Calming the Amygdala with sound -- BAUD device

[TJ_Fitz]

Thanks for sharing your experience! What you're doing seems like a turbo-charged version of the emotional integration work I do with expressive writing. I use writing to discover and investigate thoughts and feelings that I've repressed, i.e. things that are still in my subconscious mind but not in my conscious awareness. Unfortunately, after doing this for a few years, I have to wait until they start to show up a little bit through irritability and other uncomfortable feelings before I can start digging in and working on them. This device seems like a way to force those unresolved issues to come to the surface.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Sorry, one other question for you, @Forebearance. What functional improvements have you observed? For example, do you react less to mold, are you able to walk further or spend more time away from home in a day, etc.

I got in touch with the guy there and found out that there's a chiropractor in my area who has/uses a BAUD in practice, so I plan on calling for an appointment.

 

[Forebearance]

So far, I have noticed an improvement in my handwriting and a gradual decrease in my excess fat. Also I have had to cut back on some supplements, like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iodine.

So not many functional improvements yet. All the detoxing I've been doing is pretty debilitating. But I don't know if this therapy would cause everyone to detox. What would happen if a thin person with ME/CFS tried it?

I hope you have success in trying this! Would you please let me know how it goes for you? It would be really interesting to hear some other people's experiences.

 

[Remy]

I hope you have success in trying this! Would you please let me know how it goes for you? It would be really interesting to hear some other people's experiences.

I finally paid off my last biohacking device so the BAUD is next on my list! I am excited too.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

All the detoxing I've been doing is pretty debilitating. But I don't know if this therapy would cause everyone to detox. What would happen if a thin person with ME/CFS tried it?

I hope you have success in trying this! Would you please let me know how it goes for you? It would be really interesting to hear some other people's experiences.

I'm a fairly slender guy myself, so I probably don't have a lot of accumulated toxins. I will probably have a different experience. When/if we buy it, I will certainly share my experience here.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

The chiropractor in my area who uses the BAUD charges $65 for one in-office treatment, or $300 to rent the device for a week. Doesn't seem like a good deal to me, so I'm going to pass. I've written to ask how the device differs from a binaural beats generator.

 

[Remy]

The chiropractor in my area who uses the BAUD charges $65 for one in-office treatment, or $300 to rent the device for a week. Doesn't seem like a good deal to me, so I'm going to pass. I've written to ask how the device differs from a binaural beats generator.

That seems like a TERRIBLE deal to me!

 

[TJ_Fitz]

That seems like a TERRIBLE deal to me!

Yeah, renting for 60% of purchase price? No thanks.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I just ordered a BAUD. @Forebearance, how long did it take for yours to arrive? For $15US in shipping and handling, I hope they sent it priority.

 

[Forebearance]

It arrived quickly. But then I'm in Nebraska and the company is in Kansas.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Utah here, so it shouldn't be much slower.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

My BAUD arrived today. My first impression on handling it was that, for something so expensive, it's very cheaply made. Once I started using it, the first impression was confirmed. The housing is flimsy. The battery compartment is difficult to open, and doesn't seem like it will hold up after many openings. The knobs are a bit jiggly, probably because they're mounted on a flimsy housing. The volume knobs, rather than giving you a smooth increase, cause sudden, discreet jumps in volume as you turn them. I'm disappointed that there are two separate volume knobs rather than one for volume and one for balance, but I suppose that if the balance shifted in jumps like the volume did, it wouldn't have been an improvement.

I agree with @Forbearance that the minimum volume was a bit too loud, but I was able to manage it. It seemed like the volume decreased as the frequency increased, but that could be a function of my hearing profile (which isn't bad at all).

The process of tuning in to the right base and beat frequencies was quite challenging. It's going to take some practice to get the hang of that. I'm been a knot of anxiety all day, I guess in anticipation of arrival of the device and worrying about whether I'll be able to figure out how to use it, whether it will be effective, and whether I wasted a lot of money on this thing.

I'll continue posting my experiences here.

 

[Forebearance]

Thank you for sharing that, TJ!

It's kind of comforting to me to know that you also find it challenging to tune. Maybe it is something about people with ME/CFS that makes it more challenging for us.

At least you know the generic settings to use in case you can't tune it! I hope that it will do something good for you.

 

[Remy]

I'm been a knot of anxiety all day, I guess in anticipation of arrival of the device and worrying about whether I'll be able to figure out how to use it, whether it will be effective, and whether I wasted a lot of money on this thing.

Is it awful that I am glad I have company in feeling this way too around new devices/treatments/etc??? Maybe I will just hope we both get over it instead!

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Is it awful that I am glad I have company in feeling this way too around new devices/treatments/etc??? Maybe I will just hope we both get over it instead!

Nah, not awful. It's a pretty natural response. It probably helps us be cautious about how we use our very limited resources. Plus the other side of the anxiety coin is excitement. Physically, anxiety and excitement/anticipation are the same, it's just the state of mind that's different.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I did a session with the BAUD on Monday 12/3, another on Tuesday 12/4, and I just finished a third today (Saturday 12/8). I've definitely had a flare-up this week, but then, that's to be expected: I went to the dentist for a cleaning on Tuesday (during which the hygenist scraped an exposed root with her cleaning tool), then took my wife's car to the shop for an alignment on Wednesday, and have had a stressful and overtaxing week on the whole. I'm sure I would have flared up without using the BAUD.

Here is my email to questions@baudenergetics.com:

Hi, my BAUD arrived today, and I'm looking forward to what it can do for me. I discovered the BAUD on a forum for chronic fatigue syndrome, which I have, and have purchased the device to use in treating this condition. I've read some articles about using the BAUD to treat acute trauma, and I've read some of the article, "CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: ARE THEY ALIKE?" I'm encouraged by what I read, but the article lacks specifics. I understand basically how to use the device for acute trauma, but how do I proceed when there is no acute trauma to deal with? Whatever trauma I've suffered was chronic/complex, and there simply aren't specific memories I can call up while treating myself.

Thank you!
TJ _______

Ps: The volume knobs seem to change the volume in chunks (like a cell volume volume switch), rather than smoothly, and that makes for a rather jolting experience when adjusting the volume. Also, the case is pretty flimsy, the knobs can be wiggled a bit, and the battery cover is difficult to open. I would like to see higher build/component quality in such a costly device.

Here is the reply from Frank Lawlis (who invented the BAUD):

Hello TJ,

Firstly, if there’s an issue with your unit, like loose knobs, then we should get you a replacement. Let’s define “loose”, though: if the top of the knob moves more than 3/32”, then we should replace the unit.

Yes, we would like to have a more modern unit, but the investment would be significant. Our volume is low; thus, we have not been able to justify that investment to date.

As for the volume, the volume increase by steps is by design. There is a specific aspect of the algorithm that uses the volume level. We chose a digital interpretation which has resulted in the steppes increase in volume.

Finally, and most importantly, using the Baud. The key to the Baud’s effectiveness is knowing what stimulus to which you desire to change your emotional response. That is the key to all the videos and instruction: what is it that causes anxiety, for example?

Once you have identified that element, then you focus your energy around a frequency or time associated with that stimulus. Knowing this enables you to execute the documented protocol. Knowing this is the most difficult aspect of applying the Baud.

Is this helpful?

Thanks!
TF

His explanation about the volume steppes being needed by an algorithm sounds hokey to me. Frankly, I think they're just using a digital volume control instead of an analog one to cut corners and costs.

Here is my last reply:

Ok, thanks for the clarifications. The knob jiggle seems to be within that tolerance.

Regarding the volume steppes, people with differential hearing loss may have difficulty getting the same subjective volume in both ears. Perhaps you could use a single digital volume control with an analog balance knob in future versions.

I will work with the unit and see if it's helpful.

So far, I haven't observed any improvements from using the device. The noise it produces is effective at evoking a modest stress response, but so far, I haven't been able to tune the disrupter knob (which controls the binaural beat frequency) to produce the significant reduction in stress, which is what is supposed to happen. I've been able detect only a tiny reduction in certain frequencies. At the end of the session, my ears are ringing for several minutes after removing the earbuds.

I'm going to give it a few more tries, but I'm doubtful that I will keep it. $500 is a lot to spend on something that works this "well".

 

[Forebearance]

Thank you so much for the report, TJ. I really value hearing what other people experience with this thing.

It worries me that your ears are ringing after using it. Please don't hurt your hearing! Have you tried using the on-ear headphones instead?

Also, have you tried using it on the symptoms of pain or fatigue?

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Thank you so much for the report, TJ. I really value hearing what other people experience with this thing.

It worries me that your ears are ringing after using it. Please don't hurt your hearing! Have you tried using the on-ear headphones instead?

Also, have you tried using it on the symptoms of pain or fatigue?

I don't THINK it's loud enough to cause damage. Maybe it's just a residual? Kind of like how if you stare at a high-contrast image for a while, you'll see the inverted image as a ghost when you look away. Only with sound.

I don't know if I can use it for a targeted symptom. So far, I've had very little success getting the frequency to resonate with anything, and I've experimented across the range. As I said before, I've had good success with therapeutic writing/emotional integration work, so it may be that I've already addressed the kind of stuff this device can work on: for example, I had an acute trauma a few years ago in which I was threatened and assaulted by a roommate; it took me several attempts, but I finally cleaned up that trauma earlier this year through this emotional integration work, no therapist or device required.

Perhaps if I'd bought this thing 4 years ago (before I started writing), I would have gotten something out of it, but that's still questionable. I think I just need a different approach, AND I need to remember that there is a physical component of this condition that won't be fixed by emotional healing.

Question for you, Forbearance: do you think you putting on the extra weight had emotional causes? Some people believe that excess body fat might be held as a sort of protective barrier. If you were to put those emotional causes to rest, the excess fat would no longer be needed and could then be shed. Just a theory I've read about.

 

[Forebearance]

Well, i'm glad that you've been able to do so much emotional healing already. That sounds great.

I'm aware of the phenomenon of excess body fat as an emotional protective barrier, yes. In my case, I think that it's my body's way of storing toxins that it is unable to excrete. My ability to detox seems to have been very affected by ME/CFS, and it wasn't super good to begin with.

 

[Forebearance]

I decided to take a break from BAUD therapy for a while, because I need to be well enough to travel over the Christmas holidays. It has also been an opportunity to see if I feel any improvements once the symptoms of detoxing have had a chance to fade. Hopefully I'll be able to tell if it has been worth it to go through all this.

I did 12 BAUD therapy sessions over a time of 4 months.
It's now been 4 weeks since I last did a session. Here are two things I notice:

There has been no backsliding. The fat that melted off has stayed off. In fact, it seems to still be gradually melting off. My handwriting is still good.

I think I am stronger. I have been able to use my Simply Fit board longer than ever before, and I am less tired and sore afterwards than in the past.

So hmmm, maybe it has done something for me. I will see how the next few weeks go while I travel and celebrate the holidays and stuff, and then I will re-assess.