The Brain Evolution System is a binaural beats meditation system.

This makes it a competitor to some other systems that I’ve reviewed, such as Centerpointe and the Meditation Program.

I got sent a review copy of Brain Evolution in early November 2008 and have listened to each of the six CDs (obviously not for the recommended month per CD!) in the set.

As you may know, my previous favorite binaural beats system is the Meditation Program. And that’s still the case – but you may prefer some aspects of the Brain Evolution System.

About the Brain Evolution System…

That said, there are a number of points in favor of the Brain Evolution system:

• Each CD is only 30 minutes long. This is actually a big advantage if you’re short of time and find that the hour taken up by the other systems is simply too long to set aside.
• The background sound is typically heavy rainfall. Sometimes there are church bells as well. And sometimes the rainfall turns into a full blown storm. That means if you’re unfortunate enough to be afraid of thunderstorms, this isn’t the program for you. But if you find that the gentle sounds of the other programs sends you to sleep, the Brain Evolution System will almost certainly ensure that you’re alert enough to get the full benefit of the meditation.

The Brain Evolution system also comes with a “brain food supplement” called Acuity. You’ll get a one month pot when you purchase the system and the option to continue receiving it each month. The supplement is claimed to help boost your mind power and the ingredients list includes:

• L-Glutamine, one of the few amino acids that can get transferred from your bloodstream into your brain.
• DHA, a fatty acid that is useful to your brain.
• Ginkgo Biloba, which can help with brain function (but if you are taking anything for your blood circulation, check with your doctor first)
• Various other herbs designed to help boost your brain power

The other good news about the Brain Evolution System is that – unlike the main competitors – they offer a free 21 day trial. When you take out the trial, you’ll get access to the first level of the Brain Evolution System and you can listen to it for three weeks to check that it’s right for you.

So if you’ve never tried a binaural beats meditation system before, it’s well worth checking out the free trial. This will give you a good idea of how well binaural beats work even if, like me, you’re not totally happy with the noisy rainfall that’s used in this product to disguise the binaural beats.

So, what’s my verdict?

I like the idea of binaural beats meditating. It’s easy and doesn’t require any complicated preparation.

Personally, I’m staying with the Meditation Program for my regular meditation.

But if you find yourself drifting off to sleep with that system or if you find that your schedule doesn’t allow you the luxury of an hour a day to listen to a meditation track, then the Brain Evolution System is certainly worth examining.

The choice is yours – this is a top quality product and you can sign up for the free 21 day trial so you don’t have to take my word for it!

And if you’re still not sure, I’ve done a comparison chart below covering the three different systems. I think I’ve got all the main points but if there’s anything I’ve missed, please let me know.

	Brain Evolution System	Meditation Program	Centerpointe Holosync
Session length	30 minutes	60 minutes (*)	60 minutes (*)
Technology	3-Point Dynamic Entrainment Audio Process: binaural beats, isochronic tones, temporal brainwave entrainment	Binaural beats	Binaural beats
Number of levels	6	8	12
Demo available?	21 day free trial	Listen to sample online	Demo CD
Headphones required?
Silent subliminals?			After introductory level
Time to complete program	6 months	8 weeks	Several years
Soundtrack	Natural soundscapes	Specially composed meditation music	Natural sounds, mainly rainfall and temple bells
Support	Online support sessions, regular newsletters, support team access	Online support guide, 24/7 support service	Comprehensive support materials, regular newsletters, hotline access to support team
Guarantee length	7 months	12 months	12 months
Cost	$297 Payable in 3 monthly installments	$85 for downloadable version $125 for CD version	$179 for first level additional levels at various prices according to the deal you take
Payment includes all levels?
Retreats			at extra cost
	Brain Evolution System	Meditation Program	Centerpointe Holosync

* Some early sessions take less time but the majority are this length

Click here to get hold of the Brain Evolution System.

I’ve been using Centerpointe Holosync for some years now and have reached their Purification level 2, which means I’m about half way through their program. Most people who know me say that I’ve improved for the better over the years I’ve been listening to it.

It’s a good system – I wouldn’t have been using it for so long if it wasn’t – but I’m always open to new ideas.

Recently, I came across the Meditation Program (look at that link but don’t buy it from there. I’ll explain why later). It makes some pretty bold claims. So let’s examine some of them:

They say that Centerpointe is mind-numbing, dis-engaging and outdated. Mind-numbing and dis-engaging I’d agree with. The first CD track is 30 minutes of rainfall with occasional chimes, the second CD track is 30 minutes of rainfall. But then you’re supposed to be dropping down to lower and lower levels of brain activity, so I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing. After all, the aim of Centerpointe is to drop you down to deeper brain levels. It’s not aimed at the top 30 charts. Besides, I’ve been listening to these CDs for years now and find them kind of relaxing. So I guess that’s a kind of “horses for courses” criticism.

Moving on to the outdated claim. As a layman, I’m not particularly qualified to decide on that. But Holosync is, by Centerpointe’s own admission, a 20 year old technology. So when it was “born” the CD had only recently been invented, cell (or mobile) phones were just about “luggable”, the iPod wasn’t even a twinkle in Apple’s eye and your average PC came with a 5.25″ floppy disk and, if you were rich, a hard disk that might hold one low resolution picture taken by a modern digital camera. So the odds are that, yes, Meditation Program’s claim that Holosync is outdated is quite likely. Of course, outdated doesn’t mean “doesn’t work”, just that there could be something newer and better available.

Certainly the Meditation Program is quicker than Centerpointe. The Purification level CD I’ve got says that it will take a year or more for me to complete just the current level I’m on. I’d agree and, from past experience, it would probably take me personally nearer to 18 months to get through the level.

Meditation Program only has 8 levels. Each one can be completed in around a week, maybe stretching to 10 days per level if you want to take it easy. I’m currently on my third week and listening to level 3, so I’d agree with that timescale.

The backing sounds are more varied. There’s music swirling around. And the music changes after levels 1 and 2 to something different on 3 and 4. So you won’t get bored.

The binaural beats are a lot more obvious on Meditation Program. A lot more obvious. With Centerpointe, they’re barely noticeable. With Meditation Program they’re very obvious. I don’t know whether this is good or bad. My guess is that it makes no difference – your brain will notice them whichever way they are presented.

Centerpointe allows subliminal messages to be encoded on the CDs once you get past the initial level. Meditation Program doesn’t offer this. Whether this matters to you depends on your view on subliminal messages. But it could be fairly irrelevant when you look at the next point.

The full Centerpointe program will take years to complete and at a shade under $200 for the first level and then a dozen more levels to go through over the years, it’s going to set you back quite a lot of cash.

The Meditation Program costs $125 on CD or $85 to download. The downloadable version is cheaper when you buy it through the discounted links later on in this review. It will take you around 8 weeks to complete if you fast track it, up to about 8 months if you want to be more relaxed in your progress. Either way, there will be plenty of cash left over to buy subliminal CDs to your heart’s content.

So, what’s my overall verdict?

Well, although I really like Centerpointe and have done for years, I’ve moved across to the Meditation Program for my daily listening routine. Partly because I’m impatient and want to reach the deepest level sooner than 2014, which is the absolute earliest I’d reach it with Centerpointe. Rather than some time late February or early March this year, which is when I’ll reach it with  Meditation Program.

One other thing to mention. Centerpointe is CD only, so it arrives through the post. Meditation Program has the option of being sent on CD (you’ll get all 8 levels when you order) or you can download it. If you opt to download, make sure you’re on a fast connection. If you’re on dialup or slow broadband, it will be quicker to order by post. The files are b-i-g. About 800Mb.

But if you’re on a good internet connection, save yourself some extra cash by using one of these two discounted order links:

Meditation program, discounted download

Those links will take you straight through to a specially discounted price of $67 (a bit like some sites offer a place to put in a coupon code).

Whichever method you choose, I think you’ll notice a positive difference in yourself.

Centerpointe is a high tech way of meditating:

Simply place the Centerpointe CD in your player, put on the headphones, sit back and listen.

The Centerpointe system works by playing two slightly different tones, one into each ear. This is disguised by the natural sound of rainfall, which makes for a relaxing meditation session.
There are two tracks on the CD you’ll receive. When you first get them, you’re advised to just play the first track. I strongly recommend that you follow this suggestion!

Over time, you’ll move up levels in the Centerpointe routine. I’ve been using this system for several years now and I can now “tell” when I need to move up a level. Initially, I just followed the instructions that come with the CDs.

I play my Centerpointe CD last thing at night (some friends can’t do it this way as they can’t sleep afterwards, it’s horses for courses). I find that I get very vivid dreams when I change levels.

In the years that I’ve been using Centerpointe, I’ve become a lot more relaxed and more outward going. Friends who only see me a few times a year notice the difference much more than people I meet on a day to day basis.

I strongly recommend Centerpointe as far and away the easiest meditation routine I’ve ever come across. The only drawback is that you need to spare 30 – 60 minutes most days to listen to the CD. If you can’t spare that sort of time, then this program isn’t for you. But if you’re committed enough to make a truly dramatic difference in your life, then sign up to Centerpointe today!

And if you’re still not sure, take up their offer of a free demo CD…

Matt Clarkson’s “Secrets of Meditation, Health and Happiness” comes on 4 audio CD’s.

The first CD gives an overview of meditation. In this, Matt discusses the main reasons that meditation is beneficial. He also looks at the myth that meditation is something that takes years to master – this isn’t true and he looks at why even meditating for just a few minutes a day is easy for us to achieve and is beneficial to the way we live our lives. Matt also explodes several other myths about meditation. He gives a clear, simple explanation of meditation and the benefits of doing even a handful of minutes meditation each day.

CD 1 of Secrets of Meditation also looks at the different meditation techniques that we have available to us. He explains how we can become distracted whilst we are meditating and that distraction whilst meditating is perfectly normal and that all we do when we get distracted whilst meditating is to gradually bring our focus back to the meditation. Being distracted whilst meditating doesn’t mean we’ve failed!

On the second CD of Secrets of Meditation, Matt discusses energy levels. Our energy level changes from day to day, even minute to minute. Keeping track of your energy levels is vitally important. He then goes on to show us the easiest way to keep our energy levels. He discusses diets and other things that can help but says that breathing properly is the most important thing we can do. This is why Matt concentrates on breathing meditations – having done some of the exercises, I can confirm that by following the simple breathing meditations I’ve quickly and easily increased my energy supply. Just by doing something we all regularly do – breathing!

But there are different types of breathing. Sure, we all breathe. But there are ways that you can breathe that will help you considerably. These different techniques are discussed in detail with some simple breathing techniques that you can do to change your state quickly and easily. Matt coaches you in these different techniques – you’ll be surprised at how simple they are. He also gives you some simple techniques so that you can practice breathing exercises safely – it’s weird to think that simple breathing can cause dizziness if we’re not ready for it!

Matt then carries on with a number of techniques that you can apply to manifest good things into your life. These ideas on affirmations and making them come true are worth the price of this course alone.

CD3 of Secrets of Meditation has some guided meditations for you. After a brief introduction, you’ll get 4 different breathing meditations that you can play whenever you want.

Finally, there’s a bonus CD with some relaxing music that you can use for your meditation sessions or simply to unwind.

If you’re new to meditation or you want to find out how breathing meditation could be good for you, I highly recommend Matt’s “Secrets of Meditation, Health and Happiness“.

If you’re not sure whether or not to go for the course, why not sign up for the free meditation course, delivered to your email address. Again, it’s recommended and you’ll learn a lot without having to spend a penny unless you want to.

Click here to get hold of your copy of Secrets of Meditation.