brainwaves at the same rate of Hertz (Hz).
For example: if a 200 Hz sound frequency is sent to the left ear, and a 205 Hz to the right ear, the brain will process those two frequencies and perceive a new frequency at 5 Hz.
The brain then follows along at the new frequency (5 Hz), producing brainwaves at the same rate of Hertz (Hz). The technical term for this process is ‘frequency following response’.
Remember, the brain will only respond in the intended way if it receives the sound frequencies at the same time through headphones. You can test this for yourself by using the Free Earth Pulse download available on our website. All you have to do is put on a pair on headphones, relax and press play. It’s that easy.
As explained in the Science of Meditation FAQ, binaural beats can entrain the brain to 5 key brainwave states or patterns. There are specific frequencies associated with these specific states, and indeed different results will be experienced in the high, middle, and low areas of each brainwave state.
The effect on the listener is dependent on the brainwave state the music is targeting.
For example: To induce deep relaxation we can listen to Theta state music. (See our free Earth Pulse download)
The graphic below shows the five core brainwave state categories used in binaural beats music and their associated benefits:
Please note our music is created by professional sound engineers with over 17 years experience in creating brain entrainment products. We test our music on a broad demographic of people prior to commercial release. This allows us to produce music that is proven to work and fit for purpose.
The benefits listed under each brainwave state are general associations and it should not be assumed that all frequencies within the state’s range will produce these benefits.
We do not use hypnosis or subliminal messaging; only the proven science of binaural beats, combined with musical compositions tuned to enhance the desired state.
What is it called Binaural Beat Meditation?
‘Binaural beats meditation’ has become a common term for listening to binaural beats music.
This may seem a little confusing, because not all binaural beats music is designed for meditation and relaxation. The same can be said for Celtic Meditation as well. However, there are three main reasons as to why this name has been adopted:
1. In a similar way to meditation, a lot of binaural beats music is designed to entrain the brain in a similar way to that of meditation, which is referred to as mindful awareness, or entirely in the present moment.
2. Generally speaking, binaural beats music is accompanied by ambient, relaxing music, which is usually quite similar to the sound design used in meditation music.
3. As in meditation practice, when listening to binaural beats, some people choose to sit in the traditional lotus meditation position because it is conducive to attaining a relaxed, centered state of mind. This state is also conducive to entraining the mind.
What are the Benefits of Binaural Beat Meditation?
Meditating with binaural beats provides you with the same benefits as hours of deep meditation, except without having to practice meditation like a zen monk. The Potions category as well as one of our Sleeping Draught Celtic Meditation courses are powered by the Science of Binaural Beats.
Millions of people all over the world are using binaural beats to not just meditate but to target and improve key areas of personal development and health and wellbeing. Here are some of the core benefits of binaural beats meditation.
- Increased mental clarity, focus and concentration.
- Eliminate stress & anxiety.
- Increased confidence and motivation.
- Unshakable inner peace.
- Greater spiritual connection.
- Cure depression & eliminate anger.
- Heal emotional trauma.
- Increase prosperity and success.
By using binaural beats to meditate, you can begin receiving the benefits of meditation in days instead of years. All you have to do is relax and listen to your recording and let the music do the rest.
Binaural beats music is versatile in that the technology is able to target different brain states, going beyond meditation, relaxation and stress release and providing a platform for increased learning capability, energy, creativity and more. In fact, you can tweak your entire mental and physical performance using this effortless form of meditation.
Within just a week of using a variety of binaural beats recordings, you’ll begin experiencing what scientists call “whole brain functioning”, which is the stimulation and creation of new neural pathways between the right and left hemispheres of your brain, which balance the brain and lead you to high-level performance.
This means brain reorganization at a higher level, the creation of new neural pathways and increased communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, essentially making you more centered and balanced; smarter, calmer, faster and happier.
- You’ll see a drastic improvement in your learning ability, memory, intuition and creativity, and in your ability to focus, concentrate and think more clearly.
- You’ll witness significantly lower stress levels, which will lower the amount of harmful brain chemicals (like cortisol) your body produces through stress.
- You’ll feel remarkable improvements in your mental and emotional health, and take a quantum leap in your self- awareness, confidence, motivation and willingness to innovate and change.
- You will dramatically increase your production of brain chemicals (such as DHEA and melatonin) related to longevity, well-being and happiness.
- In a nutshell, you’ll become happier and healthier!
What sounds/Music do your meditations contain?
Our music contains calming meditative music and/or natural ambience We pride ourselves on creating a composition that complements the desired brain state and is pleasurable to listen to.
To assist in achieving this, we tune our music to harmonise with the binaural beats frequencies underneath the track, so as not to cause dissonance (lack of harmony) between the two. Our Celtic Meditations are a perfect blend of Nature and Science.
How Often can I use Binaural Beats?
For Celtic Meditations without Binaural Beats there is no limit but for Binaural Beat Meditations we recommend not more than 3 sessions per day to start with.
Select a routine that complements your desired goals.
For example: you might choose to listen to Zen Focus while at work (around 10-11am), Stress Release to relax when you get home to relax and de-stress, and Deep Sleep in bed while reading a book.
What Headphones should I use?
The large majority of everyday headphones will be fine, including the ear buds that come with Phones and mp3 players.
However, closed back headphones are most preferable, as they block out external sound and give you a more “in-head” experience and create less distraction.
Also preferable is a reasonable length of headphone cord, to allow you to be comfortable while connected to your computer, phone or mp3 player
We don’t advise using bass boost or any other EQ enhancement.
Noise cancelling headphones are generally fine, because they cancel out external sound not internal sound within the music. There may have been some issues with the very early models, but newer, higher-end models like Bose are very efficient. On some models you can turn this feature off, so if you can do that you might like to test with and without this feature.
The higher quality the headphone the more powerful the experience and the more value you will receive from your Celtc Meditation sessions.
What is the optimal listening volume?
The ideal volume is a comfortable volume, so it’s down to personal preference.
For example: If you are listening to a Celtic Meditation track for relaxation, you will want to set the volume so that it contributes to being relaxed (low to moderate).
On the other hand, if you are using a Celtic Meditation track for focus while working, you might want to set the volume on moderate-high because you want to contribute to an alert, zoned-in state.
Is listening to Binaural beats safe?
Yes. There have been numerous studies observed using brainwave entrainment, with no reported side effects. This type of music is used by millions of people the world over. However, as a precaution, we advise that those with epilepsy or a history or seizures or heart problems, and pregnant women consult a physician before using our products. We have a multitude of meditation styles and techniques in Celtic Whispers and we are sure you will find a Celtic Meditation that works perfectly for you.
Whats the difference between Binaural Beats and Isochronic Tones?
The key difference is that Isochronic tones work by emitting a pulsating sound at regular intervals, whereas binaural beats use a constant sound wave format.
Because of this, many people do not like the rather intrusive and distracting sound generated by Isochronic tones, and find binaural beats more pleasurable to listen to.
However, because of this difference in delivery, Isochronic tones do not require headphones, while binaural beats do.
In terms of effectiveness. Isochronic tones are generally not as effective in the lower frequency ranges, so Binaural beats are a preferable option for Theta and Delta entrainment. There is also more scientific research to prove the efficacy of binaural beats and we believe Binaural Beat Meditation is a better fit for those beginning their journey into Celtic Meditation and Spirituality.
