Gamma 4 by iAwake Review
Tracks:
01 Blissful Cognition
02 Blissful Cognition part 2
03 Cognitive Bliss
I sat up to meditate with the iAwake Gamma 4 tracks this morning without investigating where “Gamma” fit in the frequency world of brainwave meditation.
For some reason I assumed it was deeper and more intense than the others, perhaps because I was less familiar with the term.
It ended up being a very refreshing, unique experience that suited the beginning of the day very well. I did the first two tracks which totaled 30 minutes for a morning meditation session.
The Tracks:
I would describe all three of these tracks as having a “journey” element to them. They are not one sound or texture that sustains throughout. There are changes in soundscape, introduction of different instrument samples, musical composition elements.
All three of these have pitched sounds, meaning actual musical instrument samples with sounds, harmony and composition. They are not static sounds like water or nature, there is active musical content of varying degrees throughout much of the track.
I feel this is useful to know, as some can find this distracting or get too engaged in the musical aspect. Some prefer a static sound in general as well, to changing material. I used to feel that way, but am able to enjoy both styles now.
I see these types of tracks as having been created guide you through an experience of sorts through the way they unfold, with the music and sounds used to be a part of that process.
Track 1, blissful cognition starts with an atmospheric, somewhat dark synthesizer type pad sound that for me, puts me right into a meditative zone.
I am able to enter a meditative state quickly after years of practice, so I am able to feel the different effects of brainwave tracks soon after the track starts in many cases.
With this gamma track, I immediately felt more expanded, meaning the sense of my awareness was extending beyond my body to space around it and beyond. At the same time, part of my awareness moving more deeply inward to what I was feeling physically and emotionally.
The combination with the sounds of the track gave me imagery of stars, planets, as though I was moving through outer space and expanding with it.
The entrance of the guitar on the first track had an abrupt effect on me, but quickly moved things into another direction. My take on this is that it makes a very effective 10 minute quick meditation tracks, and the guitar and buildup at the end can be good for bringing you back to the world if that is how you want to use it. In my case I went onward with the next track.
Of course, there are many subjective day to day factors involved in the specific experiences of any session, but this was a great first step into gamma.
Track 2, part 2 of Blissful Cognition has a similar aesthetic feel to it at the beginning, synthesizer pads and a soundscape that I, for whatever reason, associate with outer space.
A longer track, it moves into a choral type of composition, using two digital voice sounds that move to create different intervals. I found this to be a well paced section, with a good choice of harmony to create an effect without being too active or distracting from the meditative purpose.
The Feeling:
That interesting razor’s edge of feeling physically relaxed, with a certain intensity of focus and clarity remained with me for several hours through the day.
It sustained during a subway ride, where I can often feel more on edge or agitated by the proximity to others, sound, etc. I was listening to an insightful interview during the ride and found myself able to tune in and enjoy it, with a more relaxed attitude to my surroundings.
I really liked the space I was in using this track, and found it kept me in a place that was very useful for a busy day with increased ability to focus and relax.
I was hesitant thinking that Gamma might be so deep that I would be a bit spaced out or impede functioning, but it really had the opposite effect.
These are tracks I will definitely return to, when I am in the right space and am looking for a track with music vs. something static or with nature sounds as with some of the other iAwake material.
Please check out the samples on the site below (scroll down the page) and let us know what you think!