What are Brainwave Frequencies?
Brainwave frequencies can be detected through the use of electroencephalography (EEG) which is the recording of electrical activity along the human scalp. These frequencies have been noted to change depending upon the sort of internal and or external activities within which the individual is participating – willingly or unwilling. You can see the different brain waves on the following brain frequencies charts:
Delta Waves
Delta brain waves are the brainwave frequency range between 0 to 4 Hz. These are the highest in amplitude and also the slowest Brain waves. Typically these frequencies are detected in adults during slow wave deep sleep and it is also detected in babies.
Theta Waves
Theta brain waves are the brainwave frequency range from 4 Hz to 7 Hz and it is normally noticed naturally in young children. In older children and adults, it may be perceived in states of drowsiness or arousal. It has been associated with relaxation, meditative, and creative states.
Alpha Waves
Alpha brain waves are the brainwave frequency range between 7 Hz to 14 Hz. The state has been associated with mental toughness, problem-solving, flow states, relaxation and resourcefulness.
Beta Waves
Beta is the brainwave frequency range between 15 Hz to around 30 Hz. These frequencies are associated with anxious or busy thought patterns and active concentration. This is the dominant rhythm in anxious people with their eyes open.
Gamma Waves
Gamma is the brainwave frequency range between approximately 30–100 Hz. These brainwave frequencies have been associated with high mental activity, problem-solving, and consciousness.
| Frequency range | Name | Associated with: |
|---|---|---|
| > 40 Hz | Gamma waves | Higher mental activity, including perception, problem solving, fear, and consciousness |
| 13–39 Hz | Beta waves | Active, busy or anxious thinking and active concentration, arousal, cognition, and or paranoia |
| 7–13 Hz | Alpha waves | Relaxation (while awake), pre-sleep and pre-wake drowsiness, REM sleep, Dreams |
| 8–12 Hz | Mu waves | Mu rhythm, Sensorimotor rhythm |
| 4–7 Hz | Theta waves | Deep meditation/relaxation, NREM sleep |
| < 4 Hz | Delta waves | Deep dreamless sleep, loss of body awareness |
What is Brainwave Entrainment?
Brainwave entrainment is any process aiming to cause modulations in brainwave frequencies to match specific ranges of brainwave frequencies. This can be achieved through the use of meditative audio programs or a hypnosis mp3 programs utilizing binaural beats or brainwave frequency apps. Typically, this requires stereo speakers into which different corresponding frequencies are played left and right ears. This sort of auditory stimulus can even include monaural beats and isochronic tones, or it can be done visually through the use of a dream machine or various color / frequency ranges.
The overall goal of brainwave entrainment is to create hemispheric synchronization in which the right and left brain hemispheres in the human body resonate at the same frequency.
What are Binaural Beats?
In 1839, binaural beats were discovered by A German experimenter named H. Dove. Back then, binaural beats were assumed to be a special instance of monaural beats. However, binaural beats are not the same as monaural beats, because binaural beats are perceived by playing two distinct tones at subtly different frequencies into the left and right ears.
Binaural beats are one way of modulating brainwave entrainment. This is done by introducing to the brain two tones close in frequency in order to generate a beat frequency at the difference of the frequencies. In most cases this is generally subsonic; meaning below the threshold of human hearing. How this works is as follows: a 505 Hz tone and 495 Hz tone will result in a subsonic 10 Hz beat. This frequency is approximately in the middle of the alpha brainwave frequency range.
Monaural Beats
Monaural beats tend to be perceived as becoming louder and quieter and louder again because they are the result of the arithmetic sum of the waveforms of two tones when they are added or subtracted from each other. These two beats rarely occur in nature but engines running a slightly different speeds or fans running us at speeds can read sort of vibrations offset each other.
How Do Brainwave Frequencies Affect Meditation and Internal Imagery?
Brainwave frequencies can have a powerful effect upon meditation and ones ability to visualize. I’ve created a brainwave entertainment product specifically for this and it is an app download for the iPhone, iPad and Android. Similar brainwave music and brainwave meditation soundscapes are used in all of my hypnosis downloads.