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As the title says, I want to determine if Brainwave Entrainment is halaal or haraam?

Brainwave Entrainment in Wikipedia:

Brainwave Entrainment is any practice that aims to cause brainwave frequencies to fall into step with a periodic stimulus having a frequency corresponding to the intended brain-state (for example, to induce sleep), usually attempted with the use of specialized software. It purportedly depends upon a "frequency following" response on the assumption that the human brain has a tendency to change its dominant EEG frequency towards the frequency of a dominant external stimulus.[citation needed] Such a stimulus is often aural, as in the case of binaural or monaural beats and isochronic tones, or else visual, as with a dreamachine, a combination of the two with a mind machine, or even electromagnetic radiation.

And about subliminal messaging:

Kaser, V.A. "The Effects of an Auditory Subliminal Perception Message Upon the Production of Images and Dreams". Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (1986). Subjects listened to an audio subliminal message. The message was mixed with a regular music recording. Another group of subjects simply listened to the regular music recording without the subliminals. Both groups were asked to create a pre-test drawing before and immediately after the music was played as well as a drawing of any dreams they had the previous night. When the drawings were examined, the effects of the subliminal message could be seen. The drawings of the people who listened to the music with subliminal hidden content contained images relating to the suggestions they were listening to, whereas no correlation could be found with the control group. Kaser concluded that "the unconscious/subconscious mind is able to perceive a recorded verbal message that cannot be consciously heard", proving the existence of subliminal perception

The explanation behind subliminal message is giving suggestion to penetrate to subconscious and it repeated many times. The purpose form me is for self help. If after listen the brainwave or subliminal message audio and giving result, I believe this is from Allah.

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3 Answers 3

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Brainwave Entrainment

This is a vast science, mostly used in medical applications. Most people will associate the word Entertainment with music, when it actually is:

Entrainment is a principle of physics. It is defined as the synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles. The principles of entrainment appear in chemistry, neurology, biology, pharmacology, medicine, astronomy and more.

As such I do not see a reason why this would be Haram. However, this opinion does come from someone who does not think that Music is haram in Islam.

Subliminal Stimuli

A small note that this only works on People with certain neurological disorders. It won't work on normal healthy people.

This I won't call a science since there isn't really any scientific evidence that any research was done. There are a few instances where a research was claimed but never published.

Most of the research done is when people hear something, they tend to select that. That isn't brain science, it is common sense. If I hear the word snickers a few times and someone offers me snickers or mars, I would choose snickers. This isn't subliminal or anything but rather what sticks to your mind.

There are a few requirements for this to work:

  • Limitation #1: People Must Already Have a Need. Drink campaigns will only work if something is thirsty.
  • Limitation #2: Subliminal Messages in Self Help Tapes. Does not work, mostly placebo effect.

In the end, I don't think this is Haram as it is no science, mostly sales techniques that don't even work.

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its undoubtedly haram, why? because it include Rythm and its sound is musical in nature. So as in islam all sorts of music and musician instruments are haram, so Brainwave Entrainment is alow haram.

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  • islam-qa.com/en/ref/5000
    – Farhan
    Sep 24, 2013 at 16:19
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    You should read "Diversion and Arts in Islam" by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi (one of the most respected scholars of the current era and certainly considered conservative in other matters). Available in Arabic and translated into English. A very good read.
    – the_new_mr
    Sep 24, 2013 at 17:04
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    There is a rule that says "Nothing can be forbidden except by a [religious] text". The book I mentioned demonstrates this in greater detail than I can go into here but it does make the point that some of the hadith that are often quoted are daeef (weak) and that others are out of context or misunderstood. It also references other hadith that demonstrate situations in which the Prophet (pbuh) allowed music/singing in his presence. The hadith you quote is a good rule to use but it must be within reason. If you are not careful, everything will become haram because we want to "stay safe".
    – the_new_mr
    Sep 25, 2013 at 10:42
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    With all due respect, you said in your answer that "in islam all sorts of music and musician instruments are haram" so you did say it's forbidden. The general rule is that everything is halal (permissable) except that which is explicitly stated to be haram (forbidden). The book I mentioned states that music does not fall into this category. As for the reasoning getting out of control, I have seen people avoid using TV altogether for wanting to "stay safe" and this same reasoning could stop people from using phones, computers and the internet. Again, one must be careful with this reasoning.
    – the_new_mr
    Sep 25, 2013 at 12:34
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    according to scholars, it is.. so to be on safest side, i will go with ruling of those scholars, who say that it is haram. I cannot just based the Whole rulings on just one scholar's opinion, that is why i go with getting more and more fawtas, and i came to know that more than 80% scholar (that i know of, and many themselves say that its Ijma of scholars), that music is haram by all means, keeping very little exceptions of duff etc. And indeed, TV shouldnt be used, because more than 99% channles on it are broadcasting haram entertainment.
    – Farhan
    Sep 26, 2013 at 10:11
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Aleykumselam.

I don't know any direct source about this, but according to my opinion, it is logically haram.

If you don't know what you are doing, it wouldn't cause sin according to Islam. Because of this, children and crazy people (please no offense, I couldn't find the right word) are sinless, innocent whatever they do.

But a sane muslim must learn his/her limits and prohibitions. "I didn't know" is a valid excuse, but "I didn't try to learn" is absolutely not valid. A muslim must research, think and behave according to that.

A muslim's mind always should be clear in order to achieve that. Muslim person should be awake and aware of his/her environment, ie surroundings all the time. This is an important reason of why drugs and alcohol is haram. They give damage to your brain and decrease your capacity to understand and think. Al-Maidah: 90

If you listened some music and by the time you didn't know it has subliminal messages, you can be sure they didn't counted as sin. But after that you had learn it has some hidden messages, if you listen them again, it would be haram.

Also I heard that subliminal messages are based on 2 basic instincts defined by Sigmund Freud. They are violence and sexuality. If this is true, and you keep listen to them knowingly, I think it would be haram.

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  • Logically, some people also think God's existence can't be proved. Islamic teaching can't be simply interpreted by 'logic'. Thanks.
    – Adam
    Jan 14, 2015 at 22:05
  • Without logic, are you expecting a verse from the Qur'an saying something like "Don't listen to music including subliminal messages, it is haram"?
    – kalahari
    Jan 29, 2015 at 15:09
  • Logic explanation should be based on Quranic verses or Hadith. Logic itself, will not stand in Islam.
    – Adam
    Jan 29, 2015 at 17:07
  • Blocking your mind and thought is forbidden according to Quranic verses, no matter caused by alcohol or drugs or something else. How can my answer not based on Quranic verses?
    – kalahari
    Feb 6, 2015 at 21:11
  • My apology if the statement was not clear. In addition of what I mentioned above, please, always reference the Quran's verses or hadith that back your thought, or logic conclusions. For instance, even in a world of science, you back your work by reference of others "research" of other people, you not just come out of your result from nowhere out of your mind. Does that clarify the reason for a reference of your answer inshaAllah? Jazaklahir
    – Adam
    Feb 6, 2015 at 21:48

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