How 40 Hz Pulsed Light Could Help Your Brain Regain Its Natural Rhythm
- Brainz Magazine
- May 26, 2025
- 4 min read
Sarah Turner is the Founder of CeraThrive, a wellness company specialising in photobiomodulation and its impact on the gut-brain connection. With a background in neuroscience and biohacking, Sarah is dedicated to advancing innovative therapies that optimise health, longevity, and performance.
Have you ever noticed how calming it feels when sunlight flickers through trees on a woodland walk? That dappled rhythm of light isn't just beautiful, it might be feeding your brain in ways science is only beginning to uncover.
Recent studies show that light pulsing at 40 times per second, also known as 40 Hz, could support mental clarity, memory, and overall brain function. And when this rhythm is delivered as near-infrared (NIR) light, it may help revive natural brainwave patterns that are vital for feeling alert, mentally sharp, and emotionally balanced.
What is the 40 Hz brain rhythm?
Your brain runs on electrical pulses, a bit like a musical orchestra where every section needs to keep time. One of the most important rhythms is the 40 Hz gamma frequency. This pattern is linked to conscious awareness, attention, and memory. It allows different parts of your brain to synchronise, like violins and cellos playing in harmony.
With age, stress, or prolonged exposure to artificial environments, the brain can “forget” this rhythm. Focus becomes harder, memory gets patchy, and the sense of mental agility dulls. The good news is that 40 Hz pulsed light may help reintroduce the rhythm and restore cognitive coordination.
Why does the brain lose its rhythm?
Several interwoven factors contribute to the weakening of the brain's 40 Hz rhythm over time:
Too much screen time and artificial light: These lack the natural flicker and spectral qualities found in daylight.
Ageing: The brain’s ability to generate gamma rhythms naturally tends to decline with age.
Mental overload: High stress levels and overstimulation make it harder for the brain to stay synchronised.
Reduced neural connectivity: As we get older, the connections between brain cells weaken, reducing coordination.
Changes in neurotransmitters: The brain’s signalling chemicals decline, lowering rhythmic stability.
Accumulated cellular waste: Toxins build up in the brain over time and interfere with proper signalling.
Together, these factors disconnect us from the rhythm that underpins clear, focused thought.
What is rise, and why does it matter?
RISE stands for Reduced Infrared Spectrum Exposure, a condition many of us now live with due to our indoor, screen-heavy lifestyles. Natural sunlight contains a broad spectrum of infrared light, including near-infrared, which penetrates the skin and helps power up cellular energy systems.
Unfortunately, modern artificial lighting lacks this range entirely. We’ve engineered the warmth and richness out of our environments, leaving our cells undernourished. This infrared light is crucial for healthy mitochondria, tissue repair, circulation, and brain support. We’re biologically adapted to live with it, yet now spend most of our time shielded from it.
Near-infrared light therapy, particularly when pulsed at 40 Hz, helps restore this missing input. It gives the brain and body access to something evolution expected, but our modern lifestyles no longer provide.
Can light help restore the rhythm?
Yes, and the body of evidence is growing. Studies using light and sound stimulation at 40 Hz have demonstrated promising effects on brainwave activity, cellular maintenance, and cognitive clarity.
In a recent study, Yang used 40 Hz sound to activate waste-clearing mechanisms and restore healthy rhythms in brain cells. Chang found that pulsed light at this frequency could reduce stress-related proteins and improve energy efficiency in neurons. And in earlier work, Iaccarino showed that 40 Hz stimulation helped balance brainwaves and reduce harmful build-up in animal models, suggesting a powerful natural reset mechanism.
Where do we encounter 40 Hz in nature?
You won’t find it on your phone screen or ceiling lamp. But you can encounter it in nature, specifically in the flickering of sunlight through leaves, the shimmer on water, or the movement of light and shadow during a walk through a forest.
These natural, non-repeating light patterns gently stimulate our visual and neural systems, including those operating at 40 Hz. It’s possible that part of the “mental refresh” we feel after time in nature comes from this forgotten frequency.
The edge of variable pulsing: What makes CeraThrive different?
Most light therapy devices use a fixed, unchanging pulse. While effective initially, the brain can become desensitised to predictable stimulation.
CeraThrive’s Perform programme takes a more nuanced approach. Instead of using a rigid 40 Hz beat, it introduces slight, naturalistic variations around that frequency, more like the unpredictable flicker of real-world sunlight. This keeps the brain engaged and avoids adaptation.
Perform also addresses the gut-brain connection, an essential part of regulating mood, cognition, and immune resilience. In other words, it’s not just about targeting the head, but about treating the system as a whole.
The bottom line
Your brain may have simply lost touch with its native rhythm, and our modern world, with its RISE problem, doesn’t help. 40 Hz pulsed near-infrared light offers a way to gently restore that rhythm and bring the mind back into balance.
This is not a cure, it’s a recalibration. A nudge toward clarity, focus, and ease. By reintroducing the frequencies we evolved with, this kind of light therapy has the potential to support long-term brain wellness and cognitive vitality, without drugs and without invasive techniques.
Ready to experience the rhythm?
To learn more about 40 Hz pulsed light therapy and how it can support your brain and body, visit cerathrive or get in touch by clicking here.
Sarah Turner, CEO CeraThrive and Red Light Therapy Expert
Sarah Turner is the founder of CeraThrive, a company advancing wellness through photobiomodulation and its impact on the gut-brain connection. With a background in neuroscience and biohacking, she is passionate about exploring innovative therapies to optimise health and performance. Sarah also co-hosts the "Rebel Scientist" podcast, where she explores cutting-edge topics in wellness and longevity.
References:
Yang, Y.-H., Chang, H.-W., Chien, C.-F., & Hour, T.-C. (2025). Investigating the effects of 40 Hz sound stimulation on Alzheimer's disease pathways. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Chang, Y.-P., Chien, C.-F., Huang, L.-C., & Yang, Y.-H. (2024). White light stimulation at gamma frequency to modify Aβ42 and tau proteins in SH-SY5Y cells. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias.
Iaccarino, H. F., et al. (2016). Gamma frequency entrainment attenuates amyloid load and modifies microglia. Nature, 540(7632), 230–235.
