The Meditation Blog

There are several generally recognized brainwave patterns within the brain which can be measured with EEG technologies. Each of these brainwaves seems to correlate with different experiential realities. Most people sleep through all of the brainwave patterns other than active Beta brainwaves, and thus rarely experience some of the expanded awareness available.

The Beta brainwave state is that involved with thinking, cognitive activity, work, driving and other goal focused activity. It is necessary and useful to technological progress, and general daily functioning.

Alpha brainwaves begin in the eyes-closed state, and become more coherent across the brain hemispheres in meditative practice. The Alpha state typically increases a sense of relaxation, and in the sleep-deprived western world, many will fall into sleep states rapidly.

Theta brainwaves are typically experienced in sleep, but as the meditator extends practice over time, theta level brainwaves can be experienced. When consciously aware during Theta state, the individual may experience ecstatic states, dream like visions, and some even out of body experiences.

Delta brainwaves are expressed in phases 3 and 4 of deep sleep, usually far outside of awareness. When the advanced meditator learns to remain conscious at this brainwave state, the experience is often of a pure empty void.

Part of the descriptions of spiritual progress described across cultures appears to correlate with the act of remaining conscious at slower brainwave frequencies. To a large degree this is what is found when studying long term meditators using concentrative methods, such as mantras.

So what happened with the breath exercise? Meditative practices range significantly, and some of those that are ideal for one may be intolerable from another. For the most part, meditative practice creates a quiet space that allows the mind to calm and the brainwaves to slow. Initially, the slowing may only be to a slow beta, but over time alpha is easily achieved and with greater practice conscious awareness of theta brainwaves is certainly obtainable for most.

Brainwaves over the more superficial areas of the brain can be measured with EEG type devices. The measurement demonstrates a pattern of electrical activity in the form of waves of different frequencies. Although some of these patterns may also relate to certain forms of pathology, all of them are normal for various activities that we engage in.

• beta brain waves: alert awareness: from 12 to 30 hz
• alpha brain waves: relaxed states and light meditation: from 8 to 12 hz
• theta brain waves: deep relaxation, sleep, meditative reverie, trance states: from 4 to 7 hz
• delta brain waves: deep sleep: less than 3 hz
• gamma brain waves: ultra rapid brain waves related to special cognitive function: greater than 34 hz

These various brain electrical patterns more or less equate to the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Wilber has suggested that these general states correspond to the levels of consciousness as reported from Vedanta theory: waking as gross consciousness, dreaming as subtle consciousness, and deep sleep with formless causal consciousness. Meditation is one of the few practices available to everyone which can allow conscious modulation of brainwave patterns. Practice on a daily basis, though, is the essential tool on the road to mastery of your brain.

If you’ve had any interesting results, feel free to share and post them.