by Terrance A. Bastian

The human brain is a wondrous and complex organic computer that

governs every motion of our bodies. Within this computer there is a

virtual storm of electrical, magnetic, and chemical activity. This

storm of seeming chaotic activity is a big part of what gives us order

in our lives. Since the early 1900's doctors and scientists have been

able to look into the brain and view this activity, in hopes to

decipher why people do one thing verses another. While the doctors and

scientists were probing the regions of the brain they found out that

for the most part the activity detected was composed of many different

frequencies of rhythmic and non-rhythmic waves or pulsations ranging

from 0.2 to several hundred hertz. These pulsations were further

broken down into individual categories for easier study and for there

particular properties. These categories are the Beta, Alpha, Theta,

and Delta waves.

The first type of brain wave is the Beta wave. This wave is in

the range of approximately 10-30 hertz or pulses per second, sometimes

Beta waves are also referred to those frequencies up into the hundreds

of hertz. The mental activity normally assoiated with Beta waves is the

active awareness state that we experience from day to day at work and

play. There are many external chemicals that can be induced into the

brain to produce this state and they are known generally as stimulants.

Some of those stimulants are small amounts of alcohol, the nicotine in

cigarettes, caffeine in coffee and tea, diet pills, and aphetamines

(which are illegal).

The second type of wave and I should say the most widely known

and publicized is the Alpha wave. Most people equate this wave with

ESP, meditation, and all sorts of strange ideas. The truth is the

alpha waves account for only half the story. Alpha ranges between 8-12

hertz and is prominent during relaxation mostly with eyes closed, day

dreaming, and upon deep self-introspection. The 1960's made this

activity famous when it was found out that cannabis or marijuana, which

grew naturally, induced this state in people. Scientist have found out

that it was the chemical THC that caused this euphoric feeling by being

a substitute for the brain's natural pleasure chemicals which are

called endorphans.

The next wave activity is the Theta region and is the least known

type outside the confines of the dream research laboratories. This

wave is in the range of 4-8 hertz and is characterized mainly with

light sleep, Rapid Eye Movement(REM) dreams, and hallucinations. The

brain uses this state to exercise itself, somewhat like working out

your muscles to make them stronger and to release overall tension. The

drugs that promote this activity are, on the whole, illegal. These

substances are in the general category of hallucinegics (LSD, Acid,

Magic mushrooms, etc...).

The fourth kind of wave and I can say a very important one is the

Delta wave. The Delta's frequency is in between 0.2 & 4 hertz

which can be as low as 1 cycle per month or even pure direct current

(DC). The outward appearance of this area is dead to the world

sleep, no dreaming, and coma occour during this state. Many people

have had more than their share to drink after work or at an office

party and had the irresistible urge to just go to sleep, or in extreme

instances just to outright pass out wherever you were. Excessive

ammounts of alchol induces the brain into the Delta state as so the

body can repair and filter out toxins and poisons within itself. The

body uses this state to put full effort to repair itself from the days

activities. Its significant to know that 2/3's of your sleep time is

taken up by this state to complete these repairs and to give the brain

time to rest. Other chemicals that induce this Delta state are known

as downers, things like sleeping pills, aspirin, muscle relaxants, and

barbiturates. All these chemicals can be very dangerous if taken in

excessive amounts which causes the brain and body to totally relax into

death itself.

Out of all the different types of brain waves there is a very

interesting range called the Alpha-Theta border. I've already

mentioned that the Alpha was half the story, well the Theta wave is the

other half of a state of mind that brings about creativity,

intelligence, and a host of other abilities the brain is capable of

doing when properly stimulated. It is a state where the central

nervous system reduces input from the peripheral nervous system.

The lowering of sensory input serves to normally protect the

central nervous system from sensory overload caused by stress or

physical damage. Without these outside functions for the brain to

control the brain expands its functioning powers. The normally

unused portion of the brain becomes active and performs at maximum

capacity. This range is between 7-8 hertz and this is not so surprising

when you learn that the resonant frequency of the earth and ionosphere

is approximately 7.82222 hertz. Our brains evolved within this dynamic

field and used it as a standard to function on. The mind experences

the body in a half-in half-out state of sleep or detachment. The

feeling is of being concious of all things around you but the body

being in deep relaxation. Many cultures discovered this and the

methods to achieve this state naturally and artificially. Many of the

worlds religions were founded on reaching this state and devised strict

disciplines to do so. The Alpha-Theta range occurs during reverie,

hypnogoic imagery, meditation, and by self-hypnosis. The drugs that

achieve this state are controlled use of cannabis and hallucinegics.

Science and medicine have devised several ways to monitor brain

waves. The main methods are the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the

magnetoencephalogram (MEG). The EEG measures the electrical potentials

on the surface of the scalp or at times on the surface of the brains

cortex. The EEG has many drawbacks in that it measures the average

frequencies in the brain. The electrodes are separated from the brain

for the most part by the thick barrier of the skull. This is like a

scientist in a good year blimp flying over a football game: he could

hear the crowd roar but thats about it.

The MEG senses and records the subtle magnetic fields generated

by the brain. This is difficult because each neuro cell "talks" to

one another in the brain through electrical signals that generate weak

magnetic fields, about one billionth the strength of the earths field.

But by using the new superconducting technology the problem is being

rapidly done away with, more and more sensitive magnetic sensing coils

are being made. Using a superconducting neuromagnetometer placed

near a persons head, like an antenna, it picks up the magnetic field

emerging from the brain. This information is sent to a computer and a

accurate map of the brains activity can be made and analyzed.

In the last few years a new approach to brain waves and human

emotion is being explored in the form of brain entrainment. This is a

form of bio-feedback and stimulation to promote a specific wave state

that is desired. This can be done by various methods; flashing lights

,sound pulsations ,electromagnetic pulses ,and physical vibrations.

These stimulation techniques require that the pulses, vibrations, or

flashings occour at the desired frequency rate so that the brain can

synchronize with the external signals. Any one or a combination of

these methods can have a profound effect upon the operation of the

brain. It has been known that the Soviet Union and the United States

has used external stimulation to induce sleep ,hypnosis, and other

altered states in people.

The area of brain wave activity is an active and dynamic field

indeed. Many scientific discoveries are bound to be made, from the

relief of stress to increasing the power of the human mind. Who

really can say what will happen in the future.