Meditation binaural beats
A steady theta beat and a timer. No guidance, no voice, no music that resolves — just a sound that stays where you put it for as long as you sit.
Theta beats between 4 and 8 Hz are the common choice for sitting practice, usually over a low carrier and without a noise bed. The reason is practical rather than mystical: a slow beat gives the ear something unchanging to sit against, and anything that changes — music, a voice, a track that builds — pulls attention back out.
Why 136.1 Hz as the carrier?
It is the pitch often called the “OM” tone, derived from a calculation based on the Earth's orbital year and popularised in the 1970s. It is a pleasant, low, warm carrier and a lot of people like sitting with it. It carries no special physical property — the carrier is the pitch you hear, and any carrier between roughly 100 and 300 Hz will produce the same beat. Use it because you like it, not because a number was assigned meaning.
Session lengths
| Length | Setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 6 Hz, no noise | Enough for a daily sit; the default for beginners |
| 20 minutes | 6 Hz, no noise | The classic length, and the default on this page |
| 45 minutes | 4–6 Hz, faint pink noise | Longer sits; the noise bed helps in a shared home |
| Open-ended | 6 Hz, no timer | When you would rather not know how long it has been |
Does sound help or hinder meditation?
Traditions disagree, and so does the research. A steady tone gives beginners something to return to and covers a distracting room; it can also become a crutch, and some practices explicitly want the ambient room rather than a layer over it. A reasonable compromise: use the sound while you are building the habit, and try a silent sit once a week to see whether you still need it.
Also on this site
Questions
Which frequency is best for meditation?
Theta, roughly 4–8 Hz, is the usual answer and 6 Hz is a good default. No study has established a best number, and the difference between 5 and 7 Hz will matter far less than whether you sit regularly.
Do I need headphones to meditate with this?
For the binaural beat, yes. For a pure tone or a noise bed, no — switch the tone mode and it will work from a speaker in the room.
Is there a bell at the end?
The session fades out over eight seconds rather than ringing. If you want a hard end, set a timer on your phone as well and let the fade be the warning.
Can I use this with a guided practice?
Yes, at a low level under the voice — although many people find any second layer distracting. Try it at half your usual volume.
Running this on a phone? The Brainwave Generator app keeps playing with the screen off, works without a connection, and carries the same engine. Free on iOS and Android.