What exactly is going on with those brain waves?

The holidays are looming and a big part of that is the opportunity to relax. Let’s get technical though. Your brain has 5 types of brainwaves. Some are for relaxing, some are better for learning, some help with concentration and some help keep you in that deep sleep.

Delta waves (.5 to 3 Hz)

Delta brainwaves are slow, loud brainwaves (low frequency and deeply penetrating, like a drum beat). They are generated in deepest meditation and dreamless sleep. Delta waves suspend external awareness and are the source of empathy. Healing and regeneration are stimulated in this state, and that is why deep restorative sleep is so essential to the healing process.

Theta waves (3 to 8 Hz)

Theta brainwaves occur most often in sleep but are also dominant in deep meditation. It acts as our gateway to learning and memory. In theta, our senses are withdrawn from the external world and focused on signals originating from within. It is that twilight state which we normally only experience fleetingly as we wake or drift off to sleep. In theta we are in a dream; vivid imagery, intuition and information beyond our normal conscious awareness. It’s where we hold our ‘stuff’, our fears, troubled history, and nightmares.

Alpha waves (8 to 12 Hz)

Alpha brainwaves are dominant during quietly flowing thoughts, and in some meditative states. Alpha is ‘the power of now’, being here, in the present. Alpha is the resting state for the brain. Alpha waves aid overall mental coordination, calmness, alertness, mind/body integration and learning.

Beta waves (12 to 38 Hz)

Beta brainwaves dominate our normal waking state of consciousness when attention is directed towards cognitive tasks and the outside world. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, present when we are alert, attentive, engaged in problem solving, judgment, decision making, and engaged in focused mental activity.

Beta brainwaves are further divided into three bands; Lo-Beta (Beta1, 12-15Hz) can be thought of as a ‘fast idle, or musing. Beta (Beta2, 15-22Hz) is high engagement or actively figuring something out. Hi-Beta (Beta3, 22-38Hz) is highly complex thought, integrating new experiences, high anxiety, or excitement. Continual high frequency processing is not a very efficient way to run the brain, as it takes a tremendous amount of energy.

Gamma waves (38 to 42 Hz)

Gamma brainwaves are the fastest of brain waves (high frequency, like a flute), and relate to simultaneous processing of information from different brain areas. It passes information rapidly, and as the most subtle of the brainwave frequencies, the mind has to be quiet to access it. Gamma was dismissed as ‘spare brain noise’ until researchers discovered it was highly active when in states of universal love, altruism, and the ‘higher virtues’. Gamma is also above the frequency of neuronal firing, so how it is generated remains a mystery. It is speculated that Gamma rhythms modulate perception and consciousness, and that a greater presence of Gamma relates to expanded consciousness and spiritual emergence.

By rule of thumb, any process that changes your perception changes your brainwaves.

Chemical interventions such as medications or recreational drugs are the most common methods to alter brain function; however brainwave training is our method of choice.

Over the long term, traditional eastern methods (such as meditation and yoga) train your brainwaves into balance. Of the newer methods, brainwave entrainment is an easy, low-cost method to temporarily alter your brainwave state. If you are trying to solve a particular difficulty or fine-tune your brainwave function, state-of-the-art brain training methods like neurofeedback and pEMF deliver targeted, quick, and lasting results.

So, how do you get those oh so valuable relaxation waves that help you process “back of mind thoughts” and relax without sleeping? Meditation is not something comes easy to most people but there’s a little trick you can try. First, sit somewhere quiet. Take a deep breath and let your body relax. Notice how you’re feeling and just let it wash over you. Focus on a safe, calm space like your warm comfy bed. Now, while you’re doing that, start to focus on what’s around you while still keeping your mind on your space. Notice the birds outside the window… cars going past… wind blowing through the trees. Ideally you can do this with a metronome. Keep your head still and just let your eyes follow the back and fourth motion of the arm on the metronome (You can use anything that moves left to right or vice versa). By moving your eyes quickly back and fourth your brain starts to replicate the waves during REM sleep and you will now be in a meditative state of mind.

If you’re high strung and in need of a little down time, this is definitely a way to get your mind to wind down! If you have any other techniques, we’d love to hear them.