Note: If you enjoy this article, consider reading “Benefits of Alpha and Theta Brain Waves.”

Slower brain waves can keep us healthier: mentally and physically

Utilizing brainwave entrainment consistently can definitely yield many health-related benefits. Using alpha brain waves can result in calmness, peacefulness, and relaxation – which helps block stress from crippling our immune system. Boosting theta brain waves can improve our health by making us feel younger, giving us more energy, and improving our immune system. And finally, delta brain waves allow us to produce anti-aging hormones, they boost our immune system, and allow our body to replenish itself. Each of those “slower brain waves” sound like they can produce wonderful health benefits. It definitely sounds wonderful that these “slower brain waves” are able to do such a phenomenal job at keeping us healthy.

Powerful relaxation and better overall wellbeing

A common benefit to increasing the amount of slow brain waves [i.e. alpha, theta, delta] in your brain is feeling deeply relaxed. Scientists have found that when the brain is in slower brain wave states [like alpha and theta], it produces specific hormones and “neuropeptides.” These hormones and neuropeptides that are produced have been linked to boosted memory, creativity, and ability to learn.

Each time you lower the baseline frequency of your brain waves, the more you will feel the healthy anti-stress, anti-aging hormones and neuropeptides. These naturally boost your overall level of relaxation and wellbeing. What the slower brain waves also do is increase the amount of beneficial neurotransmitters and endorphins in the brain. For example: using alpha and theta brain waves will increase your overall level of relaxation by increasing the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is an extremely helpful neurotransmitter that has been linked to both mental and physical relaxation. Also, certain slower brainwave frequencies produce endorphins which make us feel good – like a “natural high.”

For these reasons, virtually any time you utilize brainwave entrainment, neurofeedback, meditation, or even yoga, you are able to feel more relaxed and peaceful. What do all of the mentioned exercises have in common? Though they may all be “different forms” of exercising your brain, in the end, they will all slow down your brain waves.

Why you feel “a natural high” after running

Though you may not know it or remember it, you’ve likely experienced “a natural high” – also known as, your body bein flooded with the production of endorphins. Each time that you go for a run or do any form of hard cardiovascular exercise, endorphins are released. Most people have experienced the benefits of endorphins; whether it be after a long run, basketball game, or other sporting event.

Though you will usually feel very exhausted and were very sweaty after a hard workout, you will also usually feel very good. After working out we naturally feel physically relaxed [and tired], plus – we feel mentally relaxed and calm. Though I highly recommend exercise to increase your overall level of wellbeing, it is not the only activity that will make you feel good by producing endorphins. Any time you utilize brainwave entrainment, neurofeedback, meditation, or yoga, in order to slow your brain waves, you will probably feel the same endorphins ["natural high"] that you did after a strenuous workout.

How endorphins boost our cognition [i.e. memory and learning]

Though you already know that endorphins allow our bodies to feel a natural high, you may not have known that each time we enter an alpha or theta brain wave state, specific endorphins kick-in that actually boost our overall cognition; they improve our memory and ability to learn. Scientific research has proved that in rats that were injected with endorphins had improved memories – they also were able to run through mazes more quickly. Research has also shown that the production of endorphins can actually reverse amnesia – [a condition in which memory is disrupted].

Researchers have also thought that the parts of the brain that are involved in the production of endorphins, are the exact same areas that are involved with memory and learning. One study even proposed that each time we learn – our brain releases endorphins to reward itself and to help us store our memories. This is why memorizing and ability to learn are boosted each time we have increased production of endorphins in our brains.

Increased endorphins in our brain has been linked to theta and alpha brain wave states of consciousness. Think about it: each time we are able to slow our brain waves to the alpha and / or theta range, it is naturally easier for us to drop our old beliefs and literally “learn” new beliefs. This is why you may have heard that slowing your brain waves down to theta and alpha ranges allows you to re-program your beliefs.

How alpha and theta brain waves boost our learning abilities

Catecholamines, acetylcholine, and vasopressin, are three [among many] of the beneficial hormones and other helpful neuropeptides that are produced in slower brain wave frequencies. Studies have shown that acetylcholine is vital for long term memory. They have also found that when acetylcholine production [in the brain] is high, we experience boosts in our long-term memory. More studies have found that when individuals take supplements that boost the production of acetylcholine in the brain, they are better at learning and have improved memories.

Individuals who have lower levels of acetylcholine usually struggle with tasks involving learning and memory. Individuals with the devastating Alzheimer’s disease usually have very low levels of acetylcholine. Theta brain waves have been specifically linked to the production of the neuropeptide vasopressin – a neuropeptide which improves reaction time, ability to learn, and ability to remember. Theta brain waves also have the ability to produce catecholamines which aid once again in our learning process and memory.

Boosted attention and alertness

It is not only our production of neuropeptides that allows us to learn more effectively in slower brainwave patterns. Because theta and alpha brain wave states are linked to relaxation, we experience decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and our entire body feels relaxed. This boosts the overall oxygen level in our brains and maximizes bloodflow to our cortex. This naturally boosts our attention span and level of alertness. Boosted attention and alertness makes it much easier to memorize and learn new things.

Slower brain waves and feeling young again

Are you a person that wishes you could get back some of the same energy you had when you were a kid? Though there are many products on the market to help you: look younger, feel more energetic, happier, and healthier, many do not work. Why? Because they don’t target your brain waves! Research has found that patterns of delta brain waves, theta brain waves, and alpha brain waves, positively affect the production of the hormones: melatonin, DHEA, and cortisol. These three brain wave patterns are able to slow aging, boost relaxation, and increase our overall wellbeing.

In the alpha and theta brain wave ranges, the amount of melatonin and DHEA is significantly boosted in our brains. Research has discovered that DHEA can increase over 50% in certain cases! Even more impressive were the studies on melatonin. Researchers found that slower brain waves boosted the production of melatonin by 300% in some cases! Average melatonin increases were nearly 100%… On top of all the other benefits, the production of cortisol – [a stress hormone usually produced by high-beta brain waves], declined by nearly 50%!

Increase anti-aging hormones

As mentioned earlier, the hormone “cortisol” is a powerful stress hormone that has potential to actually kill brain cells. It has been linked to sped-up aging, health problems, anxiety, and stress. Because of the problems associated with cortisol, it can have a significantly negative impact on our memory, ability to learn, and our overall wellbeing. It is definitely not favorable to have high levels of cortisol floating around in your body.

With that said, DHEA is a hormone that you want to have plenty of in your body. Like cortisol, it is produced by our adrenal glands. Usually, in your twenties, DHEA production will reach its maximum. In your thirties, DHEA production declines and as you age – it continues to decline. Individuals who are over 70 have roughly 1/5th the amount of DHEA as an individual in their twenties. When our DHEA levels drop low, we are more susceptible to developing disease, getting sick, and aging quickly. The higher we keep our levels of DHEA, the less likely we are to get sick, become stressed out, or speed up our aging process.

Lastly, we notice significant improvements with the hormone melatonin. Melatonin has been linked to better, more restful sleep. You already know that sleep is very beneficial for replenishing the brain and body with vital neurotransmitters and hormones. Each time we get a quality night’s sleep, we help ward off the aging process. When we get poor quality sleep, we speed up our aging process. Like DHEA, the amount of melatonin produced in our bodies declines as we get older. For this reason, it is important to lower our brain waves to the alpha and theta rhythms and boost our melatonin levels.

Why slower brain waves release helpful neurotransmitters

Hopefully, you now fully [or better] understand that when you increase your alpha, theta, and delta brain waves [slower brain waves] your brain naturally increases the production of beneficial hormones. This is why many people [including researchers] consider activities such as: brainwave entrainment, meditation, and yoga to be beneficial. Have you ever questioned why the brain produces these helpful hormones and neurotransmitters in the slower brainwave frequencies?

Well, according to scientific research, neurons ["brain cells"] are electrochemically triggered to produce certain neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and certain hormones at certain brainwave frequencies. Neurons are almost “activated” to produce certain neurochemicals when they are interacting with certain brainwave frequencies. Think of brain waves as communication in the brain. The neurons and the brain communicate by sending specific brainwave frequencies.

This is why each time your brain waves are slowed to the alpha range or theta range, they produce different, more helpful neurochemicals than they would in the beta range. Slowing your brain waves with entrainment is comparable to sending a direct message to your brain cells to start creating helpful neurochemicals. The concept is easy to understand too. Each time you get a quality night’s sleep, your brain shifts to the lower theta and delta ranges.

When you wake up, you usually feel like your energy supply has been replenished… That’s because your energy supply was replenished by the delta and theta brain waves. They produced many helpful, healing hormones and neurotransmitters while you were asleep! Though slower brain waves tend to have a lot of health-related benefits, you should never rule out your beta brain waves. Each brain wave has something helpful to offer / bring to the table.

5 Main Types Of Brainwaves:

1. Beta Brainwaves
2. Alpha Brainwaves
3. Theta Brainwaves
4. Delta Brainwaves
5. Gamma Brainwaves

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Note: If you enjoy this article, consider reading Understanding The “Theta Brainwave”.

Theta brain waves typically range from 4 Hz to 8 Hz. Theta brain waves are associated with the “subconscious mind” and are usually produced in the right-hemisphere of the brain – as opposed to beta brain waves, which are produced in the left-hemisphere and are associated with the “conscious mind.” The brain creates theta brain wave rhythms each time you are in “dream sleep.” Also, during R.E.M. [Rapid-Eye Movement] sleep, the brain is full of theta brain wave activity.

Nearly 3/5 of your entire time spent sleeping at night involves the production of theta brain waves in your brain. Many individuals also are able to access theta brain waves when they are: driving for a long stretch on the highway, practicing their meditation routine, using a self-hypnosis recording, or practicing other forms of deep relaxation. When you are able to consciously access the alpha brain waves state, you are just one step away from accessing the depths of theta.

What’s cool about theta brain waves is the fact that they allow you to connect with your “subconscious mind.” The subconscious mind is the place where all experiences, long-term memories, natural creativity, powerful emotions, spiritual connections, and inspiration are all stored. Think of the “subconscious mind” as one big, infinite storage space for “everything” in your life. The theta brain waves are extremely helpful for healing the body of injury and the mind of diseased-states.

Theta brain waves: tap the subconscious

Theta brain waves are such an important pattern of brain waves due to their ability to grant us access to our subconscious mind power. Accessing the theta rhythm allows us to influence and consciously control our “subconscious mind.” How does this happen? Well, each time you are in theta, you are able to pass through your conscious mind. Passing through your “conscious mind” is often a good idea. Why? Because our conscious minds’ beta-brain wave activity usually acts as a “fence” or “gate.”

This “gate” often can prevent us from manipulating or changing our deep-rooted thought patterns in our subconscious mind. This “gate” can also make it very difficult for us to change our emotional state, thought patterns, limiting beliefs, and attitudes if we don’t know how to pass through it. Another interesting fact is that our “subconscious mind,” accepts any affirmations, incantations, or statements that you feed it. It doesn’t question the statement or think about the statement, it begins to act upon the statement immediately!

For this reason, it is actually quite easy to get rid of any negative emotions or thought patterns if you are able to access this state. You can get rid of these thought patterns by implanting new beliefs into your “subconscious mind.” This is why accessing the subconscious mind via hypnosis can have a powerful effect on a person. The reason hypnosis can be successful is because it allows you to pass through the “gate” and add any desirable affirmations, statements, and beliefs directly inside your subconscious mind.

Access your inner “Zen”

Scientists have known that during deep meditation, the amplitude (strength) of theta brain waves will increase. The deeper you are able to go into meditation, the more powerful your theta brain waves will be. Scientists also have discovered the fact that the emotions for “bliss” and deep internal “peace,” are only felt when theta brain waves are dominant on the E.E.G.

Want to amp up your spiritual life? Well, it has also been noted by researchers that it is theta brain waves that allow individuals to experience their “strongest spiritual connection.” Certain scientists even believe that it is possible to speed-up the process of connecting with the spirit. After this research, many personal development products and practices were created. Many of these personal development products created lots of hype because they seemed like the quickest way to feel “bliss” and “peace” – without spending years meditating.

They claimed to help individuals access their “inner Zen” and also claimed they would experience great health-related benefits. These products included relaxation programs, brainwave CD’s, and self-hypnosis recordings. Many of these will not work to help you access your “inner Zen,” but some definitely do. One product that I frequently use and highly recommend is Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional. Thus far, it has allowed me to have better control of my mind, state of consciousness, and emotions. I highly recommend at least giving the free 30 day trial version a shot if you don’t want to buy it!

Theta brain waves linked to “ah-ha” moments

Though alpha brain waves have been linked to “ah-ha” moments, many individuals have experienced them in the theta brain wave range as well! Since theta brain waves are associated with the creativity, infinite data, and inspiration of the “subconscious mind,” it makes perfect sense that “ah-ha” experiences occur in this brainwave range. For this reason, you can usually hear famous musicians, scientists, writers, actors, and other creative individuals discuss how they “found inspiration.”

Many people assume that researchers only spend all day slaving away in a laboratory with little mice trying to make a breakthrough discovery. What’s interesting though, is the fact that most (if not all) of major scientific breakthroughs and / or inventions have been a result of intuitive guidance via mental imagery, dreams, and hunches that scientists received when their brains’ were in the theta brain wave range and they had some access to their subconscious mind.

These scientists were usually: relaxing, sleeping, driving home from work, and doing non-work related activities! During these “ah-ha” moments that many scientists have had, their brains’ were full of activity in the subconscious mind. The majority of the best scientists are completely aware of how the “subconscious mind” works. Just to name a few geniuses such as: August Kekulé, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, have all tapped the power of their subconscious mind to help them make huge breakthroughs.

As you may now understand, your ability to utilize and harness the power of your subconscious mind is an extremely important factor in determining the success of many individuals (i.e. scientists, authors, researchers, musicians, etc.). Are you currently utilizing the power of your subconscious to help you solve problems or stay inspired? If not, just take a second to think about how much more efficient and powerful you could be if you were able to ‘shift’ into theta brain waves when you felt it necessary!

Unfortunately, many people aren’t able to access this theta brain waves state of consciousness due to certain factors such as: stress and disease. For these individuals, Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional will definitely get them on the right track.

Waking up in theta brain waves?

Each time that theta brain waves flood your brain, you are temporarily detached from your body and awareness. This is why each time you wake up when your brain is in the theta phase of your sleep cycle, you won’t remember anything. If you’ve ever laid down to relax, ended up falling asleep, and then woke up long past your normal waking tim, you’ve likely experienced some quality theta brain waves.

Remember, that how you feel and your entire “waking up” experience depends completely on the brainwave pattern of sleep you’re in before awakening! Below is a recap of the basic brain waves that you can awaken from and what you’ll likely feel like in each state.

How you feel when waking – phase of sleep cycle

Each brainwave state it is possible to wake up from:

• Alpha brain waves: You will feel extremely energized, pumped-up, alert, awake, and ready for whatever the day has to bring. When waking in this state, you’ll also be able to completely remember most of your dreams from throughout the night.

• Theta brain waves: You will feel very surprised that so much time has passed while you were asleep. You won’t remember the act of falling asleep. The last thing you’ll remember is laying down on your bed – before you realize it, it’s already the morning! Each time you wake up in the theta brain waves state and your brain doesn’t shift from: theta to alpha before going into the beta brain waves state, you won’t recall any of your dreams.

• Delta brain waves: It is extremely tough for any individual to wake up if their brain is producing mostly delta brainwaves. However, if you do happen to wake up during this phase of sleep, you will feel irritable, unaware, and very tired. It will take a lot of effort to get yourself out of bed! Definitely not a good phase of brain waves to wake up in!

Master your brain with all 4 types of brain waves

Once again, it’s very important for you to understand that though theta brainwaves can be very beneficial and helpful – they are not the most important brainwave pattern. In fact, none of the 4 basic brain wave patterns (beta, alpha, theta, delta) are considered “most beneficial” or “best brainwave.” All brain waves are of equal importance and serve their intended purpose. They all have certain benefits and drawbacks in certain situations.

The key is to cultivate a good combination of each of the 4 brain waves [beta, alpha, theta, delta] in order to take full control of your mind and life. This can be accomplished via meditation or neurofeedback. Both activities allow you to take “conscious” control over your brain wave patterns and consciously “shift” to an optimal brainwave for any given situation. This makes life much easier for us to live because we are able to optimally deal with any situation.

When you are able to incorporate theta brain waves in your life, you may feel peaceful and blissful during a session of meditation, but you may not even be able to remember it! Why? Theta brain waves involve the subconscious mind and if we don’t have any alpha brain wave activity to transfer this “subconscious information” to our conscious mind (beta waves) – you’ll believe that you know something on a deeper level, but aren’t sure what because you cannot remember it!

Accessing alpha, but not being able to tap theta waves will allow you to feel relaxed, more internally aware, but will not have the emotional intensity, creative insights, or the spiritual-connection that can only be accessed through theta waves. This is why being able to tap both the theta brain waves, while also having access to alpha waves, allows our brains to transfer important information, emotions, and insights to our conscious mind [because alpha bridges the gap between the “subconscious mind” (theta waves) and “conscious mind” (beta waves). This allows us to actually use the information that our theta range can provide.

Hopefully that last paragraph helped you understand why all four patterns of brainwaves are needed to master the brain. And in case you were wondering about delta brain waves – just think of them as one stage deeper than theta brain waves. In order to transfer information from the delta brainwave range to your “conscious mind,” you need to utilize “theta” (receives information from delta) – “alpha” (receives information from theta) – and “beta” (receives information from alpha). This allows us to be consciously aware of even the deepest universal knowledge and truths.

As you may have already guessed, mastering your brain waves will allow you to live the life of your dreams and consciously create your reality. However, it takes work – and, most people don’t put in work… Which is why a minority of the population is able to live out their dreams! Anyways, the key is to be sure you’re in an optimal brain wave state for your given situation. For more information on each of the various brainwaves, and understand which brainwave pattern is optimal, check out each of the descriptions posted below!

5 Main Types Of Brainwaves:

1. Beta Brainwaves
2. Alpha Brainwaves
3. Theta Brainwaves
4. Delta Brainwaves
5. Gamma Brainwaves

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After spending time reading about brain waves, you probably have gotten the impression that slowing down your brain waves from a high-beta state – or even from a normal beta state – down to an alpha or theta brainwave state can be very beneficial. There are tons of great side-effects that can occur from being able to shift your brainwaves to a slower, synchronized rhythm in the alpha or theta wave ranges. In this article, I hoped to cover some of the healthy effects that have long been associated with slowing your brain waves to a slower alpha or theta state of consciousness.

Slower brainwaves improve your memory

Do you often have trouble remembering where you set your car keys? How about your sunglasses? After meeting someone new, are you able to remember their name? Or are you the type of person who remembers the face, but can never remember the name? Maybe you forgot where you placed your i-Pod… You are desperately trying to think of where you put it, but no matter how much thinking you do, you just drive yourself crazy! Then, out of nowhere, a few days later, the exact location of your i-Pod magically pops into your head.

Each time you have the ability to recall a person’s facial features, past events, name (or nickname), or recall any other past information, the rhythms of your brain waves usually change temporarily from a state of beta to one of alpha. If you have ever been stressed for a long period of time, you get what’s called “alpha block.” Alpha block is a reduced ability to generate alpha brainwaves due to the high production rate of high-beta frequencies. When you aren’t able to generate a healthy amount of alpha, you’ll likely have reduced ability to remember things.

Understand that alpha brain waves are like a “go-between” that connect the conscious brain with the subconscious. This is why when you attempt to remember a past event, the brain quickly shifts into an alpha brainwave state – which allows you to dig up a memory from the subconscious and transfer it to your conscious mind. Once it is in the conscious [beta brainwave] mind, you are able to talk about the experience, write about it, and think about it.

Are you able to easily relax?

When you are able to easily relax after a stressful or highly-stimulating event, you’re brain waves are likely very flexible. You are likely easily able to shift to the slower, higher amplitude brainwaves of alpha and theta. In the alpha and theta states, you feel very peaceful, content, and relaxed – no matter what’s going on around you.

What many people may not realize is that it is impossible to access a state of alpha brain waves when you are not relaxed both mentally and physically! I think we all know that being able to remain calm and cool even when others are nervous or scared can definitely help you remain collected and allow you to make wise decisions – even when others are in states of panic. For this reason, slower brainwaves can help you make smart business decisions, peacefully mediate arguments, and even help others remain calm when they are in those high-beta brainwave, panicky states.

Look into the eyes of others

Have you ever looked directly at the eyes of another person when they attempt to remember something or dig up a past memory? It is common, in most people, to look directly up when trying to remember a past event. This is for a good explanation for the “looking up” though: researchers have discovered that each time that your eyes look 30 degrees upwards, the brain produces a short, quick burst of alpha brain waves.

The simple act of “closing your eyes” has been linked to an increased production of alpha brainwaves. Each time that you close your eyelids and look up [with your eyes still closed], the production of alpha brain waves becomes even more powerful. Most researchers on the topic aren’t fully knowledgeable as to why this happens. With that said, many spiritual teachers have come to believe that the increase in alpha is due to accessing your subconscious mind via an energy center on your forehead called the “brow” [or “third-eye”] chakra.

Note: If you’d like to further improve your memory, I highly recommend checking out my article: “Tips To Improve Your Memory.”

Peak performance and improved concentration

States of “peak performance”

Do you ever get the feeling that your life is going perfect? Or have you ever experienced a period of time in your life where you would describe things as “the best?” Maybe you got a hole in one golfing for the first time and improved your score for about a month straight. We all have had times in our lives when everything felt damn near perfect. This state of mind is referred to as “peak performance” or “in the zone.” Everything seems to “flow” perfectly and you feel as if nothing will go wrong. Time goes by incredibly quickly, and before you know it, you’ve already accomplished a huge task – that felt easy.

Though, not all of our days here go as smoothly as when we are in a state of “peak performance” or “optimal functioning.” The phenomenal news is that you can actually train your brain to shift into that “peak performance” or “in the zone” state of consciousness. Often times people aren’t aware that they can consciously replicate this state. Great ways to replicate this state of mind and take control of your reality are as follows:

• brainwave entrainment – you can flex your brain waves to this state temporarily
• meditation - you can take conscious control over your mental state
• neurofeedback – you can train your brain to produce this state
• self-hypnosis – you can train yourself to access a “zone type state.”

Alpha brainwaves improve our ability to concentrate

Alpha brain waves are able to significantly improve our ability to focus and concentrate. Why? Because alpha brain waves make you use both hemispheres of your brain in the process – instead of relying on your dominant side for concentration. Usually, individuals have a hemispheric dominance in their brains: either right or left. The majority of people have a dominant left-hemisphere. When you are able to access the alpha brainwave state, both hemispheres of your brain are able to share the dominance – they work together.

Sports Teams: Beta brainwaves = 1/2 team vs. Alpha brainwaves = full team

Think of it like a sports team – we’ll use football as an example. When you are in a beta brain wave state, usually only your left-hemisphere is active. So to go along with our “football example” – this would be like only the defense playing well, with the team’s offense being a non-factor. This team would likely loose the game, no matter how good their defense plays – they need to score on offense.

When your brain is able to shift down to an alpha brain wave state, think of it as both the offense and defense playing great together. Both are doing a great job and the team will have absolutely zero problems with winning the game. Alpha brain waves: things go much more smoothly when the team is playing well together and every player is performing. Beta brain waves: it is much more difficult to win when only 1/2 the team “shows up to play.”

Boost your overall energy, youth, and happiness

Have you ever wondered why young children have tons of energy in comparison to adults? Usually, children have so much energy and self-esteem that many adults literally can get tired just watching them. They are like little Energizer bunnies the way they keep going and going without any expression of fatigue… Take a second to think about how energized and “pumped up” children feel about their life. Kids always have a positive, happy-go-lucky, ready-for-anything, look on their faces.

Brain waves: Children vs. Adults

Scientists have thoroughly researched the brain waves of children. They found that children spend most of their time in either the “alpha brainwave” pattern, “theta brainwave” pattern, or a heavily mixed combination of both. As children grow up and become adults, their brains begin producing increased beta brain waves.

This is definitely not a bad thing, as mentioned in the article: Beta Brain Waves: Alert, Awake, and Stressful States. Why? Because without beta brain waves, we’d have a difficult time logically communicating, writing, analyzing, thinking, and organizing. The beta brainwave state is optimal for completing tasks like these.

A key problem, though, is that the majority of the adult population fails to recognize that they spend too much time in the beta brainwave state, and don’t get enough alpha or theta waves. The lack of alpha and theta brainwave patterns can reflect the feelings that adults have. Many may feel that “something is missing” in their lives, or even have a midlife crisis and attempt to rediscover their youth.

The alpha and theta waves are what people are missing when they are talking about trying to find the same happiness and carefree attitude as they did when they were a kid. The alpha brainwave patterns can bring back some much needed energy, happiness, and self-esteem that young children generally display. What if you were even able to direct your excess energy towards completing your goals?

You’d be literally unstoppable and the time you spend “working” would seem to fly by because you’d much more zest and excitement in your life. You can only imagine how much better your life would feel if you had extra self-esteem, a larger energy supply, and felt as happy as you did when you were a kid. Likely, you’d have much less resistance when attempting to accomplish bigger goals because you’d feel so great!

A boosted brain = a boosted immune system

Scientific breakthroughs have recently found a direct relationship between the health of the brain and the health of the body. Look up “psychoneuroimmunology” sometime and you’ll read about some interesting discoveries. Psychoneuroimmunologists understand that people who are consistently stressed out, emotionally drained or depressed, or other mental health issues, have a much more difficult time fending off sickness. These individuals come down with sicknesses much more often than those who feel positive, happy, and have a healthier brain.

Other scientific research has shown a clear link between slower brain waves and a quicker “healing time” from bodily injuries such as: bruises, cuts, scratches, or other deep wounds. What’s crazy is that some scientists even believe that when a person is in a state of alpha or theta brain waves, the healing-rate becomes 10 times quicker! This is really an impressive find.

The slower, alpha and theta brain wave patterns are often very common in the brains’ of people who consistently practice meditation. For this reason, it is not at all surprising that individuals who practice meditation can reap significant health-related benefits. Accessing alpha or theta brainwaves for just 20 minutes can result in lowered stress and anger levels, lower blood pressure, headache relief, and in some cases, even a happier mood!

After reading these claims awhile ago, I remained a bit skeptical. With that said, when I finally did some experimentation in the alpha and theta brainwave ranges, I came to notice an improved immune system, I felt healthier, and had more energy than normally. I still did get sick at times, but it was less frequently and I usually recovered at a quicker rate.

Say goodbye to your insomnia

I love the way alpha and theta brainwaves can work wonders for insomniacs. I used to struggle with insomnia and sometimes my only options were to: A) pop a Xanax and fall asleep or B) Stay up until 3:00 A.M. before finally managing to fall asleep. When popping a Xanax, I didn’t like the feeling of being “drugged up,” and having to rely on a pill to fall asleep. That is purely unnatural. When I stayed up until 3:00 A.M. I felt completely burnt out and tired the next day. Both options were horrible and stress had me in what I perceived lose-lose situation.

After finally discovering brainwave entrainment, I began to experiment with various sessions. I realized that in order for us to get quality sleep, our brains need to ’shift’ from the intense, fast-paced beta brainwaves down to alpha brainwaves. Without being able to shift from beta to alpha, we shift from the stressful “high-beta” directly to “theta” or “delta” and skip alpha. Skipping alpha in order to fall asleep results in terrible quality of sleep.

What worked best for me was using various alpha brainwave entrainment sessions via Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional while laying in bed, hoping to fall asleep. It seemed that even if I wasn’t able to fall asleep, I was in fact able to calm my racing-thoughts / rapid-thinking down to a relaxed state. This allowed me to at least fall asleep in a quicker period of time. After a couple weeks of consistently listening to alpha sessions before bed, I was able to fall asleep when I wanted and very quickly.

Stop and take a second to think about this. Being in an alpha brain wave state means feeling both mentally and physically relaxed. When your brain calms down into a state of alpha, the constant chatter [rapid-thoughts] of your beta brainwaves slow down. This state of “idling” in alpha allows your brain to shift even further down into the theta brain wave frequencies. You are now able to enjoy a healthy, good night’s sleep!

It is also important that in the first stage of sleep (N1), your brain always enters alpha. This is why when you slow your brain waves to the alpha range from beta, your brain naturally believes you are ready to fall asleep… Followed by this, something amazing happens: you do! You actually fall asleep and defeat your insomnia! Say goodbye to Ambien, Lunesta, [insert sleeping pill here], Xanax, alcohol, etc. Whoop whoop!

Take a nap and wake up in alpha waves

Waking up in an alpha brainwave state

Ever wake up feeling alert, energized, refreshed, and pumped up for the day? Well, each time that a person wakes up in an alpha brain wave state, they’ll usually feel highly energetic and is literally able to “jump out of bed.” No matter if you just slept a short period of time or a full night – if you wake up in an alpha brain wave state, you’ll feel extremely refreshed. Nearly 20 minutes after falling asleep, your brain shifts down into a state of alpha. After around 20 minutes, your brain dives down into the range of theta brain waves.

Famous people who had much success with “power naps”

The whole key is to wake up in a state of alpha. If you consistently wake up while your brain is in the delta brain wave rhythm or even theta, you will feel very groggy, tired, and will feel like sleeping a lot longer. This is why research has proved that taking a short power nap can increase your overall energy levels and boost your brain power.

When you take a short nap, you are very likely to wake up in a state of alpha. Many influential leaders who enjoyed taking power naps throughout their day include: Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Napoleon Bonaparte, Salvador Dali, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Thomas Edison.

Why napping is good for your brain

A study done by researchers at Harvard University, found that individuals who took a small “power nap” at around midday, actually performed better at memory tasks and learning when compared to individuals who didn’t take a nap. Though it may seem ridiculous, many companies who have advocated napping at around lunchtime noticed significantly boosted mood and productivity amongst their workers.

The director at the Sleep Disorder Center of the University of New Mexico, named (Dr.) Amanda Beck, believes that it is best for everyone to take about a 15 minute nap at around noon. Why? Because even taking a 15 minute “power nap” can boost energy in tired workers. Dr. Beck also stated that, “In a lot of ways, taking a nap is lot better than a cup of coffee.” It definitely wouldn’t hurt to remind your boss of this interesting fact when he finds you asleep shortly after lunch break!

Boost your intuition and “gut instinct”

A cool side-effect associated with increased alpha waves- and especially increased theta brainwaves is a boosted intuition or “gut instinct.” Often times using our “gut instinct” and intuition can be of great help when making decisions. When your brain is in an alpha-theta brain wave state, you have access to the subconscious and deeper intuition. Has there ever been a time in your life when you were thinking of a person – and before you know it, you see that same person later in the day?

Some believe that it is the intuition – or even psychic ability – [provided by theta brainwaves] that allows us to be aware that we will probably see the person who pops into our head, predict that a person is going to call before they do, or even predict a song will come on the radio right before it does. This is how things work: alpha brain waves link your conscious mind with your subconscious mind.

When you are in an alpha-theta state, you are able to dig up some subconscious knowledge and intuition and transfer that information from the subconscious [theta waves], through the conscious-subconscious barrier [alpha waves], and into the conscious [beta waves]. This is why when your slower brainwaves are stronger, it is easier to dig up subconscious advice, memories, or other information.

Interesting facts about slow brain waves

Women are naturally more intuitive than men

Have you ever heard the rumor that women have strong intuitions? Well, if you have, that rumor is actually true! After analyzing the brain waves of women and men, scientists learned that most womens’ brains are naturally running at slower brain wave rhythms than the brains’ of men. On average, the brains of women were found to be operating near the alpha range during their waking hours. For this reason, women can tend to dig up a lot of subconscious dirt via their intuition and sense certain things that most men likely aren’t aware of.

Younger children are highly intuitive

Younger children are also very intuitive. Right before arguments or negative situations, most children can sense when there’s something wrong. This is because most kids have plenty of alpha and theta brain waves. Interestingly enough, the same concept applies for animals – your pets. Oddly enough, the brain waves of animals have been discovered to be primarily in the theta range of high intuition and emotion.

Your pets are extremely intuitive too

For the pet owners out there – you probably understand that your dog or cat seems to know when something is wrong or when you feel angry. Many times, animals have been reported as having E.S.P abilities: they warn their caretaker in some way before a devastating event – they usually act very funny or differently. There are also sometimes cases where dogs seem to sense their owners coming back to the house – without actually seeing them pull in to the garage. It is the intuition that is provided by theta waves that gives them some extra knowledge about their owners’ returning to the house.

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What are theta brain waves?

Theta brainwaves are considered extremely relaxing brainwave activity that is commonly associated with sleep and dreaming. Theta brainwaves are high in amplitude and cycle within the range of 4 – 8 Hz and are usually generated in the brains right hemisphere. Theta waves kick in when we feel emotional, relaxed, daydreamy, unfocused, or are asleep. Theta brainwaves are generally thought of as the brainwaves that are dominant in people with A.D.D., high levels of relaxation, high levels of creativity, and random thinking. The theta brainwave is considered the brainwave pattern that is dominant in deeply relaxed, dream sleep.

Benefits of increasing theta brain waves:

• Deep levels of relaxation – Theta brainwaves while a person is awake is extremely uncommon. However, advanced meditators and children are 2 groups of people that are able to enjoy the deeply relaxing benefits of the theta brainwave. Remember what you felt like when you were a kid? The theta brainwave is a carefree state of mind that makes you feel emotionally connected with others.

• Emotional connection – The theta brainwave range is associated with strong, powerful emotions. The cool thing about theta brainwaves is as they increase, so does the intensity of your emotions. Often times beta brainwaves can block out our emotions or not allow us to fully experience our natural emotions. As theta brainwaves return or are strengthened through relaxation techniques or brainwave entrainment, we can learn to feel and understand our emotions better.

• Advanced intuition - Ever have a powerful gut-instinct that helped you make a good decision? Or a gut-instinct that you should’ve followed? If we get ourselves too caught up in the upper brainwave patterns of beta, our intuitiveness becomes severely damaged. As you increase your theta brainwaves, your intuition will increase as well as your ability to recognize those feelings in your “gut.”

• Subconscious connection – Though the alpha brainwave is capable of bridging the gap between conscious thoughts and the subconscious, the theta brainwave allows us to deeply connect with our subconscious mind. The subconscious mind, or our brain’s right-hemisphere becomes activated when slower brainwaves like alpha and theta waves kick in. If you spend too much time in beta, it may feel incredible to finally relax and allow yourself to connect with your subconscious mind.

• Peak levels of creativity - The theta brainwave is often found in highly creative individuals. Many talented musicians, inventors, and artists are found to have extremely higher than average amounts of theta brainwaves. Musicians and artists are also able to utilize software like Neuro-Programmer 2 in order to help them increase their creativity when it runs dry. Utilizing the theta brainwave will definitely enhance your overall levels of creativity!

• Advanced problem solving skills - The problem associated with having too much of the beta brainwave pattern is the inabiltiy to problem solve and get past “mental blocks” by thinking creatively. Ever get writer’s block? Increasing your theta or alpha brainwaves will most likely help you keep “flowing” right through your paper or article without getting “stuck.” I’ve heard cases of alpha brainwaves used to help prevent writer’s block and I’ve also read that theta waves were very effective.

• Lower anxiety, stress, and neurosis - Lowered levels of stress and anxiety is yet another benefit that the theta brainwave can bring to your life. Not all people with large amounts of theta waves are relaxed, but the theta brainwave band has been linked to lower levels of anxiety, stress, and neurosis. Increasing the total amount of theta brainwaves will help slow rapid thoughts and will make you feel more comfortable in your own body.

• Learning a new language – There has been plenty of research done on language learning and development. The claim that children are able to pick up new languages so quickly is because of their increased amount of theta brainwaves. Adults and students of a new foreign language may greatly benefit from shifting their brainwaves to the theta range.

• Bridges the spiritual connection – Many consider the theta brainwave to be a bridge between the physical body and spiritual body. The theta brainwave has been associated with deeper spirituality and a deep spiritual connection. According to some, the theta brainwave range provides enhanced spiritual awareness and profound insight. Many spiritual experiences and phenomena are commonly experienced in the theta brainwave state.

• Ability to program subconscious mind - There is some evidence to believe that by targeting the lower brainwave patterns and using affirmations or positive self talk, you can change some of your deepest unconscious beliefs or emotional blockages. In the theta brainwave range, the brain is extremely open to suggestion and new ideas. It is the openness of the brain in the theta frequency range that constitutes the ability to re-program the brain.

• Paranormal Experiences – People are especially open to psychic experiences, OOBE’s (Out Of Body Experiences), visions, ESP, and other phenomenon in the theta brainwave range. Though most paranormal and psychic experiences can be argued to be real or fake, there is evidence that most people tend to have them when their brain is full of theta brainwaves. Psychics are supposedly able to tap the theta brainwave range in order to connect with higher spirits and the divine.

• 300% boost in learning ability – Though the alpha brainwave spectrum (8 – 12 Hz) has been associated with “super learning” abilities, the theta brainwave frequency range has been heavily linked to profound learning benefits. As your mind is able to enter the frequencies of the theta range, you will be able to retain over 300% more information than you can while in the beta brainwave state. The theta brainwave allows people to learn large amounts of information in a much quicker time than the beta brainwave state and may even be quicker than the alpha brainwave for some activities.

• Boosted immune system - Increasing your theta brainwaves can lead to a boosted immune system due to the fact that theta brainwaves are associated with vitality and usually zero stress. Stress and too much anxiety can do harm to the immune system by releasing harmful chemicals such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and too much of the hormone: cortisol, associated with the adrenaline release. The theta brainwave releases pleasant chemicals and neurotransmitters to help keep your immune system at it’s peak.

• Improved long-term memory – As theta brainwaves increase, the ability of the brain to recall and store long-term memories increases. The hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in memory processing and storing memories, has a normalized theta brainwave rhythm passing through this area. As we become more stressed out, the beta brainwaves throw the normalized theta brainwaves of the hippocampus out of sync. This is why stressful people usually have poorer ability to recall long-term memories. Often times therapists and hypnotherapists try to slowly open up traumatized clients to the theta range in order to recall repressed memories. The therapists help the client shift to this brainwave range in order to recall the repressed memory and help talk them through the event.

• Ability to hyperfocus – Many people with high amounts of theta brainwave activity are able to “get in the zone” and stay intensely focused and motivated with one idea. Many people with ADD or ADHD attribute their success in certain areas of life to their ability to hyperfocus. Hyperfocus is a unique phenomenon that can really only be experienced in the theta brainwave range. Some meditators have also claimed to have learned the hyperfocus ability.

• Healing of body and mind – The theta brainwave rhythm is well-known to rejuvenate, replenish, and heal the body and mind. The theta brainwave is known to reset your brains sodium / potassium ion ratio. When you get yourself heavily involved in the upper frequencies of the beta range, your brain’s sodium / potassium ion ratio is severely thrown out of sync. Due to the deep levels of relaxation that the theta brainwave brings, the body and mind is easily able to restore itself after a tough mental or physical workout.

Who has high amounts of theta brainwaves?

• Extroverts - Compared to introverts, extroverts have more lower brainwave patterns in the alpha and theta ranges. Extroverts with low traits of neurosis and anxiety were found to have high levels of certain theta brainwave frequencies that introverts did not.

• Meditators – The goal of many meditation practices is to increase the amount of slower, alpha and theta brainwave patterns. After a lot of meditation experience, you can eventually learn how to shift your brain from the beta range, through the pleasant calmness of alpha, into the extraordinary theta range. Experienced meditators can recognize and control this state of awareness. Like any practice, the more you do it, the easier it will become to pass through alpha and into the theta brainwave range through meditation.

• Children – Children tend to have extremely high levels of theta brainwaves compared to adults. Though everyone has some degree of theta activity, most adults have an extremely tiny amount. Though the theta brainwave is very mysterious, it is a relatively safe brainwave. Virtually all children and people with A.D.D. have large amounts of theta brainwave activity. As we age, the beta brain wave pattern tends to increase and dominate the other patterns. That’s why many adults would definitely benefit from a theta or alpha brain wave boost more than young people.

• Individuals With ADD or ADHD – Individuals with ADD or ADHD tend to have brains that produce too much theta brainwave activity and not nearly enough beta activity. Having too much theta brainwave activity explains why ADD people aren’t able to concentrate well and have a tougher time staying on task. On a personal note, I have been able to cure my ADD by staying disciplined to a set of 5 daily steps.

• Extremely stressed individuals – The most advanced stages of stress (i.e. being extremely stressed out for more than a few months) will cause your brain to eventually enter the theta brainwave state due to a burnout of the central nervous system. As you produce too many high beta brainwaves for longer than a few months, your brain will eventually be extremely low in alpha brainwaves, extremely low in low-beta brainwaves, and full of desynchronized theta and high beta activity.

Just like any of the other brainwave patterns, too much of a dominant rhythm can cause problems. By no means would it be recommended to increase a brainwave that you already have high levels of. In fact, you may experience some negative affects from the theta brainwaves.

Problems associated with too many theta brainwaves:

• Inability to focus - Like I mentioned earlier, not everyone will benefit from a theta brainwave increase. The theta brainwave range has been specifically linked to lack of focus and ADD. In most cases, theta brainwaves are associated with mental fogginess, daydreaming activity, and random thinking. If you are already extremely unfocused, increasing your theta brainwaves is not a good idea!

• Too many daydreams – Like the alpha brainwaves, as you increase theta brainwaves, you may have too many daydreams without any control over it. Higher than average amounts of theta brainwaves is never beneficial and too many daydreams is a prime example of why you may not want to entrain theta.

• Depression – High amounts of theta brainwaves are found in individuals’ brains that have been diagnosed with clinical depression. Usually, individuals that have too many lower brainwaves tend to feel more depressed: increasing the amount of beta brainwaves will help them out! If you are depressed from being overstimulated, theta or alpha brainwaves can help your condition improve, but if you are too understimulated, I suggest staying away from alpha or theta brainwaves and sticking to beta.

• Sleepiness – The theta brainwave pattern has been linked to dream sleep. The theta brainwave is found in individuals that are sound asleep or extremely tired. Sleepiness and drowsiness occur when theta brainwaves are found in people that are fully awake. When increasing your theta brainwaves, it is extremely common to fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed. It is very tough to stay aware in the theta state of consciousness unless you are training through meditation.

• Lack of excitement – Excitement is associated with beta brainwaves and the adrenaline that they produce. It is not uncommon to feel unexcited, or extreme feelings of boredom while in the theta range. If you are currently finding yourself bored with new activities, it is time to work to increase your beta brainwaves and stay away from increasing theta.

• Extreme impulsiveness – Since a lack of conscious thought is associated with theta brainwaves, it is not uncommon for extremely impulsive people to be high in theta brainwaves. One symptom of ADD is being overly impulsive. It isn’t at all a surprise that increasing the total amount of theta brainwaves correlates with higher levels of impulsive behavior.

• Hyperactivity – Because the brain is functioning at such a slow brainwave pattern, the central nervous system is using up less overall energy. All the energy that you accumulate from food you eat needs to be put to use somehow. Having too much theta brainwave activity allows your brain and CNS to get by with less energy. Since the brain and CNS use less overall energy, the excess energy is expressed in the individual through hyperactive behaviors.

• Overly receptive mind – In the theta brainwave state, your brain may be overly receptive to suggestions and new information. Being overly receptive isn’t always a good thing and can make your subconscious more open to accepting negative suggested beliefs. Many hypnotherapists target the theta brainwave range to help you implant new beliefs into your mind.

Healthy ways to increase theta brainwaves:

• Brainwave entrainment - As I mention a lot, brainwave entrainment is great for fine tuning your state of consciousness and awareness. If you want to easily and naturally experience theta brainwaves, I recommend trying any of the programs in my “recommended products” section. Brainwave entrainment is an easy process that involves simply listening to a tone (stimulus) and your brainwaves naturally shift in order to match the frequency associated with the acoustic tone.

• Playing Nintendo – Playing Nintendo literally shuts down all brainwave activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, an area which is responsible for producing beta brainwaves to help keep you focused. As an individual plays Nintendo games, his or her brain shifts from focused thinking to the unfocused, visual, theta brainwaves. Those who play Nintendo for longer periods of time on a consistent basis tend to have much more theta activity than those who don’t.

• Listening to music – Virtually all genres of music (besides classical) target the brain’s right hemisphere and increase theta brainwave levels. Ever wonder why music makes you feel more emotional or provokes an intense emotional reaction from within? Music brings emotions to the surface because when we listen, our brain naturally increases it’s theta brainwaves!

• Getting a good night’s sleep – Getting a good night’s sleep is important for staying healthy, keeping a healthy, powerful brain. Though theta brainwaves will not increase when you wake up the next day, they are highly prevalent in your brain while you are sleeping. Most dream-sleep is linked to an increase in theta brainwave activity, whereas dreamless sleep is mostly linked to delta brainwave activity.

• Meditation - The goal of most types of meditation is to lower the brainwaves into the alpha-theta brainwave range. A very safe, healthy way to increase your theta brainwaves is to make meditation a daily habit or start up a meditation routine. If you are already meditating, great — you’ll naturally increase flexibility with to travel through the alpha brainwave range to experience the depths of theta.

• Hypnosis / Self-hypnosis – The goal of all hypnosis and self-hypnosis programs is to target the lower brainwave ranges (i.e. alpha and theta) and implant new beliefs. Doing self-hypnosis on a consistent basis or seeing a hypnotherapist will definitely help you reduce stress by increasing your theta brainwaves.

• Creative Visualization - Every time that you close your eyes and do creative visualization, the amount of natural theta brainwave increases. Though it is tough to maintain awareness in a brainwave state predominantly comprised of theta waves, it can be done. Creative visualization will give your theta brainwaves a nice, healthy boost while you are engaged in this eyes-closed, extremely-relaxed process. If you are the type of person that often shuts your eyes to visualize, you probably have higher than normal amounts of theta brainwave activity. Visualization can go hand-in-hand with a meditation practice, but if you’d rather only visualize, you’ll still be boosting your theta brainwaves.

• Yoga – Like meditation, yoga is yet another activity that promotes relaxation and wellbeing by shifting your brainwaves to the calming patterns of alpha and theta. There are many different types of yoga, and if practiced right, they’ll definitely slow your brainwaves and allow you to experience a much greater sense of awareness and insight within the theta range.

Unhealthy ways to increase theta brainwaves:

• Skipping sleep – Depriving yourself of a good night’s sleep or completely skipping sleep will increase the amount of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress and aging) and will flood your brain with a combination of unfocused brainwaves: mostly theta, some delta and in some cases high-beta. If you have ever pulled an “all nighter,” you’ll know that skipping sleep makes you feel extremely unfocused, dizzy, and confused. This is due to to a combination of unbalanced chemicals, hormones, and brainwaves.

• Taking Valium (diazepam) – Valium is a sedative that is commonly used to treat anxiety, stress, and panic. Taking the drug Valium will increase your brain’s lower frequency brainwaves: mostly theta. The theta brainwaves are what makes a person feel tired and deeply relaxed. If you have ever taken Valium, you know what a kick of the theta brainwaves feel like.

• Drinking Alcohol – Though drinking alcohol primarily increases the total amount of a person’s alpha brainwaves, it definitely has an effect on the theta range too. In extreme cases of alcoholism and drunkenness, the theta brainwave pattern can dominate the brain and leave the individual extremely confused and impair all memory functions.

• Hallucinogenics (i.e. Magic Mushrooms / LSD / Acid) – Hallucinogenic drugs like Magic Mushrooms, LSD, and Acid are definitely not wise to take. They are things that kill your brain cells and can cause a user to have extremely negative reactions that result in huge emotional upheavals and possible psychotic episodes. In my opinion, Magic Mushrooms are the safest of the three mentioned, but they all should be avoided. With that said, if you have ever taken them, you have entered the theta brainwave range with a drugged perspective.

Final evaluation of theta brainwaves:

I personally think that theta brainwaves can feel awesome and are great to experience. The emotional intensity that is associated with high amounts of theta feels great. With that said, theta can be an intense brainwave to experience. If you find yourself overemotional and depressed, the theta band is not recommended. You should be the judge as to whether or not increasing theta is best for you. If you are already experiencing many of the listed “benefits,” you probably don’t need much of an theta brainwave booster.

Are you already an overemotional person? If so, chances are good that your brain naturally produces large amounts of theta brainwave activity and you may not need a boost. If you are experiencing too many of the listed negative effects, you may want to consider speeding up your brainwaves into the beta range.

I personally don’t recommend entraining the alpha brainwave or the theta brainwave if you currently know that your brain already produces large amounts of theta. If you are going to do theta brainwave entrainment with Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional, I recommend trying the 7.83 Hz frequency. If you purchase Neuro-Programmer 2 or any of my recommended brainwave products, you can create a customized 7.83 Hz theta brainwave session or look for one that is already built into the library. If you are confused about your brainwave pattern, consider giving Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional some experimentation and seeing how your brain reacts and your reality changes.

If you’d like to experience Theta brainwaves:

If you have ever given theta brainwaves a shot, I’d really like to hear your experience in the comments section. If you are interested in experiencing some theta brainwaves or have any questions for me, feel free to send me a message through my contact form. I appreciate when you purchase products through me. It helps me pay for blog hosting services and the promotion of this blog. Increasing your theta brainwave pattern is definitely an experience that has potential to boost your brain power and help you connect with your emotions.

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It always feels good to come home after a hard day’s work, lay back on the recliner and take a nice hearty nap. Not only do naps feel good, it is great for your brain’s memory according to a recent study. University of Haifa’s Behavior and Brain Research Center conducted a study lead by Professor Avi Karni and Dr. Maria Korman. They found that a daytime nap changes the course of memory formation in the brain for the better.

The study involved 2 groups of participants: one group which took a nap for 1 hour & 30 minutes after learning a specific sequence involving bringing the thumb and forefinger together. The other group stayed awake after the learning process. The research process examined how quickly and accurate the subjects were able to repeat the sequence involving the thumb and forefinger.

What were the results? The group that took an hour and 1/2 nap in the afternoon showed significant improvements in overall memory performance later that evening. The research suggests that a daytime nap enhances the overall level of performance in the brain! After a nights sleep, the subject’s brains were on the same level, but “the group that slept in the afternoon improved much faster than the group that stayed awake,” noted Professor Karni.

A second experiment was conducted as well to verify results. The second study demonstrated that another aspect of memory is definitely accelerated by sleep. It was previously shown that 6-8 hours after completing an effective memory practice session, there can be interference in the neural process of memory consolidation. When one learns or performs a second, different task, one’s brain will not be able to successfully remember the first trained task. The group that took a snooze were able to remember the trained task and the second different task!

There was also a third group of participants in the study that learned a different thumb-to-finger sequence 2 hours after practicing the first task. They were not allowed to take a nap. When the second task was introduced at the beginning of the 6-8 hour period, the second task the group didn’t show any improvement or boosted brain task-performance during the evening or the next day. However, when the fourth group of participants took a 90 minute nap between learning the first set of movements and the second. This group showed a significant improvement in their task-performance the following morning!

“This part of the study demonstrated, for the first time, that daytime sleep can shorten the time “how to” memory becomes immune to interference and forgetting. Instead of 6-8 hours, the brain consolidated the memory during the 90 minute nap,” said Professor Karni. She also said, “That while this study demonstrates that the process of memory consolidation is accelerated during daytime sleep, it is still not clear which mechanisms sleep accelerates in the process.”

What has this study shown me? If you want a good memory, take a snooze during the day! This makes perfect sense to me because when you take a nap your brain shifts down from the beta brainwave pattern to some deep alpha & theta patterns which have been proven to accelerate learning processes and improve long-term memory. Theta waves can literally bind memories in your brain for the long-term, which is really cool.

A note to all students: if you have a big test or examination coming up, remember to keep sleep in proportion with your study time. Rather than staying up all night cramming, it is better to study for a little while and then get some quality sleep because the sleep will help your brain form memories of what you just crammed! When scientists are able to identify these mechanisms, new methods could be used to accelerate the development of memory consolidation. Until these are found, if you need a good memory especially for learning “how to do” something, snooze on it!

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