I'm wondering about my experience.

[dmac]

I have been meditating for a few years although not daily, more like 20 minutes 3 times a week. I have experimented with a few entrainment programs including Holosync but I only went as far as the awakening prologue because I thought the cost and the marketing was over the top and I wanted to use mp3 technology rather than carrying a bunch of cds around. I read all the great lifeflow reviews and was very enthused. I tried the free 14 minute demo and I loved it but Lifelow 10, not so much. I find it irritating and I am mostly just relieved when it is over, not relaxed. Inspite of my judgements about Holosync, I much prefer the experience - Im definitely aware of the roof chatter evaporating and the brain waves changing. Has anyone else had this experience? Should I keep trying level 10 and give it more time?Should I stay subscribed for level 9 or cancel my subscription?
One more thing - all the entrainmnet programs seem to use a water background which most of us fine soothing most of the time. But living in the Pacific Northwest and listening to the sound of water for 5 months of the year gives water an allure very similar to nails on a blackboard.

[GilesC]

Hi Dmac and welcome to the project meditation community,

The point of the entrainment tracks it to just let them play whilst your meditating, and they will have the necessary effect on the physiology of the brain. It sounds as though you're either a) playing the track too loudly or b) putting focus on the sounds in the track rather than focus/awareness of the meditation practice itself. There's no need to have the track playing loudly at all, in fact you can almost turn the sound right down and the entrainment beats will still be heard by the ears and entrain the brain accordingly, though some sound can sometimes be good to eliminate those occasional background noises in your environment, depending on where you live and what's going on around you.

Different people have commented on what their 'favourite' lifeflow track is and the ones that 'annoy' them, but in truth, these are emotions that can be accepted and let go as part of the meditation, just as we become aware of the thoughts arising in the mind; rather than becoming attached to them, they are recognised and they pass.

So, for yourself, you associate the sounds of water with the sounds you hear in your day to day environment because of where you live. With my therapist head on, I would be asking you what you feel when you hear those sounds and if you can recall any event or the time when you first started feeling that way? Then we'd use something like Emotional Freedom Techniques to eliminate any negative feelings you have.

Personally, I'd stick with the lifeflow track and keep using it, dedicating my meditation practice to letting go of any emotions or feelings I am attached to that arise as a result of it. Of course, for you, the choice is yours.

Hugs

Giles

[pollyanna]

Hi dmac and welcome to the community

You can turn the soundscapes down really low and you will still get all the benefits of the entrainment. I have copied a piece from an older post of another longtime meditator which may be relative to you. When you said you were irritated with LifeFlow 10, the comment from Gus came to mind and I just wondered if perhaps something was coming up to be released. Anyway here it is:-

"I've had the LF10 CD for 5 days now. I've been a practioner of meditation for about 10 years or so and seemed to be stuck where I was no matter what I did.
I bumped into references to another program such as Lifeflow and began to investigate. Through my studies I was led to Lifeflow and settled on it for various reasons.
Much to my surprise I was able to address some past issues already through Lifeflow that had been getting in the way of any further progress on my own. I have to be willing to face my past and accept it for what it is . . .(the past) . . . in order to move forward to what the present holds.
Thanks Micheal for being one of those with enough vision to see a need for something like this in our lives.
Mine will most assuredly never be the same again.
Gus"

And here is another thread which has helped many people here:-

Principles of Meditation & Entrainment

We're all unique and will have different opinions of different soundscapes. My personal favourites changed over time and fortunately, I realised, the soundscapes are only there for personal preference.

One last little tip is to listen without headphones sometimes and see how your meditation progresses. Look forward to hearing how you progress and wish you much peace and joy

[Pegasys]

The very first time I listened to LifeFlow 10, I found it annoying (vs. the demo, which I considered to be quite "pleasant"). However the next time I turned the volume down quite a bit - still quite audible, but less than half of the volume setting on my iPod. Since I turned down the volume and also started focusing on a mantra, I haven't found LifeFlow 10 to be annoying at all. It appears to work just as effectively in terms of entrainment and aiding with meditation. The point of LifeFlow isn't so much to be "pleasant" as it is to entrain the brain. When it starts becoming effective, as it will after a while, then you will have a different interpretation to the sound.

P.S. I too live in the Pacific Northwest. I like Giles' idea of using EFT to tap out the resistance to the sound of water.

[dmac]

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my queries. I really appreciate your generosity ofSpirit. It's a bit like tripadvisor for the soul.