Can meditation slow down your brainwaves? Why would this be a good thing and what exactly are brainwaves anyway? Basically brainwaves are a term used to describe patterns in the electrical activity in the brain. There is always some activity going on, every moment of your life

Electrodes that measure this activity have been used extensively to map various parts of the brain and find out what each different part is associated with. Speech centers, pleasure, pain and so forth, each have a very specific location within the overall structure of the brain. EEG is used to measure and understand the electrical pulses or waves that collectively are known as brainwaves.

Now you might be wondering what the difference is between the different speeds of brainwave activity. Well, you can actually tell a lot about the mood and state of mind of anyone who’s hooked up an EEG by the speed of their brainwaves. You can actually see the difference between, being drowsy and in a tense, stressful situation right there on a screen. These patterns are measured Hertz (Hz) which means cycles per minute.

The actual brainwave frequencies as they’re known can be split into 4 main levels, each with it’s own particular properties. These four patterns have been thoroughly researched and documented by neuroscientists for a number of years now. The break down goes:

Beta – 14Hz to 20Hz

At this level the brainwaves are associated with normal day to day consciousness. You probably spend most of your waking hours in this state. This higher end is usually linked to stress, anxiety and fear.

Alpha level – 8Hz to 13Hz

This is often a more relaxed state, daydreaming or intense focus. This brainwave level has been linked to enhanced learning and retention. Enhanced creativity and better retention and learning are all found at the alpha level. When you are focused on an activity you’ll find yourself slipping into this level as your brainwaves slow and become more coherent.

Theta level – 4Hz to 7 Hz

During deep meditation or states of intense creativity when the hours seem to just disappear you’re probably in Theta. When you meditate and begin to lose the awareness of your body, an eerie weightless sensation, that’s when you’re in theta.

At this level most people who haven’t done a lot of specific brainwave training will slip into sleep. However, if you can stay awake and alert while your mind is just ticking over, you can get in touch with your innermost self and experience the bliss of meditation.

Delta level – 0.5Hz to 3Hz

This where we are in deep sleep and sometimes extremely deep states of meditation will slow our brainwaves to this level. This is a level that few people reach when they are awake.

Techniques that bring the brain to this level through external influences have been found to help with sleep problems. This works by entraining the brain to get used to operating at this level so that it’s easier to reach that same level again during sleep.

So that’s basically the different brainwave levels, and the exciting thing is that you can reach these lower levels using meditation. By meditating you not only slow your brainwaves but you actually increase the coherence of them, meaning that they are more in sync so more effective and focused. This means that you can access the more focused and creative parts of your mind more easily.

Find out for yourself all the benefits that you can get from lowered brainwaves through meditation. I have been using special audio recordings for years to help me achieve my personal goals. Why not try it for yourself? Click here http://www.howtomeditate.biz

Article Source: ArticleSpan

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