Why does 5 minutes of meditation replace 2 hours of sleep, and a short rest in the nature is equivalent to a weekend rest on the sofa. It’s all about alpha waves …
At the time of immersion in an intermediate state between sleep and wakefulness, when both hemispheres getting balanced it balances the whole body. It restores itself and rejuvenates itself. Those lucky ones who have learned to achieve this physiological peace need no medicine!
Alpha waves appear in the brain when we close our eyes and begin to passively relax, not thinking about anything. In this case, the bioelectric vibrations in the brain slow down and “bursts” of alpha waves appear, i.e. fluctuations in the range from 8 to 13 Hertz. If we continue to relax without focusing our thoughts, alpha waves will begin to dominate the whole brain, and we will plunge into a state of pleasant peace, also called the “alpha state”.
Encephalogram (EEG) of a healthy, not under the influence of human stress, there are always a lot of alpha waves. Their lack may be a sign of stress, inability to have a good rest and effective training, as well as evidence of impaired brain activity or illness. It is in the alpha state that the human brain produces more beta-endorphins and enkephalins – their own “drugs” responsible for joy, relaxation and pain reduction. Also, alpha waves are a kind of bridge – provide a connection of consciousness with the subconscious.
The benefits of brain stimulation with alpha waves
- Body and mind relaxation
- Creative mental state
- Developing Problem Solving Abilities
- Emotion Enhancer
- Physical strength
- Stress and anxiety reduction
- Achieving a stable working condition
- Super Learning State
- Strengthening the immune system
- Positive thinking
- Increased serotonin levels
Disadvantages of Alpha Wave stimulation
The disadvantages of brain stimulation with alpha brain waves
As with all other brain wave patterns, too much dominance of this pattern can lead to problems. For this reason, it is not recommended to stimulate brain waves, the amount of which you already have at the proper level. If you overdo it with stimulation of alpha waves, you can get negative effects, such as:
- Loss of attention (If you have a degree of attention deficit disorder, alpha stimulation will only make things worse.)
- Daytime sleep (you may often feel the need for daytime sleep. Some rest during the day is certainly useful, but staying in a sleepy state does not seem any pleasant.)
- Depression (if you feel depressed in a tired, lazy, sleepy state (i.e. lack of stimulation), you should avoid the alpha range and apply beta stimulation.)
- Fatigue (if you feel tired or sleepy during the day, you don’t need alpha stimulation.)
- Boredom (If you already feel relaxed and have a clear mind at the same time, you should not stimulate the brain with alpha waves. It is better to try to get yourself interested. This is an indicator that you already have an adequate level of alpha activity.)
- Increased susceptibility (In the alpha state, the brain is too susceptible to suggestion and new information. This is not always useful, because the subconscious mind is open and can accept negative suggestions.)
Test Your Brain Alpha Waves Activity
Answering the below questions as “yes”/”no”
Feeling unwell?
Do you fall asleep with difficulty?
Are you a maximalist (opposite to “minimalist”) ?
Bring everything to perfection?
Do you work overtime?
Not enough fresh ideas?
Do you live in a metropolis?
Do you smoke?
Doing rash expenses?
Addicted to computer games?
Scattered and forgetful?
Functioning in chronic time pressure?
Head heavy, hard to concentrate?
Do you often lose your temper?
Feeling anxious and / or depressed?
Do you suffer from poor orientation?
Test Result: The more positive answers, the less your brain produces healing alpha waves, hence the level of stress is higher and wear and tear of the body.