The 5 Brainwave Frequencies
How the different brainwaves influence your state of being and the power you have to alter your consciousness!
Holy, moly man! Have you been feeling intense energy in the air? People I know are realigning with purpose in different areas of their life right now, and this is the theme with the eclipse energy we just experienced on April 8th. New beginnings are abound and I think we’re all focusing on ourselves a bit more at this time. We’ve also been experiencing Mercury in retrograde, so there’s been a lot of pausing and reflecting, especially when it comes to the self.
On Saturday, there’s a Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Taurus at 21 degrees. So, there could be sudden opportunities that come up for you. Jupiter is all about opportunity, abundance, and expansion and Uranus is the energy of rebelling, sudden changes, and technology. Want to know how this transit might affect you personally? Check out where Taurus at 21 degrees is in your natal chart.
Brain Waves!
It’s important to know how your brain works, and one part of that is knowing the different brainwave states and how they affect your state of being.
First off, let’s describe what brainwaves are. Brainwaves are electrical activity in the brain that are created when groups of neurons fire together, creating a pattern of electromagnetic signals. They are measured in Hertz (a unit for measuring cycles per second) and range in amplitude and frequency. Brainwaves represent different states of consciousness.
These patterns are measured with electroencephalogram (EEG) machines, which then translate the electrical activity of your brain into a physical representation that we can see with our eyes, like in the image below…
We enter these brainwave patterns at different times throughout our day depending on what we’re doing or focusing on. We also have the ability to change the frequency of our brainwaves by consciously altering our state of being.
So, what are the different brainwave frequencies and their effect on you?
The five brainwave patterns are called Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta, and Gamma.
Beta | 12-32 Hz
Beta brainwave patterns often occur when we are thinking logically, accomplishing important tasks, or actively socializing with others. In this state, we are alert and aware of our outer reality in space and time and are fully enagaged with it.
When we are working towards a goal, learning something new, or problem-solving, we are displaying beta brainwave patterns. This state of mind is helpful for us to accomplish the things we want in life with the necessary focus and attention. It is a frame of mind that provides healthy alertness or something we call “eustress”, a good type of stress that is tied to feelings of excitement or fulfillment.
As we get into the higher frequencies of the beta range, we can start to feel the “bad” stress. If our minds become too stimulated or our thinking patterns start to cause feelings of anxiety, we naturally go into fight or flight mode. This happens more often nowadays with technology at our fingertips, the need for instant gratification, and never-ending to-do lists causing busy lives.
These brainwaves narrow our focus and we have a harder time accomplishing things. This is because our body is in emergency mode and is only focused on us surviving, not thriving.
High beta is great when there is a true emergency, such as the need to run away from a bear or save someone who is in trouble. However, it’s meant to be a temporary state. Unfortunately, due to the fact that most of us are overstimulated, stressed out constantly, and basically running on fumes, we are in this state of being more than we should be. This causes burn out, the need to take a step back from life, and the possibilty of falling into a depression.
It’s important to keep in mind that if you feel like you’re in high beta brainwaves most of the time, to do something that relaxes your mind, body, and soul. Deep breathing, yoga, or meditation can help. Even doing an activity that you love that will take your mind off of daily stresses for at least 20 minutes can induce slower brainwaves.
Alpha | 8-13 Hz
Alpha brainwaves are associated with relaxed awareness, visualization, and creativity. This brainwave pattern feels euphoric and dream-like, almost like you’re in a trance because of the sensation of “flow” you feel in this state. There is a feeling of surrender with this frequency as you let go and detach from expectations in life and focus more on your inner reality.
Because these brainwaves correspond to feelings of reflection and contemplation, they are most often experienced while meditating and practicing mindfulness. Being in this state has been known to decrease anxiety and reduce feelings of stress and depression. It can improve creativity and spark insight because you are less focused on your outer reality and able to tap into your inner peace and self-expression.
The best way to consciously induce alpha brainwaves is to do something relaxing and enjoyable. Yoga and meditation are good activities that can slow down your mind and body and guide you into alpha brainwaves. Reading, walking, and deep breathing exercises are also beneficial ways to encourage this state of consciousness. Any activity that brings you “in the zone”.
Theta | 4-8 Hz
These are my favourite brainwave patterns! Probably because I am a hypnotist and I spent a lot of my childhood daydreaming…
Theta brainwaves are most often experienced when we’re drifting off to sleep, the moment we wake up (before we’re fully awake and aware of our physical world), and during REM sleep when we’re dreaming. However, it is also experienced while daydreaming; when our consciousness is not focused on the reality we’re living in, rather the reality we see in our mind’s eye.
This is also the brainwave pattern that is experienced during hypnosis. It’s no wonder that the word hypnosis is defined as “sleep” because Theta waves bring us into a feeling of sleepy wonder.
Note: Hypnosis is not a state of sleep as the word portrays; however, it induces a feeling of sleepiness or a dreamy state of mind. You aren’t quite asleep but you’re on the edge of it.
These frequency patterns take us out of our neocortex and into our subconscious mind, where we are able to disassociate with our reality and detach from our identity or the personality we call “self”. In this state of consciousness, thinking and creativity is experienced more freely and we are more suggestible to ideas.
Theta frequencies allow the body to enter homeostasis, a state in which the body is relaxed enough that it can start healing itself. Our intuiton is also boosted during this state of consciousness, as we’re more in tune with our inner self - our soul - and the quantum field within and around us.
Delta | .5-4 Hz
Delta brainwaves are the slowest and highest in amplitude. These occur during our deepest, and usually dreamless, stage of sleep. This is the time where we are restoring our energy and homeostasis can be fully experienced. There’s nothing to imagine or do and our mind, body, and soul is allowed to rest and repair.
Gamma | 32-100 Hz
Gamma frequencies are the rarest of brainwaves, which is unfortunate because they are the most exciting! They are the fastest and shortest in amplitude. In this state of consciousness, the mind and body are aroused, perception is expanded, and consciousness is heightened. The most common feelings related to this state of mind are euphoria, bliss, and compassion.
It shouldn’t be a surprise then that these brainwaves are like natural anti-depressants, turning your frown upside down and inducing feelings of happiness and gratitude. While experiencing this state of consciousness, it is much easier to manifest what you want, encourage healing, and even bring about miracles.
Gamma brainwaves are also associated with higher learning, such as being deeply immersed in something that is of great interest to you. Your creative juices might flow more easily and sometimes you can even feel the buzzing or high energy vibrations within your being.
“The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of the state of your mind.” - Dr. Wayne Dyer
Because we know that the heart communicates more to the brain than vice-versa (thanks to the wonderful research at the HeartMath Institute), when we consciously feel a certain way in our heart, we can actually change our brainwave patterns. It takes practice, as does anything we want to get good at, but this is why meditation and mindfulness are good tools to practice with.
By bringing your conscious awareness into your heart and focusing on feelings of happiness, bliss, and gratitude, you can manifest alpha, theta, or gamma brainwave patterns and reap their benefits at any time.
We all have the power to alter our state of consciousness, all it takes is connection and intention!
