What are Brainwaves?

Brainwaves are oscillating electrical voltages in the brain measuring just a few millionths of a volt¹. They are propagated along the perineural system and blend into a continuous current².

Your behavior, emotions, and thoughts travel between neurons within your brain. All brainwaves are produced by synchronized electrical pulses from masses of neurons that communicate with each other. Our brainwaves occur at various frequencies. Some are fast and some are slow.

Types of Brainwaves

There are five widely recognized categories. The classic names of these EEG bands are delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. Scientists measure them in cycles per second or hertz (Hz).

We can detect brainwaves by placing sensors on the scalp. As research progressed brainwaves were divided into bandwidths to describe their functions. Although it’s better if we think of them as a continuous spectrum of consciousness. Brainwaves range from slow, loud, and functional – to fast, subtle, and complex.

Figure 1. Brainwaves

Different regions of the brain will emit varying frequencies simultaneously, the patterns of brainwaves are as individual as a fingerprint. No two people think in the same way.  

You can even think of brainwaves as musical notes. The low-frequency waves are like a deeply penetrating drum beat, while the higher frequency brainwaves are more like a subtle high-pitched flute. Like a symphony, the higher and lower frequencies link and cohere with each other through harmonics.  

Our brainwaves change according to what we’re doing and feeling. When slower brainwaves are dominant we can feel tired, slow, sluggish, or dreamy. The higher frequencies are dominant when we feel wired, or hyper-alert.  

What do they look like?

What follows are only broad descriptions – in practice, things are far more complex, and brainwaves reflect different aspects when they occur in different locations in the brain.  

Infra-Low (<0.5HZ)

Infra-Low brainwaves (also known as Slow Cortical Potentials) are thought to be the basic cortical rhythms that underlie our higher brain functions. We know very little about infra-low brainwaves. They are slow in nature and this makes them difficult to detect and measure accurately. Because of this, there are very few studies of them. They appear to take a major role in brain timing and network function.

Delta waves (0.5 to 4 Hz)

Delta brainwaves are slow, high amplitude brainwaves (low frequency and deeply penetrating, like a drumbeat). Young children and infants show a higher level of Delta. These brainwaves are associated with the deepest levels of relaxation and restorative, healing sleep.

You can have them too during the deepest meditation or dreamless sleep. Delta waves suspend external awareness and are the source of empathy. Healing and regeneration are stimulated in this state, and that is why deep restorative sleep is so essential to the healing process.

The suppression of Delta waves leads to an inability to rejuvenate the body and revitalize the brain through poor sleep¹.

With delta waves, you are basically unconscious and the benefits include the release of anti-aging hormones, including melatonin and DHEA as well as the growth hormone which maintains the skin, bone density, cartilage, and joints and can help reduce physical pain³.

Theta waves (4 to 8 Hz)

Theta brainwaves occur most often in sleep but are also dominant in deep meditation. They are the gateway to learning, memory, and intuition. This is when your senses are withdrawn from the external world and you focus on signals originating from within. It is that twilight state which we normally only experience fleetingly as we wake or drift off to sleep.

The threshold between wakefulness and sleep. It is useful for hypnotherapy and training the mind through recorded affirmations and suggestion⁴.

In Theta we are in a dream state. It is characterized by vivid imagery, intuition and information beyond our normal conscious awareness. It’s where we hold our ‘stuff’, our fears, troubled history, and nightmares.

The benefits of inducing Theta waves include: a more restful sleep, reducing mental fatigue, anxiety and stress, and the release of beneficial hormones related to health and longevity.  

Alpha waves (8 to 12 Hz)

Alpha brainwaves are dominant during quietly flowing thoughts, and can be triggered in some meditative states.

It represents ‘the power of now’, of being in the present. It is the resting state. A sort of idling gear for the brain, waiting to respond when needed. Awake but not processing too much information.

Studies show that Alpha states significantly increase beta-endorphin, noroepinephrine and dopamine levels which are linked to feelings of expanded mental clarity and generate an internal environment for new learning and accessing previously learned information⁵.

Alpha waves aid overall mental coordination, calmness, alertness, mind/body integration and learning.

It brings a lot of benefits like reducing anxiety, alleviating states of depression, reducing high blood pressure, increasing cerebral blood flow and athletic performance and a boost to energy, motivation and happiness.

Beta waves (12 to 35 Hz)

Beta brainwaves are small, fast brainwaves associate with a state of mental and intellectual activity and outwardly facing concentration and focus. A state of alertness.

They dominate our normal waking state of consciousness when attention is directed towards cognitive tasks and the outside world. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, present when we are alert, attentive, engaged in problem-solving, judgment, decision making, or focused mental activity.

Research has linked them with the fight or flight response.

Beta brainwaves are further divided into three bands:

• Lo-Beta (Beta1, 12-15Hz). Describes as ‘fast idle’, or musing.
• Beta (Beta2, 15-22Hz). When the brain is highly engaged or actively figuring something out.
• Hi-Beta (Beta3, 22-38Hz). Which is when the brain is busy with highly complex thought, integrating new experiences, high anxiety, or excitement. Continual high-frequency processing is not a very efficient way to run the brain, as it takes a tremendous amount of energy.

Many people lack sufficient beta waves activity which can lead to mental or emotional disorders like depression or insomnia⁶. The benefits of inducing Beta waves include improved concentration, logic and reasoning as well as increasing your critical thinking skills.

Gamma waves (35 to 42 Hz)

Gamma brainwaves are the fastest of brain waves (high frequency, like a flute), and relate to the simultaneous processing of information from different brain areas. They can pass information rapidly and quietly.

They are the most subtle of the brainwave frequencies and the mind has to be quiet to access gamma. Gamma was dismissed as ‘spare brain noise’ until researchers discovered it was highly active when in states of universal love, altruism, and the “higher virtues”.

Gamma is also above the frequency of neuronal firing, so how it is generated remains a mystery. Scientists speculate that gamma rhythms modulate perception and consciousness and that a greater presence of gamma relates to expanded consciousness.

This is the frequency where we form of ideas, language, process memory and learn. Curiously, they disappear during sleep induced by anesthesia but return with the transition to a wakeful state⁷. Gamma waves bring benefits in the form of increasing awareness through your senses, increasing self-control and a more benevolent outlook on life.

Balance is key

When our brains are out of balance then there will be corresponding problems in our emotional and neuro-physical health.

Anxiety disorders, problems with sleeping and agitation or stress have been linked to over-excitement in some areas of the brain.

On the other hand, under-excitement can lead to depression, attention deficit, compulsive disorders, aggressive behavior, panic attacks and mood swings.

Modulating your brainwaves

Any process that changes your perception automatically changes your brainwaves.

Chemical interventions such as medication or recreational drugs are the most common methods to alter brain function; however, brain entrainment through the use of Mind Machines is our method is non-addictive and safe as it is non-invasive and has no recorded negative side-effects for the people who can use them, which is the vast majority.

It is a relatively low-cost method to temporarily change your state of mind for the better and their potential to change someone’s life is undeniable. To summarize, Mind Machines can change brainwaves easier by learning to combine traditional eastern methods, such as meditation, yoga and even breathwork.

Learn more about Mind Machines and their benefits here!

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References:

[1] Introduction to EEG- and Speech-Based Emotion Recognition, 2016

[2] Manual Therapy for the Cranial Nerves, 2009

[3] Botella-Soler, V., Valderrama, M., Crépon, B., Navarro, V., & Le Van Quyen, M. (2012). Large-scale cortical dynamics of sleep slow waves

[4] Sabourin, M. E., Cutcomb, S. D., Crawford, H. J., & Pribram, K. (1990). EEG correlates of hypnotic susceptibility and hypnotic trance: spectral analysis and coherence. International Journal of Psycho-physiology

[5] Ossebaard HC. Stress reduction by technology? An experimental study into the effects of brain-machines on burnout and state anxiety. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2000

[6] Egner, T., & Gruzelier, J. H. (2004). EEG biofeedback of low beta band components: frequency-specific effects on variables of attention and event-related brain potentials. Clinical Neurophysiology

[7] Crone, N. E., Hao, L., Hart, J., Boatman, D., Lesser, R. P., Irizarry, R., & Gordon, B. (2001). Electrocorticographic gamma activity during word production in spoken and sign language.