As you read this your brainwave frequencies are mostly in the Beta range, roughly between fourteen and thirty hertz. This means they are primarily cycling between fourteen and thirty times per second. The Beta state is the normal state of consciousness when you are awake.
As you fall asleep you go through several other states of consciousness, as indicated by your brainwave frequencies. First, you will slip into an Alpha state - which is also the state you are in when daydreaming or in light meditation. This happens when your brainwaves slow to eight to fourteen hertz.
As you become unconscious, your brainwaves slow to four to eight hertz, which is called the Theta state. Interestingly, though most adults are asleep when in this state, some children can still be awake, and perhaps daydreaming. Experienced meditators can also remain conscious while in a Theta state.
When brain activity drops below four or five hertz, it is considered the Delta state of consciousness. Typically it is associated with deep sleep. Again, though, some experienced meditators can enter this state without falling asleep.
Changing Your Brainwave Frequencies
Meditation is the primary way we can consciously change our brainwaves. An Alpha state can often be entered into simply by taking a deep breath or two and closing your eyes for a minute. We might consider this to be the simplest form of meditation.
An Alpha state is sometimes desired for its ability to increase the creativity of our thinking. It is also very relaxing, and so used to decrease the effects of stress. We generally become more aware of what is going on in our minds as well, so it is a useful state for self observation.
Meditative practices are the usual way to alter our state of mind, but there are simpler ways now. In the last several decades a number of great products have been developed that use brainwave entrainment. They are typically recordings that have beats and sounds in them which are specifically designed to slow down (or sometimes speed up) our brainwave frequencies. They are normally sold as CDs or MP3 downloads for meditation. All you have to do is listen with headphones (they work best with your eyes closed) and you are taken into a meditative state.
Some are also sold for other purposes. For example, some claim to help you boost your creativity. There is some evidence that guiding your brain wave patterns through slower and faster phases stirs the imagination and allows for more creative ideas. Others are combined with subliminal messages, because we tend to be more open to suggestion when in a meditative state.
If you want to play with your brainwave frequencies then, whether to relax, to gain insight, to be more creative, or for whatever purpose, you have a choice. You can learn to meditate, which can take some time and effort - but is a good skill to develop in any case. Or you can buy good some brainwave entrainment recordings. The latter is the easier route.
