Beta Brainwaves –
|
Interested in finding out more about Beta Brainwaves? Download Your Fr-ee eBook |
Beta brain wave patterns are the most common and fastest brainwave pattern. It typically ranges from 14 Hz to 32 Hz and beyond. Beta brainwaves are produced by your conscious mind during normal everyday thought process and waking consciousness.
Why You Need Beta Brainwaves
Beta brainwaves are associated with concentration, logic, reasoning, alertness and critical thinking. You use Beta when you need to process and interpret information, reason, think critically, memorize, plan, schedule and organize things.
More Beta as You Grow Up!
Beta brainwaves are a "grown-up" type of brain waves. Researchers discovered that young children spend most of their waking hours in Alpha brain waves. As the kids grew older and learnt to be more “grown-up”, the amount of their Beta brainwaves increased as well.
|
Memorizing and things in Beta is very different compared to when you’re in Alpha. The main (& most common) way to memorize things is by rote-learning. In fact, the entire education system is based on rote-learning.
Think back when you were a small kid and was trying to learn the multiplication tables. I bet you repeated the tables over and over again, saying & writing it out repetitively until the entire multiplication table finally lodges itself in your mind. What’s happening is that you’re trying to memorize something into the subconscious mind (remember that your memories are stored in the subconscious mind). However, you can only access the subconscious mind through Alpha brainwaves, and NOT Beta brain waves! It’s like using the wrong key to open the door to the store-room! No wonder you have to repeat endlessly to yourself before you could memorize the multiplication table! Memorizing things when you’re in Alpha is an entirely different experience. You’ll be able to do so much more smoothly and easily compared to when you’re in Beta. No rote-learning or hardly any repetitive exercises at all. So, the next time you’re trying to memorize or learn something, try slowing down your brain wave patterns to Alpha. You’ll find that that your study session goes a lot faster and easier! |
Interestingly, people who live "close to the earth" and more in-tune with nature also tend to have relatively slower brain wave patterns, similar to children (more Alpha, less Beta brainwaves). It’s not that they’re childish and immature, but that they tend to have the same kind of wonder and appreciation of nature as well as the intuitive perception that kids often have.
However, the problem is most adults have too much Beta brain wave levels and not enough Alpha and Theta brainwave patterns. That’s why the "wonder and innocence of youth" is something that people talk about and try to recapture in their lives.
Feeling Anxious, Stressed-out?
Blame Your High Beta Brain Wave Levels!
Higher Beta brain wave levels, above 32Hz, result in a feeling of anxiousness, stress, uncomfortable and general sense of tension and unease. If your brainwave levels increase further, above 32 Hz, they’ll hinder your ability to think and focus clearly.
As your brain wave levels goes higher, the brain cells and neurons start firing wildly and randomly, all over the place, leading to a very disorganized and unfocused state of mind. If your brainwave levels go any higher, you risk suffering a nervous breakdown.
In most people, one side of the right or left hemisphere of their brain is usually more dominant, a phenomenon called brain lateralization. As the amount of Beta brain wave levels increase, the brainwaves from both sides of the brain become increasingly out-of-phase.
|
When this happens, as brain wave patterns slow down into Alpha and perhaps even Theta, you'll feel a sense of calmness and peace of mind. What used to stress you out now feels more do-able and nothing to worry about anymore.
That Little Nagging Inner Voice that Never
Shuts-up!
Have you ever thought about setting and achieving a really ambitious goal? The kind of goal that gets you really excited and enthusiastic? You’re all hyped-up and ready to get started.
Then, a little inner voice in your mind starts talking non-stop and asking doubting questions. "Are you sure you can do it?", "What makes you think you can?", "You’ve never done it before. That’s beyond your capabilities", "You’re not smart enough", "They’ll laugh at you when you fail", etc. etc.
Or, maybe you’ve gotten started on your plans. However, before long, you hit some challenges or difficulties. Maybe, you’re just feeling tired. Then, that little doubting, inner voice in your mind starts to come back...
Before long, you start doubting yourself. Soon, you convince yourself that you can’t succeed and don’t even bother to try. You forget all about your plans and go back to your normal, everyday, humdrum life, never succeeding in making anything of yourself…
Sounds depressing, doesn’t it?
That’s actually your high Beta brain wave patterns speaking. To paraphrase an old saying, The devil makes work for idle minds. When high Beta brainwaves are dominant in your mind, your mind goes into overdrive, thinking endlessly of things unnecessarily.
If you’re like most people, your mind (or high Beta brainwaves) is likely to be reliving the bad times in the past or imagining fears in the future --- creating unnecessary anxiety, negative and self-doubting mind-talk.
So, don't want to feel depressed & unhappy?
Then, slow down your brain waves then!
Ever Wonder Why You can’t Sleep at Night?
Have you ever tried to go to sleep at night but just couldn’t? You end-up spending the whole night tossing and turning. You’re physically tired but somehow, your mind just can’t seem to stop, thinking about all sorts of things.
|
As a result, I wouldn’t be able to sleep until the early hours of the morning, sometimes, even until 3 to 4 am in the early morning.
I didn’t know then that the reason my mind was so active was because my Beta brain wave levels were too high. And it wasn’t until I learnt how to slow my brain wave levels down to Alpha using the Silva Method that I was able to get a good night’s sleep on regular basis.
The only times when that didn’t work for me was when I had taken some stimulant, e.g. caffeine-based drinks like coffee or alcohol (yeah, a little drink of alcohol and my mind just goes hyper). Stimulants like these mess up your brain waves and as a result, I found it difficult to slow down my brain wave levels and go to sleep after taking them.
But, Beta Brainwaves aren’t That Bad,
After All...
After all that, it’s not surprising that a lot of people think that Beta brainwaves are no good at all (especially after a night of tossing and turning in bed...=P). However, you know better than that, right?
Whilst High Beta brainwaves are not desirable, Beta brainwaves still play an important role. Beta brain wave patterns are best for thinking, learning, focusing, concentrating, planning and scheduling events, process and interpret data. In fact, the entire education system is based learning at Beta brain wave levels, especially the memorization and rote-learning parts.
However, sometimes it’s easier said than done to silence the "inner critic" and stop getting stressed out, especially if you have negative attitudes and habits already engrained in your mind.
The most effective way to slow the mind and brainwaves down that’s worked for me are the Silva Method and Holosync CDs. Besides that, I've also found the Release Technique and meditation to be also quite effective.
So, the next time you find yourself getting panicky and flustered, just relax, take a deep breath, count to 10 and remember to slow down your brain waves.
You’ll feel much better.
