Can a Muse Headband Really Train Your Brain? We Used Muse 2 for 21 Days to Find Out

Full Youtube Review of Muse 2 ⬆️

We live in a world of noise - both outer and inner. If it really takes 21 days to form a habit, could you rewire your brain for calm in three weeks?

We decided to find out!

For 21 days straight, we tested the Muse 2 EEG-powered meditation headband, a device designed to give you real-time insight into your inner world. Not imagined or assumed—but tracked, measured, and reflected back to you through sound. The experience was revealing in more ways than one.

Source: https://choosemuse.com/

Table of Contents

1. Why We Chose Muse 2

2. Muse Headband Initial Set Up

3. My 21-Day Meditation Practice with Muse

4. Where Muse 2 Falls Short - Downsides

5. Special Offer for Our Community

6. Testing Muse at a Joe Dispenza Retreat

7. Final Thoughts

   
   
   
   

Why We Chose Muse 2

We didn’t go for the latest model. Instead, we chose Muse 2 - a solid, reliable version that still includes everything we needed: brain, heart, breath, and body insights - and it's more affordable than the latest version of Muse, therefore makes meditation more accessible to more people which was key for us when selecting the right model for this review.

Muse 2 retails for $249.99, which is an investment - but far less than the cost of ongoing meditation coaching, classes, or retreats. (get 15% off through our discount link https://choosemuse.com/resonance, generously offered to our community from Muse - the discount applies on all Muse products)

Another reason we chose Muse 2 is its strong foundation in scientific research. Muse has been featured in over 200 peer-reviewed studies exploring its applications in areas such as cognitive performance, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, and stress management. For instance, a study published in 2023 demonstrated that Muse's EEG technology could accurately classify perceived mental stress by analyzing brainwave patterns during stressful tasks.

Additionally, a 2023 pilot program by the Mayo Clinic found that healthcare professionals using Muse S experienced a 54% reduction in stress and burnout, along with significant improvements in quality of life and cognitive function. This body of research gave us confidence that Muse 2 isn't just a wellness gadget - it's a tool grounded in neuroscience and validated by rigorous studies.

Source: https://choosemuse.com/

Muse 2 gives you four key biometric signals:

• EEG brainwave activity - Muse uses electroencephalography (EEG) sensors placed along the forehead and behind the ears to detect your brain’s electrical activity. It analyzes patterns in your brainwaves (like alpha, beta, theta, delta, gamma) in real time to assess your mental state and get insights, whether your mind is calm, focused, or distracted.

Source: https://choosemuse.com/

• Heart rate - A PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor behind the ear tracks subtle changes in blood flow, allowing Muse to measure your heart rate during meditation. This can help you see how relaxed or activated your nervous system is.

Source: https://choosemuse.com/

• Breath rhythm via body movement - Muse tracks the natural rise and fall of your chest as you breathe using a motion sensor. This allows it to monitor your breathing patterns, such as depth, pace, and consistency - key indicators of relaxation and presence.

• Stillness (through an accelerometer) - An internal accelerometer measures small body movements to determine how still you are during meditation. Physical stillness often correlates with a deeper meditative state and helps signal that your body is settling into presence.

Muse serves as a neurofeedback device that reflects back to you what your inner landscape is doing - and invites you to come back to presence again and again.

Muse Headband Initial Set Up

Initial setup takes a few mindful adjustments. Muse 2 is worn across the forehead with sensors behind the ears, so it's essential to move your hair completely out of the way for optimal sensor contact. In the beginning, I often received alerts asking me to adjust the headband.

The fit can be customized by extending the band, but it does take a few sessions to get it right. Getting hair out of the way is key as well and may take a few times to get used to. Once placed properly and paired via Bluetooth, the device calibrates to your baseline before each session begins.

You then select a soundscape - rainforest, ocean, fire, ambient music - and drop into your practice. Here’s the genius: Muse uses real-time audio feedback to mirror your state of mind.

When you’re present, calm, and focused, you hear gentle birds chirping.

vs

When your thoughts wander, the environment grows louder and more intense - gently nudging you back to center.

Your only job? Listen. Breathe. Notice the sound feedback. Return back to the present moment.

Sound selection matters more than you think

For beginners especially, picking the right soundscape can make or break the experience. The louder feedback meant to signal mental activity may come across as negative reinforcement and feel discouraging if you’re struggling to find calm in your early sessions. That can create a frustrating loop where the sound itself becomes a source of distraction.

In my case, I’m highly sensitive to sound, and the ocean, seagulls, or rainforest tracks actually made my mind more restless. But when I switched to the ambient music soundscape, something clicked. It was immersive, gentle, and gave my mind the space to soften. If you're new to Muse, experiment with the available soundscapes and don’t give up too early. What calms one person may irritate another. It’s not about getting it “right”- it’s about finding what helps you drop into presence.

My 21-Day Meditation Practice with Muse

Every day, I sat for at least 10 minutes.

Sometimes in the mornings. And sometimes in the afternoons after I got done with work and could rest my mind but didn't feel to sleepy yet (goal was not to fall asleep during my meditations :))

I also used Muse while traveling, opting for the tracking-only mode when audio wasn't practical. I even brought it to a Joe Dispenza retreat in Switzerland just to see what it would pick up.

Joe Dispenza's Progressive Meditation Retreat Switzerland with Muse

Now, to be transparent, I’m not new to meditation. I’m a former Kundalini yoga teacher with years of experience in sound, breath, and deep inner work. But what Muse offered was something I didn’t expect: a clear, unbiased mirror of my moment-to-moment mind.

Real-Time Course Correction -  Insights from Neurofeedback

The moment my thoughts drifted - into the past, the future, or some inner fantasy using my imagination - the sound shifted. Loud, chaotic, immediate. The real-time sound feedback didn’t let me pretend I was “still meditating” while secretly planning my to-do list.

It called me out—gently, but unmistakably! :)

A Better Coach Than Most Humans

Muse isn’t judgmental. It doesn’t care what your mind is doing. It just reflects it. And in doing so, it invites you to build the muscle of awareness. I wasn’t wondering if I was “doing it right.” I knew. The data told me. This was key for me, it didn't feel like subjective feedback but analytical feedback that felt really valuable to me in my own practice.

Pattern Recognition and Self-Regulation

Over the days, I began to spot the patterns: caffeine equals more incoherent chaos and stimulation in my brain. Eye mask equals accessing deeper calm faster. Thinking about old conversations? More noise. Breathing and dropping into stillness? More birds.

That kind of insight is hard to ignore - and even harder to get without the neurofeedback insights.

Embodied Shifts

After each session, the world felt… different. Not because it changed. But because I did. The state of my brain changed. Therefore my environment changed.

My eyes opened to the same room, but everything felt softer, more expansive. This is what presence feels like. Muse didn’t create it. But it gave me a way to enter it faster - and stay longer.

Where Muse 2 Falls Short - Downsides

Let’s be honest - no device is perfect. Here are a few things to be aware of, if you're planning to invest in the muse headband.

Comfort of the Muse Headband

The headband works fine for shorter sessions, but it can press on the forehead and behind the ears during longer meditations. It’s not painful, but it’s not comfortable either, plus it can leave a mark on the forehead.

Portability

It doesn’t come with a travel case, which is odd for a device clearly designed for regular use. I often had to carry it in its original box while traveling—not ideal. You can purchase the carrying case now for an additional cost.

Paywall for Deeper Insights

If you want access to your full brainwave breakdowns, brain recharge metrics, or using the Muse headband in the 'Tracking only mode', which is extremely useful if you want to use it with your own meditations that you're used to or just sit in a silent meditation...

You’ll need a Muse Premium subscription. It’s a paid upgrade. At first, I was surprised this wasn't included but with the discount, it was a reasonable cost per year of working on myself and improving my meditation practice with the Muse headband, and see it as a fun experiment. It's still more affordable than most long-term coaching or meditation training programs.

Special Offer for Our Community

If you’re feeling called to try the Muse headband for yourself, Muse is offering 15% off for our community. Use code RESONANCE at checkout, or click here to apply the discount automatically. (Affiliate link - yes, we receive a small commission, and it helps us keep producing in-depth, independent wellness reviews both on our Youtube and here on our blog)

Testing Muse at a Joe Dispenza Retreat

Dispenza’s meditations are dynamic. He encourages creative visualization, emotional activation, and layered breathwork. Muse interpreted much of that as “mental activity”- which technically, it is.

I used Muse in tracking-only mode during the retreat and also tried it again at home. In the end, I found that Muse is more suited to traditional stillness-based meditation, not Dispenza’s highly active guided journeys. And that’s okay. It’s a tool that can be useful for some training but not suitable for all kinds of inner work.

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to train your mind like you would a muscle, Muse 2 is one of the most powerful tools I’ve used. Even a small practice like 10-15 minutes a day makes a difference learning from the neurofeedback.

It holds up a mirror. It keeps you honest. It doesn’t flatter you with false calm. But it does guide you - gently, consistently - toward a more aware, present version of yourself.

After 21 days, I saw measurable improvements in my calm scores, brain recharge levels, and most importantly - my daily awareness outside the app. And I’m only getting started. I’ll report back after 90 days of practice.

Have you used Muse or another neurofeedback tool? We’d love to hear about your experience. Drop a comment, share this with a friend who needs it, and stay tuned for more deep dives on the best wellness tech worth your time.