StatesofMindWCSC ( http://vethathiri.edu.in/wcsc/wcsc.

aspx)
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http://www.peakperformancetraining.org/sitefiles/articles/function.htm Whatarethefunctionsofthevariousbrainwaves?byNedHerrmann http://www.brainandhealth.com/BrainWaves.html

The Basics of Brain Waves http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroencephalography

Forexample,IconsumeahighlevelofenergywhenImawakeandactive,focusedon thoughtsorsensoryprocessing,nomatterwhatsubjectIhappentobethinkingoforhowI feel.RegardlessofwhetherIfeelirritatedorfurious,orthrilledandenergized,my functioninglevelwouldbehighfrequencyinBeta.Imawake,activelyengaged,thinking, mysensesareawakeandmindisalive! Ontheotherhand,whenImrelaxedandwithoutaparticularfocusmyfrequency correspondstotheAlphastate:itsaconditionoflesscritical,lessactivementality,and lessenergyisbeingexpended.Iamsimplyawakebutnotsharplyawareorapprehensive itisquietyetaware.Imnotinanactivestate,thatsall.ItisnottosaythatAlpha(andlower states)arebetterthanBeta,itisnttodowithwhetherIamenjoyingpeaceandhappiness orfeelingsad.TheAlphastateisgenerallypassiveandrestful,butnothingissogreat aboutthatinitselfifoneisfeelingpeaceandjoy,thensomuchthebetter,butitdoesnot meanthatAlphaisalwaysthepreferredleveloffunction. Thus,weseethatallkindsofemotionsandexcitementareonlyintheBetaleveloneisnot inanexcited,passionate,emotionalstatewhenfunctioninginAlphaandthelower frequencystates.ThelevelsbelowBetaarefoundwhenrelaxed,meditating,dreamingor indeepsleep.WhenIgostilllowerthanAlphainenergyexpenditure/consumptiontoTheta stateofconversion,i.e.47Hz.,Imgenerallydozingofftosleep.IfIgotothatlevelduring meditationitmeansImconsciouslyawakebutwithoutparticularthoughts,atrestinavery quiescentmode.Andifmymeditationisdeep,extremelyrestfulforbodyandmind,Imight feelabasic,freesenseofBeing:noideasnoobjectofthought.AtthedeepAlphaand beginningofTheta,justaboutlevel7Hz.,itisfoundthatoneismorelikelytohave experiencesofaccesstounconsciousmaterial,creativeinspirationanddeepmeditation.

Alsonotehowever,thatstatesofdepressionpredominateinthelowerfrequencyrange, wherethereisnottheusualarousaloractivityofmindandthesearecertainlynotdesirable orhigherstates.Ontheotherhand,veryexperiencedmeditatorswhohavebeen measuredindeepandprolongedmeditativestatessurprisinglyemitextraordinarilyhigh frequencywaves.TheDeltastatepredominateswhenoneisindeepsleep.Dreamsduring sleepcomewhenonearousestemporarilytoThetafromthedeepsleepofDelta.So,the subjectofmentalfrequencyshouldnotbemadesimplistic:therearenogroundstodeclare thatonlylowfrequencystatesofmindaregoodandbeneficial. Inconclusion,theaimofthisessayistoshowthatmentalfrequencyindicatesmental activityasthelevelofconversionofenergythroughthebrainitdoesnotindicatethe feelingsormooditself.Anarousedmentalstateofanykindconsumesmoreenergyand oneisfunctioninginBetastate.Wecertainlycannotlivewithoutactivemoodsandsomeof thehappiestandmostcreativethoughtsandactionsoccurinthatstate.Theresnoreason tothinkthatBetaissomethingtobeavoided.WemustfunctioninBetastatetobefully consciousofthoseinsightswehaveinAlphaorlowerstatesonlywhenwefunctioninBeta wecanintegrateandexpresstheknowledgewegetthroughourmeditationonemightsay wehavetobringthewisdomoutthroughaBetamindset. Belowisadiscussionofthetermmentalfrequencybasedonmaterialfoundthroughthe internet.Iofferthisinterpretationthatisprobablydifferentfromthewaymanyofushave understoodthesubjectsofar. First,somebackgroundinformation: EEG,Or,Electroencephalography EEGHistory: ThepresenceofelectricalcurrentinthebrainwasdiscoveredbyanEnglishphysician, RichardCaton,in1875.Itwasnotuntil1924thatHansBerger,aGermanneurologist,used hisordinaryradioequipmenttoamplifythebrain'selectricalactivitysothathecouldrecord itongraphpaper.Bergernoticedthatrhythmicchanges(brainwaves)variedwiththe individual'sstateofconsciousness. Thevariousregionsofthebraindonotemitthesamebrainwavefrequency simultaneously.AnEEGelectrodeplacedonthescalpwouldpickupmanywaveswith differentcharacteristics.Thishaspresentedagreatdealofdifficultytoresearcherstrying

tointerpretthelargeamountofdatatheyreceivefromevenoneEEGrecording.Brain waveshavebeencategorizedintofourbasicgroups:Alpha,Beta,Theta,&Deltawaves. Althoughnoneofthesewavesiseveremittedalone,thestateofconsciousnessofthe individualmaymakeonefrequencymorepronouncedthantheothers. EEGinBiofeedback:Theelectroencephalograph(EEG)monitorsthebrainwaveactivity fromsensorsplacedonthescalp.ApplicationsforEEGfeedbackarecurrentlybeing developed.Theseincludeepilepsy,hyperactivityandattentiondeficitdisorder,alcohol/ chemicaldependencyandotheraddictivedisorders,traumaticbraininjury,sleeponset disordersandinsomnia. Asweseefromtheabove,brainwavesmentalfrequencyhavebeencrudelydivided intofourlevels:beta,alpha,thetaanddelta.Eachcorrespondstoaleveloffunctionthat correspondstoconsumptionofonesownenergythroughthebrainthatis,howmuch energyisbeingexpendedthroughthebrain/mindatthetimeofmeasuringcorrespondsto thekindofactivityoneisengagedin.Asinthequotedmaterialabove,notethatitis reportedthatwearealwaysinallofthesestatesinvariousdegrees.Thepredominant frequencyisobservedbytheEEGandindicatesthegeneralconditionatthetime. Whilerelaxing,themindisusingminimalenergybecausethereisnoeffortbeingmadeto closeinononethingandexcludeallothers.Thementalexertionoflimitingonesattention accordingtowillandpursuingalineofcomparisonanddiscriminativethinking,and expressingthoughtsthroughspeechandactionusesupalotofenergythatswhywefeel tiredafteralongsessionofconcentratedstudy,orspeaking/conversingcontinuously,or usingapieceofcomplicatedmachinery,etc. So,thelevelofexpenditureofenergyindicateswhetherthemindisaroused,relaxedorat restitdoesnotindicatethecharacterorqualityofthoughtsorfeelingsgoingon.