Brainwave Symphony

Embedded deep within assorted classical selections from Bach, Haydn, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, and numerous others--all of which have been selected from the vast Nimbus Records catalog--are said to be inaudible pulses of sound that are designed to augment "acoustic brainwave entrainment." When our brain detects them, we are told that it will tend to align with them and induce "the appropriate state of brainwave activity." That is the premise of this persuasively packaged, intelligently presented four-CD set that includes a "score" of electronic pulses that are imperceptible to the ear, but (as explained in liner notes that describe the work of California-based researcher Dr. Jeffrey Thompson) not the cerebellum. The prescribed "states" that listeners should experience here include relaxation/tranquility (the Alpha disc), deep relaxation/sleep (the Delta disc), heightened focus/concentration (the Beta disc), and deep mediation/creativity (the Theta disc). Does it work? Your answer will depend largely on your response to the music that has been selected by Pat Moffitt Cook, a colleague of Thompson who shares his interest in "behavioral psychoacoustics" and using music as a healing medium. The Beta and Alpha discs are both attractive samplers of dignified classical works that adhere to a stately pace. Delta and Theta include selections that might cause your brain to wonder how they made the cut. On Delta, for example, Holst's "Neptune, the Mystic" (from The Planets, which is taken from Spirit of England II) might not be everyone's preferred path to deep relaxation and sleep. If nothing else, the set represents a pleasant assortment of classical works. If your brain catches an internal buzz along the way, all the better. --Terry Wood

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