Scroll through TikTok and you’ll see binaural beats recommended for everything from stress, to sleep, to super-focus time.

I get it. Every time I put this kind of audio on through my cans, I feel myself soften. One particular track helps me out of a mid-afternoon slump; another seems to calm me down when I’m spiralling. And sometimes I just pick one at random and let it lull me into a state of binaural bliss.

So I know this type of audio helps me – but I also know I’m highly suggestible. So I started to wonder: am I simply just enjoying the soothing effect of sound? Is it a placebo effect? Or is something real happening in my ears, my brain and my mood –and crucially, is it something that science backs up?