mrs. neal's not-so-conventional MEDITATION [CLASS] for TEENS...

The world is but a canvas to the imagination.

– Henry David Thoreau, author

 

Now, About That Brain Of Yours…

Have you ever slowed your brain waves down?

What does that mean?

It’s nothing weird, or “woo-woo,” or magical or mystical — this is a trick question. The answer is, all of us slow our brain waves down — it’s something that happens every time we are in a relaxed state, or when we go to sleep.

 

How This Works...

The brain is an electrochemical organ that vibrates similarly to the way the heart beats, but more rapidly.

The normal resting heart rate for the human heart is between 60-100 beats per minute (averaging between 72-80); the average brain — when a person is fully awake — normally vibrates from 20-22 cycles per second (cps), or hertz (Hz). This refers to the number of times a brain wave repeats itself within one second.

This rate of 20-22 cps would be the mid-range of the beta frequencies (more on that later in this chapter). Research has shown that people who have highly-stressed, fast-paced lives have much higher average vibrations — well above 25 cps.

 

The brain vibrations, or the electrical activity emanating from the brain, also are known as brain wave frequencies. Have you ever watched a movie or television program that showed a person in a hospital bed with electrodes and wires attached to their head, and a monitor showing the “blips” of the brain activity? Those “blips” are measuring brain wave frequencies.

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Brain Wave Frequencies and Their cps/Hz:

Listed below are the different brain wave frequencies, along with their cps, or Hz, and a brief description of the physical effects you may experience in each frequency’s state.

• Gamma* (greater than 30 Hz / up to 100+ Hz) — Associated with precognition, hyper-awareness, panic, anger, high-level information processing. At this frequency level, stress hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, etc.) are released into the body, which are harmful to health.
  * Equipment had to be specially calibrated to detect the Gamma frequencies.
   
• Beta (low-, mid- or high-range / 30-13 Hz) — Associated with mental alertness, hand-eye coordination, visual acuity, mild agitation, full attention, concentration, logical thinking, active conversation, cognition. You are relaxed at the lower frequencies, yet focused. Again, at the higher levels, stress hormones are released into the body. Beta training is helpful to those diagnosed with some types of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
   
• Alpha (13-8 Hz) — Associated with gentle relaxation, visualization, creative energy, expanded awareness, not agitated, tranquil, day-dreaming, not drowsy, semiconscious of time and space. At this level, healing chemicals are released into the body (those peptides, endorphins) which repair and heal the body. Alpha training can be helpful for dealing with stress.
   
• Theta (8-4 Hz) — Associated with meditation, intuition, inner peace and relaxation, super-learning, self-hypnosis, creativity, inspiration, dream recall, rapid eye movement (REM), recalling long-forgotten memories, heightened receptivity, fantasy, imagery, visions or hallucinations, memory, spirituality — overall, a very positive and expansive state.
   
• Delta (4 and lower Hz) — Associated with detached awareness, unaware of time and space, deep dreamless non-REM sleep, trance, unconscious. Healing and regeneration of mind and body occur through the release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) while in this state; this deep restorative sleep is essential to the healing process.

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The frequencies of your brain waves affect how you feel, and how you respond to what’s going on around you. While there can be external influences that affect the activity in your brain over which you have no control, you can control your brain wave levels, as well as your stress levels.

The chart below shows how your brain wave levels and stress levels are related — the lower (or slower) your brain waves frequencies are, the lower your stress levels will be:

Frequency (Hz)	Level of Mind / Stress
30 and above	High Stress
29–25	Mild Stress
24–20	Normal
19–14	Little Relaxed
13–11	Light Trance (Quiet Relaxed)
10–8	Moderate Trance (Very Relaxed)
7–5	Deep Trance (Deeply Relaxed)
4–2	Sleep
1	Unconscious
0.5	Coma
0	Death

 

The levels of your brain wave frequencies naturally will vary during the course of the day, mainly staying in the Beta and higher Alpha frequencies.

As you can see by taking a look at that chart, when you go to sleep, and throughout your sleep cycle, these frequencies will slow down all the way down to the Delta state. Normal sleep patterns will bring the activity up to the Alpha state, then back down into the Delta state; with this pattern occurring several times during your sleep cycle.

Meditation naturally lowers brain wave frequencies.

We intentionally lower our brain wave frequencies by using breathing to induce the Relaxation Response, coupled with visualization techniques in order to reach the Theta state. You’ll read more about the Relaxation Response in chapter 10.

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Feeling Floaty Or Numb?

During meditation, you may begin to feel numb, detached or tingly, or may even experience the sensation of floating. This is natural, and is caused by your brain waves slowing down.

 As your brain wave frequencies slow down to the Theta state — either during meditation or during sleep cycles — neuro-transmitters, or chemical messengers, (glycine, and gamma-amino-butyric acid — or GABA) switch off specific cells in the brain that allow muscle movement causing what is commonly referred to as sleep paralysis, or pseudo paralysis.

That little twitch or “jerk” you may experience when you are falling asleep is an effect that can occur naturally during the transition of entering this state — a random electrical discharge (remember, your brain is an electrochemical organ).

A part of your brain essentially blocks the signals from your brain to your skeletal muscles — your brain is naturally paralyzing you to keep you from acting out your dreams.

When sleep paralysis doesn’t occur, people may experience sleep walking.

Remember that your subconscious does not distinguish between what is real and what is not — when you are dreaming, your subconscious accepts your dreams as reality. If you were not “paralyzed,” you would be physically acting out your dreams.

Imagine the possible harm that could occur if this block didn’t happen and you were dreaming that you were chasing your cat out into the street.

The first time you experience this feeling during meditation may be a little uncomfortable, or even a little scary. Once you realize that it is natural, you will be able to relax, and you will accept that you have nothing to fear.

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...Or Feeling High?

One of the benefits of practicing meditation is experiencing the release of the body’s natural opiates — generically referred to as endorphins — which brings about more than just the lowering of stress levels.

Endorphins also reduce or relieve pain, boost the immune system, relax the body and mind, slow down the aging process, and lower blood pressure.

These endorphins that are created naturally by the body during meditation are safe and non-addictive with no negative side effects, and they produce a natural high!

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STUDENT CHALLENGE!

If You Like to do Your Own Research:

• In 1998, the healing benefits of prayer were alluded to when a group of scientists in the US studied how patients with heart conditions experienced fewer complications following periods of “intercessory prayer.”
   
• Dr. Andrew Newberg, University of Pennsylvania, conducted studies using brain imaging to pinpoint areas of the brain involved when Franciscan nuns pray and Tibetan Buddhist monks meditate. Scientific study of both the physical world and the inner world of human experiences are, according to Dr. Newberg, equally beneficial. He commented that when someone has a mystical experience, they perceive that sense of reality to be far greater and far clearer than our usual everyday sense of reality. And, since the sense of spiritual reality is more powerful and clear, perhaps that sense of reality is more accurate than our scientific everyday sense of reality.
   
• At a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, scientists from Stanford University detailed their research into the positive effects that hypnotherapy can have in helping people cope with long-term illnesses.

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THINK TIME:

What steps can you take to slow down your brain waves?

 

THE HOWs and WHYs
and OTHER LESSONS

 

Science is not only compatible with spirituality;
it is a profound source
of spirituality.

– Carl Sagan,
scientist / astronomer