It’s All In Your Head: Brainwaves Demystified.
Posted on | April 23, 2009 | No Comments
In the treatment of mental health disorders, self esteem issues, self sabotage or anxiety and stress, it is necessary to learn how our brain works.
One of the most important aspects of brain activity is the production of brain waves. The brain produces four basic brain wave patterns. Each are responsible for certain aspects of our behavior. Depending on our activities (work, reading, sleep, altered mental state) our brain waves patterns change accordingly.
We sometimes intentionally try to intentionally change these brainwave patterns (consciously or unconsciously) in destructive ways such as: drug and alcohol abuse, compulsive sex or gambling. However, brain waves can be altered in constructive ways as well such as meditation and physical exercise.
Let’s take a look at the four basic brain wave pattern and how they affect us.
Beta Waves
Waking consciousness usually consists of Beta waves, which cause feelings of anxiety, and frustration. They are the highest frequency and the frequency in which we spend most of our work day.
When we work, drive, solve problems and interact with others throughout our workday we are primarily using the left side of our brain; and, we are primarily producing beta waves.
Where our brains become fatigued from too much beta activity, we become burned out or depressed and engage in coping behavior to place our brain in a state that reduces beta activity.
As stated above, this coping behavior can include constructive and destructive behavior such as:
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Physical Exercise
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Playing or listening to music
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Enjoying or creating art
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Going to sleep
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Abuse of drugs and alcohol
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Engaging in illegal or dangerous sexual activity
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Gambling or other compulsive behavior
Alpha Waves
Next is a more peaceful, learning type of brain wave called Alpha. This wave is associated with learning ability and focus. When you are reading a book, studying for a test or concentrating intently, you are generating alpha waves. These are also the predominate waves generated while meditating.
Theta Waves
This wave is associated with dream sleep, and creativity.
Delta Waves
This wave is associated with sleep, high cognitive ability, and great states of peace. It is also associated with deep mediation. But almost a life time to achieve. Practitioners must meditate six (6) hours a day, or more, to experience a few minutes of delta wave activity. Unfortunately, this is just not feasible for Westerners who live active and busy lives.
If you want to learn more about meditation, click here for a detailed article on how meditation works.
Related posts:
- Meditation: Learn How And Why We Meditate In Less Than Ten Minutes
- Our Conscious And Subconscious Mind
- Holosync Meditation Review: My Experience With Holosync
Tags: alpha waves > beta waves > binaural beats > brain waves > learn to meditate > Meditation > Mental Health > theta waves
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