What are the functions of the various brainwaves?
by Ned Herrmann
It is well known that the brain is an electrochemical organ;
researchers have speculated that a fully functioning brain
can generate as much as 10 watts of electrical power. Other
more conservative investigators calculate that if all 10
billion interconnected nerve cells discharged at one time
that a single electrode placed on the human scalp would
record something like five millionths to 50 millionths of a
volt. If you had enough scalps hooked up you might be able to
light a flashlight bulb.
Even though this electrical power is very limited, it does
occur in very specific ways that are characteristic of the
human brain. Electrical activity emanating from the brain is
displayed in the form of brainwaves. There are four
categories of these brainwaves, ranging from the most
activity to the least activity. When the brain is aroused and
actively engaged in mental activities, it generates beta
waves. These beta waves are of relatively low amplitude, and
are the fastest of the four different brainwaves. The
frequency of beta waves ranges from 15 to 40 cycles a second.
Beta waves are characteristics of a strongly engaged mind. A
person in active conversation would be in beta. A debater
would be in high beta. A person making a speech, or a
teacher, or a talk show host would all be in beta when they
are engaged in their work.
The Brainwaves
The next brainwave category in order of frequency is alpha.
Where beta represented arousal, alpha represents non-arousal.
Alpha brainwaves are slower, and higher in amplitude. Their
frequency ranges from 9 to 14 cycles per second. A person who
has completed a task and sits down to rest is often in an
alpha state. A person who takes time out to reflect or
meditate is usually in an alpha state. A person who takes a
break from a conference and walks in the garden is often in
an alpha state.
The next state, theta brainwaves, are typically of even
greater amplitude and slower frequency. This frequency range
is normally between 5 and 8 cycles a second. A person who has
taken time off from a task and begins to daydream is often in
a theta brainwave state. A person who is driving on a
freeway, and discovers that they can't recall the last five
miles, is often in a theta state--induced by the process of
freeway driving. The repetitious nature of that form of
driving compared to a country road would differentiate a
theta state and a beta state in order to perform the driving
task safely.
Individuals who do a lot of freeway driving often get good
ideas during those periods when they are in theta.
Individuals who run outdoors often are in the state of mental
relaxation that is slower than alpha and when in theta, they
are prone to a flow of ideas. This can also occur in the
shower or tub or even while shaving or brushing your hair. It
is a state where tasks become so automatic that you can
mentally disengage from them. The ideation that can take
place during the theta state is often free flow and occurs
without censorship or guilt. It is typically a very positive
mental state.
The
final brainwave state is delta. Here the brainwaves are of
the greatest amplitude and slowest frequency. They typically
center around a range of 1.5 to 4 cycles per second. They
never go down to zero because that would mean that you were
brain dead. But, deep dreamless sleep would take you down to
the lowest frequency. Typically, 2 to 3 cycles a second.
When we go to bed and read for a few minutes before
attempting sleep, we are likely to be in low beta. When we
put the book down, turn off the lights and close our eyes,
our brainwaves will descend from beta, to alpha, to theta and
finally, when we fall asleep, to delta.
It is a well known fact that humans dream in 90 minute
cycles. When the delta brainwave frequencies increase into
the frequency of theta brainwaves, active dreaming takes
place and often becomes more experiential to the person.
Typically, when this occurs there is rapid eye movement,
which is characteristic of active dreaming. This is called
REM, and is a well known phenomenon.
When an individual awakes from a deep sleep in preparation
for getting up, their brainwave frequencies will increase
through the different specific stages of brainwave activity.
That is, they will increase from delta to theta and then to
alpha and finally, when the alarm goes off, into beta. If
that individual hits the snooze alarm button they will drop
in frequency to a non-aroused state, or even into theta, or
sometimes fall back to sleep in delta. During this awakening
cycle it is possible for individuals to stay in the theta
state for an extended period of say, five to 15
minutes--which would allow them to have a free flow of ideas
about yesterday's events or to contemplate the activities of
the forthcoming day. This time can be an extremely productive
and can be a period of very meaningful and creative mental
activity.
In summary, there are four brainwave states that range from
the high amplitude, low frequency delta to the low amplitude,
high frequency beta. These brainwave states range from deep
dreamless sleep to high arousal. The same four brainwave
states are common to the human species. Men, women and
children of all ages experience the same characteristic
brainwaves. They are consistent across cultures and country
boundaries.
Research has shown that although one brainwave state may
predominate at any given time, depending on the activity
level of the individual, the remaining three brain states are
present in the mix of brainwaves at all times. In other
words, while somebody is an aroused state and exhibiting a
beta brainwave pattern, there also exists in that person's
brain a component of alpha, theta and delta, even though
these may be present only at the trace level.
It has been my personal experience that knowledge of
brainwave states enhances a person's ability to make use of
the specialized characteristics of those states: these
include being mentally productive across a wide range of
activities, such as being intensely focused, relaxed,
creative and in restful sleep.
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