Frequencies for Focus
I’m picky about the music I listen to while working as a full-stack developer for Stateside. Rather than a particular genre, mood, or artist, I tune the digital dials to music with a specific frequency, 528 Hz to be exact. As a quick primer–named after Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, hertz is the unit of measurement for the number of sound waves per second or the sound frequency. A song with a higher hertz has more sound waves per second than one with a lower frequency. Compared to the 440 Hz frequency of most songs, 528 hertz creates resonances in our physical body and mind that allow us to get in tune with ourselves. I notice the impact these resonances have on my job performance–I’m more focused, relaxed, and effective as a result. The calming effect is no surprise; outside of work, I also listen to 528 Hz frequency music during meditation.
I’m one of a growing number of people who take advantage of these effects. Today, listening to instrumentals or sounds in certain frequency ranges is common. The goal of frequency-specific music is to provide a tool for improved concentration and efficiency at work or while studying. Research shows that different hertz can also help the mind enter a relaxed state. And when we’re relaxed, we absorb and retain information better, have sharper focus, and use our time more effectively.
Using Hertz frequencies to shift mental states relates to what’s known as “the Silva Method.” Named for its creator, José Silva, the method claims that altering our brain waves from beta to alpha (between 7 and 14 Hz) can improve our IQs, help us heal, and even promote the development of supersensory capacities, e.g., clairvoyance. In the 1940s, Silva began experimenting with ways to improve his children’s school performance. He instructed them to close their eyes, to relax, and from there they began to read and review the material, and thanks to this his children learned faster than they would have if they were in a less relaxed state of mind, called Beta. Noticing the method’s positive effect on his children, Silva marketed the method publicly in the 1960s and began working with people who wanted to use the method for their personal benefit.
The Silva Method suggests several mental exercises focused on entering hypnosis or semi-hypnotic states: relaxation, closing your eyes, listening to background frequency, and gamma waves. Through these exercises, your mind enters “Alpha” (from alpha waves), helping you to concentrate, learn, and work better.
Though the exact science of Silva’s method is still up for debate, what’s not is just how important nervous system regulation is to cognition, health, emotions, and overall quality of life. Ultimately, frequency modulation is a valuable tool for regulating the nervous system and our body’s stress response. Today, we can get many of the Silva Method’s benefits by listening to specific frequencies. If you’re interested in trying it out, here are some alpha waves in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrSFLyp9yM8.
As with so many jobs, programming can be very stressful. I listen to this type of music most of the day. I change the frequencies and adjust what I listen to depending on what I’m doing or what effect I’d like to achieve. Listening to this type of music on low in the background reduces my stress without even having to actively engage with the music.
But let’s be real, it’s not just work that’s stressful, it’s life these days. I first started listening to this type of music not for work, but for meditation during the pandemic. Although I like to exercise, and this helped me unwind, I also wanted to relax with yoga and stretching. For me, listening to this music soothed some of the loneliness and stress we were all experiencing. I now recommend using the frequencies during yoga, relaxation or meditation, and breathwork. I live by the philosophy that everything is interrelated; using frequencies is just one part of a holistic system to help our minds and bodies.
If you’re curious, check out a sample of the frequency channels I listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Tt3LoygCQ.
