The Sound Oasis S650: A Review
 The Sound Oasis S650 is a sound therapy gadget I've been using recently to create a soothing atmosphere to sleep at night. Switch it on when you go to bed, and the relaxation music and sound effects guide you into an easy, deeply relaxing sleep.
The S650 has 12 different tracks, ranging from relaxing sound effects like Ocean Surf, to meditation music like Dream Echoes.
You simply set the timer to fade out after 30, 60, or 90 minutes - although I am always asleep by then! As such, the Sound Oasis S650 is an excellent sleep aid.
What is Sound Therapy?
Sound therapy is a relatively new technology that uses relaxation music and sound effects for various lifestyle benefits including:
- sleep enhancement and insomnia relief
- deep mental and physical relaxation
- enhanced meditation and visualizations
- relief of stress and anxiety
- relief of tinnitus
- relief of night terrors
- increased energy, focus and performance
I have also begun using the Sound Oasis S650 for meditation and Wake Induce Lucid Dreams. It helps to instantly calm my "mind chatter" when I close my eyes to sleep, and allows me to focus on visualizations guided by the music.
 I'm already a big fan of brainwave entrainment to induce lucid dreams and other altered states of awareness - but that does entail wearing headphones. If I'm after simple musical relaxation or meditation, this is a great alternative. There is no need to focus your mind if you don't want to; the music does that for you.
Another major benefit I've noticed is the elimination of night terrors. These occur in some people as they pass through different stages of Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep, and become stressed or disturbed. The result is you find yourself leaping out of bed shouting, citing hallucinogenic visions in the bedroom. It has nothing to do with dreams or lucid dreaming, but instead is a likely result of repressed anxiety in the waking world. Fortunately, the best cure I have found is to enter sleep in a mentally and physically relaxed state to start with. The Sound Oasis S650 definitely seems to do a good job of that; I can report deep, peaceful sleep since I began using it.
The Sound Oasis - Meditation Music
The S650 is a very popular sound therapy tool. The sound quality is excellent - it is possibly the best natural sound conditioner on the market today.
The recordings are clinically proven and created by Dr Lee Bartel, an internationally acclaimed music and health expert. Dr Bartel has helped millions of people sleep easier, relax better and think more clearly.
The Sound Oasis S650 comes programmed with six relaxation music tracks formulated by Dr Bartel, including:
Energy Chimes - a slowed-down chorus of crickets resonating in beta brainwave frequencies with slow moving chimes. This combination creates an atmosphere of a relaxing summer evening on the deck, but with an inherent beta energizing effect, promoting a focused state of mind.
Tranquility - the calming and delicately rhythmic sound therapy of a xylophone combined with alpha brainwave entrainment to achieve deep relaxation.
 Alpha Clouds - a soothing harp activates alpha brainwave patterns to promote a healthy and enjoyable state of relaxation. This works great as either meditation music or a natural sleep aid.
Sleep Surf - is based on the Ocean Surf sound therapy with musical pulsations in the delta brainwave range. This has a familiar sound which I find great for meditation and practicing Wake Induce Lucid Dreams.
Delta Voyage - features rhythmic white noise with dense delta frequency entrainment to coax your mind into a restful and rejuvenating sleep. I find this track mysterious - haunting but in a nice way!
Dream Echoes - presents melodies with low delta frequency entrainment to encourage deep, restorative sleep.
The Sound Oasis - Relaxation Sound Effects
The Sound Oasis S650 also comes with six authentic digital recordings made by the world's foremost nature recorder. Take a peek:
Ocean Surf - provides a calm rhythm that helps you drift off to sleep or create a relaxing oceanside environment. I love this track. I actually live about 50 meters from the sea in New Zealand and on nights when the tide is out (half of the time), I find I miss the soothing sounds of the waves lapping at the shore. Ocean Surf is the perfect replacement - with the benefit that you can turn up the volume!
Gentle Rain - a gentle rainfall provides a peaceful setting for relaxation and sleep. The shower sound is particularly good at masking higher toned background sounds. This sound therapy track reminded me of Holosync's Awakening Prologue, without the gongs. It is great for focus and visualizations as you fall asleep, particularly if you're aiming for a Wake Induced Lucid Dream.
Stream - a rippling mountain stream helps you unwind and creates an excellent background sound. Lower in frequency than Gentle Rain, this track is more mesmerizing at a low volume in the background as you drift asleep.
White Noise - the thing I like about White Noise is that it can sound like anything. This particular track sounds most like a cascading waterfall, good for visualizations or simply masking unwanted noise from other rooms. It can also sound like rain, rivers or rushing wind - it all depends on your mindset!
Woodlands - this is probably the most serene recording on the Sound Oasis S650, perhaps due to the absence of water sounds. You'll hear peaceful birdsong fading in and out, helping to create vivid visualizations of a secluded forest. I like listening to this on cold, dark days and putting myself in another world.
Thunderstorm - most people relish the sound of thunder; there's just something magical and energetic to it. This track is both exhilarating and soothing, bringing the sound of distant thunder as gentle rain falls on a lake. My two dogs go crazy barking when they hear real thunder - but this serene sound effect puts us all into a calm, peaceful sleep!
Final Thoughts
I've been listening to the Sound Oasis S650 every night for several weeks now and am pleased to report that none of the tracks get old. I tend to listen to a different one each night, depending on my mood. Going to sleep in silence just isn't the same anymore! Happily, my partner finds this brand of sound therapy very relaxing too, so we both benefit from faster, easier sleep.
Other sound cards are available if you want to expand your collection. These include Ear Therapy, Spa Retreat, Nature Journey, and Sleep Sounds for Baby. Each features 12 more meditation music tracks for your Sound Oasis S650.
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