Psychoacoustics and Brainwave Entrainment Flashcards
7 cards from real Meditation Music practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Psychoacoustics and Brainwave Entrainment flashcards as text
Which brainwave state is specifically targeted by 40 Hz (gamma) binaural beats in current Alzheimer's disease research?
Answer: Stimulating gamma oscillations to enhance glymphatic clearance and immune response
MIT research found that 40 Hz sensory (gamma) stimulation promotes glymphatic activity and microglial response that may reduce amyloid and tau pathology in mouse models.
What is 'monaural beats' and how do they differ from binaural beats?
Answer: Monaural beats are produced by mixing two frequencies in the same channel before reaching the ear; binaural beats are mixed inside the brain
Monaural beats are created acoustically when two slightly different frequencies are mixed into the same audio channel, while binaural beats are a neural phenomenon requiring separate ear delivery.
The psychoacoustic concept of 'auditory scene analysis' (Bregman) is relevant to meditation music because:
Answer: It describes how the brain groups acoustic elements into coherent streams, affecting how layered soundscapes are experienced
Auditory scene analysis explains how listeners parse complex mixes into distinct perceptual objects, which composers use to design meditation soundscapes that feel immersive rather than cluttered.
Why do many meditation music producers use a sample rate of 96 kHz or 192 kHz even though human hearing tops out near 20 kHz?
Answer: To reduce aliasing artifacts and preserve intermodulation products that may affect the perceived smoothness of audio
Higher sample rates reduce high-frequency aliasing and intermodulation distortion, which some researchers argue affects the subtlety and perceived smoothness of audio even below 20 kHz.
Which term describes the tendency for the brain to organize a rapid sequence of alternating high and low tones into two separate melodic streams rather than one?
Answer: Auditory streaming or stream segregation
Auditory streaming (stream segregation) occurs when the brain splits rapid alternating tones into perceptually distinct streams based on frequency proximity and timing.
A meditator who is completely deaf in one ear would be unable to experience:
Answer: Binaural beats
Binaural beats depend on two separate auditory channels (one per ear) being integrated by the brainstem, which is impossible with monaural hearing.
What is 'acoustic resonance' in the context of sacred spaces used for meditation, such as stone chambers or cathedrals?
Answer: Specific frequencies that are naturally amplified by the geometry and materials of the space, influencing the acoustic experience
Acoustic resonance in sacred architecture refers to natural standing waves and modal frequencies created by the room's shape, which certain traditions deliberately exploited for ritual sound experiences.