Alpha, Theta, Delta waves. Healing effects of music
BRAIN WAVES
HOW BRAIN FREQUENCIES AFFECT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE
Our brain modulates different frequencies depending on what we are doing at the moment.
There are 4 main ranges of brain waves:
beta, alpha, theta and delta.
The highest range beta, the lowest delta. Waves of the middle range are called the first letter of the Greek alphabet "alpha", as they were first discovered in 1908 by the Austrian physicist Hans Berger.
Alpha - waves predominate during wakefulness, when a person is concentrated, but at the same time completely relaxed. In deep sleep, there are either few or no alpha waves. They are not there even when a person is seized with fear or anger. At such moments, beta waves dominate.
beta waves also predominate in stressful situations when needed quick action and ultimate concentration.
delta waves dominate during deep sleep (3rd and 4th phases of sleep). Theta waves predominate during REM sleep, dreams, and half-sleep (1st and 2nd phases of sleep).
alpha and theta- these are the frequencies at which his soul speaks to a person. When alpha and theta the frequencies resonate in you, you come into contact with your soul. When you suppress these frequencies in some way, you separate yourself from your own soul.
Since it is the soul that gives a person a sense of well-being, one who abides in beta- state and does not have a strong connection with the waves alpha-theta range feels anxious and does not feel the joy of life.
For most people, the intensity theta and alpha -waves reduced.
Ordinary people are in a limited state of low but stable productivity and very rarely act spontaneously, on a hunch.
They wake up from a deep sleep and forcibly, with the help of coffee, push themselves into a state of outward-oriented active wakefulness dominated by beta waves.
Caffeine suppresses theta and alpha waves but stimulates beta waves.
Stress, tension and lack of time at work leads to the fact that a person functions all day in beta mode brain activity, and in the evening, without strength, falls into a deep sleep ( delta mode).
He simply does not have enough time to calm and relax the mind, gradually slipping into a meditative state, which would increase alpha and theta waves .
Thus, many people constantly abruptly and rudely switch their brains from delta mode to beta mode , and then back, simply not giving him time to work on the frequencies of the soul - alpha and theta.
People with high alpha wave activity tend to be less anxious and therefore have a stronger immune system. Creative inspiration requires the brain to generate bursts alpha and theta- activities.
Whenever inspiration or insight strikes you, know that your brain is generating more alpha and theta waves , than usual.
Alpha state also a necessary condition sports records. One of the key differences between a beginner and an athlete upper class- in the wave activity of the brain! Increase alpha activity brain allows athletes to enter the "zone" of records.
An ideally balanced state of consciousness is achieved on the border between alpha and theta, which approximately corresponds to the frequency 7.8 Hz - the frequency of the Schumann resonance, the frequency of the resonant field of the Earth.
Then everything becomes crystal clear to you as you vibrate at the frequency that gave birth to life on our planet and sustains it ever since.
Here you can access the inner theta inspiration , and external charisma inherent alpha mode. In addition, here you get much more than just alpha and theta modes functioning.
When your consciousness operates at a frequency Schumann resonance you come alive! Your mind expands, the energy system of your body overflows with life. It is the blissful state of an awake but relaxed mind.
This creativity, high intellectual ability and insights.
In this state, the central nervous system reduces the flow of incoming data from the peripheral nervous system. Limiting the amount of incoming sensory information helps protect the central nervous system from sensory overload caused by stress or physical stimuli.
When the brain does not have to control the information coming from outside, it expands its functionality. Usually, unused areas of the brain are activated and begin to work at full capacity.
At the same time, the mind perceives the body in a detached way, being half turned on, in a state of half sleep. You are aware of everything around you, but at the same time your body is in a state of deep relaxation.
Einstein, and Thomas Edison, and Leonardo da Vinci said that when solving challenging tasks they deliberately allowed their minds to slip into what we now call theta state . Edison even lay down to take a nap when he reached a dead end while solving a particular problem. He allowed himself to fall into sleep, and when his consciousness reached theta states, a solution popped up in my mind. After that, Edison woke up with a ready-made solution.
Einstein practiced a very similar method. He called it "the stream of images". You allow your mind to disperse and slip into a half-sleep, and then just relax and observe what images you dream of as you do so. Then you need to try to decipher these images that appeared to you between wakefulness and sleep and find the keys in them.
When Einstein could not find a solution to a problem for a long time, he believed that his efforts were opposed by his own consciousness.
As the great scientist said: "You cannot solve a problem with the same mindset that created it."
To change the course of his own thinking, he allowed his mind to slip into a drowsy theta state, and then watched the images appear before his mind's eye. This method allows the mind to get rid of all the conscious limitations that caused the problem.
Any person should learn how to effectively manage the wave states of the brain, and for this you need to know which of them is most favorable for you in a given situation, and be able to enter into it.
Beta- wave frequency 13-40Hz
wakefulness
Concentration
Cognition
The beta state is characterized by high concentration, attention, motor coordination and visual acuity.
When the brain is in BETA mode, the person is fully awake. His mind is sharp and collected. The neural circuits fire exceptionally quickly, allowing a person to respond quickly and clearly.
Provides comprehension and external focus, helping to prepare for exams, think through upcoming actions, quickly and efficiently analyze and organize information.
However, too high activity in this frequency range increases the level of stress.
The beta state is characterized by a high level of external attention and vigilance - you are fully aware of everything that happens in the external world - but most often to the detriment of awareness of the internal world.
Alpha - waves 7-12 Hz
Visualization
Creation
When a person is truly calm, but at the same time focused; when he is in the "zone" (a special state described by outstanding athletes), this means that harmonious alpha waves.
His consciousness expands and fills with creative energy. The fears and anxieties that arose when beta waves predominate in the brain dissipate, and fearlessness and clarity come.
alpha waves give a sense of peace and well-being, the opportunity to use your creativity, solve complex problems, find new approaches and practice creative visualization.
alpha waves provide mental clarity combined with serenity, which is extremely beneficial for health.
The resonant frequency of the Earth's electromagnetic field is 7.5-7.8 Hz. This is the frequency known as "Schumann resonance frequency" , obviously represents the optimal vibration of life on the planet.
If your brain resonates at this frequency, then your consciousness has found harmony with Life itself.
You feel like your whole being is filled with energy. You feel a strong connection to the transcendent spiritual realm known as WAY, TRUTH and LIFE.
I put this egg on a flat surface of the table myself, being in the alpha frequency state of the brain. It stood like that for almost an hour. Without any tools, salt, glue, etc.
We really can do anything! It's just that we don't use our opportunities... Let's discover ourselves and our fantastic abilities!
Theta waves 4-8 Hz (peak frequency 6.2-6.7 Hz)
deep meditation
Intuition
hallucinations, dreams
Theta is the gloomy realm of the subconscious, the volatile state experienced when we slip into sleep, while dreaming, and in the seconds of awakening from sleep.
The Theta state can be called a semi-conscious door to the mysterious realm of the unconscious. It is full of living images, rejected material of the activity of the soul, insights and glimpses of genius.
It is also a zone of long-term learning and memory. Theta meditation enhances learning ability, reduces stress, awakens intuition and other psychic abilities.
Deep meditation in the Theta state results in heightened receptivity, flashes of dreamlike imagery, inspiration, long-forgotten memories, and is accompanied by a feeling of "rolling on the waves." When consciousness is in the Theta state, you may experience an expansion of the mind beyond the body.
Theta waveband is the threshold of your subconscious/unconscious.
Brainwaves in this range include areas where we store memories and hidden emotions. There are secrets hidden in the subconscious/unconscious that we are not ready to face. These mysteries may haunt us in our dreams, but they are also likely to be masked behind fanciful symbols, allowing us to ignore them until we are ripe enough to work through them.
Theta state is ideal for super learning, subconscious mind reprogramming, dream recall, and hypnosis.
Among drug addicts and alcoholics, there are many who have reduced theta wave activity, so they are drawn to artificial ways to slow down brain wave activity.
Activation of theta states can be achieved through biofeedback techniques and sounds that resonate with them, reducing alcohol and drug addiction.
Delta Waves 0-4Hz
Healing
Deep dream
Detached consciousness
Delta is long slow wave oscillations. The delta band is the lowest of the 4 brain wave bands. This is deep sleep. Certain frequencies in the delta range stimulate secretion in human body growth hormone, which promotes healing and tissue regeneration. That's why deep sleep (when delta waves are active) helps you recover.
The signals of the unconscious are broadcast on delta waves. To connect to the unconscious, you need to go into a deep meditative state - deep enough to increase the proportion of delta-wave brain activity, while remaining awake.
STIMULANTS OF VARIOUS BRAIN WAVES
Tobacco and mate - very similar plants, with the use of which the body receives amino acids that stimulate brain alpha waves.
That is why many people smoke to "relax". However, do not forget that the real tobacco that was used and considered " healthy product"The Indians, appreciating the psychoactive properties of this plant, are very far from the cigarettes used in our industrial society. Due to selection, additives and genetic engineering, there was once a good product turned into a carcinogen. Besides, simultaneous use tobacco with alcohol increases the risk of throat cancer.
Caffeine puts your brain into beta anxiety-crisis mode.
The aforementioned mate can serve as an excellent alternative to coffee. Wonderful mate tea in composition resembles tobacco. Mate can wake you up from your sleepy theta state and help you transition into a creative alpha state without pushing you into beta like coffee or black tea does.
Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. This substance is called "Zen in a bottle", and its action is similar to that of tobacco.
Theanine stimulates alpha waves, directly promotes their generation and promotes relaxation. Theanine helps to relax, stimulates memory and learning ability. By reducing anxiety, theanine promotes concentration and clarity of thought.
Tianni also contributes to the production of GABA - brain hormone, which helps to calm down and creates a feeling of well-being. Caffeine also suppresses the production of this hormone. So theanine boosts your mood.
Rock music, oddly enough, is focused on alpha state.
Nature Stimulates Alpha Theta Wave Activity brain more gently.
Most natural phenomena are in harmony with Schumann resonance frequency, coinciding with alpha waves - 7.5 -7.8 Hz. Therefore, being in nature, you naturally enter into resonance with it, leading you to alpha state.
In addition, wide open spaces and fresh air help to calm down and focus, which also contributes to beneficial fluctuations in brain activity.
Try walking barefoot on the grass for at least 15 minutes and note how you feel afterwards. Your sensations are the result of increased alpha brain activity.
An even easier way stimulate alpha vibrations - just be aware of your breath.
Physical exercise and training contribute not only to bodily health, but also to liberation from "inner demons". We are genetically programmed for significant physical activity. Exercise is the key to a fulfilling life!
It appears that driving on the highway stimulates brain theta activity. That's why kids fall asleep in the back seat.
External vibrations at certain frequencies can affect the state of our consciousness.
Modern methods of computer analysis of the electrical activity of the brain have established that The human brain constantly emits electrical impulses called brainwaves..
When a person is awake, his brain generates waves of all ranges.
However, for a certain behavior, initially the brain produces waves of one group. When you are in a certain state of your body and mind, only one of the wave types will dominate.
Gamma waves.
Gamma waves are the fastest. They generated in both hemispheres of the brain and reflect the peak activity of consciousness.
It is believed that the brain generates gamma waves when a person needs to simultaneously work with different types of information and connect them very quickly.
A small number of gamma waves leads to a decrease in the ability to remember anything.
The effect of training "gamma states" is not voiced by official science and is still considered unknown.
Beta waves.
beta waves generated by the left hemisphere of the brain person and are responsible for solving your problems, logical thinking, concentration, decision making. These waves allow you to act daily and actively in society.
The number of beta waves increases with active work with the material world, conversations, educational activities and during restless and anxious states.
Beta waves speed up the work of the brain, increase the processing and assimilation of information, raise the overall energy level of the body, sharpen the senses, excite the nervous system and relieve drowsiness.
With an increase in the internal anxiety state, the production of these waves by the brain also increases. And with muscle activity, on the contrary, it decreases. Therefore, it is important to periodically switch from mental work to physical work.
The fast pace of life in modern society makes beta waves prevail over all others. Every day a person is in a state of activity of beta waves, practically not allowing himself to relax and move into a state of activity of other wave bands.
Beta wave activity is also promoted frequent use coffee, energy drinks and other stimulants.
Alpha waves.
When your eyes are closed and you begin to relax, and various vivid images appear in your mind and your imagination begins to work actively, alpha waves arise.
Alpha waves and predominate in children under 13 years of age.
A sufficient amount of alpha waves is considered the norm for an adult who is in a relaxed and comfortable standing, and at the same time maintains his conscious activity. In the “alpha state”, a person effectively copes with any tasks assigned to him and sees the world positively.
Alpha waves significantly increase the ability to perceive huge amounts of information, develop abstract thinking and creativity, lead to internal balance and self-control, and allow you to get rid of stress, nervous tension and anxiety.
Also, alpha waves provide a connection between consciousness and the subconscious.
It is in the alpha state that the human brain produces more of the so-called pleasure hormones, which help reduce pain, and are responsible for a positive outlook on life, happiness, joy and relaxation.
Some people who have alpha wave activity very small, begin to abuse alcohol and drugs. Since in a state of intoxication, the power of the electrical activity of the brain is in the alpha range, they sharply increase.
Scientific studies have shown that in the "state of the master" (this concept is found in martial arts), alpha waves predominate in the human brain. Against the background of alpha brain activity, the rate of muscle reaction is ten times higher than in the normal state.
The most active waves of this range are produced during relaxation and meditation.
Theta waves.
Theta waves bring your body into a state of deep relaxation, a state of drowsiness and dreaming.
In this rhythm, your body recovers quickly after heavy loads. There is a feeling of bliss and peace.
Theta waves generated by the right hemisphere of the brain .
Theta waves are the thin line between the conscious and the subconscious. Entering the "theta state" contributes to the manifestation of paranormal abilities.
These waves awaken and intensify emotions and feelings, allow you to program and reprogram the subconscious, get rid of negative and limiting thinking.
Because the it is theta waves that are ideal for non-critical acceptance of various external attitudes and beliefs that change your behavior or attitude towards others. Its rhythms reduce the effect of various protective mental mechanisms, which give a critical assessment, and enable transforming information to penetrate deep into the subconscious.
Greater theta wave activity is found in children and creative people.
Listening to music increases theta wave activity. Since music awakens emotions and sensations, and this is a direct way to increase the activity of theta waves.
Meditation also generates alpha and theta rhythms.
Delta waves.
In the normal state, delta waves are most actively produced during deep sleep and provide its recovery stages. It is in the delta state that the brain produces large quantity growth hormone, and the processes of self-healing and self-healing are intensively going on in the body.
These waves are predominant in children under one year old.
delta waves generated by the right hemisphere of the brain and remain “on” even when all other waves of brain activity are “on vacation”, i.e. "off".
Delta waves are the slowest and most mysterious of all wave types. This is a kind of radar that receives information on an intuitive level. They are connected with the subconscious and the non-material world. For a long time, delta waves were not available to scientists for study.
People whose brain generates a lot of delta waves tend to have a high developed intuition. They always rely on their “sixth sense”, knowing that it will tell them the right way out of a variety of situations.
Training in amplifying delta waves allows you to consciously enter states of very deep relaxation and trance states. Since these waves are also produced in a state of trance or hypnosis.
Ordinary people are in a state of predominance of the delta rhythm only in deep sleep or unconsciousness. Healers, psychics, shamans and experienced meditators can consciously control delta waves.
All types of waves can be characterized as follows:
beta waves- this is the material world, this is your consciousness.
alpha waves carry out the transition from the material world to the intangible with the predominance of consciousness.
Theta waves transfer from the material world to the intangible with a predominance of the subconscious.
delta waves - this is the non-material world, this is your subconscious.
Delta waves mostly predominate in children under one year old.
Alpha and theta waves are predominant in children under 13 years of age.
As a child gets older, their brain starts producing more beta waves. And in modern world, with its rapid pace, a large number of beta waves gives rise to tension, experience and a stressful state.
When a person simultaneously produces alpha, beta, theta and delta waves in the right proportions, he:
- possesses aggravated intuition, which is provided by delta waves;
- lives with creative inspiration, which is created by the actions of theta waves;
- located able easy relaxation
, which is given by alpha waves;
- It has conscious thinking and actively valid using beta waves.
And all this happening at the same time .
However, without good practice, it is quite difficult to achieve awareness and control during these states.
You are able to control your brain waves. AND in order for changes to occur in your body and with you, just let them happen . Once you have activated your beta waves and have made a decision about the need for any changes in your life, allow your alpha and theta waves to bring about those changes.
If you have never done any techniques, first pay attention to alpha waves. These waves should become dominant in your life, and their active development should become the norm for you.
To increase alpha waves, develop your right hemisphere, meditate and relax, trust your intuition more, take problems easier.
One of best practices the initial activation of alpha waves, and the further combination of beta and alpha waves, I consider mind maps.
The next step is to activate theta waves. It helps to do deep meditation and lucid dreaming. As well as the ThetaHealing® technique.
For those who practice this method, the brain operates on the theta wave. And it's a great method to quickly discover and replace the limiting beliefs that are holding you back in your life.
Delta waves are activated in a state of very deep relaxation, "disconnection" from the outside world.
When you constantly practice ThetaHealing® personally and go deep into your inner state, the brain begins to switch to delta waves.
Without studying and practicing special techniques and methods, scientists do not recommend increasing delta brain activity on their own, especially using special technical means.
Raise your alpha, theta, and delta waves consciously.
To learn more about how ThetaHealing® works, please follow the links below.
Delta activity has a frequency of 0-3 Hz (always less than 4 Hz). Like theta activity, delta activity increases during sleep, and its fixation during wakefulness indicates organic damage to the brain and a decrease in its functional state.
Normally, delta activity is observed in children under ten years of age and in old age.
In children, the phenomenon of posterior slow waves of youth (PSWY) is often found.
Children 6 to 12 years of age may have arrhythmic delta complexes interspersed with alpha rhythms in the occipital region of the brain. The duration of such waves is 200-400 milliseconds, the intensity measured in volts is moderately pronounced (< 120% от фона).
These complexes are similar to the reactivity of the alpha rhythm, they disappear when the eyes are opened and appear when closed eyes. Sometimes they are superimposed on alpha waves, merge with them, imitating complexes of sharp-slow waves. Therefore, it is very difficult to distinguish these complexes from the post-convulsive EEG changes observed in a disease such as epilepsy.
In adolescents, delta complexes can be visualized in the anterior temporal region. The interpretation of this phenomenon is controversial. The same complexes occur in more than one third of older people over 60 years of age.
In old age, short simple delta waves can also be recorded in the left temporal region.
Researchers have established a link between focal temporal delta activity and mild cognitive impairment. And frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity (FIRDA), fixed during sleep, is not a manifestation of any pathology or disease of the central nervous system.
Thus, further study of delta waves of the human brain will make it possible to differentiate many pathological processes and promote the treatment of patients with organic lesions of the central nervous system.
Theta activity, or theta waves, are characteristic of the bioelectrical activity of the brain. The frequency of theta waves is 4-7 Hz, the amplitude of theta activity does not exceed 40 μV - usually 15 μV occurs and does not exceed the amplitude of alpha waves, or alpha activity.
An increase in the theta index in the frontal region of the brain is associated with an emotional state, a strong concentration of attention, and mental activity when solving complex tasks, situations, and problems.
Theta activity normally represents separate waves in the anterior parts of the brain, which increases during sleep.
Fixation of theta waves in the background recording of an electroencephalogram in the waking state of a person indicates a reduced functional state of the human brain and is observed with organic damage of various genesis (origin).
About one third of healthy people may have periodic theta wave activity at a frequency of 6-7 Hz and at rest. This activity is most pronounced in the frontal and central regions of the brain. Theta activity may increase during hyperventilation (rapid breathing). Theta wave activity is observed during the period of falling asleep or drowsiness. Theta waves are expressed in young people, and their activity is characteristic of the developing brain, and after 25 years it decreases.
Focal theta waves are indicative of nonspecific pathological damage brain.
Elderly people have in some cases intermittent bitemporal theta activity of 4-5 Hz in the left hemisphere more than in the right. This situation occurs in one third of healthy elderly people without identified brain pathology.
Thus, the study of theta waves is necessary for the diagnosis and proper treatment of organic brain diseases.
Psychoses are different in their cause and manifestations, so they cannot be recognized with a single electroencephalogram. Although the entire group of psychoses has specific deviations in the EEG recording, it is not always possible to identify one or another psychosis from the recording.
Symptoms of psychosis are hallucinations, delirium, loss of contact with reality, lack of criticism of one's condition, clouding of consciousness.
The causes of such symptoms are different, most often it is:
- reception psychoactive substances and alcohol;
- tumors;
- traumatic brain injury;
- sleep deprivation;
- neurodegenerative diseases;
- neuroinfections;
- autoimmune diseases;
- metabolic disorders;
- diseases of the central nervous system.
But still, with each of these conditions or diseases, there are relatively specific changes in the EEG. A prime example is temporal lobe epilepsy.
Therefore, one of the important tasks of the neurophysiologists of the clinic of Professor V.L. Minutko is the differential diagnosis of mental illness from somatic, or poisoning with psychotropic drugs. This is necessary to prescribe the correct treatment.
Listen to recordings of spiritual music - Tibetan monks or Gregorian chant. If you listen closely, you can hear how the voices merge, forming one pulsating tone. This is one of the most interesting effects, characteristic of some musical instruments and a choir of people singing in approximately the same key - the formation of beats. When voices or instruments converge in unison, the beats slow down, and when they diverge, they speed up.
Perhaps this effect would have remained in the sphere of interest only of musicians, if not for the researcher Robert Monroe. He realized that despite the wide popularity in the scientific world of the effect of beats, no one had investigated their impact on the human condition when listening through stereo headphones. Monroe discovered that when listening to sounds of a similar frequency on different channels (right and left), a person feels the so-called binaural beats, or binaural rhythms. For example, when one ear hears a pure tone with a frequency of 330 vibrations per second, and the other ear hears a pure tone with a frequency of 335 vibrations per second, the hemispheres of the human brain begin to work together, and as a result, he? hears? beats with a frequency of 335 - 330 \u003d 5 vibrations per second, but this is not a real external sound, but a "phantom". It is born in the human brain only when combined electromagnetic waves coming from two synchronously working hemispheres of the brain.
What happens in the brain when a person “hears” these sounds.
In the 1950s, the method of electroencephalography (EEG) was developed, which makes it possible to record and study the bioelectric potentials of the brain. At the same time, it was found that the frequency of bioelectrical oscillations of the brain is capable of being synchronized, under certain conditions, with various rhythmic stimuli, for example, impulses in excess of weak electric current, light flashes and sound clicks, if the frequency of stimulus repetition is within the natural range of frequencies of the bioelectrical potentials of the brain.
The brain most easily follows stimuli in the frequency range of 8-25 Hz, but with training this interval can be extended to the entire range of the brain's natural frequencies.
Currently, it is customary to distinguish four main types of electrical oscillations in the human brain, each of which has its own frequency range and the state of consciousness in which it dominates.
beta waves- the fastest. Their frequency varies, in the classical version, from 14 to 42 Hz (and according to some modern sources, more than 100 Hz). In the usual waking state, when we observe the world around us with open eyes, or are focused on solving some current problems, these waves, predominantly in the range from 14 to 40 Hertz, dominate in our brain. Beta waves are usually associated with wakefulness, wakefulness, focus, cognition, and, when they are in excess, with anxiety, fear, and panic. A lack of beta waves is associated with depression, poor selective attention, and memory problems.
A number of researchers have found that some people have very high levels of tension, including high brain electrical activity in the fast beta wave range, and very low alpha and theta relaxation wave power. People of this type just as often exhibit characteristic behaviors such as smoking, overeating, gambling, drugs or alcohol addiction. These are usually successful people, because they are much more sensitive to external stimuli and react to them much faster than others. But for them, ordinary events can seem extremely stressful, forcing them to look for ways to reduce stress and anxiety levels through the use of alcohol and drugs.
An increased level of tension is one of the types of imbalance of neuroregulators in the body. Obviously, in such people, appropriate brain stimulation can significantly reduce the level of beta activity and, accordingly, increase the relaxing alpha and theta rhythms. For example, Henry Adams, Ph. D. - founder of the National Institute of Mental Health and lead researcher on alcoholism research programs at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Washington, D.C. found that the most "bitter" drinkers after only one session of alpha-theta relaxation followed by short anti-alcohol suggestions for the next two weeks reduced their alcohol consumption by 55%. In an interview with a reporter, Dr. Adams stated: “This is a very effective technique, yet it is easy to prepare and apply, free from significant risk, any danger and side effects. medical effects. Has it now been proven to significantly reduce withdrawal symptoms, provide a state of deep relaxation and thereby reduce the desire to take drugs?”
alpha waves arise when we close our eyes and begin to passively relax without thinking about anything. At the same time, bioelectrical oscillations in the brain slow down, and “bursts” of alpha waves appear, i.e. fluctuations in the range from 8 to 13 Hertz. If we continue to relax without focusing our thoughts, alpha waves will begin to dominate the entire brain, and we will fall into a state of pleasant peace, also called the “alpha state”.
Research has shown that alpha brain stimulation is ideal for absorbing new information, data, facts, any material that needs to be always ready in your memory.
In eastern martial arts there is such a thing as " ". EEG studies have shown that in this state, alpha waves predominate in the human brain. Against the background of alpha brain activity, the rate of muscle reaction is ten times higher than in the normal state.
On an electroencephalogram (EEG) of a healthy, unstressed person, alpha waves always a lot. Their lack can be a sign of stress, inability to good rest And effective learning, as well as evidence of disorders in the activity of the brain or disease. It is in the alpha state that the human brain produces more beta-endorphins and enkephalins - its own "drugs" responsible for joy, relaxation and pain reduction. Also, alpha waves are a kind of bridge - they provide a connection between consciousness and the subconscious. Numerous studies using the EEG method have established that people who experienced events in childhood associated with severe mental trauma have suppressed alpha brain activity. A similar picture of the electrical activity of the brain can be observed in people suffering from post-traumatic syndrome resulting from military operations or environmental disasters.
Since the sensory-motor rhythm lies in the alpha range, it becomes clear why people suffering from post-traumatic syndrome have difficulty in random access to sensory-figurative representations (on which, by the way, all traditional non-drug psychotherapy is based) or some methods of development psychic abilities(see Bronnikov's method).
The addiction of some people to alcohol and drugs is explained by the fact that these people are not able to generate a sufficient number of alpha waves in the normal state, while in the state of narcotic or alcohol intoxication, the power of the electrical activity of the brain, in the alpha range, increases sharply in them.
Theta waves appear when a calm, peaceful wakefulness turns into drowsiness. The oscillations in the brain become slower and more rhythmic, ranging from 4 to 8 Hertz. This state is also called "twilight" because in it a person is between sleep and wakefulness. It is often accompanied by visions of unexpected, dream-like images, accompanied by vivid memories, especially childhood ones. The theta state allows access to the contents of the unconscious part of the mind, free associations, unexpected insights, creative ideas.
On the other hand, the theta range (4-7 oscillations per second) is ideal for non-critical acceptance of external attitudes, since its rhythms reduce the action of the corresponding protective mental mechanisms and allow transforming information to penetrate deep into the subconscious. That is, so that messages designed to change your behavior or attitude towards others penetrate the subconscious without being subjected to critical appraisal characteristic of the waking state, it is best to superimpose them on the rhythms of the theta range.
This psychophysiological state (similar to hypnotic states in the pattern of distribution and combination of electrical potentials of the brain) in 1848 Frenchman Maury gave the name hypnagogic (from the Greek hipnos = sleep and agnogeus = conductor, leader). In each Eastern philosophical and esoteric school, "hypnagogy" has been used for centuries for creativity and self-improvement, psycho-techniques and rituals have been carefully developed to achieve this state and there are detailed classifications psychophysiological phenomena accompanying it.
Note that the use of hypnagogy is not limited to Eastern religions. History has told us that such famous people, How Aristotle, Brahms, Puccini, Wagner, Francis Goya, Nietzsche, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Salvador Dali, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein deliberately used hypnagogia for their creativity, using a technique that was described by Aristotle.
For example, Edison worked very hard on his inventions. When, in his thoughts, he came to a dead end, he sat down in his favorite chair, took a metal ball in his hand (which he freely lowered along the chair) and fell asleep. When he fell asleep, he involuntarily let go of the ball from his hand and the crash of the ball falling to the floor woke him up, and very often he woke up with fresh ideas about the project he was working on.
delta waves begin to dominate when we fall asleep. They are even slower than theta waves because they have a frequency of less than 4 oscillations per second. Most of us, when delta waves dominate the brain, are either in a sleepy state or in some other unconscious state. However, there is growing evidence that some people can be in a delta state without losing awareness. It is generally associated with deep trance or "non-physical" states. It is noteworthy that it is in this state that our brain secretes largest quantities growth hormone, and in the body the processes of self-healing and self-healing are most intensive.
Recent studies have established that as soon as a person shows a real interest in something, the power of the bioelectrical activity of the brain in the delta range increases significantly (along with beta activity).
Modern methods of computer analysis of the electrical activity of the brain have made it possible to establish that in the state of wakefulness in the brain there are frequencies of absolutely all ranges, moreover more efficient work of the brain, the greater the coherence (synchronism) of oscillations is observed in all ranges in the symmetrical zones of both hemispheres of the brain.
human brain- perhaps the greatest mystery of nature. In gigantic populations of billions of nerve cells (up to 1011 in total), in an even larger number of three to four orders of magnitude (1014-15) nerve connections and in an astronomical number of effective interneuronal combinations, self-developing nature has turned to itself in the form of self-knowledge.
The subjective images and representations of primary reality generated during this process have become the dominant motives for programming and controlling behavior in humans, from elementary acts such as hammering nails and inventing scientific hypotheses to complex interpersonal contacts and existential reflections.
Now everything in nature has become subject to analysis, even the brain itself. However, in the latter case, researchers were faced with a unique and seemingly almost hopeless situation, when in the network of experimental procedures it was necessary to catch real-life, but fleeting and incorporeal mental phenomena: emotional states, thought procedures and mental images! What tools of experimental analysis do you need to have in order to fix at least elementary acts human psyche?
One could try to measure the consumption of oxygen or nutrients (glucose) by the nerve cells, assuming that in the state of activation, both are required by the cells in greater quantities.
You can measure the heat production of the nervous tissue. And such methods do exist at the present time, for example, in the form of positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear magnetic resonance, thermal imaging, etc.
However, such approaches, obviously, can only indirectly reflect the actual information activity of the brain. In addition, the large inertia of these methods (seconds and tens of seconds) does not allow them to "respond" to the fleeting nature of the analytical activity of neurons.
Fortunately for many generations of psychophysiologists, the analytical procedures of nerve cells were based on a completely material carrier - the difference in electrical potentials on both sides of the cell membrane, reaching 70-80 mV!
Short-term shifts in the membrane potential or nerve impulses propagating along the processes of nerve cells could be registered using ordinary voltmeters equipped with a cascade of preliminary amplification of the electrical signal. Thus, the dynamics of neuron states could be transmitted to the arrows of electrical recorders without the slightest delay.
For human studies, the difficulty of this experimental approach was only that the electrical activity of the brain had to be recorded "non-invasively", i.e. without any incisions, punctures and other damage to biological tissues. And how else, without damage, to “distract” the potentials of the cerebral cortex, protected from external influences not only by the skin and bones of the skull, but additionally covered by several shells, between which a conductive cerebrospinal fluid? As you can see, nature has done everything to protect the brain not only from mechanical damage, but also from external electromagnetic fields. This last defense is equally difficult to “break through” both from the outside and from inside cranium. Cortical electrical potentials, if they penetrate the surface of the skull, are thousands of times weakened, ultimately not exceeding one or two tens of millionths of a volt. This is despite the fact that hundreds of times greater potentials are induced on the human body from external natural and man-made electromagnetic fields.
However, about 80 years ago, the technology of recording the electrical potentials of the brain directly from the skin surface of the human head was demonstrated by the German psychiatrist Hans Bergr. This method is called electroencephalography (EEG), and at present, not a single neurological department in hospitals, not a single polyclinic of the corresponding profile can do without an electroencephalography laboratory. The numerous focal lesions of the brain are now well amenable to diagnosis using the EEG method, tumor processes, epileptic and some other neurogenic diseases.
But the researchers' initial optimism about an objective study of the human psyche waned markedly as soon as they began decoding EEG, which turned out to be a very complex signal. In search of "echoes" of elementary mental acts in the EEG, a group for the study of the human brain (headed by Prof. A.Ya. Kaplan) at the Department of Human and Animal Physiology of the Biological Faculty of Moscow State University is also working. In the course of research, scientists were constantly worried by the fact that many mental processes, such as memory, attention, and especially cognitive or cognitive operations, if they were manifested at the EEG level, then in a highly veiled form, on the verge of the threshold of statistical significance. Could this be related to the averaging procedures that are traditionally used to level out the contribution of “random” EEG variability, which, as was believed, is due to the action of numerous uncontrolled experimental factors?
This is where the researchers began to think: are these allegedly “random” EEG variability actually a reflection of mental operations that are highly dynamic in nature? An assumption was made that such operations can manifest themselves at the EEG level in the form of short-term stabilization of the main statistical parameters of this signal. Accordingly, the change from one operation to another should be accompanied by a short transitional period in the EEG, followed by stabilization of a new set of statistical indicators. But does such an EEG segmental structure really exist?
In collaboration with mathematicians from the Institute for System Research (Prof. B.S. Darkhovsky and Dr. B.E. Brodsky), members of the Human Brain Research Group conceived and implemented procedures for automatic EEG segmentation into relatively homogeneous areas. In the course of the study, it turned out that the EEG can indeed be represented as a sequence of relatively homogeneous segments, lasting on the order of tenths of a second. Now it was necessary to show how much such a segmental representation of the EEG corresponds to the functional structure of real physiological and mental processes.
The first attempt of the pen in this direction was the study of the effects developed under the guidance of the head. Department of Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences I.P. Ashmarin is a nootropic drug of a new generation of semax. It turned out that the peculiarity of this drug is its positive influence on segments of EEG alpha activity of moderate amplitude (a sign of optimization of memory processes) and some opposite effect on segments of the same activity, but of high amplitude. Obviously, with total averaging of the EEG, both effects would be mutually compensated to a large extent, and in this case the true effect of the drug would not be detected. This finding became the basis for further clinical studies of Semax, which ultimately contributed to the introduction of this drug in health care for the purpose of activating memory and attention processes in their situational insufficiency.
The researchers then applied their technology to segment the EEG into functional blocks in a study of human nocturnal sleep performed in collaboration with the Guttenberg University Hospital in Germany. Isolation of known sleep stages, which are usually determined "manually" by experienced experts on the basis of fairly subjective criteria, turned out to be possible to do almost automatically. Such precise and objective segmentation of the nocturnal EEG made it possible to “see” some previously unknown details, for example, that each of the classical stages of sleep is “interspersed” in a small number of EEG segments characteristic of other stages of sleep. This means, in particular, that even in the stage of deep sleep there are short periods of waking states that are not subjectively noticed by a person precisely because of their short duration. Further research should clarify the meaning and functional purpose of such a partial "mixing" of heterogeneous stages of sleep and wakefulness.
The segmental representation of the EEG made it possible to find in it the distinctive features of the so-called meditative states of consciousness. On the basis of the Institute of Technology in Kanpur (India), Professor A.Ya. Kaplan showed, for example, that the segmental structure of the period of meditation in hereditary yogis differs significantly from the state of wakefulness, primarily by the high dynamism of the alternation of short segments of alpha (8-12 Hz) and theta rhythms (3.5-6 Hz) in the EEG. Now, tracking EEG-like phenomena, we can talk about periods of altered states of consciousness and conduct a systematic study of these states.
EEG segmental analysis makes it possible to identify completely new quantitative characteristics of the EEG signal, such as the distribution of quasi-stationary segments in the analyzed record by amplitude and duration, by the steepness and amplitude of intersegment transitions, etc., and all these characteristics can be considered in different frequency ranges. Evaluating these indicators, graduate students S.V. Borisov and E.V. Levichkina obtained a topographic characterization of EEG effects for various cognitive loads, such as listening to music, arithmetic counting, viewing simple two-dimensional images and pictures containing a latent three-dimensional image.
The transitional periods between EEG segments themselves did not go unnoticed by researchers. The idea arose that the moments of transitions from segment to segment in different areas of the brain could coincide in time, thereby indicating the consistency of ongoing operations in these areas. At the first glance at the segmental structure of the EEG of different brain formations, it was possible to identify numerous cases of spatial synchronization of transition periods in the EEG in almost all paired combinations. EEG registrations: forehead-back of the head, crown-temple, etc. - in total, for example, 120 combinations for 16 electrodes. Thus, for each functional state of the brain, it was possible to construct a spatial portrait of operational synchronization by plotting the number of paired combinations of EEG leads horizontally, and vertically how often these combinations show a coincidence of segment boundaries. As part of research projects, Ph.D. S.L. Shishkin and graduate student S.V. Borisov, clearly expressed portraits of operational synchrony were obtained under various mental loads.
However, numerical modeling of the process of operational synchrony showed that in any EEG combinations, even with total absence interactions between brain structures, a sufficiently high frequency of purely random coincidences of intersegmental transitions in the EEG should be observed. It was all the more interesting to compare real and random portraits of operational synchrony predicted by simulation. To the delight of the researchers, those tested functional states brains differed each in their unique composition of pairs of brain formations, for which the phenomenon of EEG operational synchrony statistically significantly exceeded the stochastic level. In this way, a number of new data were obtained on the specifics of the operational interaction of brain formations during the performance of various tasks by the subjects. Moreover, it turned out that much more generalized mental states are also reflected in the restructuring of operational relations between brain formations- so, in the study of Ph.D. S.L. Shishkin, interesting results were obtained that increased operational synchrony between cortical structures is characteristic of a state of increased anxiety. Since excessive anxiety plays important role in the formation of neurotic and psychosomatic pathology, it can be assumed that further development of research in this direction will bring important results for medicine.
As can be seen, the highest mental functions are indeed reflected in specific patterns of EEG microstructural organization. The only problem is that it is far from always possible to come up with such an experiment and apply such methods of EEG analysis, which in their totality will be able to reveal to the researcher another mystery of the human psyche. Despite the solid experience of the human brain study group, as always, the most interesting experiments and the most intriguing tasks are yet to come. At present, for example, experiments are being planned to study the mechanisms of voluntary regulation of mental processes in humans. With the help of specially prepared technical means and the software system, the subjects will have to learn to voluntarily modify the functional relationships between brain structures. Somewhere along this path, the veil should also be opened over the secret of “free will” of a person, what is it: a metaphysical allegory, a “harmful fable” or a real psychophysiological process?
Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta waves. It has long been no secret that our planet Earth has long ago begun an irrevocable transition to a higher frequency vibration mode. But not everyone knows and understands what it is? It sounds scientific and therefore few people believe that Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta waves are related to each individual.
The pragmatic world-famous otolaryngologist and inventor of Audio-Psycho-Phonology (APF) Alfred Tomatis argues that the Ear is designed to serve the individual both psychically and mentally. physical point vision.
A. Tomatis, as a result of his many years of research, found out what frequency sound can have a healing effect and “enlighten” the mind.
Sounds with a frequency of 5000 to 8000 Hz recharge the “brain batteries” the fastest. The fastest recharging occurs when exposed to 8000 Hz sound.
After testing music written by various composers, Tomatis concluded that Mozart's music in most contains high-frequency sounds that have a healing effect and recharge the brain. Mozart's music, with its unexpected transitions, overflows, overflow of sounds, with its richness of nuances, is sustained in a thirty-second "loud-quiet" rhythm, which corresponds to the nature of the biocurrents of the brain.
Classical music of the Baroque era, namely its slow tempo part, is filled with high-frequency sounds and sounds in rhythm from 60 beats per minute - the ideal rhythm of the human heart during relaxation. Thus, music is able to literally physically infuse energy into the brain and body and also has a healing effect.
At the same time, Alfred Tomatis found out which frequencies had a depressing effect on the brain and body. These are low frequency sounds - for example, traffic, airport, factories. Some low-frequency, thumping sounds in rock music also have a negative effect on brain activity, says A. Tomatis.
Briefly about Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta brain waves: when they occur and what effect they have.
Beta waves are fast waves of low amplitude, approximately 14 to 40 Hz. Beta waves are generated naturally when we are awake, anxiety consciousness.
Initially, beta waves are a data processing process involving hundreds of small calculations between two nearby areas of the cortex that work together to achieve a result (“What was that sound or image?”, “What is 2 + 3?”, “This is dangerous ?”, “I’m afraid”, “What should I do?”).
There are 3 main subgroups of beta waves: Gamma, Beta 2 and Beta 1. Gamma waves, the fastest, reflect the peak activity of consciousness. Excessive beta 2 activity is associated with heightened emotional states such as anxiety and fear. Beta 1 frequencies are associated with cognitive processes such as problem solving and thinking.
alpha waves describe the electrical activity of the brain at a frequency of 8-12 Hz. It is believed that alpha waves are the dominant type of brain waves in people who are in a relaxed or meditative state. It is also evident that children are in a state of alpha wave activity most of the time than adults.
Alpha Rhythm Research for Relationships with various manifestations consciousness and psyche are conducted in many biological institutes and universities around the world.
It is known, for example, that Alpha waves determine not tense, maximally comfortable and at the same time active state of the body and consciousness. The thought process of the brain slows down and consciousness clears up. The body is completely relaxed and freed from tension and nervousness. Alpha waves generally define a highly concentrated creative state of consciousness. This state is demonstrated by artists, musicians and creative thinkers. The Alpha state is recognized as the optimal state for an effective and enjoyable learning process, without special efforts. The alpha state enhances a person's natural ability to perceive great amount information. It is also a state of steady working capacity, a mental state when a person is maximally concentrated on what he is doing, driven by a feeling of energy uplift, complete immersion and success in the process of doing it.
The following ways are known to increase the alpha rhythms of the brain in addition to listening to appropriate music: meditation, yoga, deep breathing, self-hypnosis, visualization, energy practices such as raising our vibrations. Is this our life? Is not it?
Waves are the desired result of meditators.
Traditional meditation methods require 10 years of practice to produce perfect alpha waves. Nowadays, this process can be accelerated, for example, by gaining access to high-frequency vibrations of Kundalini Reiki or other energy practices. The production of alpha waves is reduced when this part of the brain processes sensory information, as well as in the process of problem solving and cognitive activity.
Increasing the number of alpha waves gives:
sense of peace
improved academic performance
warmth in the limbs
increased productivity in the workplace
feeling of well-being
reduced anxiety, improved sleep
improving immune function.
It is believed that the most creative geniuses, such as Einstein, were constantly in an almost unchanged alpha state.
Most of these creative people had poor school performance and were considered dysfunctional students. Perhaps they were too focused on creative activity to pay attention to their studies.
In the last few years, new subgroups of alpha waves have been identified. Mu waves (sometimes called Talfa) are borderline between Alpha / Theta waves (from 7 to 9 Hz). Their active production is associated with a healthy state of consciousness, which gives exceptional intuition and experience of personal transformation.
Some researchers believe that "healthy" mu activity can reduce the state of unreasonable anger and anxiety from hidden problematic childhood memories or emotional trauma from the past. Examples of these waves of brain activity are the Schumann resonance or the "fifth stage" of meditation.
However, a sign of poor mental health is when a person cannot consciously control his mu activity and becomes obsessed with mu. Long-term, uncontrolled, mu wave production is often seen in people suffering from disorders associated with low-frequency brain activity, such as attention dysfunction, premenstrual syndrome, seasonal affective disorders, chronic fatigue, depression and closed injuries brain.
Theta waves- the state of the electrical activity of the brain in the range of 4 - 8 Hz. In this brain rhythm, people usually experience a state of deep relaxation. Thanks to which the body and consciousness are easily restored after mental or physical activity. Also, an increase in the level of Theta waves leads to a strengthening of the immune system.
Theta waves are associated with sleep, twilight, hypnotic trance, REM sleep, and dreaming.
In this state, memory activity increases. Memory improves (especially long-term memory), access to the subconscious increases, the possibility of free association increases, creativity increases, unexpected insights take place.
It is a mysterious, special state of consciousness. For a long time, scientists could not study this state of the brain, because. a common person cannot stay in it for a long time without falling into sleep (which also gives a large number of theta waves).
Often, therapists in the treatment of a traumatized patient use the Theta band to restore repressed memories and thus change the person's relationship to the traumatic event. Theta rhythm is the boundary between the conscious and the subconscious, and by consciously stimulating the theta state, a person gains access and the ability to influence that powerful part of the subconscious that is not available in the normal, waking state, sharply enhances intuition.
In general, theta waves are a carefree state of mind that gives us a feeling of comfortable connection with the outside world.
delta waves considered the lowest brain frequencies, they are in the range from 0.5 to 4 Hz. Like other slow brain frequencies, the Delta rhythm is predominantly generated in the right hemisphere. The delta brainwave range is associated with empathy, the subconscious, and a diminished sense of awareness. A person falls into deep sleep when Delta waves begin to dominate other frequencies in the brain.
In addition to healthy sleep, Delta brainwave activity is responsible for the production of hormones that prevent aging. In addition, Delta wave activity reduces blood levels of cortisol, a hormone that accelerates the aging process and is a sign of stress.
Delta rhythm also allows you to "penetrate" the emotions of other people, to determine their feelings on an unconscious level. Healthy Delta brainwave activity causes a person to develop a state of empathy, understanding and compassion for other people. If you are compassionate towards other people and can "read" their feelings, you probably have more Delta waves in your brain than the average person. Some researchers are sure that delta waves are present in healers in the state of "healing" and in psychics at the time of receiving information.
