How to listen to the Gateway tapes: headphones, timing, order and what to expect
To listen to the Gateway tapes, use stereo headphones at low volume, lie down somewhere quiet and follow the 8 Waves in order, one exercise at a time.
- Headphones: the Gateway tapes rely on binaural beats, which need one tone in each ear, so stereo headphones are essential and a speaker will not work.
- Order: the Monroe Institute says each of the 8 Waves builds on the one before and is meant to be used in order, so start with Wave I and its first exercise.
- Position: lie down or recline in a quiet, dark room, with nothing to do afterwards, and never listen while driving.
- Volume: keep it low; the beat forms in your brain, so the tones do not need to be loud.
- Expectations: most people feel deep relaxation rather than anything dramatic, and there is no scientific evidence for the course’s out-of-body claims.
Shimmr Binaural beats for meditation, sleep and focus Get Shimmr How do you listen to the Gateway tapes?
To listen to the Gateway tapes, put on stereo headphones, keep the volume low, lie down somewhere quiet and play the exercises in order, starting with Wave I. That is the whole method. The course is sold by the Monroe Institute as eight albums called Waves, each with six to eight exercises, and the voice on each track tells you what to do. If you are new to the course, our guide to what the Gateway tapes are explains where they come from.
A simple setup before each session:
- Headphones on: wired or Bluetooth, over-ear if you have them.
- Volume low: just loud enough to follow the voice.
- Room dark and quiet: phone on Do Not Disturb.
- Time free: nothing urgent straight afterwards.
- Never while driving or doing anything that needs your attention.
Do you need headphones for the Gateway tapes?
Yes, you need stereo headphones for the Gateway tapes. The sound underneath is Hemi-Sync, which is built on binaural beats: a slightly different tone in each ear, which your brain combines into a slow pulse. If both tones come out of a speaker, they mix in the air before reaching you, and the beat is gone.
The Monroe Institute itself recommends stereo headphones and says Bluetooth does not interfere with its sound. Over-ear headphones tend to be more comfortable than earbuds when you lie still for a long exercise. If you can’t wear headphones, a different kind of sound can help: isochronic tones and other options without headphones work through a speaker, because the pulse is already in the sound.
Do you have to listen to the Gateway tapes in order?
Yes, the course is designed to be followed in order. The Monroe Institute describes each album as building on the tools and techniques of the ones before, and says the albums should be used in sequence.
Wave I shows why. It begins with an orientation, then two exercises on Focus 10, the state the course calls “mind awake, body asleep”, then exercises on letting go of worries, on sleep, and a free flow session that uses everything so far. Later Waves assume you know those steps. Jumping to a later Wave means hearing instructions that refer to tools you have not learned yet.
Should you listen lying down or before sleep?
Lying down or reclining is the most comfortable way to listen to the Gateway tapes, but just before sleep is not always the right time. The exercises aim for deep relaxation while you stay aware. If you listen in bed when you are tired, you will probably fall asleep, which is pleasant but means you miss the exercise.
Two practical options:
| When | Good for |
|---|---|
| Daytime or early evening, lying on a sofa or mat | Staying awake through the exercise |
| In bed at night | Exercises meant for sleep, or if you just want to relax |
If you do listen in bed, set a sleep timer so the sound stops on its own, and keep the volume quiet.
How often should you listen to the Gateway tapes?
There is no proven schedule for the Gateway tapes, and no study has tested one. A sensible routine is one exercise a day, repeated until it feels familiar, before moving on. Short, regular practice is easier to keep than a long session once a week.
Research on binaural beats in general points the same way. A 2018 meta-analysis of 22 studies found that longer listening tended to give stronger effects on things like attention and anxiety, and that listening before a task worked better than only during it. There is more on timing in how long to listen to binaural beats.
What should you expect, and what if nothing happens?
Expect relaxation first. Most people describe heavy limbs, slower breathing, drifting thoughts or sleep. The course talks about states beyond that, including leaving the body, but there is no scientific evidence that the tapes produce them.
The science on binaural beats is mixed. A 2023 systematic review of 14 EEG studies found that 5 supported the idea that the brain falls into step with the beat, 8 contradicted it and 1 was mixed. So if nothing dramatic happens, nothing is wrong with you. A relaxed half hour is a real result.
Stop if you feel dizzy, anxious or unwell, and keep the volume low. If you have epilepsy or a mental health condition, ask your doctor first; the side effects of binaural beats are covered in more detail here.
The same habits work for any binaural session. Shimmr, which is not affiliated with the Monroe Institute and does not contain the tapes, has a sleep timer that fades out, isochronic sessions for speakers, and streaks plus Apple Health mindful minutes to help you keep a routine.
If you would like a guided session to practise these habits with, Shimmr’s Journeys follow a similar shape: a voice leads you into a quieter state, leaves you a long quiet hold, then guides you back. They are original sessions designed for relaxation, taken one step at a time, in order. The first, Arrival, takes about 14 minutes and teaches the basics: notice your weight, your breath and the sounds around you, then hear a tone in each ear in turn and both together. The voice can be turned down or off.
Common questions
Do you need headphones for the Gateway tapes?
Yes. The tapes use binaural beats, which only form when each ear gets its own tone. Any stereo headphones work, wired or Bluetooth; over-ear headphones are usually more comfortable for long exercises than earbuds.
Should you listen to the Gateway tapes lying down or before sleep?
Lying down or reclining in a quiet room works well. The course wants you relaxed but awake, so if you keep falling asleep, try an earlier time of day or sit up a little.
How often should you listen to the Gateway tapes?
There is no proven schedule. A steady routine of one exercise a day, repeated until it feels familiar, is easier to keep than long sessions now and then.
What if you fall asleep during the Gateway tapes?
It is very common and harmless. The early exercises aim for a state of deep relaxation close to sleep, so drifting off just means you relaxed. Try again at a time when you are less tired.
Do you have to listen to the Gateway tapes in order?
The Monroe Institute says yes: each Wave builds on the tools from the previous one, so the albums are meant to be used in sequence, starting with Wave I.
From Gareth, who makes Shimmr This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Binaural beats are not a treatment for insomnia or any other condition.