A study on the Global Drug Survey 2021 has raised questions on the phenomenon of binaural beats in audio files being consumed as “digital drugs” capable of “eliciting mental and emotional responses” akin to psychoactive drugs. “We’re starting to see digital experiences defined as drugs, but they could also be seen as complementary practices alongside drug use,” said Dr. Monica Barratt from RMIT, the lead author for the study. Binaural beats occur when an individual is exposed to two similar tones of slightly different frequencies at each of their ears, the brain then creates an illusioned third tone in response. The beat has been claimed to allow users to embody the “experience of psychoactive drugs or to elicit specific cognitive or emotional states,” especially giving users a therapeutic experience, mainly in terms of reduced anxiety or sleep induction. The team surveyed 30,896 participants from 22 countries, speaking 11 languages, including …