Brain Capacity Brainwaves

If you are familiar with meditation and any other stress-relief workouts, you might have heard about binaural beats. Binaural beat is an emerging sound-wave therapy known for inducing auditory illusion which is created as a result of listening to two different tones in each ear with a  slightly different frequency tone. It makes use of the fact that two ears are receiving a tone of varying frequencies, yet the brain perceives these as a single tone. The single tone is the third tone known as a binaural beat. In this sense, what you are hearing isn’t actually there, it is just an auditory illusion. 

How do binaural meditation work and impact the brain?

According to several studies, whenever binaural beats are introduced with a new frequency, our brain waves tend to sync with it. The study also says, binaural beats could help us cope with everyday stress and anxiety, and improve our cognitive abilities. 

Trying binaural meditation is very simple. All you need is a calm place, a good set of headphones and audio with a playlist of binaural beat frequencies. Sit down in a comfortable position and listen to the beats in moderation everyday. It is very important to help your brain to adjust with binaural beats frequencies. You can relax your mind with binaural meditation. For a binaural beat to work as therapy, the two tones have to have frequencies of less than 1000 Hz, and the difference between the two tones can’t be more than 30 Hz.

Binaural meditation promotes several health benefits, but before that you will need to fully understand which brainwave fits your desired state. In general:

 Alpha pattern supports binaural beats at a frequency of 7–13 Hz, helps to calm the mind and promotes relaxation.

Binaural beats in Beta pattern are at a frequency of 13–30 Hz. This pattern improves better concentration, promotes positiveness and attentiveness.

The delta pattern of binaural beats range from 0.5–4 Hz, helps people suffering from insomnia. It promotes deep sleep and relaxation.

Theta pattern of binaural beats is the  frequency of 4–7 Hz, helps to improve mindfulness, memory, creativity, and sleep.

Gamma pattern - The gamma pattern in binaural meditation is at a frequency of 30–50 Hz, helping in maintaining the feeling of arousal while awake.

You can experiment with the length of time while you try binaural meditation to find out what works for you. If you’re experiencing high levels of stress, you may try to meditate for a longer period of time. Remember, you must use headphones and keep your eyes closed when you meditate. 

Our brain is made up of millions of neurons that work together in a certain way to send electrical signals to transmit information. They are called waves because when they are looked at from an EEG machine, these signals take on a wave-like format. 

There are five basic types of brain waves and alpha brain waves represent one pattern from them. Brain waves basically range from very slow to very fast and alpha waves fall in the middle. Alpha waves are produced when someone is awake but not concentrating on anything specific.  

What are Alpha Brain Waves?

Alpha Waves measure between 8 and 12 HZ, the state occurs when someone feels relaxed or reached a state of mindfulness. Which is why these waves are mainly experienced when anyone does activities like meditation or any stress-relieving activities. Research confirms that alpha waves link to the flow state and being in a fully immersed state of energized focus.

Alpha waves play an important role in brain activity and alpha state helps us to:

Relaxed focus

Decompress stress

Constructive thinking

Accelerated learning

Flow state

What Are the Benefits of Alpha Waves?

You may be thinking why alpha waves are so important in our life. Alpha brain waves take you to the state of rest that can lower your stress levels and help you feel calmer. One of the key benefits of increased alpha waves is that it helps to improve performance. It helps us to focus precisely and be more productive. Boosting your alpha waves also increases your creativity levels. In a study of 20 healthy participants, researchers found evidence that they could trigger creativity amongst participants enhancing alpha waves alternating current stimulation waves of the frontal cortex. 

Alpha states help us minimize the sensory input and clears the mine from unwanted thoughts. The biofeedback of alpha waves is used as a tool for treating anxiety and depression. It has the ability to access the relaxation response which is beneficial to mind and body. And alpha waves are not responsive only during a stressed period but at any time required. 

It is also said that alpha waves are the most rhythmic waves produced by the brain, so with an increased alpha wave you are more likely to pay attention to your inner experience rather than focusing on anything else. 

Another key benefit of alpha waves is that it helps to lower the heart rate, blood pressure and sweating. With a deeper relaxation of muscle the digestive system functions better and an increase in the percentage of oxygen and blood flowing to the brain, improving the overall condition of your mind and body. 

The Bottom Line

Human brain is always going through some type of electrical activity. The electrical waves completely depend on what you’re doing and how you are doing. When alpha waves are dominant, you’re likely in a state of wakeful relaxation.