How Beta Waves and the Belizean Rainforest Help Me Write
Early on in my writing of To Growl or to Groan, I found a CD on clearance at Half Price Books called Awakened Rainforest. It featured sounds from the rainforests of Belize. My hero, Jorge, is from Belize so I thought it might be interesting. The track even included some jaguar calls in the background, paying homage to Jorge’s jaguar half.
After I had it home, I read that it is designed to be in tune with certain brainwaves, in this case Beta waves. According to the literature with the CD, listening to the Beta wave track will make one more focused and alert.Curious, I did some research into the idea behind this music. Beta waves are defined as those within the frequency of 12 and 30 Hz. I sort of remember what that means from my science classes back in the day. The salient point is that these waves occur when we are awake and are associated with actively thinking or concentrating.
From here, the research just got more complicated and difficult for a layperson to understand, but there seem to be a number of studies that find that certain types of musical beats do stimulate the production of different types of brainwaves. Music is now being used to help people with a variety of ailments, including those with ADHD, insomnia, and speech impairment from strokes and Parkinson’s.
I will say that I did find I wrote quite productively while listening to the Awakened Rainforest, so I guess I’m my own study of one. Now if only the music that was supposed to make it easier to fall asleep worked as well for me.
Have you found that certain types of music affect you in different ways? I’d love to know your experiences.
BLURB:
Her gift could save a missing girl…or destroy her relationship forever.
After receiving a troubling Tarot reading, Chloe just knows something big and bad is about to happen. Her ability to communicate with animals and shape-shifters is going awry, and her growing psychic abilities are beginning to scare her. Despite her unease, she won’t let anything interrupt her trip to Scotland to spend the holidays with her shape-shifter boyfriend’s family. Jorge is everything she’s always wanted, and the fire between Chloe and the passionate panther-shifter burns hot. But meeting his family has her nerves in knots.
When Jorge’s sister goes missing, Chloe’s psychic abilities might be the only thing that can help them find her. But things don’t go as planned, and with confusing psychic visions clouding her judgment, Chloe makes a mistake and an animal is injured. And Chloe fears she might hurt Jorge as well…
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AUTHOR BIO:
I like books that are funny and fun to read (and hot!) but also make me think or look at the world in a new way.
These days you’ll find me writing, pet sitting, juggling a number of freelance gigs, and reigning as my home’s domestic goddess. I live in the Midwestern U.S. with my husband, dog and cats. Alas, I have, as of yet, been unable to teach my husband how to purr.
Website: http://katyaarmock.com/
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