Humans have an outer world and an inner world. Both have a lot of information. In fact, the connection and order between the outer and the inner world is made by the brain and sensors in our body. The sensors are our senses, we see, hear, feel, smell and taste.
The brain is made up of nerve cell networks (neurons) that transmit information between cells. They do this through electricity and chemistry transmission. When a neuron communicates with another neuron, it emits electromagnetic signals at a specific intensity and frequency.
Scientists today know how to read these signals by using an EEG device, which is basically a device with electrodes connected to the head on one side and to a computer on the other side. The information received is called brain waves. Many scans and tests in the world have found that meditation is the way to change and regulate our brainwaves.
There are basically five ranges of brainwaves:
Beta Waves (13 and 50 Hz) - Awake state, our maximum attention is to the outside world. A state in which the brain receives the information from the outside through the senses and strives to unify and arrange it. Since there is a lot of information and stimuli on the outside, the brain is active, so beta waves are fast and high intensity. Regular beta waves are linked to focus and learning. Ultra-high beta waves are linked to stress and anxiety (it is advisable not to get stuck in high beta waves, it's like full gas neutral).
Alpha Waves (8 and 13 Hz) - A calmer state, the maximum attention is to our inner world. The information we receive from outside is scant and we are increasingly aware of information in our inner world. Slowly, the voices in our head disappear and we enter a state where the brain begins to see images. In this situation we are very calm, and our inner world becomes more real than our outer world. Another way to think of the Alpha Wave is that we drive a car on a highway, we are in some kind of auto mode, we often have no idea how much time has passed, we have no pictures of the outside world, and we are in a kind of trance state where we dream and take pictures from our inner world. To do this we must be in alpha waves, a state of conscious imagination. Alpha waves are linked to calmness and reflection. Many times, at the end of sound meditation people tell me they don't know how long it has been, sometimes it feels slow and sometimes it feels fast.
Theta Waves (4 and 8 Hz) - Hypnotic state in which brainwaves are slower than alpha. A state in which the brain is most open to changes also called increased suggestion. Our ability to receive, believe, and submit information without analysis and testing. Theta is slower waves of the brain where the body is half asleep, but we are aware and alert. We are aware of our conscious giving, but we are no longer aware of our identity and what is happening in our lives, we are not aware of who we are, our personality or why we are here. And then we move to the deeper parts of the subconscious mind, the automatic parts that are the automated programs that run us everyday. Another way to think of Theta is to think of the brain as a computer operating system that has applications we are aware of (such as a browser or Facebook) and software that we are not aware of running in the background (such as antivirus). When we are in theta waves, we have access to software that runs in the background and can be removed, installed or updated. Theta waves are also linked to creativity and intuition. During sound meditation, brainwaves also go down, and people experience creative insights or feel very connected to themselves.
Delta Waves (0.5 and 4 Hz) - Resting state, the slowest brainwave in which the brain rests and regains energy. A state of deep sleep in which we do not think, unconscious and usually do not dream. Delta waves are linked to deep sleep and healing that allows the brain to regain power. The body is completely asleep and there is very little activity in the brain. In sound meditation, the brainwaves go down to the delta too, so quite a few people fall asleep during sound meditations and go into deep, healing sleep.
Gamma Waves (40 and 100 Hz) - The fastest brainwaves. A situation where we are super conscious, a situation in which our inner world tends to be more real than our outer world. Gamma waves are linked to ecstasy, happiness, pleasure, excitement, “in the zone”, and very high enthusiasm. At the end of the sound meditation, we practice feeling happiness, love and pleasure. It gets us into the sensations associated with gamma waves.
So why is it so important?
Many times, in life, we want to make changes and change habits, become better, healthier people, or get tools to fulfill our dreams. If the purpose of meditation is to reach beyond our analytic awareness, and what separates the conscious mind from being conscious, is our analytic awareness, to reach the conscious, where these automated programs ran, we need to learn formula on how to slow our brainwaves to get into alpha and theta state. Then you can start making significant and measurable changes. The video below shows a measurement we made before and during sound meditation as we recorded through EEG. You can see the increase in amplitude of slower waves such as alpha (A) and theta (T) and more synchronization and order between the waves during sound meditation.
Sound meditation is a great way to practice the transition between the various brain waves, so that we can change behaviors and habits, practice deep listening and awareness, enjoy our memories and feeling excited. You can listen with headphones and or you can come experience a live sound meditation.