Brainwaves and how to make them
Become more productive through awareness of your brain-wave state.Clive Simpkins
15 February 2007
If you understand a little about brainwaves, you'll better manage your creativity, problem-solving ability, stress and anger and you'll also use your brainpower a whole lot better. You may also go from agitation to tranquillity.
Alpha may be the most commonly-known brainwave, but the correct order from fast to slow is Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta. Here's an analogy: Think of two little girls rotating a long skipping rope for their friends. If the rope's spinning very fast, the circle (or wave ‘frequency') will be too narrow for play. As the rotation slows down and the circle it describes gets bigger, so they can skip and play inside of it.
At the ‘busiest' level is Gamma. Typically from 30 Hertz (Hz or cycles per second) upward. It's an exciting bandwidth which is the subject of ongoing research. The Brazilian healer, Joao de Deo (John of God), who featured on South African TV a few years back, is found to operate at the 40 Hz frequency of Gamma when in his healing ‘trance state'. There's anecdotal evidence that this state is associate with higher levels of consciousness.
In Beta (13-30 Hz) there's no skipping possible! It's typically the brainwave pattern of actively functioning, busy, sometimes agitated, multi-tasking people. It's a pattern from which it's impossible to rest or fall asleep.
In Alpha (8-12 Hz) the skipping rope is rotating slower and in a bigger circle. Alpha is acknowledged as a restful, restorative and creative state. Intuitive (non-rote) public speakers, writers and artists may spend significant time in Alpha. It's going to allow you to come up with great ideas, solutions and creative leaps in your private life or business. It's typically the wave pattern produced in a state of contemplation, prayer or Transcendental Meditation - TM - (as taught by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, guru to the Beatles). Note: Meditation is not necessarily a religious activity.
If you're able to sit or lie down and get your brain into Alpha or below, you can take a 10-20 minute relaxation ‘dive' that will leave you refreshed and invigorated. Watching beautiful scenery, listening to gentle music or the sound of waves across shells, an aromatherapy treatment - these and many other activities will produce Alpha. All states of light restfulness and even ‘daydreaming' can pop you into Alpha. You'll typically go into Alpha before you go to sleep at night and (if you're not woken by a shrieking alarm clock) you may well ‘surface' through it on awakening. Both Alpha and the next level - Theta - are great states for intuitive insights and creative processing.
Theta (4-8 Hz) is a deeper state still. The skipping rope is circling wide and slow. At the upper end of Theta you can still be driving or mulling ideas etc. But the lower end of Theta is typically what you'd be producing as you doze or drift off to sleep.
Early Delta (below 4 Hz) is when we're asleep but in that very light state known as REM or Rapid Eye Movement sleep. In this phase of sleep you may see your partner, child, baby or animal's eyes moving behind the eyelids as they ‘follow the action' in their dream. The deeper part of Delta (below 3 on down to 0.1 Hz) is when we're in the deep sleep cycle. Beyond that depth would be cessation of measurable brainwaves and you'd be clinically ‘brain dead'. I'm convinced that I run across people on a daily basis who're in this state! Kidding, but you get my drift.
What's the easiest way of getting the brain rhythm to slow down into a more restful state? Simple. Just monitor your breathing. As you become aware of (or listen to) your breathing, so the brainwaves slow down, because you start to contemplate or concentrate and eventually even, perhaps meditate. (Although few people genuinely do get into a deep meditation state). This cycle of observing or listening to breath and slowing down the brainwaves is something you can practise and learn, on your own, very easily. Breath and brain activity are inextricably interlinked. Just watch where your breathing's at when you're in a hectic Beta rhythm! It'll typically be shallow little upper-chest gasps. The opposite occurs as we relax, rest and contemplate.
What's the purpose and benefit of having an understanding of these brain wave states? Quite simply, it means you're going to manage them rather than have them drive you. You'll also save energy (the brain uses 40% of the oxygen in your body) and your focus and clarity of thought and function will be dramatically enhanced. Try it - you'll like it!
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