Brain Waves

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Ride the Brain Wave

What do Brain Waves Mean?

Dunning Kruger Effect Brain Waves explained in less than two minutes

There are five main states of wave patterns in the brain. When neurons fire together, they exchange ions and create electromagnetic fields. These can be measured as they are on EEGs for example. Us humans are able to create different frequencies. The slower the pattern, the deeper we can delve into the subconscious mind.

Delta is a state we reach when we are in deep restful sleep. Gamma represents a state of heightened awareness or level of consciousness.

Beta is your everyday waking state. It is the mode we are in when we are processing all of the stimuli we are exposed to and processing that data effectively. Because we are so drawn into our outer reality, this state is not the state you’d be in to go into a meditation, for example. In many ways, this aligns with our autonomic, fight-or-flight response (although it doesn’t always have to).

Then there is the alpha state. Alpha is our primary waking relaxation state. Most days, we shift between alpha and beta depending on the situation we are currently in. In alpha state, you may be able to access things like daydreaming, or your imagination may be running wild.

Theta is a cross between wakefulness a sleep; a twilight if you will. This is the state one tries to reach for during a meditation. It is a state where we are able to take ourselves out of this physical realm and the analytical mind slows to a crawl. In essence, this is the state you want to get into to access your subconscious.

If we are able to downshift, and spend more of our day in alpha states as opposed to beta, we can gain more control of our hormones. In alpha states, we produce less stress hormones, and have a lesser risk of falling out of homeostasis.

In a world where we all fight for your attention, take a moment to detach and be by yourself. We are inundated with information at a rate never seen before, and that rate is only going to get crazier. It is more important now than ever to be cognizant of that, and put up those walls for yourself. It can be as little as shutting your phone off for 15 minutes to get some quiet, or going for a short uninterrupted walk.

The practice of being alone and sitting in silence, reflecting is profoundly healing, yet seemingly harder to do than ever before.