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I collected references, supporting the hypothesis that binaural beats have an influence in our brain (see here).

I currently see two possibilities to possibly increase the (measurable) effect of binaural beats:

  1. What-ever brain wave doesn't have a fixed frequency but a range. Sweeping across the frequency band could be an improvement.
  2. Sweeping the volume from left to right.

Is this already researched?

EDIT 2: Sometimes (white, pink, brown) noise is mentioned to increase the effect. There might be a optimal signal-to-noise ratio...

EDIT: The frequency of the sweep shall be low. My focus lies on hitting your personal resonance frequency to increase the effect of binaural beats. As written in the linked post: This maximum declines as the carrier moves away from 440 Hz.

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  • $\begingroup$ cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/8371/… $\endgroup$
    – honi
    Commented Feb 24, 2016 at 17:57
  • $\begingroup$ @honi I linked that one in the question already... $\endgroup$
    – draks ...
    Commented Feb 24, 2016 at 18:55
  • $\begingroup$ good point. it'd still be good for viewers to read the other answers on that question. $\endgroup$
    – honi
    Commented Feb 25, 2016 at 2:25

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Both of your proposed methods to increase the measureable affect of binaural beats on the brain would introduce a monaural beat. For example, sweeping the volume from left to right means the volume in at least one ear is changing over time. You would hear a beating if you listened to just this ear. Similarly, to sweep the frequency range, you would need to change the frequency in at least one ear. If you listened to just this ear, you would hear a "beat" (or more precisely frequency modulation).

I am not aware of any research on how sounds that have both monaural and binaural beats affect the brain. My guess is that people who are interested in using binaural beats to influence the brain would stay away from stimuli that have monaural beats since you can hear the monaural beat with a single ear. From my understanding of the literature on using binaural beats to influence the brain, there is something special about binaural beats since the beat is created by the brain (which is sort of true and sort of wrong).

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  • $\begingroup$ What if the change in e.g. frequency is so slow that it takes too long for your brain to "hear" it as a monaural beat? My idea of sweeping was more intended to hit the resonance frequency of your brain... $\endgroup$
    – draks ...
    Commented Feb 26, 2016 at 5:43
  • $\begingroup$ Hey, what about noise? It is mentioned that it increases the effect of binaural beats... $\endgroup$
    – draks ...
    Commented Mar 14, 2016 at 20:35
  • $\begingroup$ @draks... binuarual beats are a useful stimulus to probe the auditory system. Without a better understanding of how they are supposed to entrain the brain, who know what will be better. I think it would be difficult to create a broad band binaural beat. $\endgroup$
    – StrongBad
    Commented Mar 14, 2016 at 20:49
  • $\begingroup$ Why broad band? Think of an EEG that measures the effect while the parameters are varied until a temporary optimum is found! $\endgroup$
    – draks ...
    Commented Mar 14, 2016 at 20:55
  • $\begingroup$ @draks... I think of noise as being broadband. $\endgroup$
    – StrongBad
    Commented Mar 14, 2016 at 20:56

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