muse meditation headset brain wave detection

If you are beginning to get overwhelmed in life due to the busy schedules, intense work deadlines and full-on family pressures you may benefit from doing some simple meditation to help bring your mind back into a relaxed state.

One device that really helped me deal with the stresses of life as well as being able to get focused on meditation is the Muse brain sensing headband from Interaxon. This little device will keep you in a meditation trance state while your brain relaxes and repairs itself. 

I never really thought meditation could help me deal with life in general. But the more research I have done with my problems with sleeping as a shift worker and the stresses of life, work and family, it just seemed something that I should try out.

Muse Brain-Sensing Headband Review

muse headband connect to the app android

I have been using the newer Muse generation 2 headset for around 6 months now, paired with a Samsung Galaxy S7. This meditation training device has really helped improved my reflection routine to be able to quickly get into that deep meditative state. With regular practice, you can quickly get into that Goldie locks zone in as little as 3 minutes a day, any time, anywhere. Although I usually do a 12-minute session, this is best for me.

With 2 colors currently available white and black, you can choose either the light or the dark side. You can adjust the size as it’s a one size fits all. Even my children who are all under 13 years old have had a go with some interesting results. It comes in a nice storage case which will protect your biofeedback headband. I actually have taken mine to work, and use it during my lunch break at times. Let those creative ideas flow.

Pros

  • Quickly gets you in the deep meditative state, even with no experience.
  • Tracking of your progress on each session.
  • A range of 3rd party Apple and Android apps and games that can be used with the Muse Headband.
  • Can help with treating problems such as depression, stress, and anxiety.
  • Easy to use, and can be shared with the whole family with multiple accounts.
  • Fantastic official app to show your progress in real time.

Cons

  • Slightly expensive but its a one-off cost with amazing features. Well worth the money in my opinion.
  • Needs to have contact to clean skin for it to work well.

Why we need to meditate

Over time your brain will begin to get overloaded with the trials of life. Sometimes we can get a little overloaded and require a timeout. This is when an electronic meditation device can help with resetting your mind.muse headset band

The Muse bio-metric headset is a fantastic tool that gives you accurate, real-time feedback on what’s happening in your brain when you meditate. If you don’t know how to meditate or are having trouble staying focused then this is the one for you.

I had been wanting to use deep meditation to help me sleep. As a shift worker sleeping at odd hours of the day and night, I was starting to make me have really bad mood swings. Waking up without enough sleep was beginning to take its toll.

I tried the Philips wake up alarm clock, and while that has helped a great deal for waking up feeling positive, I was still getting stressed at work. Learning about all the benefits of meditation – such as relaxation, improved mood, and reduced stress, made we want to learn more.

One of the top rated products that I came across to assist me in learning to meditate, was the generation 2 Muse brain sensing headband. This is a product that has been fully tested and reviewed positively by thousands of people young and old. 

Research has shown that by using the Muse app and starting with a short 3-5 minute meditation session will dramatically help you build a strong mind. This is a routine that will greatly improve your stress and anxiety levels. The measurements Muse takes are totally harmless to people and only provide information and details about your general meditation state.muse headband review meditation bio feedback case

This gen 2 biofeedback headset will measure your brain waves, it does this using EEG. (also known as an electroencephalogram.) The Muse headband is a small band that sits easily on your head and measures your brain activity through its special sensors. There are 7 EEG sensors capable of reading 4 channels of data. ­Two on the forehead and two at the top of the ears. With the remaining reference sensors on the forehead.

Because your brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, the muse can measure and interpret some of these signals.

The science behind the Muse headband

Your brain waves are completely different depending on your environment and state of mind. If you are in love or feel anxiety your brain waves will look different through the EEG. The signal your brain outputs look much like a sine wave, such as fast and slow, low and high frequency. As we experience different emotions our waves change.Muse Brain Sensing Headband review meditation made easy

Brain Waves frequency explained

  • INFRA-LOW (<.5HZ)  — Infra-Low brainwaves are also known as Slow Cortical Potentials. They are thought to be the basic cortical rhythms that underline our higher brain functions.
  • Delta Waves – (0.5 – 3 Hz) — Delta brainwaves are a slow and wide frequency.  They happen when you are in a deep, dreamless sleep. Newborns sleep in this stage, adults less so. But are super important for the brain to repair its self. It’s the main source of empathy.
  • Theta Waves – (4 – 7.9 Hz) — Theta brainwaves occur most often in deep dreaming sleep like REM sleep. Theta Waves are also more dominant in deep meditation. This is a state we would all like to achieve.
  • Alpha Waves – (8 – 12 Hz) — Alpha brainwaves are dominant during relaxed quietly flowing thoughts, and in some meditative states. This is the mode your mind is in when daydreaming and watching TV. It’s why we enjoy watching TV so much.
  • Beta Waves – (13– 38 Hz) — The awake state. Beta brainwaves dominate our normal every day waking state. This is when we engage in activities and conversation.
  • Gamma Waves – (38 Hz+) — Gamma brainwaves are the fastest of brain waves. Hyper-alert, good for insights and higher learning. It passes information rapidly, but the mind must be relaxed to process thoughts. Love and Spirituality excel in this state.

No Drugs Required

Any process that changes your perception of life will change your brainwaves. 
But we can also use not so natural chemical interventions, such as medications and recreational drugs. Whenever we alter our brain waves we may feel a boost of euphoria. This is why we can get hooked on some drugs to alter our brain function. Saying that brainwaves training such as meditation is another method of playing around with our brain waves to modify it into making us feel great, and to reset our mind.
Keeping away from drugs and returning to a proven using natural therapy like deep meditation, must surely be better for us as a whole.

Amazing meditation made easy technology 

Your brain is constantly generating electrical signals like the Delta, Beta, Theta, and Gamma waves we talked about earlier on. So when you’re thinking, sleeping or even relaxing. These signals or waves can be detected from outside your head, via special sensitive sensors.

The Muse head-gear uses the same brain sensing neuro-feedback technology that doctors and scientists have used for over a century to detect and measure your brain signals. This is very similar to how a heart monitor can measure and record your pulse.

Muse headband has 7 finely calibrated sensors – Two on the forehead, Two behind the ears and three reference sensors. These are all used to detect and measure the activity of your brain.

  • Muse is your personal meditation assistant to keep you on track.
  • Sometimes your mind is calm and sometimes it’s wandering. Muse will guide you to a calm mind with neurofeedback training with sound.
  • Easy to use just put on the Muse headset, plug-in your earbuds, start the app, and close your eyes. Fully immerse yourself in the sounds of a beach, rain-forest, desert, and others.
  • While you meditate, Muse will measures whether your mind is calm or active, and gives you biofeedback which it will translate that data, into weather noise sounds.
  • When you’re calm, you’ll hear peaceful weather sounds. When your mind wanders, the weather will intensify like a storm. This will guide you back to a calm state. Just concentrate on your breathing. It’s simply an amazing piece of technology.
  • After each session, your data is stored on your phone enabling you to review your data, set goals, and build a deeply rewarding meditation practice that will get better every time.
  • Charge via micro-USB jack, just like most cell phones.

How to tell what version Muse Headband you have

 muse black brainwave monitor Model Number printed inside left earpiece Color of “muse” text outside left earpiece Power Button inside right earpiece Number of USB ports
Muse Released 2014 MU-01 Grey Blank button with no symbol 2
New Muse Released 2016 MU-02 Blue Power symbol appears on the button 1
Where to buy Muse   Get the new Muse from Amazon  

muse meditation headset review

Muse Meditation Biofeedback Device Training FAQ

  • Can I have multiple accounts on Muse app?

You sure can just log out of the app and re-login with another registered user. All your stats will be recorded and updated.

  • I want to record my brain waves without the background music is this possible?

Yes just head over to the Muse developers page and download the SDK this will give you rawer interesting features. There are also some 3rd party apps for the Muse. You can check out all your brain waves like the Alpha. Beta, Delta waves etc with Muse Monitor

  • How can I check the battery life on the Muse Headband

You can check the battery level of your Muse headgear by powering on the Muse and quickly be tapping the power button on your Muse. The LED lights will glow on your headband and will indicate the battery level. The more LED lights that illuminate, the more charge your Muse has.

It should around 3 hours to fully charge the Muse meditation device. A fully charged Muse will give you around 4+ hours run time. This is due to the internal battery being high quality 552030 Lithium Polymer 250mAh 0.925Wh 3.7V Shown in this Muse tear-down.

muse tear down battery specs
Image Becky Stern

You can also see the battery level of your headband during a meditation session – you will find the battery icon at the bottom of the app screen.

  • Does the Muse Headgear require the internet on a smartphone or tablet?

Yes, the Muse app will require the internet first off to download the app from the Android or Apple stores and to originally login and sync your data. After that, it will work without the internet. Bluetooth is all that is required. To re-sync your brainwave history you will need to connect to the muse internet servers.

  • My Muse headband has a bad signal contact connection.

Sometimes the muse headgear will have trouble sensing your brain waves. Even if it’s already comfortable, try pulling or pushing the earpieces in and out. This will give you a better tighter fit for the sensors. Very similar to adjusting a pair of over the ear headphones. Find where you can feel the headband sensors putting a comfortable amount of pressure on your skin, but not too much pressure. As you won’t be able to meditate with your brain being squeezed. The headband shouldn’t be so tight as to be squeezing your ears forward.

If you still don’t have a good enough return signal, try wiping the sensors with a damp rag, this can help establish a connection.

Make sure your skin is clean. Make-up, sunscreen and the heavy buildup of natural oils from your skin, can form an electrical barrier that blocks the brain signals from reaching the sensors. Try wiping off any makeup and natural oils, with a damp cloth.

  • How to pair the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Muse headband with Bluetooth

Muse released the newer meditation headset in 2016 it uses Bluetooth with Low Energy technology to broadcast its availability to nearby devices. As such, pairing the headband with the mobile device is not required. All you need to do is turn the headband on and wait for the device to detect it.

To pair a first gen Muse headband, which was released in 2014 you have to pair the headset with a device using the device’s Bluetooth settings.  This is done by following the steps below.

  1. In the Settings menu of your device, either IOS or Android tap/select Bluetooth.
  2. Put the Muse meditation headband into pairing mode by holding the button down for five to 6 seconds until all five LEDs begin to flash on and off at the same time. Release the button.
  3. Press search for available devices.
  4. After a few seconds Muse will appear in the list of Available Bluetooth devices. Select it.
  5. You may be prompted to accept a pairing request from Muse, select OK..

Wait a few seconds for the pairing handshake process to complete. When it is done, Muse will be added to the list of approved paired devices. It will now auto connect every-time you use your Muse.

  • Can you post the Muse meditation headband to Australia?

Yes, they post all over the world, to buy and post to Australia check out the link below.

 

Check out the official Muse headband meditation help video

How to use the Muse Headband?

First, connect to the app

Begin by connecting your Muse headgear to the app on your mobile phone or tablet via Bluetooth. You will only need to do this the first time. After that, your Muse headset will automatically try to link to the last device it was paired or connected to.

 

Make sure to do the tutorial

The very first time you use Muse electronic meditation device, you’ll be led through an easy tutorial. This demo will teach you how to adjust the headband for a perfect fit. This ensures that the Muse can correctly read your brain wave signals.

Always calibrate the Muse Brain Sensing Headband

Your brain and every other brain in the world are very different. Your day-to-day activities and the environment you are in, will also affect the calibration each day. This is why it is important to calibrate the Muse meditation device before each session. The Muse will take a snapshot of your brain in a natural state. It then uses this snapshot image as a reference to understand your brain signals as you meditate.

Let’s go and meditate

The Muse biofeedback headband will constantly give you feedback about your meditation state in real-time. It does this by translating your brain signals into the sounds of familiar relaxing tones like wind or waves.

As your mind becomes calm and settled, you will hear calm and settled winds or waves. But as your mind is becoming more active the winds will pick up and blow harder. This is a cue to start to relax again and think of nothing but drift off to within yourself.

After a few weeks, you will have trained your body to be able to enter a deep thought meditation state with minimal effort. I found that this device has helped me sleep better and wake up feeling more refreshed. It’s all about reconditioning your brain, and meditation helps to reset all the stresses in life. 

For more information check out the Muse brain sensing headband reviews on Amazon. I’m sure it will change your life for the better, just as it has mine. Not many devices can have a positive effect on your life, but this headset has truly helped me have a whole new outlook on my life in this wonderful huge world.

 

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1 COMMENT

  1. This is an excellent fair and accurate review of the Muse device. I have learned to meditate by using the Muse. I ended up buying them for nearly everyone in the family and they have all raved about how they love it and how it started their meditation practice.

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