February 26, 2022
February 26, 2022
On this podcast episode, I was joined by Dan Clark and Kevin Woods, CEO and Director of Science, respectively, at Brain.fm.
Dan Clark previously worked as a website and app developer but switched careers when he came across Brain.fm. After his first session, he purchased an account, and after his first week of use, he knew he needed to be part of the company. After calling them a whopping twelve times, he was finally given a job and offered to work the first month for free. Fast forward a few years, and Dan is now the CEO of Brain.fm and recently made 2019's Forbes 30 under 30.
Kevin JP Woods, Ph.D. is the Director of Science at Brain.fm. He received a doctorate in auditory neuroscience from Harvard for work performed at MIT on how hearing in complex scenes is aided by attention and memory. Raised in Singapore and Hawaii, he enjoys playing guitar and being in the ocean.
Brain.fm uses non-invasive neurotechnology that can shift you into an altered or elevated state of consciousness, with no plant medicines, nootropics, or drugs required. The technology used involves patented key processes for creating functional music, including technology to elicit strong neural phase-locking—allowing populations of neurons to engage in various kinds of coordinated activity—and technology to remove distraction in sound. In other words, Brain.fm uses uniquely designed music that helps you do what you need to do.
Scientists at Brain.fm have recently worked with collaborators at academic institutions to run experiments, looking at the effects of their technology on the brain using fMRI and EEG, as well as running large-scale behavioral tests. In this podcast, you'll hear from Dan and Kevin on what their new studies have found.
You can click here and use code ben20 to save 20% on a subscription to Brain.fm.
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-What is Brain.fm and how Dan got involved with the company…05:40
- Made website for martial arts dojo which transformed its business
- Income vs. impact
- Find the magic zone where you can crush it, and work around that (flow state)
- Discovered Brain.fm and immediately wanted to be part of it; eventually became controlling owner of the company
-The science behind Brain.fm and what differentiates it from other focus apps…13:40
- Podcast on Brain.fm:
- Application: begin productivity immediately
- How to stack Brain.fm with other tech:
- “Non-invasive neuromodulation” – guiding the brain states without drugs
- “Neural entrainment” – rhythms in the brain reflect the rhythms in the world
- Repetitive use
- BrainTap
- Art vs. Functional music
- Context-dependent learning
-How the Brain.fm music tracks are developed…24:00
- Pieces are much longer to avoid track changes
- AI creates variations on human compositions
- Aptitude modulation
-How Brain.fm is different from binaural beats…36:13
- Binaural beats produce “neural synchrony”
- Depth of amplitude modulation is limited by the brain stem
- Binaural beats can only be used with headphones
- Binaural beats has nothing to do with music
-Slow-wave sleep and long-term memory…38:56
- Slow waves are about the same speed as waves on the beach
- Pilot sleep study found greater spindle activity
-About the “focus mode” on Brain.fm…41:55
- May help to combat ADHD
- Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART)
- Sustained Responses to Tasks test
- A wandering mind leads to fatigue and mistakes
- Placebo control: with science track versus without
-Why it's not advisable to combine Brain.fm with popular music…50:54
- All Brain.fm music is currently done in-house
- The majority of popular music is made to distract, or grab attention
- The goal is to make “background” music that stays out of the listener's consciousness
-How to maximize the Brain.fm experience…55:40
- Neural effect level
- Re-Timer light therapy glasses
- Blue light blocking glasses (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
- Aftershokz bone-conducting headphones
-And much more…
Upcoming Events:
- Six Senses Retreat Portugal (March 7 – 11, 2022)
- Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldlife.com/calendar
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Resources from this episode:
- Brain.fm (use code ben20 to save 20%)
– Podcast:
- A Groundbreaking New Way To Combine Artificial Intelligence, Sound & Music To Boost Creativity, Focus, Sleep & More.
- How You Can Use Sound And Music To Change Your Brain Waves With Laser Accuracy And Achieve Huge Focus And Performance Gains.
– Other Resources:
- Apollo (15% discount automatically applied at checkout)
- Hapbee
- JOOVV (use code BEN to save $50 off your first order)
- Vielight
- BrainTap
- Re-Timer Light Therapy Glasses
- RaOptics Blue Light Blocking Glasses (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
- Aftershokz Bone Conducting Headphones
- EEG Analysis in Brain.fm
- Algorithmic Music Modulates Oscillatory Markers of Sustained Attention
- Context-Dependent Learning
- Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART)
Episode sponsors:
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Hi… have there been any studies on toddlers sleep using the sleep music….would it be safe to try this on a 2 year old? Thank you!
If I explain it correctly, there was a book you mentioned in one of your podcast episodes about a woman who talked with people near the end of life and gathered commonalities about what was most important to them or what they’d do differently etc. If you know what I’m talking about, I’d love it if you could remind me of the book title. I’ve re-listened to some episodes and searched the internet but just can’t find it. Thanks so much!
This is the book you might be talking about. I hope it helps.
All the best
https://www.amazon.com/Top-Five-Regrets-Dying-Transformed/dp/1401956009/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?crid=1QG3FST9GGOUQ&keywo
Dan! Love Brain.fm but I am praying you all add Siri support soon. I would love to get some voice control going for my deep work sessions. I hate tapping on my phone screen and love having Siri do things for me :) would be super cool with Brain.fm!
I hate to be a pain, but I subscribed without entering my code – I thought the option to submit the code would populate, but I didn’t see it. Any way to have it applied? Sorry again.
What is the cost?
You can get the ben20 discount, 20% off your Brain.fm membership by using this link:
https://my.brain.fm/signup?couponId=ben20&des…
Hey just a comment – I was having similar issues applying the ‘ben20’ code but it appeared to be a ‘mobile device’ issue. When I tried Ben’s link from desktop it worked no problem. However on a mobile device, there wasn’t a place to put the discount code.
Thanks for suggesting this Monica! You can also try using "ben20" (all lowercase)
I am being told the coupon code BEN20 is not valid. Anything I can do to fix that, or is it on your/their end?
Hey Ramon,
Here is an updated link!
https://my.brain.fm/signup?couponId=ben20&description=ben20%20discount%20applied%20-%20save%20%2410%21&yearlyPrice=39.99&name=20%25%20off%20brain.fm
Hi Ramon, the code is case sensitive and should be ben20 (all lowercase)
Loved this and will be subscribing soon! I didn’t see a place to put in the Ben20 promo code when paying though.
Hey Kris,
You can redeem the promo code here: https://my.brain.fm/signup?couponId=ben20&description=ben20%20discount%20applied%20-%20save%20%2410%21&yearlyPrice=39.99&name=20%25%20off%20brain.fm
Reach out to [email protected] if you have any additional questions, we’re happy to assist!
I LOVED this episode! As a biopsych nerd, this was like candy to my neocortex! My question is, and I’m sure you’re anticipating it…Does the EMF from the wifi earphones negate the benefits? Thank you kindly.
After hearing this episode I decided to revisit the app… I found the “beats “ to be actually quite distracting. But I like the theories driving the music…. Too each his own. But I’ll revisit it again in the future
Guys great discussion. How does this compare to NuCalm and their tech? Ben I’ve been using that lately as you’ve referenced that company many times in the past. Thanks again!