CAN Binaural beats alter someone's mind state?

Since the idea was proposed back in the 70s the topic will not go away. In recent times virtually the same story has been covered by The Washington Post (2010), Australia's news.com.au (2010), the Seattle Times (2010) and now it's back in the United Arab Emirates' Khaleej Times this week.

The idea is that two tones are played, one to the left headphone and one to right and the difference between them actually changes the brainwaves of the listener causing an altered state of mind. According to the Seattle Times article, in 2010 the i-Doser software was the second most downloaded from CNet.

The Khaleej Times claims there is rising concern in the Middle East over the drug-like powers of the audio, although one in the article is really that concerned. This is probably because no one has reported being affected...in any way...at all - the type of non-story that The Onion so loves to parody.

However, the story also appeared this week in The Saudi Gazette and this time the sources were more forthright in their views: “The listener will feel ecstasy when listening to these digital drugs. After that, he will experience a hearing loss as a result of the pressure from the sound waves," said Basem Al-Madani, assistant professor in the College of Computer Science and Engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

In contrast, the Deputy General of the Anti-Drug Unit Maj. Gen. Abdullah Abdulrahman Al-Jameel effectively said the whole thing was a scam.

So who is right? Well it depends if you believe several Youtube videos showing people's i-Doser induced orgasms. Macho Zapp may be delving into the topic more fully...