SBaGen

SBaGen generates sounds that give an altered state of consciousness. The theory behind binaural beats is that if you apply slightly different frequency sine waves to each ear, a beating affect is created in the brain itself, due to the brain's internal wiring.

If, in the presence of these tones, you relax and let your mind go, your mind will naturally synchronize with the beat frequency. In this way it is possible to tune the frequency of your brain waves to particular frequencies that you have selected, using of the four bands: Delta: deep sleep, Theta: dreaming and intuitive stuff, Alpha: awake, focussed inside, and Beta: awake, focussed outside.

It is also possible to produce mixtures of brain waves of different frequencies by mixing binaural tones, and in this way, with practice and experimentation, it is reportedly possible to achieve rather unusual states, such as out-of-body stuff, and more. See the books by Ken Eagle Feather, and the Monroe Institute site for more details. The Monroe Institute have apparently put 40 years of research into these techniques.

Centerpointe have also done a great deal of research into binaural beats, concentrating more on improving overall well-being and holistic functioning rather than reaching unusual states, and I recommend reading some of the articles on their site (look under "Site Map", for example their Special Report: "How The Holosync Technology Works" and their FAQ).

I should add that I have only read about the more advanced and unusual uses (OOBEs and so on). My own experiences have not reached quite that far, but still I feel that I have benefitted immensely from using these techniques over the last few years: from simply getting my head clear in confusing moments, to the energy boosts that come at times, to more general emotional clearing, and occasional very intense dreams (although not quite lucid).

So, SBAGEN is my utility, released as free software (under the GNU General Public Licence) for Linux, Windows, DOS and Mac OS X, that generates binaural tones in real-time according to a 24-hour programmed sequence read from a file. It can also be used to play a sequence on demand, rather than according to the clock, or to write a WAV file for playing later. Pink noise, MP3 and Ogg files (since version 1.2.0) may also be mixed with the binaural beats to provide background sounds. (Two files of randomly-looping river sounds are provided from version 1.4.0 onwards). This tool is ideal for anyone who wishes to experiment with these techniques and do research into this for themselves. (For those who would rather pay for a pre-packaged programme with support, I recommend taking a look at the Centerpointe site -- and see my disclaimer)

My original idea was to use this utility to play a programme of different tones throughout the night, hoping to improve dreaming and dream-recall, and then to bring myself up into Alpha rhythms to (hopefully) make a good start to the day. I am now using it more for shorter focussed sessions of about an hour, both during daytime and at night. However, other people have used this software in many different ways. For example, one person suffering constant pain from historical injuries appreciated the way that he could tune the frequencies very accurately to his needs to help him sleep better at night. Other more unusual uses have included: mixing the sounds in as part of musical compositions, and generating ambient sounds during live DJ sets or trance music.

What's New in This Release:

· Default to 60-minutes for WAV-output if a length can't be established
· New contributed example SBG files