The document discusses the phenomenon of "iDoping," which involves listening to specific musical frequencies online that are claimed to simulate the effects of drugs like marijuana. While similar to established practices using binaural beats, there is no scientific evidence that iDoping can reliably induce physical effects. Binaural beats remain experimental and their ability to intoxicate is doubtful, as the brainwaves needed would vary between individuals based on biological conditions. Whether any effects are felt may depend more on a person's expectations and mindset than actual physiological changes from the sounds.

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orget marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine—
traditional ways to get high are being upstaged
by the latest drug from the digital world. The
questionable practice of “iDoping,” or the use
of musical frequencies to simulate the effects
of narcotics, has become a YouTube sensation
that was recently picked up by news stations
across the country.
Before diving into the world of iDoping, it should be noted that
it bears a striking resemblance to another therapeutic practice
using “binaural beats.” It involves playing two tones at different
frequencies (usually low) in each ear respectively. Upon exposure,
the brain detects the atonal amplitudes and interprets the variance
between them into a third, “binaural tone” that rhythmically
ebbs and flows, known as a “frequency following response.” The
predominant effects induced by this activity are the enhancement
of relaxation and/or the decreasing demands of sleep.
iDoping really doesn’t differ too much from this old-school
practice, except for the few preparation nuances seen in some
Youtube videos and the variety of frequencies used. It’s just
another phrase for a discovery that was made more than a century
ago by a physicist named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove.
Since iDoping is really a pop culture version of an already
known physiological phenomenon, the scientific facts must
support the claims of people who are doing it, right? Wrong.
The reality is that binaural beats are still experimental and
theoretical among audiologists and physicists when it comes
to physical effects. Using such tones for aural intoxication can
be very difficult, to say the least. It would require a precise
combination of tones that match certain brainwave patterns, such
as the Delta wave for deep sleep and the Theta wave for dreams.
Not only that, it obviously couldn’t be consistent on a case-to-case
basis since all brains operate under their own bodily conditions
and are not in-tune with each other.
Ultimately, it’s the psychological factor that will determine
its success on a person’s mind. If someone is skeptical of it,
little to no effect will occur—although the opposite might occur
for someone with a positive mindset. In other words, you can
convince yourself that it’s truly working or you can view it as a
placebo.
iDoping
Is this digital drug real or fake?
By Derin A. Richardson, CSUF
The reality is that binaural beats are
still experimental and theoretical
when it comes to physical effects.