Sound can have a strong effect on the brain’s cognitive functions as well as our emotions. Ranging from the simple swish of a breeze to the rumble of a thunderstorm, white noise or ambient sounds can influence the mind, promoting mental strength and memory. Here are three apps that can help you be at ease:
Noisli: Noisli’s interface comes with simple icons, each one representing the element of the sound you want to hear. You are free to play one, or a combination, of the sounds from the vast list, depending on your mood. You can even create and save a mix for future use. An additional benefit is the app’s background screen, which keeps changing colours to keep you calm.
Available on iOS and Google Play
A soft murmur: With a host of sounds and noises, A Soft Murmur not only lets you listen to a combination of sounds and save your mixes, it allows you to time how long you want to listen to a track—a handy tool if you want to listen while falling asleep without draining your phone’s battery. It also offers a selection of specific sounds, such as that of rain on a tin roof, metal chimes and more.
Available on iOS and Google Play
Binaural: Binaural beats are sounds that are played in both ears, but at slightly different frequencies. The brain perceives this difference as a third frequency, producing brainwaves at the same frequency. Since any state of the mind is governed by the principal frequencies the brain is functioning at, it can be stimulated as desired using the sounds. The app’s interface is divided into six frequencies, each denoted by a letter of the Greek alphabet. While the emanating sound has a trance-like vibe, the app’s use of relaxing colours, and a timer which tracks the sound’s duration, enhance the experience.
Available on iOS—Shubham Ladha
