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All you folks who worked with binaural beats never dreamed what a dangerous thing you were working with. But you do know why all those volunteers signed up for your studies!
Brian Gygi, Ph.D.
Middle East authorities are cracking down on audio that gets you “high”
Officials in Saudi Arabia are holding “urgent meetings” to prevent the arrival of a drug. In Lebanon, authorities are taking legal measures against the same product. But these officials aren’t freaking out over hard drugs, because they’ve already done a good job scaring residents with harsh drug laws and keeping contraband substances out. Now, they’re tackling spooky-sounding MP3s, hoping to combat the growing use of “digital drugs,” or binaural beats.
Binaural beats are audio files that are meant to induce a state of ecstasy. They include two tones at slightly different frequencies, and are listened to through headphones. The audio is generally used to help with meditation, alertness, and even as a sleep aid. But the producers of some tracks claim to induce the same effect as chemical drugs. The audio files are available on YouTube, or for a small price on retail websites like I-Doser. Although there is no evidence that people can actually get high from binaural beats, they’re alarming authorities in the Middle East. In 2012, a police scientist in the United Arab Emirates called for these audio files to be treated the same as marijuana and ecstasy. |