With the changes in time, there is a change in technology as well due to which human beings are on the path that they can alter their brainwaves to meet other needs. If you’re stressed do you ever wish to control your thoughts, feelings, and emotions? There is a way now it can be achieved by changing or strengthening brainwave patterns by external cues or stimuli.
One of the studies suggested that your brain may produce more alpha waves in the posterior part of your brain when you meditate. When you’re totally at rest, it is not attempting to tackle anything big that requires concentration.
Understanding human behavior and thoughts can take many approaches, but in order to understand how the brain works, you need to look inside it. Some of the common brain imaging techniques are EEG and MRI.
How alpha waves are different from other brain waves?
Brain waves are usually measured by frequency, which is cycles per second, or Hertz and they range from slow to fast. Alpha waves fit in the middle of the spectrum, between theta waves and beta waves.
There are usually five common types of brain waves that you may experience from slowest to fastest that are as follows:
Delta: When you’re in deep sleep, the brain produces delta waves, which are the slowest type of brainwave ranging between 0.5 and 4 Hz.
Theta: When you’re extremely relaxed or sleeping in a light manner, your brain may produce more theta waves that measure between 4 and 8 Hz.
Alpha: Your brain may produce these waves when you’re not focusing on anything hard, which means you are in a calm and relaxed mood. The waves range between 8 and 12 Hz.
Beta: Your brain produces this kind of wave when you’re wide awake, alert, and focused such as making decisions. The waves usually range between 12 and 35 Hz.
Gamma: Gamma waves are known to be the speediest of brain waves when you’re actively involved in processing and learning which helps in concentration and solving problems. These waves usually range more than 35 Hz.
How does sound reach your ear?
- Sound waves from an instrument or sound system reach your outer ear.
- In the middle ear, the sound waves cause the eardrum and tiny bones to vibrate.
- The middle ear passes vibrations to the inner ear.
- The inner ear includes cochlea which has tiny hair cells that react to different tones and pitches.
- The inner ear translates vibrations into electrical signals.
- The electronic signals are carried into the brain by nerve cells called neurons via the cochlear nerve system.
- The signals travel to the brain’s cerebral cortex. Like a supercomputer, this part of the brain.
- Other areas of the brain add their power to analyze different elements such as rhythm, pitch, and dynamics.
What is EEG?
Electroencephalography usually refers to the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes that are present on our scale. This process is usually to know how brain activity can change in response to stimulus and can be useful for measuring abnormal activity.
The more electrical signals, the more neuronal communication which corresponds to more brain activity. The electrodes of EEG headsets can’t detect changes in single neurons but can know the electrical changes of thousands of neurons signaling at the same time.
The signal from the electrode is sent to an amplifier which amplifies the signal. A computer then receives the signal and generates maps of brain activity with a rapid temporal resolution.
One of the drawbacks of EEG is the spatial resolution as the electrodes measure electrical activity at the surface of the brain and it becomes difficult to know whether the signal was produced near the surface or from a deeper region.
Conclusion
There is always some type of electrical activity going on in your brain, at different times of day, Whatever the activity you’re doing one type of your brain’s electrical waves will dominate. When you are in a state of wakeful relaxation, your brain’s alpha waves are dominating. Different kinds of relaxation techniques such as meditation and mindfulness may help increase your alpha waves, thereby making you calmer, and less anxious and boosting your creativity levels.
