Increased memory recall. Heightened senses. Sharper focus. Faster processing speed. Enhanced creativity. Energy. Nature’s Xanax and Prozac. Greater quality of life.
What do these have in common?
Each results from increasing a specific high-energy type of brain wave called gamma.
Science has found ways of tapping into the same brain state that advanced meditators spend 40+ years mastering. New technologies and tools make powerful and natural ways to boost high-performance brainwaves easier than ever.
In this post, I’ll cover how to induce gamma brain activity so that you can live and perform at your full potential.
For your convenience, I’ve included a summary infographic of ways to increase gamma at the end of this post.
What Are Gamma Brainwaves?
Gamma is the highest energy of the five brain waves, with frequencies ranging between 40 Hz to 140 Hz (scientists disagree on exact thresholds). Gamma waves are associated with a higher quality of life, greater awareness, deeper compassion, and better cognition.
Brains flooded with gamma exhibit the highly coveted state of restful alertness. This brain wave synchronizes information from all brain regions into coherence.
Dr. Dawson Church in his book Mind to Matter explains that specific gamma frequency bands are associated with unique effects:
- 75 Hz is epigenetic: triggers anti-inflammatory protein production.
- 50 Hz is regenerative: the body produces stem cells that are capable of becoming muscle, bone, and skin.
- 75 Hz – 125 Hz is bone-building.
Other benefits of increasing gamma brain waves include:
- Faster problem solving
- Enhanced concentration
- Greater clarity
- Deeper insight
- Effective learning
- Better memory retention
- Feelings of happiness, connection, and relaxation
Until now.
How to Increase Gamma Brain Waves
Compared to most brain states, you’ll find gamma the most elusive.
Many folks barely ever experience it.
This list contains some of the easiest, most powerful, and best ways to increase the gamma frequency in your brain.
1. “NeuroFitness” brain training
Just like we can build stronger muscles in the gym, so can we improve our ability to enter a gamma-dominant state naturally.
Neurofeedback is a special form of brain training that helps your brain naturally enter and maintain desired states.
This technology uses precise sensors to monitor neural activity and then provides rewarding sensory stimuli (audio and/or visuals) to “reward” optimal brainwaves.
With practice, your mind becomes incredibly efficient at maintaining your chosen state.
Neurofeedback is like a mirror for the brain, fixing the blind spots holding back your peak efficiency & performance Share on XVery few devices train gamma. Most only do alpha and/or theta brain waves. The one system I’ve been using daily to train my brain actually includes the capabilities you’d find in 5 separate neurowearables:
- Neurofeedback
- HRV biofeedback
- Functional brain assessment
- Advanced meditation
- Neurostimulation
Since electrical impulses within the brain are extremely low power, you need a device with clinical-grade sensors and hardware.
For more information or to get an exclusive discount on your own, check out my review of the Sens.ai brain training system, or listen to my Podcast review.
2. HRV biofeedback
You can train yourself to enter gamma using a technology that quantifies your inner state.
Sensors pick up biometric data corresponding to changes in your heartbeat (which highly correlates to brain waves). Once you find the little triggers — like memories, people, places, experiences, or thoughts— you can consciously replay them to enter gamma.
Biofeedback is a rapidly growing field of interest with many new devices flooding the market.
Two devices dominate the biofeedback world:
- Muse 2 Headband (Amazon)
- EmWave2 (HeartMath website)
My short description doesn’t do biofeedback justice, so you can learn more from the HeartMath website.
3. Learn
One easy way to naturally increase gamma brain waves is by learning.
Gamma spikes when you’re learning, connecting information, or integrating it into your life.
Any material will do. Kill two birds with one stone by reading a book on the brain.
Just reading this post likely helps.
4. Be in the moment
Finding purpose may be a buzzword, but for good reason.
Completely engage yourself in something that you find meaningful. That subject varies from person to person.
A few examples of gamma-inducing activities:
- Spending time with your kids
- Giving a presentation that you believe can change lives
- Participating in a hobby that makes you feel alive (like rock climbing)
Anything that deeply grounds you in the moment. However big or small.
5. Master meditation
Another group famous for regularly enjoying abundant gamma.
Meditators experience dramatic spikes of gamma during their sessions.
Rest assured, you can get similar effects without thousands of hours dedicated to the activity. Dr. Joe Dispenza leads meditation retreats and reports that his students regularly demonstrate gamma brain waves 160 to 260 standard deviations above normal. You can see where his hit book Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon got its name.
Indeed, a study on Vipassana meditators and Himalayan yoga groups confirmed similar gamma improvements.
6. Lose yourself in music
I’m no musician, but on occasion, I like to pretend.
I’ll hum a tune (great for the vagus nerve), or bang a few keys on the piano.
Musicians are the other group known for their consistent and extraordinary gamma. Practice enters them into a flow state.
Their brains adapt and that flow state becomes a conditioned response to picking up an instrument.
I know what you’re wondering.
What about listening to music?
When it comes to gamma, music creation appears mightier than consumption. Unless…
7. Listen to binaural beats
The next two are completely passive. You pop them in your ears and go about your day.
Any old song won’t do.
Binaural beats aren’t your typical audio track. Audio engineers craft special audio tracks to shift your brain into gamma mode.
First, they only work with headphones and earphones. This is because a different sound frequency is played into each ear. The brain makes sense of this sound by averaging the two frequencies into one.
Some research supports binaural beats positive effects on healthy adults. The issue?
From personal experience and plenty of stories, binaural beats eventually stop working as the brain adapts.
So to upgrade this, a pairing of audio-visual entrainment can help enhance the effects again. Learn more about how this works in my roXiva RX1 review.
8. Try isochronic tones
Isochronic Tones are the new kids on the block.
Unlike binaural beats, they work by pulsing a single tone on and off very rapidly.
Some prefer them to binaural beats:
- No headphones required
- Potentially induce gamma faster
- Less “tolerance” build-up
I tried them for a week and didn’t notice substantial effects.
Like binaural beats, you can find isochronic tones throughout the internet.
9. Tune in to Brain.fm
The final form of audio is a specially composed form of function neuro music called Brain.fm.
It’s a rapid way to alter your brain state. Their neuroscience team worked with professional composers to craft tracks that shift the brain into a state of ease within mere minutes.
Brain.fm’s team hand-crafts each and every track dynamically, to prevent the brain from building “tolerance”. As you’d expect from such a company, they’ve conducted clinical trials and published the results of their scientific whitepaper.
They have different modes for focusing, meditating, sleeping, and many other activities that benefit from intentional brainwave changes.
This was a top technology of 2022.
For more information, check out my Brain.fm review & comparison.
If you’re looking for a fast and passive way to enter gamma using state-of-the-art technology, get Brain.fm.
10. Harness micro-electricity
The brain runs on electricity.
After all, gamma is a type of electrical energy. Scientists discovered introducing a tiny electrical current to the skull can change brainwaves.
The first time I heard of Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) I immediately pictured a shock therapy scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Introducing electricity to the brain just sounds risky.
Neurostimulation is different. The electrical current is far lower than even what a AAA battery puts out.
These devices have shown great success in inducing gamma waves at will.
Advanced military DARPA researchers achieved a 40 percent increase in learning speed with CES!
Used properly this technology seems pretty safe. At the time of my writing, PubMed shows nearly 3,400 studies on neural stimulation.
Those are but two reasons neurostimulation is a top biohacking trend.
A few years ago CES devices cost thousands. Today, some of the best-in-class machines are between $100-300.
11. Neuroacoustic technology
Similar to Brain.fm, other systems can effectively and quickly induce gamma-dominance.
I’ve tested dozens of different platforms, technologies, and targeted music playlists. Binaural beats, isochronic tones, pink noise, brown noise, I’ve tried it all. Most work okay for the first few times I listen. Then the effects plateau and they do less and less.
The accolades of one system particularly stood out:
- Used by the U.S. Military and FBI
- Used by 54 Professional Sports Teams
- Used in Over 2 Million Surgical Procedures
- Recommended by 98% of Patients
The tech is called NuCalm, and it used to be available exclusively as a medical device. In under 90 seconds of use, I already can clearly feel my brainwaves shifting. The most common modes induce either Alpha or Alpha + Theta brain wave dominance, but the Premium version has a special feature called Ignite.
Millions of dollars of research have gone into the system and it shows. Unlike other technologies, the brain cannot adapt to this dynamic music, so it’s still inducing gamma equally as effectively on my 100th session as on my first.
The main drawback? Price. This is definitely an expensive system.
How to Enter the Peak Performance Gamma Brainwave State [Plus Infographic]
Everyone can benefit from learning to shift into a gamma-dominant state. This band of brain waves puts us in tune with our surroundings and integrates our life experiences.
Gamma is the elusive holy grail of cognition, only accessible by slowing down Share on XTry some of the above ideas to integrate information from all brain regions and experience profound insight.
You can also check out this list of the best tips and neurohacks to improve your brain health.
What’s your most effective gamma-inducing tip?
The chart showing the amplitude of gamma is incorrect. It should be shown as faster than beta.
I didn’t create it (and didn’t see a better one), but I agree. Would also make more sense for it to be placed above beta.
Wonderful article. Thank you for sharing.
Hey Suzi, glad you liked it!