For hundreds of years ancient cultures and tribes have believed in the spiritual healing properties of repetitive, rhythmic sound. It is down to developments in technology and science that these benefits have been proven, and shown how the brain can be entrained by certain beats. Binaural beats are used in meditation and are simply beats constructed at a certain frequency that when listened to, lower your brainwaves to a natural relaxed state. (The science behind this is explained in the link)
You cannot ‘switch off’ your ears, unlike other senses, you are always aware of the sounds around you. This is why sound is so powerful in hypnosis, you can be unconscious yet still aware of the sounds around you. I am interested in the use of sound as a form of escapism, and would like to explore the different ways in which sound can help you switch off and feel immersed in another environment.