Alpha, Theta, Delta waves. The healing effects of music
BRAIN WAVES
HOW BRAIN FREQUENCIES INFLUENCE THE QUALITY OF OUR LIFE
Our brain modulates different frequencies depending on what we are doing at the moment.
There are 4 main brainwave bands:
beta, alpha, theta and delta.
Highest range - beta, the lowest - delta. Mid-range waves are called the first letter of the Greek alphabet, “alpha,” since they were first discovered in 1908 by the Austrian physicist Hans Berger.
Alpha waves prevail during wakefulness, when a person is focused, but at the same time completely relaxed. In deep sleep, there are either few or no alpha waves. They do not exist even when a person is overwhelmed by fear or anger. At such moments, beta waves dominate.
Beta waves also prevail in stressful situations when needed quick action and maximum concentration.
Delta waves predominate during deep sleep (3rd and 4th phases of sleep). Theta waves predominate during REM sleep, dreams and half-asleep (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 within you, you come into contact with your soul. When you suppress these frequencies in any way, you separate yourself from your own soul.
Since it is the soul that gives a person a sense of well-being, the one who is in beta- condition and does not have a strong connection with the waves alpha-theta band , feels anxious and does not feel the joy of life.
For most people the intensity theta and alpha -waves are reduced.
Ordinary people are in a limited state of low but stable productivity and very rarely act spontaneously, on a whim.
They wake up from deep sleep with an alarm and force themselves, with the help of coffee, into a state of outward-oriented active wakefulness with a predominance of beta waves.
Caffeine is suppressive theta and alpha waves , but it stimulates beta waves.
Stress, tension and lack of time at work lead to the fact that a person functions in beta mode brain activity, and in the evening falls exhausted into 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 allow him to strengthen 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 are less anxious and, accordingly, have stronger immune system. Creative inspiration requires the brain to generate bursts. alpha and theta- activity.
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 brain wave activity! 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 - Schumann resonance frequency, frequency of the Earth's resonant field.
Then everything becomes crystal clear to you, because you are vibrating at the frequency that gave birth to life on our planet and supports it to this day.
Here you are also accessible to the inner theta inspiration , and external charisma characteristic 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 and your body's energy system overflows with life. It is a blissful state of alert but relaxed consciousness.
This is creativity, high intellectual abilities and insights.
In this condition, the central nervous system reduces the flow of incoming data from the peripheral nervous system. Limiting the amount of sensory input helps protect the central nervous system from sensory overload caused by stress or physical stimuli.
When the brain does not have to control 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 detachedly, being half-on, in a state of half-asleep. You are aware of everything around you, but at the same time your body is in a state of deep relaxation.
And Einstein, and Thomas Edison, and Leonardo da Vinci said that when solving complex tasks they deliberately allowed their minds to slip into the state we now call theta state . Edison even took a nap when he reached a dead end in solving a particular problem. He allowed himself to fall asleep, and when his consciousness reached theta states, a solution arose in my mind. After this, Edison woke up with a ready-made solution.
Einstein practiced a very similar method. He called it a "stream of images." You allow your mind to unwind and drift off into half-asleep, and then just relax and watch what images come to mind. 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 own consciousness was opposing the efforts he was making.
As the great scientist said: “You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”
To change the course of his own thinking, he allowed his mind to slip into a drowsy theta state, and then observed the images that appeared before his mind's eye. This method allows the mind to get rid of all the conscious limitations that cause the problem.
Any person should learn to effectively control brain wave states, and for this you need to know which of them is most favorable for you in a given situation, and be able to enter it.
Beta- waves Frequency 13-40 Hz
Wakefulness
Concentration
Cognition
The beta state is characterized by high concentration, attention, coordination of movements and visual acuity.
When the brain works in BETA mode, a person is completely awake. His mind is sharp and collected. Neural circuits fire extremely quickly, allowing a person to react quickly and clearly.
Provides clarity and external focus, which helps prepare for exams, think through upcoming actions, and quickly and effectively analyze and organize information.
However, too high activity in this frequency range increases stress levels.
The beta state is characterized by a high level of external attention and alertness - you are fully aware of everything that is happening in the external world - but most often at the expense 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 his brain activity is dominated by harmonious alpha waves.
His consciousness expands and is filled with creative energy. Fears and anxieties that arise when beta waves predominate in the brain dissipate, and fearlessness and clarity come.
Alpha waves give a feeling 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" , apparently represents the optimal vibration of life on the planet.
If your brain resonates at this frequency, it means your consciousness has found harmony with Life itself.
You feel your entire being filled with energy. You feel a strong connection to the transcendental spiritual realm known as THE WAY, TRUTH and LIFE.
I placed this egg on a flat table surface myself, being in the alpha frequency state of the brain. It stood there for almost an hour. Without any devices, salt, glue, etc.
We really can do anything! We just don't take advantage of our capabilities... 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 shadowy realm of the subconscious, a fragile state experienced when we slip into sleep, during dreams 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 from 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, reduces stress, and awakens intuition and other psychic abilities.
Deep meditation in the Theta state results in heightened receptivity, flashes of dream-like imagery, inspiration, long-forgotten memories, and a feeling of "rocking on the waves." When consciousness is in the Theta state, you can experience an expansion of the mind beyond the body.
The theta wave range is the threshold of your subconscious/unconscious.
Brainwaves in this range include areas where we store memories and buried emotions. There are hidden secrets in the subconscious/unconscious that we are not ready to face. These secrets may haunt us in our dreams, but they are likely to be disguised behind elaborate symbols, allowing them to go unnoticed until we are mature enough to work through them.
The theta state is ideal for super learning, subconscious 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 methods of slowing down brain wave activity.
Activation of theta states can be achieved using methods based on the use of biofeedback, as well as using sounds that cause resonance with them, which reduces alcohol and drug addiction.
Delta waves 0-4 Hz
Healing
Deep dream
Detached consciousness
Delta is a long, slow wave oscillation. The delta band is the lowest of the 4 brainwave bands. This is deep sleep. Certain frequencies in the delta range stimulate the release of human body growth hormone, which promotes tissue healing and regeneration. This is why deep sleep (when delta waves are active) helps you recover.
Signals from the unconscious are transmitted on delta waves. To tap into the unconscious, one must enter a deep meditative state—deep enough to increase the proportion of delta wave activity in the brain while remaining awake.
STIMULATORS OF VARIOUS BRAIN WAVES
Tobacco and mate are very similar plants, when consumed, the body receives amino acids that stimulate brain alpha waves.
This is why many people smoke to “relax”. However, we should 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 consumed in our industrial society. Due to selection, additives and genetic engineering, there was no time a good product turned into a carcinogen. Besides, simultaneous use tobacco and alcohol increases the risk of throat cancer.
Caffeine switches your brain into an anxiety-crisis beta mode.
An excellent alternative to coffee is the aforementioned mate. Wonderful mate tea is similar in composition to tobacco. Mate can lift you out of your sleepy theta state and help you move 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 effects are similar to those 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 thinking.
Tianni also promotes the production of GABA - brain hormone, which helps to calm down and creates a feeling of well-being. Caffeine suppresses the production of this hormone. This is how theanine improves your mood.
Rock music, oddly enough, is focused on alpha state.
Nature stimulates alpha-theta wave activity brain more softly.
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 and focus, which also contributes to beneficial fluctuations in brain activity.
Try walking barefoot in the grass for at least 15 minutes and notice how you feel afterwards. Your sensations are the result of increased alpha activity in the brain.
An even simpler way stimulate alpha oscillations - simply be aware of your breathing.
Exercise and training not only promote physical health, but also liberation from “inner demons.” We are genetically programmed for significant physical activity. Exercise is the key to a fulfilling life!
Driving on the highway appears to stimulate theta brain activity. This is why children fall asleep in the back seat.
External vibrations at certain frequencies can affect our state of consciousness.
Modern methods of computer analysis of electrical activity of the brain have established that The human brain constantly emits electrical impulses called brain waves.
When a person is awake, his brain generates waves of all ranges.
However, for a certain behavior, the brain initially produces waves of one group. When you are in a certain state of your body and mind, only one type of wave will predominate.
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 very quickly connect them with each other.
A small amount of gamma waves leads to a decrease in the ability to remember something.
The effect of training “gamma states” has not been announced by official science and is still considered unknown.
Beta waves.
Beta waves generated by the left hemisphere of the brain people and are responsible for solving your problems, logical thinking, concentration, and decision making. These waves allow you to be active in society on a daily basis.
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 brain function, 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.
As internal anxiety increases, 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 predominant over all others. Every day a person is in a state of beta wave activity, practically not allowing himself to relax and move into a state of activity of other wave ranges.
Beta wave activity also contributes to 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 appear.
Alpha waves predominate in children under 13 years of age.
A sufficient amount of alpha waves is considered normal for an adult who is in a relaxed and comfortable position, 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, allow you to get rid of stress, nervous tension and anxiety.
Alpha waves also 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, they begin to abuse alcohol and drugs. Since in a state of intoxication, the power of electrical activity of the brain in the alpha range increases sharply.
Scientific research has shown that in the “master state” (this concept is found in oriental martial arts), it is alpha waves that predominate in the human brain. Against the background of alpha brain activity, the speed of muscle reaction is ten times higher than in the normal state.
Waves of this range are most actively produced during relaxation and meditation.
Theta waves.
Theta waves bring your body into a state of deep relaxation, a state of dozing and dreaming.
In this rhythm, your body quickly recovers after heavy loads. A feeling of bliss and peace appears.
Theta waves generated by the right hemisphere of the brain .
Theta waves are the fine line between consciousness and subconscious. Entering the “theta state” promotes the manifestation of paranormal abilities.
These waves awaken and strengthen emotions and feelings, allow you to program and reprogram the subconscious, and get rid of negative and limiting thinking.
Because the it is theta waves that are ideal for the uncritical 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 provide a critical assessment and enable transformative 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. Because music awakens emotions and sensations, and this is a direct way to increase the activity of theta waves.
Meditation also produces alpha and theta rhythms.
Delta waves.
In the normal state, delta waves are most actively produced during deep sleep and provide its restorative stages. It is in the delta state that the brain produces large quantity growth hormone, and the body intensively undergoes self-healing and self-healing processes.
These waves are predominant in children under one year of age.
Delta waves generated by the right hemisphere of the brain and remain “on” even when all other waves of brain activity are “at rest”, 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 associated with the subconscious and the intangible world. For a long time, delta waves were not available to scientists to study.
People whose brains generate a large number of delta waves tend to have high developed intuition. They always rely on their “sixth sense”, knowing that it will tell them the right way out of a wide variety of situations.
Training to enhance delta waves allows you to consciously enter states of very deep relaxation and trance states. Because 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 make a transition from the material world to the immaterial with the predominance of consciousness.
Theta waves transferred from the material world to the immaterial with a predominance of the subconscious.
Delta waves – this is the immaterial world, this is your subconscious.
Delta waves mainly predominate in children under one year of age.
Alpha and theta waves mainly predominate in children under 13 years of age.
As a child gets older, his brain begins to produce more beta waves. And in modern world, with its rapid pace, a large number of beta waves creates tension, anxiety and a stressful state.
When a person simultaneously produces alpha, beta, theta and delta waves in the right proportions, he:
- has 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 happens simultaneously .
However, without good practice, achieving awareness and control during these states is quite difficult.
You are able to control your brain waves. AND for changes to happen in your body and to you, just let them happen . Once you have activated your beta waves and made the decision to make some changes in your life, allow your alpha and theta waves to make those changes happen.
If you have never practiced any techniques, start by paying attention to alpha waves. These waves should become predominant in your life, and their active production should become the norm for you.
To increase alpha waves, develop your right hemisphere, engage in meditation and relaxation, trust your intuition more, and approach problems more easily.
One of best methods the initial activation of alpha waves, and the further combination of beta and alpha waves, I consider mind maps.
The next step is the activation of theta waves. Deep meditation helps to do this and lucid dreaming. As well as the ThetaHealing® technique.
For practitioners of this method, the brain operates on the theta wave. And this is a great method for quickly identifying and replacing limiting beliefs that are holding you back in your life.
Delta waves are activated in a state of very deep relaxation, “disconnected” from the outside world.
When you continually practice ThetaHealing® personally and go deeply into your inner state, the brain begins to shift to delta waves.
Without studying and practicing special techniques and methods, scientists do not recommend increasing delta brain activity on your own, especially using special technical means.
Increase your alpha, theta and delta wave activity consciously.
To learn more about how ThetaHealing® works, please visit the following links.
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 from 6 to 12 years old may have arrhythmic delta complexes alternating with the alpha rhythm in the occipital region of the brain. The duration of such waves is 200-400 milliseconds, the intensity, measured in volts, is moderate (< 120% от фона).
These complexes are similar to the reactivity of the alpha rhythm, disappear when the eyes are opened and appear when closed eyes. Sometimes they layer on alpha waves and merge with them, simulating sharp-slow wave complexes. Therefore, it is very difficult to distinguish these complexes from post-convulsant EEG changes observed in diseases 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 elderly 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 connection between focal temporal delta activity and moderate cognitive impairment. And frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity (FIRDA), recorded during sleep, is not a manifestation of any pathology or disease of the central nervous system.
Thus, further study of delta waves in the human brain will make it possible to differentiate many pathological processes and contribute to the treatment of patients with organic damage to 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 - 15 μV is usually found 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, strong concentration, and mental activity when solving complex tasks, situations, and problems.
Theta activity normally occurs as isolated waves in the frontal regions of the brain and increases during sleep.
The recording of theta waves in the background recording of an electroencephalogram in a person’s waking state 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 during rest periods. This activity is most pronounced in the frontal and central regions of the brain. Theta activity may increase during hyperventilation (fast breathing). Theta wave activity is observed during the period of falling asleep or drowsiness. Theta waves are pronounced in young people and their activity is characteristic of the developing brain, and after 25 years it decreases.
Focal theta waves indicate nonspecific pathological damage brain.
In elderly people, in some cases, intermittent bitemporal theta activity of 4-5 Hz in the left hemisphere is greater 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 using one electroencephalogram. Although the entire group of psychoses has specific deviations in EEG recordings, it is not always possible to identify a particular psychosis from the recording.
Symptoms of psychosis are hallucinations, delusions, loss of contact with reality, lack of criticism of one’s condition, and confusion.
The causes of such symptoms are different, most often they are:
- reception psychoactive substances and alcohol;
- tumors;
- traumatic brain injuries;
- sleep deprivation;
- neurodegenerative diseases;
- neuroinfections;
- autoimmune diseases;
- metabolic disorders;
- diseases of the central nervous system.
But still, for each of these conditions or diseases there are relatively specific changes in the EEG. A striking example is temporal lobe epilepsy.
Therefore, one of the important tasks of neurophysiologists at the clinic of Professor V.L. It takes a moment to differentiate a mental illness from a somatic illness, or poisoning with psychotropic drugs. This is necessary to prescribe the correct treatment.
Listen to recordings of sacred 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 field of interest only to musicians, if not for researcher Robert Monroe. He realized that despite the wide popularity of the beat effect in the scientific world, no one had studied its effect on the human condition when listening through stereo headphones. Monroe discovered that when listening to sounds of similar frequencies on different channels (right and left), a person experiences so-called binaural beats, or binaural beats. 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 = 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 50s, 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 synchronizing, under certain conditions, with various rhythmic stimuli, for example, impulses that are extremely weak electric current, light flashes and sound clicks, if the frequency of the stimuli is within the natural frequency range of the bioelectric 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 expanded to the entire range of natural brain 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 state of consciousness in which it dominates.
Beta waves- the fastest. Their frequency varies, in the classic version, from 14 to 42 Hz (and according to some modern sources, more than 100 Hz). In a normal 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 our brain. Beta waves are typically associated with wakefulness, alertness, focus, cognition and, when in excess, anxiety, fear and panic. A lack of beta waves is associated with depression, poor selective attention, and problems remembering information.
A number of researchers have found that some people have very high levels of tension, including high levels of electrical activity in the brain in the fast beta wave range, and very low levels of relaxation waves in the alpha and theta range. People of this type also often exhibit characteristic behavior such as smoking, overeating, gambling, drug 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 through the use of alcohol and drugs.
An increased level of tension is one of the types of imbalance of neuroregulators in the body. It is obvious that in such people, appropriate brain stimulation can significantly reduce the level of beta activity and, accordingly, increase relaxing alpha and theta rhythms. For example, Henry Adams, Ph. D. - founder of the National Institute of Mental Health and a leading specialist in alcoholism research programs at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Washington, D.C., found that the most “bitter” drinkers after only one alpha-theta relaxation session accompanied by short anti-alcohol suggestions over the next two weeks reduced alcohol consumption by 55%. In an interview with a correspondent, Dr. Adams stated: “This is a very effective technique, but at the same time it is simple to prepare and use, free from significant risks, any danger and side effects. medical effects. Has it now been proven that it significantly reduces the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms, provides a state of deep relaxation and thereby reduces 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. oscillations 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 plunge into a state of pleasant peace, also called the “alpha state.”
Research has shown that brain stimulation in the alpha range is ideal for assimilation of new information, data, facts, any material that needs to be always ready in your memory.
In oriental 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 speed of muscle reaction is ten times higher than in the normal state.
On the electroencephalogram (EEG) of a healthy person not under the influence of stress, alpha waves always a lot. Their deficiency may be a sign of stress, inability to good rest And effective teaching, as well as evidence of disturbances in brain activity 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 EEG studies have found that people who experienced events associated with severe mental trauma in childhood 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 voluntarily accessing sensory-figurative representations (on which, by the way, all traditional non-drug psychotherapy is based) or some development techniques psychic abilities(see Bronnikov method).
The addiction of some people to alcohol and drugs is explained by the fact that these people are not able to generate enough alpha waves in a normal state, while in a state of drugs or alcohol intoxication, the power of electrical activity of the brain in the alpha range increases sharply.
Theta waves appear when calm, peaceful wakefulness turns into drowsiness. The vibrations in the brain become slower and more rhythmic, ranging from 4 to 8 Hertz. This state is also called “twilight”, since in it a person is between sleep and wakefulness. It is often accompanied by the vision 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 vibrations per second) is ideal for the uncritical acceptance of external attitudes, since its rhythms reduce the effect of the corresponding protective mental mechanisms and allow transformative information to penetrate deep into the subconscious. That is, so that messages designed to change your behavior or attitude towards others penetrate into the subconscious without being subjected to critical assessment, characteristic of the waking state, it is best to superimpose them on the rhythms of the theta range.
In 1848, Frenchman Maury gave this psychophysiological state (similar to hypnotic states in the pattern of distribution and combination of electrical potentials of the brain) hypnagogic (from the Greek hipnos = sleep and agnogeus = conductor, leader). In every Eastern philosophical and esoteric school, “hypnagogia” has been used for centuries for creativity and self-improvement; psychotechnics and rituals have been carefully developed to achieve this state and exist detailed classifications psychophysiological phenomena accompanying it.
Note that the use of hypnagogia is not limited to Eastern religions. History has taught us that such famous personalities, 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 he reached a dead end in his thoughts, he sat down in his favorite chair, took the metal ball in his hand (which he freely lowered along the chair) and fell asleep. Having fallen asleep, he would involuntarily let go of the ball from his hand and the crash of the ball falling to the floor would wake him up, and very often he would wake 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 vibrations per second. Most of us, when delta waves dominate in the brain, are either sleepy or in some other unconscious state. However, there is growing evidence that some people can be in the delta state without losing awareness. It is typically 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-restoration and self-healing occur most intensively.
Recent studies have found that as soon as a person shows real interest in something, the power of 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 a state of wakefulness the brain contains frequencies of absolutely all ranges, and moreover, work more efficiently brain, the greater the coherence (synchrony) of oscillations is observed in all ranges in 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 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, the 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, thinking procedures and mental images! What tools of experimental analysis do you need to have in order to record at least elementary acts? human psyche?
One could try to measure the consumption of oxygen or nutrients (glucose) by nerve cells, assuming that in a state of activation the cells require more of both.
The heat production of nervous tissue can be measured. And such methods actually exist at the present time, for example, in the form of positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear magnetic resonance, thermal imaging, etc. technologies.
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 analytical activity of neurons, which is fleeting in nature.
Fortunately for many generations of psychophysiologists, the basis of the analytical procedures of nerve cells turned out to be 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 membrane potential or nerve impulses spreading along the processes of nerve cells could be recorded using conventional 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 only difficulty with this experimental approach was that the electrical activity of the brain had to be recorded “non-invasively”, i.e. without any cuts, punctures or other damage to biological tissues. How else, without damage, can “divert” the potentials of the cerebral cortex, which is protected from external influences not only by the skin and bones of the skull, but also additionally covered by several membranes, between which current-conducting conductive fluid circulates? 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 externally and internally. 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 for recording 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 currently not a single neurological department in hospitals, not a single clinic of the corresponding profile can do without an electroencephalography laboratory. Numerous focal brain lesions are now easily diagnosed using the EEG method, tumor processes, epileptic and some other neurogenic diseases.
But the initial optimism of researchers regarding the objective study of the human psyche diminished noticeably as soon as they began EEG decoding, 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, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, is also working. During the research, scientists were constantly concerned by the fact that many mental processes, such as memory, attention, and especially cognitive or cognitive operations, if they appeared at the EEG level, then in a highly veiled form, on the verge of the threshold of statistical significance. Is this related to the averaging procedures that are traditionally used to level out the contribution of “random” EEG variability, which was believed to be caused by the action of numerous uncontrolled experimental factors?
This is where the researchers began to wonder: isn’t this supposedly “random” EEG variability actually a reflection of highly dynamic mental operations in nature? It was suggested that such operations could 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 in the EEG by a short-term transition period with subsequent stabilization of a new package of statistical indicators. But does such a segmental structure of the EEG really exist?
In collaboration with mathematicians from the Institute for Systems Research (Prof. B.S. Darkovsky and Dr. B.E. Brodsky), members of the human brain research group conceived and implemented procedures for automatic segmentation of EEG into relatively homogeneous areas. During the study, it turned out that the EEG can indeed be presented as a sequence of relatively homogeneous segments lasting about tenths of a second. Now it was necessary to show how 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 leadership of the head. Department of Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences I.P. Ashmarina of the new generation nootropic drug 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 largely cancel each other out, 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 medicine into healthcare for the purpose of activating memory and attention processes in case of their situational insufficiency.
The researchers then applied their technology to segment the EEG into functional blocks in a study of human night sleep, carried out in collaboration with the Guttenburg University Clinic in Germany. The identification of known stages of sleep, which are usually determined “manually” by experienced experts on the basis of rather subjective criteria, turned out to be possible to do almost automatically. Such precise and objective segmentation of the nighttime EEG made it possible to “discern” some previously unknown details, for example, that each of the classical stages of sleep is “interspersed” with 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 states of wakefulness 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 partial “mixing” of the heterogeneous stages of sleep and wakefulness.
The segmental representation of the EEG made it possible to find in it the distinctive signs of the so-called meditative states of consciousness. At 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 in 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, by tracking EEG-like phenomena, we can talk about periods of altered states of consciousness and conduct a systematic study of these states.
Segmental analysis of the EEG allows us to identify completely new quantitative characteristics of the EEG signal, such as the distribution of quasi-stationary segments in the analyzed recording by amplitude and duration, by the slope and amplitude of intersegment transitions, etc., and all these characteristics can be considered in different frequency ranges. Assessing these indicators, graduate students S.V. Borisov and E.V. Levichkin obtained topographic characteristics of EEG effects for a variety of cognitive loads, such as listening to music, arithmetic calculation, viewing simple two-dimensional images and pictures containing a hidden three-dimensional image.
The transition 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 may 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-occiput, crown-temple, etc. - in total, for example, 120 combinations for 16 electrodes. For each functional state of the brain, it was thus possible to construct a spatial portrait of operational synchronization by plotting horizontally the number of paired combinations of EEG leads, and vertically plotting how often the boundaries of segments coincide in these combinations. As part of research projects Ph.D. S.L. Shishkin and graduate student S.V. Borisov, clearly defined 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 complete absence interaction between brain structures, a fairly high frequency of purely random coincidences of intersegment transitions in the EEG should be observed. It was all the more interesting to compare real and random portraits of operational synchrony predicted by modeling. To the delight of the researchers, those tested functional states brains each differed in their unique composition of pairs of brain formations, for which the phenomenon of operational EEG synchrony statistically significantly exceeded the stochastic level. Along this path, a whole series of new data was obtained on the specifics of the operational interaction of brain formations when subjects performed various tasks. Moreover, it turned out that much more generalized mental states are also reflected in the restructuring of operational relationships between brain formations- so, in a study by Ph.D. S.L. Shishkin obtained interesting results that increased operational synchrony between cortical structures is characteristic of a state of increased anxiety. Because 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 you can see, the highest mental functions are indeed reflected in specific patterns of microstructural organization of the EEG. The only problem is that it is not always possible to come up with such an experiment and apply such methods of EEG analysis, which together can reveal to the researcher another mystery of the human psyche. Despite the solid work experience of the group studying the human brain, as always, the most interesting experiments and the most intriguing tasks are yet to come. Currently, for example, experiments are being planned to study the mechanisms of voluntary regulation of mental processes in humans. With the help of specially trained technical means and the software system, subjects will have to learn to voluntarily modify the functional relationships between brain structures. Somewhere along the way, the curtain must be lifted on the mystery of human “free will”; 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 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 relevant to every individual.
The pragmatic, world-famous otolaryngologist and inventor of Audio-Psycho-Phonology (APP) Alfred Tomatis argues that the Ear is intended to serve the benefit of the individual both mentally and physically. 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 your brain batteries the fastest. The fastest recharge occurs when exposed to sound with a frequency of 8000 Hz.
After testing music written by various composers, Tomatis concluded that Mozart's music to the greatest extent 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 wealth of nuances, is maintained 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 part with a slow tempo, is filled with high-frequency sounds and sounds in a rhythm of 60 beats per minute - the ideal rhythm of the human heart during rest. Thus, music can literally physically infuse energy into the brain and body and also has healing effects.
At the same time, Alfred Tomatis discovered which frequencies had a depressing effect on the brain and body. These are low frequency sounds - e.g. 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, low in amplitude, approximately 14 to 40 Hz. Beta waves are generated naturally when we are awake, anxious state consciousness.
Initially, beta waves are a data processing process involving hundreds of small calculations between two nearby cortical areas that work together to achieve a result (“What was that sound or sight?”, “What is 2 + 3?”, “Is this 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 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 reasoning.
Alpha waves describe 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 obvious that children are in a state of Alpha wave activity more of the time than adults.
Research of the Alpha rhythm for its relationship with various manifestations consciousness and psyche are being conducted in many biological institutes and universities around the world.
It is known, for example, that Alpha waves determine a non-stressful, maximally comfortable and at the same time active state of the body and consciousness. The brain's thought process slows down and consciousness becomes clearer. The body completely relaxes and is freed from tension and nervousness. Alpha waves generally define a creative state of consciousness of high concentration. 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 effort. Alpha state enhances a person's natural ability to perceive great amount information. It is also a state of sustained performance, a mental state when a person is maximally concentrated on what he is doing, driven by a feeling of energy, complete immersion and success in the process of execution.
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 those that raise our vibrations. After all, this is our life? Is not it?
Waves are the desired result of meditators.
Traditional meditation methods require 10 years of practice to achieve ideal alpha wave production. Nowadays, you can speed up this process by, for example, 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 during problem solving and cognitive activity.
Increasing the number of alpha waves gives:
feeling of peace
improved academic performance
warmth in the extremities
increased productivity in the workplace
feeling of well-being
decreased anxiety, improved sleep
improvement of immune function.
It is believed that the most creative geniuses, such as Einstein, constantly remained in an almost unchanged alpha state.
Most of these creative people had poor performance in school and were considered troubled students. Perhaps they were too focused on creative activities to pay attention to their studies.
In the last few years, new subgroups of alpha waves have been identified. Mu waves (sometimes called Talpha) are borderline between Alpha/Theta waves (from 7 to 9 Hz). Their active production is associated with a healthy state of consciousness, giving exceptional intuition and the experience of personal transformation.
Some researchers believe that “healthy” mu activity can reduce irrational anger and anxiety from hidden problematic childhood memories or past traumas. Examples of these waves of brain activity are 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 fixated on mu. Long-term, uncontrolled, production of mu waves is often observed in people suffering from disorders associated with low-frequency brain activity, such as attention dysfunction, premenstrual syndrome, seasonal affective disorder, chronic fatigue, depression and closed injuries brain.
Theta waves– state of 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, increasing the level of Theta waves leads to a strengthening of the immune system.
Theta waves are associated with the sleep state, the twilight state, the hypnotic trance state, the REM sleep phase and the dream state.
In this state, memory activity increases. Memory improves (especially long-term memory), access to the subconscious increases, the possibility of free associations increases, creativity increases, and unexpected insights occur.
This 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 remain in it for a long time without falling asleep (which also produces a large number of theta waves).
Often, when treating a traumatized patient, therapists use the Theta wave range to restore repressed memories and thus change the person's attitude towards the traumatic event. The theta rhythm is the boundary between consciousness and 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 inaccessible in a normal, waking state, sharply enhancing intuition.
Overall, theta waves are a carefree state of mind that gives us a feeling of comfortable connection with the world around us.
Delta waves considered the lowest brain frequencies, they range from 0.5 to 4 Hz. Like other slow brain frequencies, Delta rhythm is generated predominantly in the right hemisphere. The Delta brainwave range is associated with empathy, the subconscious, and a reduced 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 wave brain activity is responsible for the production of hormones that prevent aging. In addition, Delta wave activity reduces the level of cortisol in the blood, 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 and determine their feelings on an unconscious level. Healthy Delta wave brain activity causes a person to develop a developed state of empathy, understanding and compassion for other people. If you are compassionate towards other people and can “read” their feelings, your brain probably produces more Delta waves than the average person. Some researchers are confident that delta waves are present in healers in a state of “healing” and in psychics while receiving information.
